the six enneads-第76章

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to　the　initial　act　of　causation。　It　cannot　be　admitted　that　either　heat　or　cold　and　the　like　what　are　known　as　the　primal　qualities　of　the　elements…　or　any　admixture　of　these　qualities；　should　be　the　first　causes　we　are　seeking；　equally　inacceptable；　that　while　the　sun's　action　is　all　by　heat；　there　is　another　member　of　the　Circuit　operating　wholly　by　cold…　incongruous　in　the　heavens　and　in　a　fiery　body…　nor　can　we　think　of　some　other　star　operating　by　liquid　fire。　　　　　Such　explanations　do　not　account　for　the　differences　of　things；　and　there　are　many　phenomena　which　cannot　be　referred　to　any　of　these　causes。　Suppose　we　allow　them　to　be　the　occasion　of　moral　differences…　determined；　thus；　by　bodily　composition　and　constitution　under　a　reigning　heat　or　cold…　does　that　give　us　a　reasonable　explanation　of　envy；　jealously；　acts　of　violence？　Or；　if　it　does；　what；　at　any　rate；　are　we　to　think　of　good　and　bad　fortune；　rich　men　and　poor；　gentle　blood；　treasure…trove？　　　　　An　immensity　of　such　examples　might　be　adduced；　all　leading　far　from　any　corporeal　quality　that　could　enter　the　body　and　soul　of　a　living　thing　from　the　elements：　and　it　is　equally　impossible　that　the　will　of　the　stars；　a　doom　from　the　All；　any　deliberation　among　them；　should　be　held　responsible　for　the　fate　of　each　and　all　of　their　inferiors。　It　is　not　to　be　thought　that　such　beings　engage　themselves　in　human　affairs　in　the　sense　of　making　men　thieves；　slave…dealers；　burglars；　temple…strippers；　or　debased　effeminates　practising　and　lending　themselves　to　disgusting　actions：　that　is　not　merely　unlike　gods；　it　is　unlike　mediocre　men；　it　is；　perhaps；　beneath　the　level　of　any　existing　being　where　there　is　not　the　least　personal　advantage　to　be　gained。　　　　　32。　If　we　can　trace　neither　to　material　agencies　＇blind　elements＇　nor　to　any　deliberate　intention　the　influences　from　without　which　reach　to　us　and　to　the　other　forms　of　life　and　to　the　terrestrial　in　general；　what　cause　satisfactory　to　reason　remains？　　　　　The　secret　is：　firstly；　that　this　All　is　one　universally　comprehensive　living　being；　encircling　all　the　living　beings　within　it；　and　having　a　soul；　one　soul；　which　extends　to　all　its　members　in　the　degree　of　participant　membership　held　by　each；　secondly；　that　every　separate　thing　is　an　integral　part　of　this　All　by　belonging　to　the　total　material　fabric…　unrestrictedly　a　part　by　bodily　membership；　while；　in　so　far　as　it　has　also　some　participation　in　the　All。　Soul；　it　possesses　in　that　degree　spiritual　membership　as　well；　perfect　where　participation　is　in　the　All…Soul　alone；　partial　where　there　is　also　a　union　with　a　lower　soul。　　　　　But；　with　all　this　gradation；　each　several　thing　is　affected　by　all　else　in　virtue　of　the　common　participation　in　the　All；　and　to　the　degree　of　its　own　participation。　　　　　This　One…All；　therefore；　is　a　sympathetic　total　and　stands　as　one　living　being；　the　far　is　near；　it　happens　as　in　one　animal　with　its　separate　parts：　talon；　horn；　finger；　and　any　other　member　are　not　continuous　and　yet　are　effectively　near；　intermediate　parts　feel　nothing；　but　at　a　distant　point　the　local　experience　is　known。　Correspondent　things　not　side　by　side　but　separated　by　others　placed　between；　the　sharing　of　experience　by　dint　of　like　condition…　this　is　enough　to　ensure　that　the　action　of　any　distant　member　be　transmitted　to　its　distant　fellow。　Where　all　is　a　living　thing　summing　to　a　unity　there　is　nothing　so　remote　in　point　of　place　as　not　to　be　near　by　virtue　of　a　nature　which　makes　of　the　one　living　being　a　sympathetic　organism。　　　　　Where　there　is　similarity　between　a　thing　affected　and　the　thing　affecting　it；　the　affection　is　not　alien；　where　the　affecting　cause　is　dissimilar　the　affection　is　alien　and　unpleasant。　　　　　