the six enneads-第19部分

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　earth　to　be　associated　with　the　beings　of　that　higher　sphere。　　　　　No：　the　flame　of　this　world；　once　it　has　attained　a　certain　height；　is　extinguished　by　the　currents　of　air　opposed　to　it。　Moreover；　as　it　carries　an　earthy　element　on　its　upward　path；　it　is　weighed　downwards　and　cannot　reach　those　loftier　regions。　It　comes　to　a　stand　somewhere　below　the　moon…　making　the　air　at　that　point　subtler…　and　its　flame；　if　any　flame　can　persist；　is　subdued　and　softened；　and　no　longer　retains　its　first　intensity；　but　gives　out　only　what　radiance　it　reflects　from　the　light　above。　　　　　And　it　is　that　loftier　light…　falling　variously　upon　the　stars；　to　each　in　a　certain　proportion…　that　gives　them　their　characteristic　differences；　as　well　in　magnitude　as　in　colour；　just　such　light　constitutes　also　the　still　higher　heavenly　bodies　which；　however；　like　clear　air；　are　invisible　because　of　the　subtle　texture　and　unresisting　transparency　of　their　material　substance　and　also　by　their　very　distance。　　　　　8。　Now：　given　a　light　of　this　degree；　remaining　in　the　upper　sphere　at　its　appointed　station；　pure　light　in　purest　place；　what　mode　of　outflow　from　it　can　be　conceived　possible？　　　　　Such　a　Kind　is　not　so　constituted　as　to　flow　downwards　of　its　own　accord；　and　there　exists　in　those　regions　no　power　to　force　it　down。　Again；　body　in　contact　with　soul　must　always　be　very　different　from　body　left　to　itself；　the　bodily　substance　of　the　heavens　has　that　contact　and　will　show　that　difference。　　　　　Besides；　the　corporeal　substance　nearest　to　the　heavens　would　be　air　or　fire：　air　has　no　destructive　quality；　fire　would　be　powerless　there　since　it　could　not　enter　into　effective　contact：　in　its　very　rush　it　would　change　before　its　attack　could　be　felt；　and；　apart　from　that；　it　is　of　the　lesser　order；　no　match　for　what　it　would　be　opposing　in　those　higher　regions。　　　　　Again；　fire　acts　by　imparting　heat：　now　it　cannot　be　the　source　of　heat　to　what　is　already　hot　by　nature；　and　anything　it　is　to　destroy　must　as　a　first　condition　be　heated　by　it；　must　be　brought　to　a　pitch　of　heat　fatal　to　the　nature　concerned。　　　　　In　sum；　then；　no　outside　body　is　necessary　to　the　heavens　to　ensure　their　permanence…　or　to　produce　their　circular　movement；　for　it　has　never　been　shown　that　their　natural　path　would　be　the　straight　line；　on　the　contrary　the　heavens；　by　their　nature；　will　either　be　motionless　or　move　by　circle；　all　other　movement　indicates　outside　compulsion。　We　cannot　think；　therefore；　that　the　heavenly　bodies　stand　in　need　of　replenishment；　we　must　not　argue　from　earthly　frames　to　those　of　the　celestial　system　whose　sustaining　soul　is　not　the　same；　whose　space　is　not　the　same；　whose　conditions　are　not　those　which　make　restoration　necessary　in　this　realm　of　composite　bodies　always　in　flux：　we　must　recognise　that　the　changes　that　take　place　in　bodies　here　represent　a　slipping…away　from　the　being　＇a　phenomenon　not　incident　to　the　celestial　sphere＇　and　take　place　at　the　dictate　of　a　Principle　not　dwelling　in　the　higher　regions；　one　not　powerful　enough　to　ensure　the　permanence　of　the　existences　in　which　it　is　exhibited；　one　which　in　its　coming　into　being　and　in　its　generative　act　is　but　an　imitation　of　an　antecedent　Kind；　and；　as　we　have　shown；　cannot　at　every　point　possess　the　unchangeable　identity　of　the　Intellectual　Realm。　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　SECOND　TRACTATE。

