the six enneads-第132章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


；　otherwise　the　silence　of　the　better　allows　the　rabble　to　rule；　the　distracted　assembly　unable　to　take　the　word　from　above。　　　　　This　is　the　evil　of　state　and　of　council：　and　this　is　the　evil　of　man；　man　includes　an　inner　rabble…　pleasures；　desires；　fears…　and　these　become　masters　when　the　man；　the　manifold；　gives　them　play。　　　　　But　one　that　has　reduced　his　rabble　and　gone　back　to　the　Man　he　was；　lives　to　that　and　is　that　Man　again；　so　that　what　he　allows　to　the　body　is　allowed　as　to　something　separate。　　　　　There　is　the　man；　too；　that　lives　partly　in　the　one　allegiance　and　partly　in　the　other；　he　is　a　blend　of　the　good　that　is　himself　with　the　evil　that　is　alien。　　　　　16。　But　if　that　Principle　can　never　fall　to　evil　and　we　have　given　a　true　account　of　the　soul's　entry　or　presence　to　body；　what　are　we　to　say　of　the　periodic　Descents　and　Returns；　the　punishments；　the　banishment　into　animal　forms？　That　teaching　we　have　inherited　from　those　ancient　philosophers　who　have　best　probed　into　soul　and　we　must　try　to　show　that　our　own　doctrine　is　accordant　with　it；　or　at　least　not　conflicting。　　　　　We　have　seen　that　the　participation　of　things　here　in　that　higher　means　not　that　the　soul　has　gone　outside　of　itself　to　enter　the　corporeal；　but　that　the　corporeal　has　approached　soul　and　is　now　participant　in　it；　the　coming　affirmed　by　the　ancients　can　be　only　that　approach　of　the　body　to　the　higher　by　which　it　partakes　of　life　and　of　soul；　this　has　nothing　to　do　with　local　entry　but　is　some　form　of　communion；　by　the　descent　and　embodiment　of　current　phrasing　must　be　understood　not　that　soul　becomes　an　appanage　of　body　but　that　it　gives　out　to　it　something　of　itself；　similarly；　the　soul's　departure　is　the　complete　cessation　of　that　communion。　　　　　The　various　rankings　of　the　universe　will　determine　various　degrees　of　the　communion；　soul；　ultimate　of　the　Intellectual；　will　give　forth　freely　to　body　as　being　more　nearly　of　the　one　power　and　standing　closer；　as　distance　holds　in　that　order。　　　　　The　soul's　evil　will　be　this　association；　its　good　the　release。　Why？　Because；　even　unmerged；　a　soul　in　any　way　to　be　described　as　attached　to　this　universe　is　in　some　degree　fallen　from　the　All　into　a　state　of　partition；　essentially　belonging　to　the　All；　it　no　longer　directs　its　act　Thither：　thus；　a　man's　knowledge　is　one　whole；　but　he　may　guide　himself　by　no　more　than　some　single　item　of　it；　where　his　good　would　lie　in　living　not　by　some　such　fragment　but　by　the　total　of　his　knowing。　　　　　That　One　Soul…　member　of　the　Intellectual　kosmos　and　there　merging　what　it　has　of　partial　into　the　total…　has　broken　away；　so　to　speak；　from　the　All　to　the　part　and　to　that　devotes　itself　becoming　partial　with　it：　thus　fire　that　might　consume　everything　may　be　set　to　ply　its　all…power　upon　some　trifle。　So　long　as　the　soul　remains　utterly　unattached　it　is　soul　not　singled　out；　when　it　has　accepted　separation…　not　that　of　place　but　that　of　act　determining　individualities…　it　is　a　part；　no　longer　the　soul　entire；　or　at　least　not　entire　in　the　first　sense；　when；　on　the　contrary；　it　exercises　no　such　outward　control　it　is　perfectly　the　All…Soul；　the　partial　in　it　latent。　　　　　As　for　the　entry　into　the　World　of　the　Shades；　if　this　means　into　the　unseen；　that　is　its　release；　if　into　some　lower　place；　there　is　nothing　strange　in　that；　since　even　here　the　soul　is　taken　to　be　where　the　body　is；　in　place　with　the　body。　　　　　But　on　the　dissolution　of　the　body？　　　　　So　long　as　the　image…soul　has　not　been　discarded；　clearly　the　higher　will　be　where　that　is；　if；　on　the　contrary；　the　higher　has　been　completely　emancipated　by　philosophic　discipline；　the　image…soul　may　very　well　go　alone　to　that　lower　place；　the　authentic　passing　uncontaminated　into　the　Intellectual；　separated　from　that　image　but　nonetheless　the　soul　entire。　　　　　Let　the　image…offspring　of　the　individuality…　fare　as　it　may；　the　true　soul　when　it　turns　its　light　upon　itself；　chooses　the　higher　and　by　that　choice　blends　into　the　All；　neither　acting　now　nor　extinct。　　　　　But　it　is　time　to　return　to　our　main　theme：　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　FIFTH　TRACTATE

