the six enneads-第106章

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There　if　only　by　that　phase　which　belongs　inherently　to　the　Divine；　though　often　too　they　are　There　entire；　those　of　them　that　have　not　incurred　separation。　　　　　This　vision　Zeus　takes；　and　it　is　for　such　of　us；　also；　as　share　his　love　and　appropriate　our　part　in　the　Beauty　There；　the　final　object　of　all　seeing；　the　entire　beauty　upon　all　things；　for　all　There　sheds　radiance；　and　floods　those　that　have　found　their　way　thither　so　that　they　too　become　beautiful；　thus　it　will　often　happen　that　men　climbing　heights　where　the　soil　has　taken　a　yellow　glow　will　themselves　appear　so；　borrowing　colour　from　the　place　on　which　they　move。　The　colour　flowering　on　that　other　height　we　speak　of　is　Beauty；　or　rather　all　There　is　light　and　beauty；　through　and　through；　for　the　beauty　is　no　mere　bloom　upon　the　surface。　　　　　To　those　that　do　not　see　entire；　the　immediate　impression　is　alone　taken　into　account；　but　those　drunken　with　this　wine；　filled　with　the　nectar；　all　their　soul　penetrated　by　this　beauty；　cannot　remain　mere　gazers：　no　longer　is　there　a　spectator　outside　gazing　on　an　outside　spectacle；　the　clear…eyed　hold　the　vision　within　themselves；　though；　for　the　most　part；　they　have　no　idea　that　it　is　within　but　look　towards　it　as　to　something　beyond　them　and　see　it　as　an　object　of　vision　caught　by　a　direction　of　the　will。　　　　　All　that　one　sees　as　a　spectacle　is　still　external；　one　must　bring　the　vision　within　and　see　no　longer　in　that　mode　of　separation　but　as　we　know　ourselves；　thus　a　man　filled　with　a　god…　possessed　by　Apollo　or　by　one　of　the　Muses…　need　no　longer　look　outside　for　his　vision　of　the　divine　being；　it　is　but　finding　the　strength　to　see　divinity　within。　　　　　11。　Similarly　any　one；　unable　to　see　himself；　but　possessed　by　that　God；　has　but　to　bring　that　divine…　within　before　his　consciousness　and　at　once　he　sees　an　image　of　himself；　himself　lifted　to　a　better　beauty：　now　let　him　ignore　that　image；　lovely　though　it　is；　and　sink　into　a　perfect　self…identity；　no　such　separation　remaining；　at　once　he　forms　a　multiple　unity　with　the　God　silently　present；　in　the　degree　of　his　power　and　will；　the　two　become　one；　should　he　turn　back　to　the　former　duality；　still　he　is　pure　and　remains　very　near　to　the　God；　he　has　but　to　look　again　and　the　same　presence　is　there。　　　　　This　conversion　brings　gain：　at　the　first　stage；　that　of　separation；　a　man　is　aware　of　self；　but；　retreating　inwards；　he　becomes　possessor　of　all；　he　puts　sense　away　behind　him　in　dread　of　the　separated　life　and　becomes　one　in　the　Divine；　if　he　plans　to　see　in　separation；　he　sets　himself　outside。　　　　　The　novice　must　hold　himself　constantly　under　some　image　of　the　Divine　Being　and　seek　in　the　light　of　a　clear　conception；　knowing　thus；　in　a　deep　conviction；　whither　he　is　going…　into　what　a　sublimity　he　penetrates…　he　must　give　himself　forthwith　to　the　inner　and；　radiant　with　the　Divine　Intellections　＇with　which　he　is　now　one＇；　be　no　longer　the　seer　but；　as　that　place　has　made　him；　the　seen。　　　　　Still；　we　will　be　told；　one　cannot　be　in　beauty　and　yet　fail　to　see　it。　The　very　contrary：　to　see　the　divine　as　something　external　is　to　be　outside　of　it；　to　become　it　is　to　be　most　truly　in　beauty：　since　sight　deals　with　the　external；　there　can　here　be　no　vision　unless　in　the　sense　of　identification　with　the　object。　　　　　And　this　identification　amounts　to　a　self…knowing；　a　self…consciousness；　guarded　by　the　fear　of　losing　the　self　in　the　desire　of　a　too　wide　awareness。　　　　　It　must　be　remembered　that　sensations　of　the　ugly　and　evil　impress　us　more　violently　than　those　of　what　is　agreeable　and　yet　leave　less　knowledge　as　the　residue　of　the　shock：　sickness　makes　the　rougher　mark；　but　health；　tranquilly　present；　explains　itself　better；　it　takes　the　first　place；　it　is　the　natural　thing；　it　belongs　to　our　being；　illness　is　alien；　unnatural　and　thus　makes　itself　felt　by　its　very　incongruity；　while　the　other　conditions　are　native　and　we　take　no　notice。　