the six enneads-第74章

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ing…　what　perception　could　there　be？　　　　　Granted　that　the　percipient　must　act　through　an　organ　and　that　this　organ　must　be　different　from　the　object　perceived；　then　the　universe；　as　an　All；　can　have　＇no　sensation　since　it　has＇　no　organ　distinct　from　object：　it　can　have　self…awareness；　as　we　have；　but　sense…perception；　the　constant　attendant　of　another　order；　it　cannot　have。　　　　　Our　own　apprehension　of　any　bodily　condition　apart　from　the　normal　is　the　sense　of　something　intruding　from　without：　but　besides　this；　we　have　the　apprehension　of　one　member　by　another；　why　then　should　not　the　All；　by　means　of　what　is　stationary　in　it；　perceive　that　region　of　itself　which　is　in　movement；　that　is　to　say　the　earth　and　the　earth's　content？　　　　　Things　of　earth　are　certainly　affected　by　what　passes　in　other　regions　of　the　All；　what；　then；　need　prevent　the　All　from　having；　in　some　appropriate　way；　the　perception　of　those　changes？　In　addition　to　that　self…contemplating　vision　vested　in　its　stationary　part；　may　it　not　have　a　seeing　power　like　that　of　an　eye　able　to　announce　to　the　All…Soul　what　has　passed　before　it？　Even　granted　that　it　is　entirely　unaffected　by　its　lower；　why；　still；　should　it　not　see　like　an　eye；　ensouled　as　it　is；　all　lightsome？　　　　　Still：　〃eyes　were　not　necessary　to　it；〃　we　read。　If　this　meant　simply　that　nothing　is　left　to　be　seen　outside　of　the　All；　still　there　is　the　inner　content；　and　there　can　be　nothing　to　prevent　it　seeing　what　constitutes　itself：　if　the　meaning　is　that　such　self…vision　could　serve　to　no　use；　we　may　think　that　it　has　vision　not　as　a　main　intention　for　vision's　sake　but　as　a　necessary　concomitant　of　its　characteristic　nature；　it　is　difficult　to　conceive　why　such　a　body　should　be　incapable　of　seeing。　　　　　25。　But　the　organ　is　not　the　only　requisite　to　vision　or　to　perception　of　any　kind：　there　must　be　a　state　of　the　soul　inclining　it　towards　the　sphere　of　sense。　　　　　Now　it　is　the　soul's　character　to　be　ever　in　the　Intellectual　sphere；　and　even　though　it　were　apt　to　sense…perception；　this　could　not　accompany　that　intention　towards　the　highest；　to　ourselves　when　absorbed　in　the　Intellectual；　vision　and　the　other　acts　of　sense　are　in　abeyance　for　the　time；　and；　in　general；　any　special　attention　blurs　every　other。　The　desire　of　apprehension　from　part　to　part…　a　subject　examining　itself…　is　merely　curiosity　even　in　beings　of　our　own　standing；　and；　unless　for　some　definite　purpose；　is　waste　of　energy：　and　the　desire　to　apprehend　something　external…　for　the　sake　of　a　pleasant　sight…　is　the　sign　of　suffering　or　deficiency。　　　　　Smelling；　tasting　flavours　＇and　such　animal　perceptions＇　may　perhaps　be　described　as　mere　accessories；　distractions　of　the　soul；　while　seeing　and　hearing　would　belong　to　the　sun　and　the　other　heavenly　bodies　as　incidentals　to　their　being。　This　would　not　be　unreasonable　if　seeing　and　hearing　are　means　by　which　they　apply　themselves　to　their　function。　　　　　But　if　they　so　apply　themselves；　they　must　have　memory；　it　is　impossible　that　they　should　have　no　remembrance　if　they　are　to　be　benefactors；　their　service　could　not　exist　without　memory。　　　　　26。　Their　knowledge　of　our　prayers　is　due　to　what　we　may　call　an　enlinking；　a　determined　relation　of　things　fitted　into　a　system；　so；　too；　the　fulfillment　of　the　petitions；　in　the　art　of　magic　all　looks　to　this　enlinkment：　prayer　and　its　answer；　magic　and　its　success；　depend　upon　the　sympathy　of　enchained　forces。　　　　　This　seems　to　oblige　us　to　accord　sense…perception　to　the　earth。　　　　　But　what　perception？　　　　　Why　not；　to　begin　with；　that　of　contact…feeling；　the　apprehension　of　part　by　part；　the　apprehension　of　fire　by　the　rest　of　the　entire　mass　in　a　sensation　transmitted　upwards　to　the　earth's　leading　principle？　