the six enneads-第116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！


the　Beauty　There。　That　the　admiration　of　the　Demiurge　is　to　be　referred　to　the　Ideal　Exemplar　is　deliberately　made　evident　by　the　rest　of　the　passage：　〃He　admired；　and　determined　to　bring　the　work　into　still　closer　likeness　with　the　Exemplar〃：　he　makes　us　feel　the　magnificent　beauty　of　the　Exemplar　by　telling　us　that　the　Beauty　sprung　from　this　world　is；　itself；　a　copy　from　That。　　　　　And　indeed　if　the　divine　did　not　exist；　the　transcendently　beautiful；　in　a　beauty　beyond　all　thought；　what　could　be　lovelier　than　the　things　we　see？　Certainly　no　reproach　can　rightly　be　brought　against　this　world　save　only　that　it　is　not　That。　　　　　9。　Let　us；　then；　make　a　mental　picture　of　our　universe：　each　member　shall　remain　what　it　is；　distinctly　apart；　yet　all　is　to　form；　as　far　as　possible；　a　complete　unity　so　that　whatever　comes　into　view　shall　show　as　if　it　were　the　surface　of　the　orb　over　all；　bringing　immediately　with　it　the　vision；　on　the　one　plane；　of　the　sun　and　of　all　the　stars　with　earth　and　sea　and　all　living　things　as　if　exhibited　upon　a　transparent　globe。　　　　　Bring　this　vision　actually　before　your　sight；　so　that　there　shall　be　in　your　mind　the　gleaming　representation　of　a　sphere；　a　picture　holding　sprung；　themselves；　of　that　universe　and　repose　or　some　at　rest；　some　in　motion。　Keep　this　sphere　before　you；　and　from　it　imagine　another；　a　sphere　stripped　of　magnitude　and　of　spatial　differences；　cast　out　your　inborn　sense　of　Matter；　taking　care　not　merely　to　attenuate　it：　call　on　God；　maker　of　the　sphere　whose　image　you　now　hold；　and　pray　Him　to　enter。　And　may　He　come　bringing　His　own　Universe　with　all　the　Gods　that　dwell　in　it…　He　who　is　the　one　God　and　all　the　gods；　where　each　is　all；　blending　into　a　unity；　distinct　in　powers　but　all　one　god　in　virtue　of　that　one　divine　power　of　many　facets。　　　　　More　truly；　this　is　the　one　God　who　is　all　the　gods；　for；　in　the　coming　to　be　of　all　those；　this；　the　one；　has　suffered　no　diminishing。　He　and　all　have　one　existence　while　each　again　is　distinct。　It　is　distinction　by　state　without　interval：　there　is　no　outward　form　to　set　one　here　and　another　there　and　to　prevent　any　from　being　an　entire　identity；　yet　there　is　no　sharing　of　parts　from　one　to　another。　Nor　is　each　of　those　divine　wholes　a　power　in　fragment；　a　power　totalling　to　the　sum　of　the　measurable　segments：　the　divine　is　one　all…power；　reaching　out　to　infinity；　powerful　to　infinity；　and　so　great　is　God　that　his　very　members　are　infinites。　What　place　can　be　named　to　which　He　does　not　reach？　　　　　Great；　too；　is　this　firmament　of　ours　and　all　the　powers　constellated　within　it；　but　it　would　be　greater　still；　unspeakably；　but　that　there　is　inbound　in　it　something　of　the　petty　power　of　body；　no　doubt　the　powers　of　fire　and　other　bodily　substances　might　themselves　be　thought　very　great；　but　in　fact；　it　is　through　their　failure　in　the　true　power　that　we　see　them　burning；　destroying；　wearing　things　away；　and　slaving　towards　the　production　of　life；　they　destroy　because　they　are　themselves　in　process　of　destruction；　and　they　produce　because　they　belong　to　the　realm　of　the　produced。　　　　　The　power　in　that　other　world　has　merely　Being　and　Beauty　of　Being。　Beauty　without　Being　could　not　be；　nor　Being　voided　of　Beauty：　abandoned　of　Beauty；　Being　loses　something　of　its　essence。　Being　is　desirable　because　it　is　identical　with　Beauty；　and　Beauty　is　loved　because　it　is　Being。　