the six enneads-第171部分

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minated；　is　a　self…contained　entity。　　　　　In　our　present　state…　part　of　our　being　weighed　down　by　the　body；　as　one　might　have　the　feet　under　water　with　all　the　rest　untouched…　we　bear…　ourselves　aloft　by　that…　intact　part　and；　in　that；　hold　through　our　own　centre　to　the　centre　of　all　the　centres；　just　as　the　centres　of　the　great　circles　of　a　sphere　coincide　with　that　of　the　sphere　to　which　all　belong。　Thus　we　are　secure。　　　　　If　these　circles　were　material　and　not　spiritual；　the　link　with　the　centres　would　be　local；　they　would　lie　round　it　where　it　lay　at　some　distant　point：　since　the　souls　are　of　the　Intellectual；　and　the　Supreme　still　loftier；　we　understand　that　contact　is　otherwise　procured；　that　is　by　those　powers　which　connect　Intellectual　agent　with　Intellectual　Object；　this　all　the　more；　since　the　Intellect　grasps　the　Intellectual　object　by　the　way　of　similarity；　identity；　in　the　sure　link　of　kindred。　Material　mass　cannot　blend　into　other　material　mass：　unbodied　beings　are　not　under　this　bodily　limitation；　their　separation　is　solely　that　of　otherness；　of　differentiation；　in　the　absence　of　otherness；　it　is　similars　mutually　present。　　　　　Thus　the　Supreme　as　containing　no　otherness　is　ever　present　with　us；　we　with　it　when　we　put　otherness　away。　It　is　not　that　the　Supreme　reaches　out　to　us　seeking　our　communion：　we　reach　towards　the　Supreme；　it　is　we　that　become　present。　We　are　always　before　it：　but　we　do　not　always　look：　thus　a　choir；　singing　set　in　due　order　about　the　conductor；　may　turn　away　from　that　centre　to　which　all　should　attend：　let　it　but　face　aright　and　it　sings　with　beauty；　present　effectively。　We　are　ever　before　the　Supreme…　cut　off　is　utter　dissolution；　we　can　no　longer　be…　but　we　do　not　always　attend：　when　we　look；　our　Term　is　attained；　this　is　rest；　this　is　the　end　of　singing　ill；　effectively　before　Him；　we　lift　a　choral　song　full　of　God。　　　　　9。　In　this　choiring；　the　soul　looks　upon　the　wellspring　of　Life；　wellspring　also　of　Intellect；　beginning　of　Being；　fount　of　Good；　root　of　Soul。　It　is　not　that　these　are　poured　out　from　the　Supreme　lessening　it　as　if　it　were　a　thing　of　mass。　At　that　the　emanants　would　be　perishable；　but　they　are　eternal；　they　spring　from　an　eternal　principle；　which　produces　them　not　by　its　fragmentation　but　in　virtue　of　its　intact　identity：　therefore　they　too　hold　firm；　so　long　as　the　sun　shines；　so　long　there　will　be　light。　　　　　We　have　not　been　cut　away；　we　are　not　separate；　what　though　the　body…nature　has　closed　about　us　to　press　us　to　itself；　we　breathe　and　hold　our　ground　because　the　Supreme　does　not　give　and　pass　but　gives　on　for　ever；　so　long　as　it　remains　what　it　is。　　　　　Our　being　is　the　fuller　for　our　turning　Thither；　this　is　our　prosperity；　to　hold　aloof　is　loneliness　and　lessening。　Here　is　the　soul's　peace；　outside　of　evil；　refuge　taken　in　the　place　clean　of　wrong；　here　it　has　its　Act；　its　true　knowing；　here　it　is　immune。　Here　is　living；　the　true；　that　of　to…day；　all　living　apart　from　Him；　is　but　a　shadow；　a　mimicry。　Life　in　the　Supreme　is　the　native　activity　of　Intellect；　in　virtue　of　that　converse　it　brings　forth　gods；　brings　forth　beauty；　brings　forth　righteousness；　brings　forth　all　moral　good；　for　of　all　these　the　soul　is　pregnant　when　it　has　been　filled　with　God。　This　state　is　its　first　and　its　final；　because　from　God　it　comes；　its　good　lies　There；　and；　once　turned　to　God　again；　it　is　what　it　was。　