the six enneads-第134章

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rcelwise；　it　cannot　be　fixed　to　place；　it　is　not　spread　about　like　a　colouring；　for　it　is　not　corporeal；　in　any　true　participation　in　wisdom　there　must　be　one　thing　acting　as　unit　upon　unit。　So　must　it　be　in　our　participation　in　the　One；　we　shall　not　take　our　several　portions　of　it；　nor　you　some　separate　entire　and　I　another。　Think　of　what　happens　in　Assemblies　and　all　kinds　of　meetings；　the　road　to　sense　is　the　road　to　unity；　singly　the　members　are　far　from　wise；　as　they　begin　to　grow　together；　each；　in　that　true　growth；　generates　wisdom　while　he　recognizes　it。　There　is　nothing　to　prevent　our　intelligences　meeting　at　one　centre　from　their　several　positions；　all　one；　they　seem　apart　to　us　as　when　without　looking　we　touch　one　object　or　sound　one　string　with　different　fingers　and　think　we　feel　several。　Or　take　our　souls　in　their　possession　of　good；　it　is　not　one　good　for　me　and　another　for　you；　it　is　the　same　for　both　and　not　in　the　sense　merely　of　distinct　products　of　an　identical　source；　the　good　somewhere　above　with　something　streaming　from　it　into　us；　in　any　real　receiving　of　good；　giver　is　in　contact　with　taker　and　gives　not　as　to　a　recipient　outside　but　to　one　in　intimate　contact。　　　　　The　Intellectual　giving　is　not　an　act　of　transmission；　even　in　the　case　of　corporeal　objects；　with　their　local　separation；　the　mutual　giving　＇and　taking＇　is　of　things　of　one　order　and　their　communication；　every　effect　they　produce；　is　upon　their　like；　what　is　corporeal　in　the　All　acts　and　is　acted　upon　within　itself；　nothing　external　impinging　upon　it。　Now　if　in　body；　whose　very　nature　is　partition；　there　is　no　incursion　of　the　alien；　how　can　there　be　any　in　the　order　in　which　no　partition　exists？　　　　　It　is　therefore　by　identification　that　we　see　the　good　and　touch　it；　brought　to　it　by　becoming　identical　with　what　is　of　the　Intellectual　within　ourselves。　In　that　realm　exists　what　is　far　more　truly　a　kosmos　of　unity；　otherwise　there　will　be　two　sensible　universes；　divided　into　correspondent　parts；　the　Intellectual　sphere；　if　a　unity　only　as　this　sphere　is；　will　be　undistinguishable　from　it…　except；　indeed；　that　it　will　be　less　worthy　of　respect　since　in　the　nature　of　things　extension　is　appropriate　in　the　lower　while　the　Intellectual　will　have　wrought　out　its　own　extension　with　no　motive；　in　a　departure　from　its　very　character。　　　　　And　what　is　there　to　hinder　this　unification？　There　is　no　question　of　one　member　pushing　another　out　as　occupying　too　much　space；　any　more　than　happens　in　our　own　minds　where　we　take　in　the　entire　fruit　of　our　study　and　observation；　all　uncrowded。　　　　　We　may　be　told　that　this　unification　is　not　possible　in　Real　Beings；　it　certainly　would　not　be　possible；　if　the　Reals　had　extension。　　　　　11。　But　how　can　the　unextended　reach　over　the　defined　extension　of　the　corporeal？　How　can　it；　so；　maintain　itself　as　a　unity；　an　identity？　　　　　This　is　a　problem　often　raised　and　reason　calls　vehemently　for　a　solution　of　the　difficulties　involved。　The　fact　stands　abundantly　evident；　but　there　is　still　the　need　of　intellectual　satisfaction。　　　　　We　have；　of　course；　no　slight　aid　to　conviction；　indeed　the　very　strongest；　in　the　exposition　of　the　character　of　that　principle。　It　is　not　like　a　stone；　some　vast　block　lying　where　it　lies；　covering　the　space　of　its　own　extension；　held　within　its　own　limits；　having　a　fixed　quantity　of　mass　and　of　assigned　stone…power。　It　is　a　First　Principle；　measureless；　not　bounded　within　determined　size…　such　measurement　belongs　to　another　order…　and　therefore　it　is　all…power；　nowhere　under　limit。　Being　so；　it　is　outside　of　Time。　　　　　