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　ON　THE　INTEGRAL　OMNIPRESENCE　OF　THE　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　AUTHENTIC　EXISTENT　（2）。

　　　　1。　The　integral　omnipresence　of　a　unity　numerically　identical　is　in　fact　universally　received；　for　all　men　instinctively　affirm　the　god　in　each　of　us　to　be　one；　the　same　in　all。　It　would　be　taken　as　certain　if　no　one　asked　How　or　sought　to　bring　the　conviction　to　the　test　of　reasoning；　with　this　effective　in　their　thought；　men　would　be　at　rest；　finding　their　stay　in　that　oneness　and　identity；　so　that　nothing　would　wrench　them　from　this　unity。　This　principle；　indeed；　is　the　most　solidly　established　of　all；　proclaimed　by　our　very　souls；　we　do　not　piece　it　up　item　by　item；　but　find　it　within　beforehand；　it　precedes　even　the　principle　by　which　we　affirm　unquestionably　that　all　things　seek　their　good；　for　this　universal　quest　of　good　depends　on　the　fact　that　all　aim　at　unity　and　possess　unity　and　that　universally　effort　is　towards　unity。　　　　　Now　this　unity　in　going　forth；　so　far　as　it　may；　towards　the　Other　Order　must　become　manifest　as　multiplicity　and　in　some　sense　become　multiple；　but　the　primal　nature　and　the　appetition　of　the　good；　which　is　appetition　of　unity；　lead　back　to　what　is　authentically　one；　to　this　every　form　of　Being　is　urged　in　a　movement　towards　its　own　reality。　For　the　good　to　every　nature　possessing　unity　is　to　be　self…belonging；　to　be　itself；　and　that　means　to　be　a　unity。　　　　　In　virtue　of　that　unity　the　Good　may　be　regarded　as　truly　inherent。　Hence　the　Good　is　not　to　be　sought　outside；　it　could　not　have　fallen　outside　of　what　is；　it　cannot　possibly　be　found　in　non…Being；　within　Being　the　Good　must　lie；　since　it　is　never　a　non…Being。　　　　　If　that　Good　has　Being　and　is　within　the　realm　of　Being；　then　it　is　present；　self…contained；　in　everything：　we；　therefore；　need　not　look　outside　of　Being；　we　are　in　it；　yet　that　Good　is　not　exclusively　ours：　therefore　all　beings　are　one。　　　　　2。　Now　the　reasoning　faculty　which　undertakes　this　problem　is　not　a　unity　but　a　thing　of　parts；　it　brings　the　bodily　nature　into　the　enquiry；　borrowing　its　principles　from　the　corporeal：　thus　it　thinks　of　the　Essential　Existence　as　corporeal　and　as　a　thing　of　parts；　it　baulks　at　the　unity　because　it　does　not　start　from　the　appropriate　principles。　We；　however；　must　be　careful　to　bring　the　appropriately　convincing　principles　to　the　discussion　of　the　Unity；　of　perfect　Being：　we　must　hold　to　the　Intellectual　principles　which　alone　apply　to　the　Intellectual　Order　and　to　Real　Being。　　　　　On　the　one　hand　there　is　the　unstable；　exposed　to　all　sorts　of　change；　distributed　in　place；　not　so　much　Being　as　Becoming：　on　the　other；　there　is　that　which　exists　eternally；　not　divided；　subject　to　no　change　of　state；　neither　coming　into　being　nor　falling　from　it；　set　in　no　region　or　place　or　support；　emerging　from　nowhere；　entering　into　nothing；　fast　within　itself。　　　　　In　dealing　with　that　lower　order　we　would　reason　from　its　own　nature　and　the　characteristics　it　exhibits；　thus；　on　a　plausible　foundation；　we　achieve　plausible　results　by　a　plausible　system　of　deduction：　similarly；　in　dealing　with　the　Intellectual；　the　only　way　is　to　grasp　the　nature　of　the　essence　concerned　and　so　lay　the　sure　foundations　of　the　argument；　not　forgetfully　straying　over　into　that　other　order　but　basing　our　treatment　on　what　is　essential　to　the　Nature　with　which　we　deal。　　　　　