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　THE　HEAVENLY　CIRCUIT。

　　　　1。　But　whence　that　circular　movement？　　　　　In　imitation　of　the　Intellectual…Principle。　　　　　And　does　this　movement　belong　to　the　material　part　or　to　the　Soul？　Can　we　account　for　it　on　the　ground　that　the　Soul　has　itself　at　once　for　centre　and　for　the　goal　to　which　it　must　be　ceaselessly　moving；　or　that；　being　self…centred　it　is　not　of　unlimited　extension　＇and　consequently　must　move　ceaselessly　to　be　omnipresent＇；　and　that　its　revolution　carries　the　material　mass　with　it？　　　　　If　the　Soul　had　been　the　moving　power　＇by　any　such　semi…physical　action＇　it　would　be　so　no　longer；　it　would　have　accomplished　the　act　of　moving　and　have　brought　the　universe　to　rest；　there　would　be　an　end　of　this　endless　revolution。　　　　　In　fact　the　Soul　must　be　in　repose　or　at　least　cannot　have　spatial　movement；　how　then；　having　itself　a　movement　of　quite　another　order；　could　it　communicate　spatial　movement？　　　　　But　perhaps　the　circular　movement　＇of　the　Kosmos　as　soul　and　body＇　is　not　spatial　or　is　spatial　not　primarily　but　only　incidentally。　　　　　What；　by　this　explanation；　would　be　the　essential　movement　of　the　kosmic　soul？　　　　　A　movement　towards　itself；　the　movement　of　self…awareness；　of　self…intellection；　of　the　living　of　its　life；　the　movement　of　its　reaching　to　all　things　so　that　nothing　shall　lie　outside　of　it；　nothing　anywhere　but　within　its　scope。　　　　　The　dominant　in　a　living　thing　is　what　compasses　it　entirely　and　makes　it　a　unity。　　　　　If　the　Soul　has　no　motion　of　any　kind；　it　would　not　vitally　compass　the　Kosmos　nor　would　the　Kosmos；　a　thing　of　body；　keep　its　content　alive；　for　the　life　of　body　is　movement。　　　　　Any　spatial　motion　there　is　will　be　limited；　it　will　be　not　that　of　Soul　untrammelled　but　that　of　a　material　frame　ensouled；　an　animated　organism；　the　movement　will　be　partly　of　body；　partly　of　Soul；　the　body　tending　to　the　straight　line　which　its　nature　imposes；　the　Soul　restraining　it；　the　resultant　will　be　the　compromise　movement　of　a　thing　at　once　carried　forward　and　at　rest。　　　　　But　supposing　that　the　circular　movement　is　to　be　attributed　to　the　body；　how　is　it　to　be　explained；　since　all　body；　including　fire　＇which　constitutes　the　heavens＇　has　straightforward　motion？　　　　　The　answer　is　that　forthright　movement　is　maintained　only　pending　arrival　at　the　place　for　which　the　moving　thing　is　destined：　where　a　thing　is　ordained　to　be；　there　it　seeks；　of　its　nature；　to　come　for　its　rest；　its　motion　is　its　tendence　to　its　appointed　place。　　　　　Then；　since　the　fire　of　the　sidereal　system　has　attained　its　goal；　why　does　it　not　stay　at　rest？　　　　　Evidently　because　the　very　nature　of　fire　is　to　be　mobile：　if　it　did　not　take　the　curve；　its　straight　line　would　finally　fling　it　outside　the　universe：　the　circular　course；　then；　is　imperative。　　　　　But　this　would　imply　an　act　of　providence？　　　　　Not　quite：　rather　its　own　act　under　providence；　attaining　to　that　realm；　it　must　still　take　the　circular　course　by　its　indwelling　nature；　for　it　seeks　the　straight　path　onwards　but　finds　no　further　space　and　is　driven　back　so　that　it　recoils　on　the　only　course　left　to　it：　there　is　nothing　beyond；　it　has　reached　the　ultimate；　it　runs　its　course　in　the　regions　it　occupies；　itself　its　own　sphere；　not　destined　to　come　to　rest　there；　existing　to　move。　　　　　Further；　the　centre　of　a　circle　＇and　therefore　of　the　Kosmos＇　is　distinctively　a　point　of　rest：　if　the　circumference　outside　were　not　in　motion；　the　universe　would　be　no　more　than　one　vast　centre。　