Life　here；　with　the　things　of　earth；　is　a　sinking；　a　defeat；　a　failing　of　the　wing。　　　　　That　our　good　is　There　is　shown　by　the　very　love　inborn　with　the　soul；　hence　the　constant　linking　of　the　Love…God　with　the　Psyches　in　story　and　picture；　the　soul；　other　than　God　but　sprung　of　Him；　must　needs　love。　So　long　as　it　is　There；　it　holds　the　heavenly　love；　here　its　love　is　the　baser；　There　the　soul　is　Aphrodite　of　the　heavens；　here；　turned　harlot；　Aphrodite　of　the　public　ways：　yet　the　soul　is　always　an　Aphrodite。　This　is　the　intention　of　the　myth　which　tells　of　Aphrodite's　birth　and　Eros　born　with　her。　　　　　The　soul　in　its　nature　loves　God　and　longs　to　be　at　one　with　Him　in　the　noble　love　of　a　daughter　for　a　noble　father；　but　coming　to　human　birth　and　lured　by　the　courtships　of　this　sphere；　she　takes　up　with　another　love；　a　mortal；　leaves　her　father　and　falls。　　　　　But　one　day　coming　to　hate　her　shame；　she　puts　away　the　evil　of　earth；　once　more　seeks　the　father；　and　finds　her　peace。　　　　　Those　to　whom　all　this　experience　is　strange　may　understand　by　way　of　our　earthly　longings　and　the　joy　we　have　in　winning　to　what　we　most　desire…　remembering　always　that　here　what　we　love　is　perishable；　hurtful；　that　our　loving　is　of　mimicries　and　turns　awry　because　all　was　a　mistake；　our　good　was　not　here；　this　was　not　what　we　sought；　There　only　is　our　veritable　love　and　There　we　may　hold　it　and　be　with　it；　possess　it　in　its　verity　no　longer　submerged　in　alien　flesh。　Any　that　have　seen　know　what　I　have　in　mind：　the　soul　takes　another　life　as　it　approaches　God；　thus　restored　it　feels　that　the　dispenser　of　true　life　is　There　to　see；　that　now　we　have　nothing　to　look　for　but；　far　otherwise；　that　we　must　put　aside　all　else　and　rest　in　This　alone；　This　become；　This　alone；　all　the　earthly　environment　done　away；　in　haste　to　be　free；　impatient　of　any　bond　holding　us　to　the　baser；　so　that　with　our　being　entire　we　may　cling　about　This；　no　part　in　us　remaining　but　through　it　we　have　touch　with　God。　　　　　Thus　we　have　all　the　vision　that　may　be　of　Him　and　of　ourselves；　but　it　is　of　a　self…wrought　to　splendour；　brimmed　with　the　Intellectual　light；　become　that　very　light；　pure；　buoyant；　unburdened；　raised　to　Godhood　or；　better；　knowing　its　Godhood；　all　aflame　then…　but　crushed　out　once　more　if　it　should　take　up　the　discarded　burden。　　　　　10。　But　how　comes　the　soul　not　to　keep　that　ground？　　　　　Because　it　has　not　yet　escaped　wholly：　but　there　will　be　the　time　of　vision　unbroken；　the　self　hindered　no　longer　by　any　hindrance　of　body。　Not　that　those　hindrances　beset　that　in　us　which　has　veritably　seen；　it　is　the　other　phase　of　the　soul　that　suffers　and　that　only　when　we　withdraw　from　vision　and　take　to　knowing　by　proof；　by　evidence；　by　the　reasoning　processes　of　the　mental　habit。　Such　logic　is　not　to　be　confounded　with　that　act　of　ours　in　the　vision；　it　is　not　our　reason　that　has　seen；　it　is　something　greater　than　reason；　reason's　Prior；　as　far　above　reason　as　the　very　object　of　that　thought　must　be。　　　　　In　our　self…seeing　There；　the　self　is　seen　as　belonging　to　that　order；　or　rather　we　are　merged　into　that　self　in　us　which　has　the　quality　of　that　order。　It　is　a　knowing　of　the　self　restored　to　its　purity。　No　doubt　we　should　not　speak　of　seeing；　but　we　cannot　help　talking　in　dualities；　seen　and　seer；　instead　of；　boldly；　the　achievement　of　unity。　In　this　seeing；　we　neither　hold　an　object　nor　trace　distinction；　there　is　no　two。　