the six enneads-第104部分

快捷操作: 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! 如果本书没有阅读完，想下次继续接着阅读，可使用上方 "收藏到我的浏览器" 功能 和 "加入书签" 功能！


le　knows　itself　as　self…depending；　knows　all　its　nature　and　character；　and　knows　by　right　of　its　own　being　and　by　simple　introversion。　When　it　looks　upon　the　authentic　existences　it　is　looking　upon　itself；　its　vision　as　its　effective　existence；　and　this　efficacy　is　itself　since　the　Intellectual…Principle　and　the　Intellectual　Act　are　one：　this　is　an　integral　seeing　itself　by　its　entire　being；　not　a　part　seeing　by　a　part。　　　　　But　has　our　discussion　issued　in　an　Intellectual…Principle　having　a　persuasive　activity　＇furnishing　us　with　probability＇？　　　　　No：　it　brings　compulsion　not　persuasion；　compulsion　belongs　to　the　Intellectual…Principle；　persuasion　to　the　soul　or　mind；　and　we　seem　to　desire　to　be　persuaded　rather　than　to　see　the　truth　in　the　pure　intellect。　　　　　As　long　as　we　were　Above；　collected　within　the　Intellectual　nature；　we　were　satisfied；　we　were　held　in　the　intellectual　act；　we　had　vision　because　we　drew　all　into　unity…　for　the　thinker　in　us　was　the　Intellectual…Principle　telling　us　of　itself…　and　the　soul　or　mind　was　motionless；　assenting　to　that　act　of　its　prior。　But　now　that　we　are　once　more　here…　living　in　the　secondary；　the　soul…　we　seek　for　persuasive　probabilities：　it　is　through　the　image　we　desire　to　know　the　archetype。　　　　　Our　way　is　to　teach　our　soul　how　the　Intellectual…Principle　exercises　self…vision；　the　phase　thus　to　be　taught　is　that　which　already　touches　the　intellective　order；　that　which　we　call　the　understanding　or　intelligent　soul；　indicating　by　the　very　name　that　it　is　already　of　itself　in　some　degree　an　Intellectual…Principle　or　that　it　holds　its　peculiar　power　through　and　from　that　Principle。　This　phase　must　be　brought　to　understand　by　what　means　it　has　knowledge　of　the　thing　it　sees　and　warrant　for　what　it　affirms：　if　it　became　what　it　affirms；　it　would　by　that　fact　possess　self…knowing。　All　its　vision　and　affirmation　being　in　the　Supreme　or　deriving　from　it…　There　where　itself　also　is…　it　will　possess　self…knowledge　by　its　right　as　a　Reason…Principle；　claiming　its　kin　and　bringing　all　into　accord　with　the　divine　imprint　upon　it。　　　　　The　soul　therefore　＇to　attain　self…knowledge＇　has　only　to　set　this　image　＇that　is　to　say；　its　highest　phase＇　alongside　the　veritable　Intellectual…Principle　which　we　have　found　to　be　identical　with　the　truths　constituting　the　objects　of　intellection；　the　world　of　Primals　and　Reality：　for　this　Intellectual…Principle；　by　very　definition；　cannot　be　outside　of　itself；　the　Intellectual　Reality：　self…gathered　and　unalloyed；　it　is　Intellectual…Principle　through　all　the　range　of　its　being…　for　unintelligent　intelligence　is　not　possible…　and　thus　it　possesses　of　necessity　self…knowing；　as　a　being　immanent　to　itself　and　one　having　for　function　and　essence　to　be　purely　and　solely　Intellectual…Principle。　This　is　no　doer；　the　doer；　not　self…intent　but　looking　outward；　will　have　knowledge；　in　some　kind；　of　the　external；　but；　if　wholly　of　this　practical　order；　need　have　no　self…knowledge；　where；　on　the　contrary；　there　is　no　action…　and　of　course　the　pure　Intellectual…Principle　cannot　be　straining　after　any　absent　good…　the　intention　can　be　only　towards　the　self；　at　once　self…knowing　becomes　not　merely　plausible　but　inevitable；　what　else　could　living　signify　in　a　being　immune　from　action　and　existing　in　Intellect？　　　　　7。　The　contemplating　of　God；　we　might　answer。　　　　　