A　corporeal　mass　＇such　as　that　of　the　earth＇　may　be　sluggish　but　is　not　utterly　inert。　Such　perceptions；　of　course；　would　not　be　of　trifles；　but　of　the　graver　movement　of　things。　　　　　But　why　even　of　them？　　　　　Because　those　gravest　movements　could　not　possibly　remain　unknown　where　there　is　an　immanent　soul。　　　　　And　there　is　nothing　against　the　idea　that　sensation　in　the　earth　exists　for　the　sake　of　the　human　interests　furthered　by　the　earth。　They　would　be　served　by　means　of　the　sympathy　that　has　been　mentioned；　petitioners　would　be　heard　and　their　prayers　met；　though　in　a　way　not　ours。　And　the　earth；　both　in　its　own　interest　and　in　that　of　beings　distinct　from　itself；　might　have　the　experiences　of　the　other　senses　also…　for　example；　smell　and　taste　where；　perhaps；　the　scent　of　juices　or　sap　might　enter　into　its　care　for　animal　life；　as　in　the　constructing　or　restoring　of　their　bodily　part。　　　　　But　we　need　not　demand　for　earth　the　organs　by　which　we；　ourselves；　act：　not　even　all　the　animals　have　these；　some；　without　ears　perceive　sound。　　　　　For　sight　it　would　not　need　eyes…　though　if　light　is　indispensable　how　can　it　see？　　　　　That　the　earth　contains　the　principle　of　growth　must　be　admitted；　it　is　difficult　not　to　allow　in　consequence　that；　since　this　vegetal　principle　is　a　member　of　spirit；　the　earth　is　primarily　of　the　spiritual　order；　and　how　can　we　doubt　that　in　a　spirit　all　is　lucid？　This　becomes　all　the　more　evident　when　we　reflect　that；　besides　being　as　a　spirit　lightsome；　it　is　physically　illuminated　moving　in　the　light　of　kosmic　revolution。　　　　　There　is；　thus；　no　longer　any　absurdity　or　impossibility　in　the　notion　that　the　soul　in　the　earth　has　vision：　we　must；　further；　consider　that　it　is　the　soul　of　no　mean　body；　that　in　fact　it　is　a　god　since　certainly　soul　must　be　everywhere　good。　　　　　27。　If　the　earth　transmits　the　generative　soul　to　growing　things…　or　retains　it　while　allowing　a　vestige　of　it　to　constitute　the　vegetal　principle　in　them…　at　once　the　earth　is　ensouled；　as　our　flesh　is；　and　any　generative　power　possessed　by　the　plant　world　is　of　its　bestowing：　this　phase　of　the　soul　is　immanent　in　the　body　of　the　growing　thing；　and　transmits　to　it　that　better　element　by　which　it　differs　from　the　broken　off　part　no　longer　a　thing　of　growth　but　a　mere　lump　of　material。　　　　　But　does　the　entire　body　of　the　earth　similarly　receive　anything　from　the　soul？　　　　　Yes：　for　we　must　recognize　that　earthly　material　broken　off　from　the　main　body　differs　from　the　same　remaining　continuously　attached；　thus　stones　increase　as　long　as　they　are　embedded；　and；　from　the　moment　they　are　separated；　stop　at　the　size　attained。　　　　　We　must　conclude；　then；　that　every　part　and　member　of　the　earth　carries　its　vestige　of　this　principle　of　growth；　an　under…phase　of　that　entire　principle　which　belongs　not　to　this　or　that　member　but　to　the　earth　as　a　whole：　next　in　order　is　the　nature　＇the　soul…phase＇；　concerned　with　sensation；　this　not　interfused　＇like　the　vegetal　principle＇　but　in　contact　from　above：　then　the　higher　soul　and　the　Intellectual…Principle；　constituting　together　the　being　known　as　Hestia　＇Earth…Mind＇　and　Demeter　＇Earth…Soul＇…　a　nomenclature　indicating　the　human　intuition　of　these　truths；　asserted　in　the　attribution　of　a　divine　name　and　nature。　　　　　28。　Thus　much　established；　we　may　return　on　our　path：　we　have　to　discuss　the　seat　of　the　passionate　element　in　the　human　being。　　　　　Pleasures　and　pains…　the　conditions；　that　is；　not　the　perception　of　them…　and　the　nascent　stage　of　desire；　we　assigned　to　the　body　as　a　determined　thing；　the　body　brought；　in　some　sense；　to　life：　are　we　entitled　to　say　the　same　of　the　nascent　stage　of　passion？　Are　we　to　consider　passion　in　all　its　forms　as　vested　in　the　determined　body　or　in　something　belonging　to　it；　for　instance　in　the　heart　or　the　bile　necessarily　taking　condition　within　a　body　not　dead？　