The　man　is　changed；　no　longer　himself　nor　self…belonging；　he　is　merged　with　the　Supreme；　sunken　into　it；　one　with　it：　centre　coincides　with　centre；　for　on　this　higher　plane　things　that　touch　at　all　are　one；　only　in　separation　is　there　duality；　by　our　holding　away；　the　Supreme　is　set　outside。　This　is　why　the　vision　baffles　telling；　we　cannot　detach　the　Supreme　to　state　it；　if　we　have　seen　something　thus　detached　we　have　failed　of　the　Supreme　which　is　to　be　known　only　as　one　with　ourselves。　　　　　11。　This　is　the　purport　of　that　rule　of　our　Mysteries：　Nothing　Divulged　to　the　Uninitiate：　the　Supreme　is　not　to　be　made　a　common　story；　the　holy　things　may　not　be　uncovered　to　the　stranger；　to　any　that　has　not　himself　attained　to　see。　There　were　not　two；　beholder　was　one　with　beheld；　it　was　not　a　vision　compassed　but　a　unity　apprehended。　The　man　formed　by　this　mingling　with　the　Supreme　must…　if　he　only　remember…　carry　its　image　impressed　upon　him：　he　is　become　the　Unity；　nothing　within　him　or　without　inducing　any　diversity；　no　movement　now；　no　passion；　no　outlooking　desire；　once　this　ascent　is　achieved；　reasoning　is　in　abeyance　and　all　Intellection　and　even；　to　dare　the　word；　the　very　self；　caught　away；　filled　with　God；　he　has　in　perfect　stillness　attained　isolation；　all　the　being　calmed；　he　turns　neither　to　this　side　nor　to　that；　not　even　inwards　to　himself；　utterly　resting　he　has　become　very　rest。　He　belongs　no　longer　to　the　order　of　the　beautiful；　he　has　risen　beyond　beauty；　he　has　overpassed　even　the　choir　of　the　virtues；　he　is　like　one　who；　having　penetrated　the　inner　sanctuary；　leaves　the　temple　images　behind　him…　though　these　become　once　more　first　objects　of　regard　when　he　leaves　the　holies；　for　There　his　converse　was　not　with　image；　not　with　trace；　but　with　the　very　Truth　in　the　view　of　which　all　the　rest　is　but　of　secondary　concern。　　　　　There；　indeed；　it　was　scarcely　vision；　unless　of　a　mode　unknown；　it　was　a　going　forth　from　the　self；　a　simplifying；　a　renunciation；　a　reach　towards　contact　and　at　the　same　time　a　repose；　a　meditation　towards　adjustment。　This　is　the　only　seeing　of　what　lies　within　the　holies：　to　look　otherwise　is　to　fail。　　　　　Things　here　are　signs；　they　show　therefore　to　the　wiser　teachers　how　the　supreme　God　is　known；　the　instructed　priest　reading　the　sign　may　enter　the　holy　place　and　make　real　the　vision　of　the　inaccessible。　　　　　Even　those　that　have　never　found　entry　must　admit　the　existence　of　that　invisible；　they　will　know　their　source　and　Principle　since　by　principle　they　see　principle　and　are　linked　with　it；　by　like　they　have　contact　with　like　and　so　they　grasp　all　of　the　divine　that　lies　within　the　scope　of　mind。　Until　the　seeing　comes　they　are　still　craving　something；　that　which　only　the　vision　can　give；　this　Term；　attained　only　by　those　that　have　overpassed　all；　is　the　All…Transcending。　　　　　It　is　not　in　the　soul's　nature　to　touch　utter　nothingness；　the　lowest　descent　is　into　evil　and；　so　far；　into　non…being：　but　to　utter　nothing；　never。　When　the　soul　begins　again　to　mount；　it　comes　not　to　something　alien　but　to　its　very　self；　thus　detached；　it　is　not　in　nothingness　but　in　itself；　self…gathered　it　is　no　longer　in　the　order　of　being；　it　is　in　the　Supreme。　　　　　There　is　thus　a　converse　in　virtue　of　which　the　essential　man　outgrows　Being；　becomes　identical　with　the　Transcendent　of　Being。　The　self　thus　lifted；　we　are　in　the　likeness　of　the　Supreme：　if　from　that　heightened　self　we　pass　still　higher…　image