And　movement　around　the　centre　is　all　the　more　to　be　expected　in　the　case　of　a　living　thing　whose　nature　binds　it　within　a　body。　Such　motion　alone　can　constitute　its　impulse　towards　its　centre：　it　cannot　coincide　with　the　centre；　for　then　there　would　be　no　circle；　since　this　may　not　be；　it　whirls　about　it；　so　only　can　it　indulge　its　tendence。　　　　　If；　on　the　other　hand；　the　Kosmic　circuit　is　due　to　the　Soul；　we　are　not　to　think　of　a　painful　driving　＇wearing　it　down　at　last＇；　the　soul　does　not　use　violence　or　in　any　way　thwart　nature；　for　〃Nature〃　is　no　other　than　the　custom　the　All…Soul　has　established。　Omnipresent　in　its　entirety；　incapable　of　division；　the　Soul　of　the　universe　communicates　that　quality　of　universal　presence　to　the　heavens；　too；　in　their　degree；　the　degree；　that　is；　of　pursuing　universality　and　advancing　towards　it。　　　　　If　the　Soul　halted　anywhere；　there　the　Kosmos；　too；　brought　so　far；　would　halt：　but　the　Soul　encompasses　all；　and　so　the　Kosmos　moves；　seeking　everything。　　　　　Yet　never　to　attain？　　　　　On　the　contrary　this　very　motion　is　its　eternal　attainment。　　　　　Or；　better；　the　Soul　is　ceaselessly　leading　the　Kosmos　towards　itself：　the　continuous　attraction　communicates　a　continuous　movement…　not　to　some　outside　space　but　towards　the　Soul　and　in　the　one　sphere　with　it；　not　in　the　straight　line　＇which　would　ultimately　bring　the　moving　body　outside　and　below　the　Soul＇；　but　in　the　curving　course　in　which　the　moving　body　at　every　stage　possesses　the　Soul　that　is　attracting　it　and　bestowing　itself　upon　it。　　　　　If　the　soul　were　stationary；　that　is　if　＇instead　of　presiding　over　a　Kosmos＇　it　dwelt　wholly　and　solely　in　the　realm　in　which　every　member　is　at　rest；　motion　would　be　unknown；　but；　since　the　Soul　is　not　fixed　in　some　one　station　There；　the　Kosmos　must　travel　to　every　point　in　quest　of　it；　and　never　outside　it：　in　a　circle；　therefore。　　　　　2。　And　what　of　lower　things？　＇Why　have　they　not　this　motion？＇　　　　　＇Their　case　is　very　different＇：　the　single　thing　here　is　not　an　all　but　a　part　and　limited　to　a　given　segment　of　space；　that　other　realm　is　all；　is　space；　so　to　speak；　and　is　subject　to　no　hindrance　or　control；　for　in　itself　it　is　all　that　is。　　　　　And　men？　　　　　As　a　self；　each　is　a　personal　whole；　no　doubt；　but　as　member　of　the　universe；　each　is　a　partial　thing。　　　　　But　if；　wherever　the　circling　body　be；　it　possesses　the　Soul；　what　need　of　the　circling？　　　　　Because　everywhere　it　finds　something　else　besides　the　Soul　＇which　it　desires　to　possess　alone＇。　　　　　The　circular　movement　would　be　explained；　too；　if　the　Soul's　power　may　be　taken　as　resident　at　its　centre。　　　　　Here；　however；　we　must　distinguish　between　a　centre　in　reference　to　the　two　different　natures；　body　and　Soul。　　　　　In　body；　centre　is　a　point　of　place；　in　Soul　it　is　a　source；　the　source　of　some　other　nature。　The　word；　which　without　qualification　would　mean　the　midpoint　of　a　spheric　mass；　may　serve　in　the　double　reference；　and；　as　in　a　material　mass　so　in　the　Soul；　there　must　be　a　centre；　that　around　which　the　object；　Soul　or　material　mass；　revolves。　　　　　The　Soul　exists　in　revolution　around　God　to　whom　it　clings　in　love；　holding　itself　to　the　utmost　of　its　power　near　to　Him　as　the　Being　on　which　all　depends；　and　since　it　cannot　coincide　with　God　it　circles　about　Him。　　　　　Why　then　do　not　all　souls　＇i。e。；　the　lower；　also；　as　those　of　men　and　animals＇　thus　circle　about　the　Godhead？　　　　　Every　Soul　does　in　it