But　to　admit　its　knowing　God　is　to　be　compelled　to　admit　its　self…knowing。　It　will　know　what　it　holds　from　God；　what　God　has　given　forth　or　may；　with　this　knowledge；　it　knows　itself　at　the　stroke；　for　it　is　itself　one　of　those　given　things…　in　fact　is　all　of　them。　Knowing　God　and　His　power；　then；　it　knows　itself；　since　it　comes　from　Him　and　carries　His　power　upon　it；　if；　because　here　the　act　of　vision　is　identical　with　the　object；　it　is　unable　to　see　God　clearly；　then　all　the　more；　by　the　equation　of　seeing　and　seen；　we　are　driven　back　upon　that　self…seeing　and　self…knowing　in　which　seeing　and　thing　seen　are　undistinguishably　one　thing。　　　　　And　what　else　is　there　to　attribute　to　it？　　　　　Repose；　no　doubt；　but；　to　an　Intellectual…Principle；　Repose　is　not　an　abdication　from　intellect；　its　Repose　is　an　Act；　the　act　of　abstention　from　the　alien：　in　all　forms　of　existence　repose　from　the　alien　leaves　the　characteristic　activity　intact；　especially　where　the　Being　is　not　merely　potential　but　fully　realized。　　　　　In　the　Intellectual…Principle；　the　Being　is　an　Act　and　in　the　absence　of　any　other　object　it　must　be　self…directed；　by　this　self…intellection　it　holds　its　Act　within　itself　and　upon　itself；　all　that　can　emanate　from　it　is　produced　by　this　self…centering　and　self…intention；　first…　self…gathered；　it　then　gives　itself　or　gives　something　in　its　likeness；　fire　must　first　be　self…centred　and　be　fire；　true　to　fire's　natural　Act；　then　it　may　reproduce　itself　elsewhere。　　　　　Once　more；　then；　the　Intellectual…Principle　is　a　self…intent　activity；　but　soul　has　the　double　phase；　one　inner；　intent　upon　the　Intellectual…Principle；　the　other　outside　it　and　facing　to　the　external；　by　the　one　it　holds　the　likeness　to　its　source；　by　the　other；　even　in　its　unlikeness；　it　still　comes　to　likeness　in　this　sphere；　too；　by　virtue　of　action　and　production；　in　its　action　it　still　contemplates；　and　its　production　produces　Ideal…forms…　divine　intellections　perfectly　wrought　out…　so　that　all　its　creations　are　representations　of　the　divine　Intellection　and　of　the　divine　Intellect；　moulded　upon　the　archetype；　of　which　all　are　emanations　and　images；　the　nearer　more　true；　the　very　latest　preserving　some　faint　likeness　of　the　source。　　　　　8。　Now　comes　the　question　what　sort　of　thing　does　the　Intellectual…Principle　see　in　seeing　the　Intellectual　Realm　and　what　in　seeing　itself？　　　　　We　are　not　to　look　for　an　Intellectual　realm　reminding　us　of　the　colour　or　shape　to　be　seen　on　material　objects：　the　intellectual　antedates　all　such　things；　and　even　in　our　sphere　the　production　is　very　different　from　the　Reason…Principle　in　the　seeds　from　which　it　is　produced。　The　seed　principles　are　invisible　and　the　beings　of　the　Intellectual　still　more　characteristically　so；　the　Intellectuals　are　of　one　same　nature　with　the　Intellectual　Realm　which　contains　them；　just　as　the　Reason…Principle　in　the　seed　is　identical　with　the　soul；　or　life…principle；　containing　it。　　　　　But　the　Soul　（considered　as　apart　from　the　Intellectual…Principle）　has　no　vision　of　what　it　thus　contains；　for　it　is　not　the　producer　but；　like　the　Reason…Principles　also；　an　image　of　its　source：　that　source　is　the　brilliant；　the　authentic；　the　primarily　existent；　the　thing　self…sprung　and　self…intent；　but　its　image；　soul；　is　a　thing　which　can　have　no　permanence　except　by　attachment；　by　living　in　that　other；　the　very　nature　of　an　image　is　that；　as　a　secondary；　it　shall　have　its　being　in　something　else；　if　at　all　it　exist　apart　from　its　original。　