Time　in　its　ceaseless　onward　sliding　produces　parted　interval；　Eternity　stands　in　identity；　pre…eminent；　vaster　by　unending　power　than　Time　with　all　the　vastness　of　its　seeming　progress；　Time　is　like　a　radial　line　running　out　apparently　to　infinity　but　dependent　upon　that；　its　centre；　which　is　the　pivot　of　all　its　movement；　as　it　goes　it　tells　of　that　centre；　but　the　centre　itself　is　the　unmoving　principle　of　all　the　movement。　　　　　Time　stands；　thus；　in　analogy　with　the　principle　which　holds　fast　in　unchanging　identity　of　essence：　but　that　principle　is　infinite　not　only　in　duration　but　also　in　power：　this　infinity　of　power　must　also　have　its　counterpart；　a　principle　springing　from　that　infinite　power　and　dependent　upon　it；　this　counterpart　will；　after　its　own　mode；　run　a　course…　corresponding　to　the　course　of　Time…　in　keeping　with　that　stationary　power　which　is　its　greater　as　being　its　source：　and　in　this　too　the　source　is　present　throughout　the　full　extension　of　its　lower　correspondent。　　　　　This　secondary　of　Power；　participating　as　far　as　it　may　in　that　higher；　must　be　identified。　　　　　Now　the　higher　power　is　present　integrally　but；　in　the　weakness　of　the　recipient　material；　is　not　discerned　as　every　point；　it　is　present　as　an　identity　everywhere　not　in　the　mode　of　the　material　triangle…　identical　though；　in　many　representations；　numerically　multiple；　but　in　the　mode　of　the　immaterial；　ideal　triangle　which　is　the　source　of　the　material　figures。　If　we　are　asked　why　the　omnipresence　of　the　immaterial　triangle　does　not　entail　that　of　the　material　figure；　we　answer　that　not　all　Matter　enters　into　the　participation　necessary；　Matter　accepts　various　forms　and　not　all　Matter　is　apt　for　all　form；　the　First　Matter；　for　example；　does　not　lend　itself　to　all　but　is　for　the　First　Kinds　first　and　for　the　others　in　due　order；　though　these；　too；　are　omnipresent。　　　　　12。　To　return：　How　is　that　Power　present　to　the　universe？　　　　　As　a　One　Life。　　　　　Consider　the　life　in　any　living　thing；　it　does　not　reach　only　to　some　fixed　point；　unable　to　permeate　the　entire　being；　it　is　omnipresent。　If　on　this　again　we　are　asked　How；　we　appeal　to　the　character　of　this　power；　not　subject　to　quantity　but　such　that　though　you　divide　it　mentally　for　ever　you　still　have　the　same　power；　infinite　to　the　core；　in　it　there　is　no　Matter　to　make　it　grow　less　and　less　according　to　the　measured　mass。　　　　　Conceive　it　as　a　power　of　an　ever…fresh　infinity；　a　principle　unfailing；　inexhaustible；　at　no　point　giving　out；　brimming　over　with　its　own　vitality。　If　you　look　to　some　definite　spot　and　seek　to　fasten　on　some　definite　thing；　you　will　not　find　it。　The　contrary　is　your　only　way；　you　cannot　pass　on　to　where　it　is　not；　you　will　never　halt　at　a　dwindling　point　where　it　fails　at　last　and　can　no　longer　give；　you　will　always　be　able　to　move　with　it…　better；　to　be　in　its　entirety…　and　so　seek　no　further；　denying　it；　you　have　strayed　away　to　something　of　another　order　and　you　fall；　looking　elsewhere　you　do　not　see　what　stands　there　before　you。　　　　　But　supposing　you　do　thus　〃seek　no　further；〃　how　do　you　experience　it？　　　　　In　that　you　have　entered　into　the　All；　no　longer　content　with　the　part；　you　cease　to　think　of　yourself　as　under　limit　but；　laying　all　such　determination　aside；　you　become　an　All。　No　doubt　you　were　always　that；　but　there　has　been　an　addition　and　by　that　addition　you　are　diminished；　for　the　addition　was　not　from　the　realm　of　Being…　you　can　add　nothing　to　Being…　but　from　non…Being。　It　is　not　by　some　admixture　of　non…Being　that　one　becomes　an　entire；　but　by　putting　non…Being　away。　By　the　lessening　of　the　alien　in　you；　you　increase。　Cast　it　aside　and　there　is　the　All　within　you；　engaged　in　the　alien；　you　will　not　find　the　All。　Not　that　it　has　to　come　and　so　be　present　to　you；　it　is　you　that　have　turned　from　it。　And　turn　though　you　may；　you　have　not　severed　yourself；　it　is　there；　you　are　not　in　some　far　region：　still　there　before　it；　you　have　faced　to　its　contrary。　　　　　