Such　hurtful　action　of　member　upon　member　within　one　living　being　need　not　seem　surprising：　within　ourselves；　in　our　own　activities；　one　constituent　can　be　harmed　by　another；　bile　and　animal　spirit　seem　to　press　and　goad　other　members　of　the　human　total：　in　the　vegetal　realm　one　part　hurts　another　by　sucking　the　moisture　from　it。　And　in　the　All　there　is　something　analogous　to　bile　and　animal　spirit；　as　to　other　such　constituents。　For　visibly　it　is　not　merely　one　living　organism；　it　is　also　a　manifold。　In　virtue　of　the　unity　the　individual　is　preserved　by　the　All：　in　virtue　of　the　multiplicity　of　things　having　various　contacts；　difference　often　brings　about　mutual　hurt；　one　thing；　seeking　its　own　need；　is　detrimental　to　another；　what　is　at　once　related　and　different　is　seized　as　food；　each　thing；　following　its　own　natural　path；　wrenches　from　something　else　what　is　serviceable　to　itself；　and　destroys　or　checks　in　its　own　interest　whatever　is　becoming　a　menace　to　it：　each；　occupied　with　its　peculiar　function；　assists　no　doubt　anything　able　to　profit　by　that；　but　harms　or　destroys　what　is　too　weak　to　withstand　the　onslaught　of　its　action；　like　fire　withering　things　round　it　or　greater　animals　in　their　march　thrusting　aside　or　trampling　under　foot　the　smaller。　　　　　The　rise　of　all　these　forms　of　being　and　their　modification；　whether　to　their　loss　or　gain；　all　goes　to　the　fulfillment　of　the　natural　unhindered　life　of　that　one　living　being：　for　it　was　not　possible　for　the　single　thing　to　be　as　if　it　stood　alone；　the　final　purpose　could　not　serve　to　that　only　end；　intent　upon　the　partial：　the　concern　must　be　for　the　whole　to　which　each　item　is　member：　things　are　different　both　from　each　other　and　in　their　own　stages；　therefore　cannot　be　complete　in　one　unchanging　form　of　life；　nor　could　anything　remain　utterly　without　modification　if　the　All　is　to　be　durable；　for　the　permanence　of　an　All　demands　varying　forms。　　　　　33。　The　Circuit　does　not　go　by　chance　but　under　the　Reason…Principle　of　the　living　whole；　therefore　there　must　be　a　harmony　between　cause　and　caused；　there　must　be　some　order　ranging　things　to　each　other's　purpose；　or　in　due　relation　to　each　other：　every　several　configuration　within　the　Circuit　must　be　accompanied　by　a　change　in　the　position　and　condition　of　things　subordinate　to　it；　which　thus　by　their　varied　rhythmic　movement　make　up　one　total　dance…play。　　　　　In　our　dance…plays　there　are　outside　elements　contributing　to　the　total　effect…　fluting；　singing；　and　other　linked　accessories…　and　each　of　these　changes　in　each　new　movement：　there　is　no　need　to　dwell　on　these；　their　significance　is　obvious。　But　besides　this　there　is　the　fact　that　the　limbs　of　the　dancer　cannot　possibly　keep　the　same　positions　in　every　figure；　they　adapt　themselves　to　the　plan；　bending　as　it　dictates；　one　lowered；　another　raised；　one　active；　another　resting　as　the　set　pattern　changes。　The　dancer's　mind　is　on　his　own　purpose；　his　limbs　are　submissive　to　the　dance…movement　which　they　accomplish　to　the　end；　so　that　the　connoisseur　can　explain　that　this　or　that　figure　is　the　motive　for　the　lifting；　bending；　concealment；　effacing；　of　the　various　members　of　the　body；　and　in　all　this　the　executant　does　not　choose　the　particular　motions　for　their　own　sake；　the　whole　play　of　the　entire　person　dictates　the　necessary　position　to　each　limb　and　member　as　it　serves　to　the　plan。　　　　　Now　this　is　the　mode　in　which　the　heavenly　beings　＇the　diviner　members　of　the　All＇　must　be　held　to　be　causes　wherever　they　have　any　action；　and；　when。　they　do　not　act；　to　indicate。　　　　　