the six enneads-第56章

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this　is　how　Time　is　omnipresent：　that　Soul　is　absent　from　no　fragment　of　the　Kosmos　just　as　our　Soul　is　absent　from　no　particle　of　ourselves。　As　for　those　who　pronounce　Time　a　thing　of　no　substantial　existence；　of　no　reality；　they　clearly　belie　God　Himself　whenever　they　say　〃He　was〃　or　〃He　will　be〃：　for　the　existence　indicated　by　the　〃was　and　will　be〃　can　have　only　such　reality　as　belongs　to　that　in　which　it　is　said　to　be　situated：…　but　this　school　demands　another　type　of　argument。　　　　　Meanwhile　we　have　a　supplementary　observation　to　make。　　　　　Take　a　man　walking　and　observe　the　advance　he　has　made；　that　advance　gives　you　the　quantity　of　movement　he　is　employing：　and　when　you　know　that　quantity…　represented　by　the　ground　traversed　by　his　feet；　for；　of　course；　we　are　supposing　the　bodily　movement　to　correspond　with　the　pace　he　has　set　within　himself…　you　know　also　the　movement　that　exists　in　the　man　himself　before　the　feet　move。　　　　　You　must　relate　the　body；　carried　forward　during　a　given　period　of　Time；　to　a　certain　quantity　of　Movement　causing　the　progress　and　to　the　Time　it　takes；　and　that　again　to　the　Movement；　equal　in　extension；　within　the　man's　soul。　　　　　But　the　Movement　within　the　Soul…　to　what　are　you　to　（relate）　refer　that？　　　　　Let　your　choice　fall　where　it　may；　from　this　point　there　is　nothing　but　the　unextended：　and　this　is　the　primarily　existent；　the　container　to　all　else；　having　itself　no　container；　brooking　none。　　　　　And；　as　with　Man's　Soul；　so　with　the　Soul　of　the　All。　　　　　〃Is　Time；　then；　within　ourselves　as　well？〃　　　　　Time　in　every　Soul　of　the　order　of　the　All…Soul；　present　in　like　form　in　all；　for　all　the　Souls　are　the　one　Soul。　　　　　And　this　is　why　Time　can　never　be　broken　apart；　any　more　than　Eternity　which；　similarly；　under　diverse　manifestations；　has　its　Being　as　an　integral　constituent　of　all　the　eternal　Existences。　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　EIGHTH　TRACTATE。

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　NATURE　CONTEMPLATION　AND　THE　ONE。