It　is　so　with　the　lesser　gods；　of　many　standing　in　their　presence　it　is　often　one　alone　that　sees　them；　that　one　alone　was　alone　in　the　power　to　see。　These　are　the　gods　who　〃in　many　guises　seek　our　cities〃；　but　there　is　That　Other　whom　the　cities　seek；　and　all　the　earth　and　heaven；　everywhere　with　God　and　in　Him；　possessing　through　Him　their　Being　and　the　Real　Beings　about　them；　down　to　soul　and　life；　all　bound　to　Him　and　so　moving　to　that　unity　which　by　its　very　lack　of　extension　is　infinite。　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　SIXTH　TRACTATE。

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　ON　NUMBERS。

　　　　1。　It　is　suggested　that　multiplicity　is　a　falling　away　from　The　Unity；　infinity　being　the　complete　departure；　an　innumerable　multiplicity；　and　that　this　is　why　unlimit　is　an　evil　and　we　evil　at　the　stage　of　multiplicity。　　　　　A　thing；　in　fact；　becomes　a　manifold　when；　unable　to　remain　self…centred；　it　flows　outward　and　by　that　dissipation　takes　extension：　utterly　losing　unity　it　becomes　a　manifold　since　there　is　nothing　to　bind　part　to　part；　when；　with　all　this　outflowing；　it　becomes　something　definite；　there　is　a　magnitude。　　　　　But　what　is　there　so　grievous　in　magnitude？　　　　　Given　consciousness；　there　will　be；　since　the　thing　must　feel　its　exile；　its　sundrance　from　its　essence。　Everything　seeks　not　the　alien　but　itself；　in　that　outward　moving　there　is　frustration　or　compulsion；　a　thing　most　exists　not　when　it　takes　multiplicity　or　extension　but　when　it　holds　to　its　own　being；　that　is　when　its　movement　is　inward。　Desire　towards　extension　is　ignorance　of　the　authentically　great；　a　movement　not　on　the　appropriate　path　but　towards　the　strange；　to　the　possession　of　the　self　the　way　is　inward。　　　　　Consider　the　thing　that　has　taken　extension；　broken　into　so　many　independent　items；　it　is　now　those　several　parts　and　not　the　thing　it　was；　if　that　original　is　to　persist；　the　members　must　stand　collected　to　their　total；　in　other　words；　a　thing　is　itself　not　by　being　extended　but　by　remaining；　in　its　degree；　a　unity：　through　expansion　and　in　the　measure　of　the　expansion；　it　is　less　itself；　retaining　unity；　it　retains　its　essential　being。　　　　　Yet　the　universe　has　at　once　extension　and　beauty？　　　　　Yes；　because　it　has　not　been　allowed　to　slip　away　into　the　limitless　but　is　held　fast　by　unity；　and　it　has　beauty　in　virtue　of　Beauty　not　of　Magnitude；　it　needed　Beauty　to　parry　that　magnitude；　in　the　degree　of　its　extension　it　was　void　of　beauty　and　to　that　degree　ugly。　Thus　extension　serves　as　Matter　to　Beauty　since　what　calls　for　its　ordering　is　a　multiplicity。　The　greater　the　expansion；　the　greater　the　disorder　and　ugliness。　　　　　2。　What；　then；　of　the　〃Number　of　the　Infinite〃？　　　　　To　begin　with；　how　is　Number　consistent　with　infinity？　　　　　Objects　of　sense　are　not　unlimited　and　therefore　the　Number　applying　to　them　cannot　be　so。　Nor　is　an　enumerator　able　to　number　to　infinity；　though　we　double；　multiply　over　and　over　again；　we　still　end　with　a　finite　number；　though　we　range　over　past　and　future；　and　consider　them；　even；　as　a　totality；　we　still　end　with　the　finite。　　　　　Are　we　then　to　dismiss　absolute　limitlessness　and　think　merely　that　there　is　always　something　beyond？　　　　　No；　that　more　is　not　in　the　reckoner's　power　to　produce；　the　total　stands　already　defined。　　　　　In　the　Intellectual　the　Beings　are　determined　and　with　them　Number；　the　number　corresponding　to　their　total；　in　this　sphere　of　our　own…　as　we　make　a　man　a　multiple　by　counting　up　his　various　characteristics；　his　beauty　and　the　rest…　we　take　each　image　of　Being　and　form　a　corresponding　image　of　number；　we　multiply　a　non…existent　in　and　so　produce　multiple　numbers；　if　we　number　years　we　draw　on　the　numbers　in　our　own　minds　and　apply　them　to　the　years；　these　numbers