Or；　a　better　statement：　the　entire　kosmos　puts　its　entire　life　into　act；　moving　its　major　members　with　its　own　action　and　unceasingly　setting　them　in　new　positions；　by　the　relations　thus　established；　of　these　members　to　each　other　and　to　the　whole；　and　by　the　different　figures　they　make　together；　the　minor　members　in　turn　are　brought　under　the　system　as　in　the　movements　of　some　one　living　being；　so　that　they　vary　according　to　the　relations；　positions；　configurations：　the　beings　thus　co…ordinated　are　not　the　causes；　the　cause　is　the　coordinating　All；　at　the　same　time　it　is　not　to　be　thought　of　as　seeking　to　do　one　thing　and　actually　doing　another；　for　there　is　nothing　external　to　it　since　it　is　the　cause　by　actually　being　all：　on　the　one　side　the　configurations；　on　the　other　the　inevitable　effects　of　those　configurations　upon　a　living　being　moving　as　a　unit　and；　again；　upon　a　living　being　＇an　All＇　thus　by　its　nature　conjoined　and　concomitant　and；　of　necessity；　at　once　subject　and　object　to　its　own　activities。　　　　　34。　For　ourselves；　while　whatever　in　us　belongs　to　the　body　of　the　All　should　be　yielded　to　its　action；　we　ought　to　make　sure　that　we　submit　only　within　limits；　realizing　that　the　entire　man　is　not　thus　bound　to　it：　intelligent　servitors　yield　a　part　of　themselves　to　their　masters　but　in　part　retain　their　personality；　and　are　thus　less　absolutely　at　beck　and　call；　as　not　being　slaves；　not　utterly　chattels。　　　　　The　changing　configurations　within　the　All　could　not　fail　to　be　produced　as　they　are；　since　the　moving　bodies　are　not　of　equal　speed。　　　　　Now　the　movement　is　guided　by　a　Reason…Principle；　the　relations　of　the　living　whole　are　altered　in　consequence；　here　in　our　own　realm　all　that　happens　reacts　in　sympathy　to　the　events　of　that　higher　sphere：　it　becomes；　therefore；　advisable　to　ask　whether　we　are　to　think　of　this　realm　as　following　upon　the　higher　by　agreement；　or　to　attribute　to　the　configurations　the　powers　underlying　the　events；　and　whether　such　powers　would　be　vested　in　the　configurations　simply　or　in　the　relations　of　the　particular　items。　　　　　It　will　be　said　that　one　position　of　one　given　thing　has　by　no　means　an　identical　effect…　whether　of　indication　or　of　causation…　in　its　relation　to　another　and　still　less　to　any　group　of　others；　since　each　several　being　seems　to　have　a　natural　tendency　＇or　receptivity＇　of　its　own。　　　　　The　truth　is　that　the　configuration　of　any　given　group　means　merely　the　relationship　of　the　several　parts；　and；　changing　the　members；　the　relationship　remains　the　same。　　　　　But；　this　being　so；　the　power　will　belong；　not　to　the　positions　but　to　the　beings　holding　those　positions？　　　　　To　both　taken　together。　For　as　things　change　their　relations；　and　as　any　one　thing　changes　place；　there　is　a　change　of　power。　　　　　But　what　power？　That　of　causation　or　of　indication？　　　　　To　this　double　thing…　the　particular　configuration　of　particular　beings…　there　accrues　often　the　twofold　power；　that　of　causation　and　that　of　indication；　but　sometimes　only　that　of　indication。　Thus　we　are　obliged　to　attribute　powers　both　to　the　configuration　and　to　the　beings　entering　into　them。　In　mime　dancers　each　of　the　hands　has　its　own　power；　and　so　with　all　the　limbs；　the　relative　positions　have　much　power；　and；　for　a　third　power；　there　is　that　of　the　accessories　and　concomitants；　underlying　the　action　of　the　performers'　limbs；　there　are　such　items　as　the　clutched　fingers　and　the　muscles　and　veins　following　suit。　　　　　35。　But　we　must　give　some　explanation　of　these　powers。　The　matter　requires　a　more　definite　handling。　How　can　there　be　a　difference　of　power　between　one　triangular　configuration　and　another？　　　　　How　can　there　be　the　exercise　of　power　from　man　to　man；　under　what　law；　and　within　what　limits？　　　　　The　difficulty　is　that　we　are　unable　to　attribute　causation　either　to　the　bodies　of　the　heavenly　beings　or　to　their　wills：　their　bodies　are　excluded　because　the　product　transcends　the　causative　power　of　body；　their　will　because　it　would　be　u