　　　　1。　Supposing　we　played　a　little　before　entering　upon　our　serious　concern　and　maintained　that　all　things　are　striving　after　Contemplation；　looking　to　Vision　as　their　one　end…　and　this；　not　merely　beings　endowed　with　reason　but　even　the　unreasoning　animals；　the　Principle　that　rules　in　growing　things；　and　the　Earth　that　produces　these…　and　that　all　achieve　their　purpose　in　the　measure　possible　to　their　kind；　each　attaining　Vision　and　possessing　itself　of　the　End　in　its　own　way　and　degree；　some　things　in　entire　reality；　others　in　mimicry　and　in　image…　we　would　scarcely　find　anyone　to　endure　so　strange　a　thesis。　But　in　a　discussion　entirely　among　ourselves　there　is　no　risk　in　a　light　handling　of　our　own　ideas。　　　　　Well…　in　the　play　of　this　very　moment　am　I　engaged　in　the　act　of　Contemplation？　　　　　Yes；　I　and　all　that　enter　this　play　are　in　Contemplation：　our　play　aims　at　Vision；　and　there　is　every　reason　to　believe　that　child　or　man；　in　sport　or　earnest；　is　playing　or　working　only　towards　Vision；　that　every　act　is　an　effort　towards　Vision；　the　compulsory　act；　which　tends　rather　to　bring　the　Vision　down　to　outward　things；　and　the　act　thought　of　as　voluntary；　less　concerned　with　the　outer；　originate　alike　in　the　effort　towards　Vision。　　　　　The　case　of　Man　will　be　treated　later　on；　let　us　speak；　first；　of　the　earth　and　of　the　trees　and　vegetation　in　general；　asking　ourselves　what　is　the　nature　of　Contemplation　in　them；　how　we　relate　to　any　Contemplative　activity　the　labour　and　productiveness　of　the　earth；　how　Nature；　held　to　be　devoid　of　reason　and　even　of　conscious　representation；　can　either　harbour　Contemplation　or　produce　by　means　of　the　Contemplation　which　it　does　not　possess。　　　　　2。　There　is；　obviously；　no　question　here　of　hands　or　feet；　of　any　implement　borrowed　or　inherent：　Nature　needs　simply　the　Matter　which　it　is　to　work　upon　and　bring　under　Form；　its　productivity　cannot　depend　upon　mechanical　operation。　What　driving　or　hoisting　goes　to　produce　all　that　variety　of　colour　and　pattern？　　　　　The　wax…workers；　whose　methods　have　been　cited　as　parallel　to　the　creative　act　of　Nature；　are　unable　to　make　colours；　all　they　can　do　to　impose　upon　their　handicraft　colours　taken　from　elsewhere。　None　the　less　there　is　a　parallel　which　demands　attention：　in　the　case　of　workers　in　such　arts　there　must　be　something　locked　within　themselves；　an　efficacy　not　going　out　from　them　and　yet　guiding　their　hands　in　all　their　creation；　and　this　observation　should　have　indicated　a　similar　phenomenon　in　Nature；　it　should　be　clear　that　this　indwelling　efficacy；　which　makes　without　hands；　must　exist　in　Nature；　no　less　than　in　the　craftsman…　but；　there；　as　a　thing　completely　inbound。　Nature　need　possess　no　outgoing　force　as　against　that　remaining　within；　the　only　moved　thing　is　Matter；　there　can　be　no　moved　phase　in　this　Nature…Principle；　any　such　moved　phase　could　not　be　the　primal　mover；　this　Nature…Principle　is　no　such　moved　entity；　it　is　the　unmoved　Principle　operating　in　the　Kosmos。　　　　　We　may　be　answered　that　the　Reason…Principle　is；　no　doubt；　unmoved；　but　that　the　Nature…Principle；　another　being；　operates　by　motion。　　　　　But；　if　Nature　entire　is　in　question　here；　it　is　identical　with　the　Reason…Principle；　and　any　part　of　it　that　is　unmoved　is　the　Reason…Principle。　The　Nature…Principle　must　be　an　Ideal…Form；　not　a　compound　of　Form　and　Matter；　there　is　no　need　for　it　to　possess　Matter；　hot　and　cold：　the　Matter　that　underlies　it；　on　which　it　exercises　its　creative　act；　brings　all　that　with　it；　or；　natively　without　quality；　becomes　hot　and　cold；　and　all　the　rest；　when　brought　under　Reason：　Matter；　to　become　fire；　demands　the　approach　not　of　fire　but　of　a　Reason…Principle。　　　　　This　is　no　slight　evidence　that　in　the　animal　and　vegetable　realms　the　Reason…Principles　are　the　makers　and　that　Nature　is　a　Reason…Principle　producing　a　second　Reason…Principle；　its　offspring；　which；　in　turn；　while　itself；　still；　remaining　intact；　communicates　something　to　the　underlie；　Matter。　　　　　The　Reason…Principle　presiding　over　visible　Shape　is　the　very　ultimate　of　its　order；　a　dead　thing　unable　to　produce　further：　that　which　produces　in　the　created　realm　is　the　living　Reason…Principle…　brother　no　doubt；　to　that　which　gives　mere　shape；　but　having　life…giving　power。　　　　　3。　But　if　this　Reason…Principle　＇Nature＇　is　in　act…　and　produces　by　the　process　indicated…　how　can　it　have　any　part　in　Contemplation？　　　　　To　begin　with；　since　in　all　its　production　it　is　stationary　and　intact；　a　Reason…Principle　self…indwelling；　it　is　in　its　own　nature　a　Contemplative　act。　All　doing　must　be　guided　by　an　Idea；　and　will　therefore　be　distinct　from　that　Idea：　the　Reason…Principle　then；　as　accompanying　and　guiding　the　work；　will　be　distinct　from　the　work；　not　being　action　but　Reason…Principle　it　is；　necessarily；　Contemplation。　Taking　the　Reason…Principle；　the　Logos；　in　all　its　phases；　the　lowest　and　last　springs　from　a　mental　act　＇in　the　higher　Logos＇　and　is　itself　a　contemplation；　though　only　in　the　sense　of　being　contemplated；　but　above　it　stands　the　total　Logos　with　its　two　distinguishable　phases；　first；　that　identified　not　as　Nature　but　as　All…Soul　and；　next；　that　operating　in　Nature　and　being　itself　the　Nature…Principle。　　　　　And　does　this　Reason…Principle；　Nature；　spring　from　a　contemplation？　　　　　Wholly　and　solely？　　　　　From　self…contemplation；　then？　Or　what　are　we　to　think？　It　derives　from　a　Contemplation　and　some　contemplating　Being；　how　are　we　to　suppose　it　to　have　Contemplation　itself？　　　　　The　Contemplation　springing　from　the　reasoning　faculty…　that；　I　mean；　of　planning　its　own　content；　it　does　not　possess。　　　　　But　why　not；　since　it　is　a　phase　of　Life；　a　Reason…Principle　and　a　creative　Power？　　　　　Because　to　plan　for　a　thing　is　to　lack　it：　Nature　does　not　lack；　it　creates　because　it　possesses。　Its　creative　act　is　simply　its　possession　of　it　own　characteristic　Essence；　now　its　Essence；　since　it　is　a　Reason…Principle；　is　to　be　at　once　an　act　of　contemplation　and　an　object　of　contemplation。　In　other　words；　the；　Nature…Principle　produces　by　virtue　of　being　an　act　of　contemplation；　an　object　of　contemplation　and　a　Reason…Principle；　on　this　triple　character　depends　its　creative　efficacy。　　　　　Thus　the　act　of　production　is　seen　to　be　in　Nature　an　act　of　contemplation；　for　creation　is　the　outcome　of　a　contemplation　which　never　becomes　anything　else；　which　never　does　anything　else；　but　creates　by　simply　being　a　contemplation。　　　　　4。　And　Nature；　asked　why　it　brings　forth　its　works；　might　answer　if　it　cared　to　listen　and　to　speak：