Such　being　our　nature；　we　are　most　completely　aware　of　ourselves　when　we　are　most　completely　identified　with　the　object　of　our　knowledge。　　　　　This　is　why　in　that　other　sphere；　when　we　are　deepest　in　that　knowledge　by　intellection；　we　are　aware　of　none；　we　are　expecting　some　impression　on　sense；　which　has　nothing　to　report　since　it　has　seen　nothing　and　never　could　in　that　order　see　anything。　The　unbelieving　element　is　sense；　it　is　the　other；　the　Intellectual…Principle；　that　sees；　and　if　this　too　doubted；　it　could　not　even　credit　its　own　existence；　for　it　can　never　stand　away　and　with　bodily　eyes　apprehend　itself　as　a　visible　object。　　　　　12。　We　have　told　how　this　vision　is　to　be　procured；　whether　by　the　mode　of　separation　or　in　identity：　now；　seen　in　either　way；　what　does　it　give　to　report？　　　　　The　vision　has　been　of　God　in　travail　of　a　beautiful　offspring；　God　engendering　a　universe　within　himself　in　a　painless　labour　and…　rejoiced　in　what　he　has　brought　into　being；　proud　of　his　children…　keeping　all　closely　by　Him；　for　pleasure　He　has　in　his　radiance　and　in　theirs。　　　　　Of　this　offspring…　all　beautiful；　but　most　beautiful　those　that　have　remained　within…　only　one　has　become　manifest　without；　from　him　＇Zeus；　sovereign　over　the　visible　universe＇　the　youngest　born；　we　may　gather；　as　from　some　image；　the　greatness　of　the　Father　and　of　the　Brothers　that　remain　within　the　Father's　house。　　　　　Still　the　manifested　God　cannot　think　that　he　has　come　forth　in　vain　from　the　father；　for　through　him　another　universe　has　arisen；　beautiful　as　the　image　of　beauty；　and　it　could　not　be'　lawful　that　Beauty　and　Being　should　fail　of　a　beautiful　image。　　　　　This　second　Kosmos　at　every　point　copies　the　archetype：　it　has　life　and　being　in　copy；　and　has　beauty　as　springing　from　that　diviner　world。　In　its　character　of　image　it　holds；　too；　that　divine　perpetuity　without　which　it　would　only　at　times　be　truly　representative　and　sometimes　fail　like　a　construction　of　art；　for　every　image　whose　existence　lies　in　the　nature　of　things　must　stand　during　the　entire　existence　of　the　archetype。　　　　　Hence　it　is　false　to　put　an　end　to　the　visible　sphere　as　long　as　the　Intellectual　endures；　or　to　found　it　upon　a　decision　taken　by　its　maker　at　some　given　moment。　　　　　That　teaching　shirks　the　penetration　of　such　a　making　as　is　here　involved：　it　fails　to　see　that　as　long　as　the　Supreme　is　radiant　there　can　be　no　failing　of　its　sequel　but；　that　existing；　all　exists。　And…　since　the　necessity　of　conveying　our　meaning　compels　such　terms…　the　Supreme　has　existed　for　ever　and　for　ever　will　exist。　　　　　13。　The　God　fettered　＇as　in　the　Kronos　Myth＇　to　an　unchanging　identity　leaves　the　ordering　of　this　universe　to　his　son　（to　Zeus）；　for　it　could　not　be　in　his　character　to　neglect　his　rule　within　the　divine　sphere；　and；　as　though　sated　with　the　Authentic…Beauty；　seek　a　lordship　too　recent　and　too　poor　for　his　might。　Ignoring　this　lower　world；　Kronos　＇Intellectual…Principle＇　claims　for　his　own　father　＇Ouranoo；　the　Absolute；　or　One＇　with　all　the　upward…tending　between　them：　and　he　counts　all　that　tends　to　the　inferior；　beginning　from　his　son　＇Zeus；　the　All…Soul＇；　as　ranking　beneath　him。　Thus　he　holds　a　mid　position　determined　on　the　one　side　by　the　differentiation　implied　in　the　severance　from　the　very　highest　and；　on　the　other；　by　that　which　keeps　him　apart　from　the　link　between　himself　and　the　lower：　he　stands　between　a　greater　father　and　an　inferior　son。　But　since　that　father　is　too　lofty　to　be　thought　of　under　the　name　of　Beauty；　the　second　God　remains　the　primally　beautiful。　　　　　