How　then　can　we　debate　which　is　the　cause　of　the　other；　where　the　nature　is　one？　The　very　figment　of　Being　needs　some　imposed　image　of　Beauty　to　make　it　passable　and　even　to　ensure　its　existence；　it　exists　to　the　degree　in　which　it　has　taken　some　share　in　the　beauty　of　Idea；　and　the　more　deeply　it　has　drawn　on　this；　the　less　imperfect　it　is；　precisely　because　the　nature　which　is　essentially　the　beautiful　has　entered　into　it　the　more　intimately。　　　　　10。　This　is　why　Zeus；　although　the　oldest　of　the　gods　and　their　sovereign；　advances　first　＇in　the　Phaidros　myth＇　towards　that　vision；　followed　by　gods　and　demigods　and　such　souls　as　are　of　strength　to　see。　That　Being　appears　before　them　from　some　unseen　place　and　rising　loftily　over　them　pours　its　light　upon　all　things；　so　that　all　gleams　in　its　radiance；　it　upholds　some　beings；　and　they　see；　the　lower　are　dazzled　and　turn　away；　unfit　to　gaze　upon　that　sun；　the　trouble　falling　the　more　heavily　on　those　most　remote。　　　　　Of　those　looking　upon　that　Being　and　its　content；　and　able　to　see；　all　take　something　but　not　all　the　same　vision　always：　intently　gazing；　one　sees　the　fount　and　principle　of　Justice；　another　is　filled　with　the　sight　of　Moral　Wisdom；　the　original　of　that　quality　as　found；　sometimes　at　least；　among　men；　copied　by　them　in　their　degree　from　the　divine　virtue　which；　covering　all　the　expanse；　so　to　speak；　of　the　Intellectual　Realm　is　seen；　last　attainment　of　all；　by　those　who　have　known　already　many　splendid　visions。　　　　　The　gods　see；　each　singly　and　all　as　one。　So；　too；　the　souls；　they　see　all　There　in　right　of　being　sprung；　themselves；　of　that　universe　and　therefore　including　all　from　beginning　to　end　and　having　their　existence　There　if　only　by　that　phase　which　belongs　inherently　to　the　Divine；　though　often　too　they　are　There　entire；　those　of　them　that　have　not　incurred　separation。　　　　　This　vision　Zeus　takes；　and　it　is　for　such　of　us；　also；　as　share　his　love　and　appropriate　our　part　in　the　Beauty　There；　the　final　object　of　all　seeing；　the　entire　beauty　upon　all　things；　for　all　There　sheds　radiance；　and　floods　those　that　have　found　their　way　thither　so　that　they　too　become　beautiful；　thus　it　will　often　happen　that　men　climbing　heights　where　the　soil　has　taken　a　yellow　glow　will　themselves　appear　so；　borrowing　colour　from　the　place　on　which　they　move。　The　colour　flowering　on　that　other　height　we　speak　of　is　Beauty；　or　rather　all　There　is　light　and　beauty；　through　and　through；　for　the　beauty　is　no　mere　bloom　upon　the　surface。　　　　　To　those　that　do　not　see　entire；　the　immediate　impression　is　alone　taken　into　account；　but　those　drunken　with　this　wine；　filled　with　the　nectar；　all　their　soul　penetrated　by　this　beauty；　cannot　remain　mere　gazers：　no　longer　is　there　a　spectator　outside　gazing　on　an　outside　spectacle；　the　clear…eyed　hold　the　vision　within　themselves；　though；　for　the　most　part；　they　have　no　idea　that　it　is　within　but　look　towards　it　as　to　something　beyond　them　and　see　it　as　an　object　of　vision　caught　by　a　direction　of　the　will。　　　　　All　that　one　sees　as　a　spectacle　is　still　external；　one　must　bring　the　vision　within　and　see　no　longer　in　that　mode　of　separation　but　as　we　know　ourselves；　thus　a　man　filled　with　a　god…　possessed　by　Apollo　or　by　one　of　the　Muses…　need　no　longer　look　outside　for　his　vision　of　the　divine　being；　it　is　but　finding　the　strength　to　see　divinity　within。　　　　　11。　