Hence　this　image　（soul）　has　not　vision；　for　it　has　not　the　necessary　light；　and；　if　it　should　see；　then；　as　finding　its　completion　elsewhere；　it　sees　another；　not　itself。　　　　　In　the　pure　Intellectual　there　is　nothing　of　this：　the　vision　and　the　envisioned　are　a　unity；　the　seen　is　as　the　seeing　and　seeing　as　seen。　　　　　What；　then；　is　there　that　can　pronounce　upon　the　nature　of　this　all…unity？　　　　　That　which　sees：　and　to　see　is　the　function　of　the　Intellectual…Principle。　Even　in　our　own　sphere　＇we　have　a　parallel　to　this　self…vision　of　a　unity＇；　our　vision　is　light　or　rather　becomes　one　with　light；　and　it　sees　light　for　it　sees　colours。　In　the　intellectual；　the　vision　sees　not　through　some　medium　but　by　and　through　itself　alone；　for　its　object　is　not　external：　by　one　light　it　sees　another　not　through　any　intermediate　agency；　a　light　sees　a　light；　that　is　to　say　a　thing　sees　itself。　This　light　shining　within　the　soul　enlightens　it；　that　is；　it　makes　the　soul　intellective；　working　it　into　likeness　with　itself；　the　light　above。　　　　　Think　of　the　traces　of　this　light　upon　the　soul；　then　say　to　yourself　that　such；　and　more　beautiful　and　broader　and　more　radiant；　is　the　light　itself；　thus　you　will　approach　to　the　nature　of　the　Intellectual…Principle　and　the　Intellectual　Realm；　for　it　is　this　light；　itself　lit　from　above；　which　gives　the　soul　its　brighter　life。　　　　　It　is　not　the　source　of　the　generative　life　of　the　soul　which；　on　the　contrary；　it　draws　inward；　preserving　it　from　such　diffusion；　holding　it　to　the　love　of　the　splendour　of　its　Prior。　　　　　Nor　does　it　give　the　life　of　perception　and　sensation；　for　that　looks　to　the　external　and　to　what　acts　most　vigorously　upon　the　senses　whereas　one　accepting　that　light　of　truth　may　be　said　no　longer　to　see　the　visible；　but　the　very　contrary。　　　　　This　means　in　sum　that　the　life　the　soul　takes　thence　is　an　intellective　life；　a　trace　of　the　life　in　the　＇divine＇　Intellect；　in　which　alone　the　authentic　exists。　　　　　The　life　in　the　Divine　Intellect　is　also　an　Act：　it　is　the　primal　light　outlamping　to　itself　primarily；　its　own　torch；　light…giver　and　lit　at　once；　the　authentic　intellectual　object；　knowing　at　once　and　known；　seen　to　itself　and　needing　no　other　than　itself　to　see　by；　self…sufficing　to　the　vision；　since　what　it　sees　it　is；　known　to　us　by　that　very　same　light；　our　knowledge　of　it　attained　through　itself；　for　from　nowhere　else　could　we　find　the　means　of　telling　of　it。　By　its　nature；　its　self…vision　is　the　clearer　but；　using　it　as　our　medium；　we　too　may　come　to　see　by　it。　　　　　In　the　strength　of　such　considerations　we　lead　up　our　own　soul　to　the　Divine；　so　that　it　poses　itself　as　an　image　of　that　Being；　its　life　becoming　an　imprint　and　a　likeness　of　the　Highest；　its　every　act　of　thought　making　it　over　into　the　Divine　and　the　Intellectual。　　　　　If　the　soul　is　questioned　as　to　the　nature　of　that　Intellectual…Principle…　the　perfect　and　all…embracing；　the　primal　self…knower…　it　has　but　to　enter　into　that　Principle；　or　to　sink　all　its　activity　into　that；　and　at　once　it　shows　itself　to　be　in　effective　possession　of　those　priors　whose　memory　it　never　lost：　thus；　as　an　image　of　the　Intellectual…Principle；　it　can　make　itself　the　medium　by　which　to　attain　some　vision　of　it；　it　draws　upon　that　within　itself　which　is　most　closely　resemblant；　as　far　as　resemblance　is　possible　between　divine　Intellect　and　any　phase　of　soul。　　　　　9。　In　order；　then；　to　know　what　the　Di