In　every　entity　the　essential　nature　is　the　governing　principle　and；　as　we　are　told；　a　sound　definition　brings　to　light　many　even　of　the　concomitants：　where　the　essential　nature　is　the　entire　being；　we　must　be　all　the　more　careful　to　keep　to　that；　to　look　to　that；　to　refer　all　to　that。　　　　　3。　If　this　principle　is　the　Authentic　Existent　and　holds　unchanging　identity；　does　not　go　forth　from　itself；　is　untouched　by　any　process　of　becoming　or；　as　we　have　said；　by　any　situation　in　place；　then　it　must　be　always　self…gathered；　never　in　separation；　not　partly　here　and　partly　there；　not　giving　forth　from　itself：　any　such　instability　would　set　it　in　thing　after　thing　or　at　least　in　something　other　than　itself：　then　it　would　no　longer　be　self…gathered；　nor　would　it　be　immune；　for　anything　within　which　it　were　lodged　would　affect　it；　immune；　it　is　not　in　anything。　If；　then；　not　standing　away　from　itself；　not　distributed　by　part；　not　taking　the　slightest　change；　it　is　to　be　in　many　things　while　remaining　a　self…concentrated　entire；　there　is　some　way　in　which　it　has　multipresence；　it　is　at　once　self…enclosed　and　not　so：　the　only　way　is　to　recognise　that　while　this　principle　itself　is　not　lodged　in　anything；　all　other　things　participate　in　it…　all　that　are　apt　and　in　the　measure　of　their　aptitude。　　　　　Thus；　we　either　cancel　all　that　we　have　affirmed　and　the　principles　laid　down；　and　deny　the　existence　of　any　such　Nature；　or；　that　being　impossible；　we　return　to　our　first　position：　　　　　The　One；　numerically　identical；　undistributed；　an　unbroken　entire；　yet　stands　remote　from　nothing　that　exists　by　its　side；　but　it　does　not；　for　that；　need　to　pour　itself　forth：　there　is　no　necessity　either　that　certain　portions　of　it　enter　into　things　or　again　that；　while　it　remains　self…abiding；　something　produced　and　projected　from　it　enter　at　various　points　into　that　other　order。　Either　would　imply　something　of　it　remaining　there　while　the　emanant　is　elsewhere：　thus　separated　from　what　has　gone　forth；　it　would　experience　local　division。　And　would　those　emanants　be；　each　in　itself；　whole　or　part？　If　part；　the　One　has　lost　its　nature；　that　of　an　entire；　as　we　have　already　indicated；　if　whole；　then　either　the　whole　is　broken　up　to　coincide　point　for　point　with　that　in　which　it　is　become　present　or　we　are　admitting　that　an　unbroken　identity　can　be　omnipresent。　　　　　This　is　a　reasoning；　surely；　founded　on　the　thing　itself　and　its　essential　nature；　not　introducing　anything　foreign；　anything　belonging　to　the　Other　Order。　　　　　4。　Then　consider　this　god　＇in　man＇　whom　we　cannot　think　to　be　absent　at　some　point　and　present　at　another。　All　that　have　insight　into　the　nature　of　the　divine　beings　hold　the　omnipresence　of　this　god　and　of　all　the　gods；　and　reason　assures　us　that　so　it　must　be。　　　　　Now　all…pervasion　is　inconsistent　with　partition；　that　would　mean　no　longer　the　god　throughout　but　part　of　the　god　at　one　point　and　part　at　another；　the　god　ceases　to　be　one　god；　just　as　a　mass　cut　up　ceases　to　be　a　mass；　the　parts　no　longer　giving　the　first　total。　Further；　the　god　becomes　corporeal。　　　　　If　all　this　is　impossible；　the　disputed　doctrine　presents　itself　again；　holding　the　god　to　pervade　the　Being　of　man；　we　hold　the　omnipresence　of　an　integral　identity。　　　　　Again；　if　we　think　of　the　divine　nature　as　infinite…　and　certainly　it　is　confined　by　no　bounds…　this　must　mean　that　it　nowhere　fails；　its　presence　must　reach　to　everything；　at　the　point　to　which　it　does　not　reach；　there　it　has　failed；　something　exists　in　which　it　is　not。　　　　　Now；　admitting　any　sequent　to　the　absolute　unity；　that　sequent　must　be　bound　up　with　the　absolute；　any　third　will　be　about　that　second　and　move　towards　it；　linked　to　it　as　its　offspring。　In　this　way　all　participants　in　the　Later　will　have　share　in　the　First。　The　Beings　of　the　Intellectual　are　thus　a　plura