Similarly　any　one；　unable　to　see　himself；　but　possessed　by　that　God；　has　but　to　bring　that　divine…　within　before　his　consciousness　and　at　once　he　sees　an　image　of　himself；　himself　lifted　to　a　better　beauty：　now　let　him　ignore　that　image；　lovely　though　it　is；　and　sink　into　a　perfect　self…identity；　no　such　separation　remaining；　at　once　he　forms　a　multiple　unity　with　the　God　silently　present；　in　the　degree　of　his　power　and　will；　the　two　become　one；　should　he　turn　back　to　the　former　duality；　still　he　is　pure　and　remains　very　near　to　the　God；　he　has　but　to　look　again　and　the　same　presence　is　there。　　　　　This　conversion　brings　gain：　at　the　first　stage；　that　of　separation；　a　man　is　aware　of　self；　but；　retreating　inwards；　he　becomes　possessor　of　all；　he　puts　sense　away　behind　him　in　dread　of　the　separated　life　and　becomes　one　in　the　Divine；　if　he　plans　to　see　in　separation；　he　sets　himself　outside。　　　　　The　novice　must　hold　himself　constantly　under　some　image　of　the　Divine　Being　and　seek　in　the　light　of　a　clear　conception；　knowing　thus；　in　a　deep　conviction；　whither　he　is　going…　into　what　a　sublimity　he　penetrates…　he　must　give　himself　forthwith　to　the　inner　and；　radiant　with　the　Divine　Intellections　＇with　which　he　is　now　one＇；　be　no　longer　the　seer　but；　as　that　place　has　made　him；　the　seen。　　　　　Still；　we　will　be　told；　one　cannot　be　in　beauty　and　yet　fail　to　see　it。　The　very　contrary：　to　see　the　divine　as　something　external　is　to　be　outside　of　it；　to　become　it　is　to　be　most　truly　in　beauty：　since　sight　deals　with　the　external；　there　can　here　be　no　vision　unless　in　the　sense　of　identification　with　the　object。　　　　　And　this　identification　amounts　to　a　self…knowing；　a　self…consciousness；　guarded　by　the　fear　of　losing　the　self　in　the　desire　of　a　too　wide　awareness。　　　　　It　must　be　remembered　that　sensations　of　the　ugly　and　evil　impress　us　more　violently　than　those　of　what　is　agreeable　and　yet　leave　less　knowledge　as　the　residue　of　the　shock：　sickness　makes　the　rougher　mark；　but　health；　tranquilly　present；　explains　itself　better；　it　takes　the　first　place；　it　is　the　natural　thing；　it　belongs　to　our　being；　illness　is　alien；　unnatural　and　thus　makes　itself　felt　by　its　very　incongruity；　while　the　other　conditions　are　native　and　we　take　no　notice。　Such　being　our　nature；　we　are　most　completely　aware　of　ourselves　when　we　are　most　completely　identified　with　the　object　of　our　knowledge。　　　　　This　is　why　in　that　other　sphere；　when　we　are　deepest　in　that　knowledge　by　intellection；　we　are　aware　of　none；　we　are　expecting　some　impression　on　sense；　which　has　nothing　to　report　since　it　has　seen　nothing　and　never　could　in　that　order　see　anything。　The　unbelieving　element　is　sense；　it　is　the　other；　the　Intellectual…Principle；　that　sees；　and　if　this　too　doubted；　it　could　not　even　credit　its　own　existence；　for　it　can　never　stand　away　and　with　bodily　eyes　apprehend　itself　as　a　visible　object。　　　　　12。　We　have　told　how　this　vision　is　to　be　procured；　whether　by　the　mode　of　separation　or　in　identity：　now；　seen　in　either　way；　what　does　it　give　to　report？　　　　　The　vision　has　been　of　God　in　travail　of　a　beautiful　offspring；　God　engendering　a　universe　within　himself　in　a　painless　labour　and…　rejoiced　in　what　he　has　brought　into　being；　proud　of　his　children…　keeping　all　closely　by　Him；　for　pleasure　He　has　in　his　radiance　and　in　theirs。　　　　　Of　this　offspring…　all　beautiful；　but　most　beautiful　those　that　have　remained　within…　only　one　has　become　manifest　without；　from　him　＇Zeus；　sovereign　over　the　visible　universe＇