Soul　also　has　beauty；　but　is　less　beautiful　than　Intellect　as　being　its　image　and　therefore；　though　beautiful　in　nature；　taking　increase　of　beauty　by　looking　to　that　original。　Since　then　the　All…Soul…　to　use　the　more　familiar　term…　since　Aphrodite　herself　is　so　beautiful；　what　name　can　we　give　to　that　other？　If　Soul　is　so　lovely　in　its　own　right；　of　what　quality　must　that　prior　be？　And　since　its　being　is　derived；　what　must　that　power　be　from　which　the　Soul　takes　the　double　beauty；　the　borrowed　and　the　inherent？　　　　　We　ourselves　possess　beauty　when　we　are　true　to　our　own　being；　our　ugliness　is　in　going　over　to　another　order；　our　self…knowledge；　that　is　to　say；　is　our　beauty；　in　self…ignorance　we　are　ugly。　　　　　Thus　beauty　is　of　the　Divine　and　comes　Thence　only。　　　　　Do　these　considerations　suffice　to　a　clear　understanding　of　the　Intellectual　Sphere；　or　must　we　make　yet　another　attempt　by　another　road？　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　NINTH　TRACTATE。

　　　　　　　　　　　THE　INTELLECTUAL…PRINCIPLE；　THE　IDEAS；　AND　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　THE　AUTHENTIC　EXISTENCE。

　　　　1。　All　human　beings　from　birth　onward　live　to　the　realm　of　sense　more　than　to　the　Intellectual。　　　　　Forced　of　necessity　to　attend　first　to　the　material；　some　of　them　elect　to　abide　by　that　order　and；　their　life　throughout；　make　its　concerns　their　first　and　their　last；　the　sweet　and　the　bitter　of　sense　are　their　good　and　evil；　they　feel　they　have　done　all　if　they　live　along　pursuing　the　one　and　barring　the　doors　to　the　other。　And　those　of　them　that　pretend　to　reasoning　have　adopted　this　as　their　philosophy；　they　are　like　the　heavier　birds　which　have　incorporated　much　from　the　earth　and　are　so　weighted　down　that　they　cannot　fly　high　for　all　the　wings　Nature　has　given　them。　　　　　Others　do　indeed　lift　themselves　a　little　above　the　earth；　the　better　in　their　soul　urges　them　from　the　pleasant　to　the　nobler；　but　they　are　not　of　power　to　see　the　highest　and　so；　in　despair　of　any　surer　ground；　they　fall　back　in　virtue's　name；　upon　those　actions　and　options　of　the　lower　from　which　they　sought　to　escape。　　　　　But　there　is　a　third　order…　those　godlike　men　who；　in　their　mightier　power；　in　the　keenness　of　their　sight；　have　clear　vision　of　the　splendour　above　and　rise　to　it　from　among　the　cloud　and　fog　of　earth　and　hold　firmly　to　that　other　world；　looking　beyond　all　here；　delighted　in　the　place　of　reality；　their　native　land；　like　a　man　returning　after　long　wanderings　to　the　pleasant　ways　of　his　own　country。　　　　　2。　What　is　this　other　place　and　how　it　is　accessible？　　　　　It　is　to　be　reached　by　those　who；　born　with　the　nature　of　the　lover；　are　also　authentically　philosophic　by　inherent　temper；　in　pain　of　love　towards　beauty　but　not　held　by　material　loveliness；　taking　refuge　from　that　in　things　whose　beauty　is　of　the　soul…　such　things　as　virtue；　knowledge；　institutions；　law　and　custom…　and　thence；　rising　still　a　step；　reach　to　the　source　of　this　loveliness　of　the　Soul；　thence　to　whatever　be　above　that　again；　until　the　uttermost　is　reached。　The　First；　the　Principle　whose　beauty　is　self…springing：　this　attained；　there　is　an　end　to　the　pain　inassuageable　before。　　　　　But　how　is　the　ascent　to　be　begun？　Whence　comes　the　power？　In　what　thought　is　this　love　to　find　its　guide？　　　　　The　guiding　thought　is　this：　that　the　beauty　perceived　on　material　things　is　borrowed。　　　　　The　pattern　giving　beauty　to　the　corporeal　rests　upon　it　as　Idea　to　its　Matter　and　the　substrate　may　change　and　from　being　pleasant　become　distasteful；　a　sign；　in　all　reason；　that　the　beauty　comes　by　participation。　　　　　Now；　what　is　this　that　gives　grace　to　the　corporeal？　　　　　Two　causes　in　their　degree；　the　participation　in　beauty　and　the　power　of　Soul；　the　maker；　which　has　imprinted　that　form。　　　　　We　ask　then　is　soul；　of　itself；　a　thing　of　beauty：　we　find　it　is　not　since　d