Or　are　we　to　think　that　just　as　that　which　bestows　the　vestige　of　the　soul　is　a　distinct　entity；　so　we　may　reason　in　this　case…　the　passionate　element　being　one　distinct　thing；　itself；　and　not　deriving　from　any　passionate　or　percipient　faculty？　　　　　Now　in　the　first　case　the　soul…principle　involved；　the　vegetal；　pervades　the　entire　body；　so　that　pain　and　pleasure　and　nascent　desire　for　the　satisfaction　of　need　are　present　all　over　it…　there　is　possibly　some　doubt　as　to　the　sexual　impulse；　which；　however；　it　may　suffice　to　assign　to　the　organs　by　which　it　is　executed…　but　in　general　the　region　about　the　liver　may　be　taken　to　be　the　starting　point　of　desire；　since　it　is　the　main　acting　point　of　the　vegetal　principle　which　transmits　the　vestige　phase　of　the　soul　to　the　liver　and　body…　the　seat；　because　the　spring。　　　　　But　in　this　other　case；　of　passion；　we　have　to　settle　what　it　is；　what　form　of　soul　it　represents：　does　it　act　by　communicating　a　lower　phase　of　itself　to　the　regions　round　the　heart；　or　is　it　set　in　motion　by　the　higher　soul…phase　impinging　upon　the　Conjoint　＇the　animate…total＇；　or　is　there；　in　such　conditions　no　question　of　soul…phase；　but　simply　passion　itself　producing　the　act　or　state　of　＇for　example＇　anger？　　　　　Evidently　the　first　point　for　enquiry　is　what　passion　is。　　　　　Now　we　all　know　that　we　feel　anger　not　only　over　our　own　bodily　suffering；　but　also　over　the　conduct　of　others；　as　when　some　of　our　associates　act　against　our　right　and　due；　and　in　general　over　any　unseemly　conduct。　It　is　at　once　evident　that　anger　implies　some　subject　capable　of　sensation　and　of　judgement：　and　this　consideration　suffices　to　show　that　the　vegetal　nature　is　not　its　source；　that　we　must　look　for　its　origin　elsewhere。　　　　　On　the　other　hand；　anger　follows　closely　upon　bodily　states；　people　in　whom　the　blood　and　the　bile　are　intensely　active　are　as　quick　to　anger　as　those　of　cool　blood　and　no　bile　are　slow；　animals　grow　angry　though　they　pay　attention　to　no　outside　combinations　except　where　they　recognize　physical　danger；　all　this　forces　us　again　to　place　the　seat　of　anger　in　the　strictly　corporeal　element；　the　principle　by　which　the　animal　organism　is　held　together。　Similarly；　that　anger　or　its　first　stirring　depends　upon　the　condition　of　the　body　follows　from　the　consideration　that　the　same　people　are　more　irritable　ill　than　well；　fasting　than　after　food：　it　would　seem　that　the　bile　and　the　blood；　acting　as　vehicles　of　life；　produce　these　emotions。　　　　　Our　conclusion　＇reconciling　with　these　corporeal　facts　the　psychic　or　mental　element　indicated＇　will　identify；　first；　some　suffering　in　the　body　answered　by　a　movement　in　the　blood　or　in　the　bile：　sensation　ensues　and　the　soul；　brought　by　means　of　the　representative　faculty　to　partake　in　the　condition　of　the　affected　body；　is　directed　towards　the　cause　of　the　pain：　the　reasoning　soul；　in　turn；　from　its　place　above　the　phase　not　inbound　with　body…acts　in　its　own　mode　when　the　breach　of　order　has　become　manifest　to　it：　it　calls　in　the　alliance　of　that　ready　passionate　faculty　which　is　the　natural　combatant　of　the　evil　disclosed。　　　　　Thus　anger　has　two　phases；　there　is　firstly　that　which；　rising　apart　from　all　process　of　reasoning；　draws　reason　to　itself　by　the　medium　of　the　imaging　faculty；　and　secondly　that　which；　rising　in　reason；　touches　finally　upon　the　specific　principle　of　the　emotion。　Both　these　depend　upon　the　existence　of　that　principle　of　vegetal　life　and　generation　by　which　the　body　becomes　an　organism　aware　of　pleasure　and　pain：　this　principle　it　was　that　made　the　body　a　thing　of　bile　and　bitterness；　and　thus　it　leads　the　indwelling　soul…phase　to　corresponding　states…　churlish　and　angry　under　s