　　　　〃It　would　have　been　more　becoming　to　put　no　question　but　to　learn　in　silence　just　as　I　myself　am　silent　and　make　no　habit　of　talking。　And　what　is　your　lesson？　This；　that　whatsoever　comes　into　being　is　my　is　my　vision；　seen　in　my　silence；　the　vision　that　belongs　to　my　character　who；　sprung　from　vision；　am　vision…loving　and　create　vision　by　the　vision…seeing　faculty　within　me。　The　mathematicians　from　their　vision　draw　their　figures：　but　I　draw　nothing：　I　gaze　and　the　figures　of　the　material　world　take　being　as　if　they　fell　from　my　contemplation。　As　with　my　Mother　（the　All…Soul＇　and　the　Beings　that　begot　me　so　it　is　with　me：　they　are　born　of　a　Contemplation　and　my　birth　is　from　them；　not　by　their　Act　but　by　their　Being；　they　are　the　loftier　Reason…Principles；　they　contemplate　themselves　and　I　am　born。〃

　　　　Now　what　does　this　tell　us？　　　　　It　tells：　that　what　we　know　as　Nature　is　a　Soul；　offspring　of　a　yet　earlier　Soul　of　more　powerful　life；　that　it　possesses；　therefore；　in　its　repose；　a　vision　within　itself；　that　it　has　no　tendency　upward　nor　even　downward　but　is　at　peace；　steadfast；　in　its　own　Essence；　that；　in　this　immutability　accompanied　by　what　may　be　called　Self…Consciousness；　it　possesses…　within　the　measure　of　its　possibility…　a　knowledge　of　the　realm　of　subsequent　things　perceived　in　virtue　of　that　understanding　and　consciousness；　and；　achieving　thus　a　resplendent　and　delicious　spectacle；　has　no　further　aim。　　　　　Of　course；　while　it　may　be　convenient　to　speak　of　〃understanding〃　or　〃perception〃　in　the　Nature…Principle；　this　is　not　in　the　full　sense　applicable　to　other　beings；　we　are　applying　to　sleep　a　word　borrowed　from　the　wake。　　　　　For　the　Vision　on　which　Nature　broods；　inactive；　is　a　self…intuition；　a　spectacle　laid　before　it　by　virtue　of　its　unaccompanied　self…concentration　and　by　the　fact　that　in　itself　it　belongs　to　the　order　of　intuition。　It　is　a　Vision　silent　but　somewhat　blurred；　for　there　exists　another　a　clearer　of　which　Nature　is　the　image：　hence　all　that　Nature　produces　is　weak；　the　weaker　act　of　intuition　produces　the　weaker　object。　　　　　In　the　same　way；　human　beings；　when　weak　on　the　side　of　contemplation；　find　in　action　their　trace　of　vision　and　of　reason：　their　spiritual　feebleness　unfits　them　for　contemplation；　they　are　left　with　a　void；　because　they　cannot　adequately　seize　the　vision；　yet　they　long　for　it；　they　are　hurried　into　action　as　their　way　to　the　vision　which　they　cannot　attain　by　intellection。　They　act　from　the　desire　of　seeing　their　action；　and　of　making　it　visible　and　sensible　to　others　when　the　result　shall　prove　fairly　well　equal　to　the　plan。　Everywhere；　doing　and　making　will　be　found　to　be　either　an　attenuation　or　a　complement　of　vision…attenuation　if　the　doer　was　aiming　only　at　the　thing　done；　complement　if　he　is　to　possess