the six enneads-第21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！


ul　influence　depend　upon　the　coldness　of　its　nature；　and　yet　it　ought　to　be　beneficent　to　us　when　it　is　in　the　opposed　Zodiacal　figures。　　　　　When　the　cold　planet；　we　are　told；　is　in　opposition　to　the　cold；　both　become　meanacing：　but　the　natural　effect　would　be　a　compromise。　　　　　And　we　are　asked　to　believe　that　one　of　them　is　happy　by　day　and　grows　kindly　under　the　warmth；　while　another；　of　a　fiery　nature；　is　most　cheerful　by　night…　as　if　it　were　not　always　day　to　them；　light　to　them；　and　as　if　the　first　one　could　be　darkened　by　night　at　that　great　distance　above　the　earth's　shadow。　　　　　Then　there　is　the　notion　that　the　moon；　in　conjunction　with　a　certain　star；　is　softened　at　her　full　but　is　malignant　in　the　same　conjunction　when　her　light　has　waned；　yet；　if　anything　of　this　order　could　be　admitted；　the　very　opposite　would　be　the　case。　For　when　she　is　full　to　us　she　must　be　dark　on　the　further　hemisphere；　that　is　to　that　star　which　stands　above　her；　and　when　dark　to　us　she　is　full　to　that　other　star；　upon　which　only　then；　on　the　contrary；　does　she　look　with　her　light。　To　the　moon　itself；　in　fact；　it　can　make　no　difference　in　what　aspect　she　stands；　for　she　is　always　lit　on　the　upper　or　on　the　under　half：　to　the　other　star；　the　warmth　from　the　moon；　of　which　they　speak；　might　make　a　difference；　but　that　warmth　would　reach　it　precisely　when　the　moon　is　without　light　to　us；　at　its　darkest　to　us　it　is　full　to　that　other；　and　therefore　beneficent。　The　darkness　of　the　moon　to　us　is　of　moment　to　the　earth；　but　brings　no　trouble　to　the　planet　above。　That　planet；　it　is　alleged；　can　give　no　help　on　account　of　its　remoteness　and　therefore　seems　less　well　disposed；　but　the　moon　at　its　full　suffices　to　the　lower　realm　so　that　the　distance　of　the　other　is　of　no　importance。　When　the　moon；　though　dark　to　us；　is　in　aspect　with　the　Fiery　Star　she　is　held　to　be　favourable：　the　reason　alleged　is　that　the　force　of　Mars　is　all…sufficient　since　it　contains　more　fire　than　it　needs。　　　　　The　truth　is　that　while　the　material　emanations　from　the　living　beings　of　the　heavenly　system　are　of　various　degrees　of　warmth…　planet　differing　from　planet　in　this　respect…　no　cold　comes　from　them：　the　nature　of　the　space　in　which　they　have　their　being　is　voucher　for　that。　　　　　The　star　known　as　Jupiter　includes　a　due　measure　of　fire　＇and　warmth＇；　in　this　resembling　the　Morning…star　and　therefore　seeming　to　be　in　alliance　with　it。　In　aspect　with　what　is　known　as　the　Fiery　Star；　Jupiter　is　beneficent　by　virtue　of　the　mixing　of　influences：　in　aspect　with　Saturn　unfriendly　by　dint　of　distance。　Mercury；　it　would　seem；　is　indifferent　whatever　stars　it　be　in　aspect　with；　for　it　adopts　any　and　every　character。　　　　　But　all　the　stars　are　serviceable　to　the　Universe；　and　therefore　can　stand　to　each　other　only　as　the　service　of　the　Universe　demands；　in　a　harmony　like　that　observed　in　the　members　of　any　one　animal　form。　They　exist　essentially　for　the　purpose　of　the　Universe；　just　as　the　gall　exists　for　the　purposes　of　the　body　as　a　whole　not　less　than　for　its　own　immediate　function：　it　is　to　be　the　inciter　of　the　animal　spirits　but　without　allowing　the　entire　organism　and　its　own　especial　region　to　run　riot。　Some　such　balance　of　function　was　indispensable　in　the　All…　bitter　with　sweet。　There　must　be　differentiation…　eyes　and　so　forth…　but　all　the　members　will　be　in　sympathy　with　the　entire　animal　frame　to　which　they　belong。　Only　so　can　there　be　a　unity　and　a　total　harmony。　　　　　And　in　such　a　total；　analogy　will　make　every　part　a　Sign。　　　　　6。　But　that　this　same　Mars；　or　Aphrodite；　in　certain　aspects　should　cause　adulteries…　as　if　they　could　thus；　through　the　agency　of　human　incontinence；　satisfy　their　own　mutual　desires…　is　not　such　a　notion　the　height　of　unreason？　And　who　could　accept　the　fancy　that　their　happiness　comes　from　their　seeing　each　other　in　this　or　that　relative　position　and　not　from　their　own　settled　nature？　　　　　Again：　countless　myriads　of　living　beings　are　born　and　continue　to　be：　to　minister　continuously　to　every　separate　one　of　these；　to　make　them　famous；　rich；　poor；　lascivious；　to　shape　the　active　tendencies　of　every　single　one…　what　kind　of　life　is　this　for　the　stars；　how　could　they　possibly　handle　a　task　so　huge？　　　　　They　are　to　watch；　we　must　suppose；　the　rising　of　each　several　constellation　and　upon　that　signal　to　act；　such　a　one；　they　see；　has　risen　by　so　many　degrees；　representing　so　many　of　the　periods　of　its　upward　path；　they　reckon　on　their　fingers　at　what　moment　they　must　take　the　action　which；　executed　prematurely；　would　be　out　of　order：　and　in　the　sum；　there　is　no　One　Being　controlling　the　entire　scheme；　all　is　made　over　to　the　stars　singly；　as　if　there　were　no　Sovereign　Unity；　standing　as　source　of　all　the　forms　of　Being　in　subordinate　association　with　it；　and　delegating　to　the　separate　members；　in　their　appropriate　Kinds；　the　task　of　accomplishing　its　purposes　and　bringing　its　latent　potentiality　into　act。　　　　　This　is　a　separatist　theory；　tenable　only　by　minds　ignorant　of　the　nature　of　a　Universe　which　has　a　ruling　principle　and　a　first　cause　operative　downwards　through　every　member。　　　　　7。　But；　if　the　stars　announce　the　future…　as　we　hold　of　many　other　things　also…　what　explanation　of　the　cause　have　we　to　offer？　What　explains　the　purposeful　arrangement　thus　implied？　Obviously；　unless　the　particular　is　included　under　some　general　principle　of　order；　there　can　be　no　signification。　　　　　We　may　think　of　the　stars　as　letters　perpetually　being　inscribed　on　the　heavens　or　inscribed　once　for　all　and　yet　moving　as　they　pursue　the　other　tasks　allotted　to　them：　upon　these　main　tasks　will　follow　the　quality　of　signifying；　just　as　the　one　principle　underlying　any　living　unit　enables　us　to　reason　from　member　to　member；　so　that　for　example　we　may　judge　of　character　and　even　of　perils　and　safeguards　by　indications　in　the　eyes　or　in　some　other　part　of　the　body。　If　these　parts　of　us　are　members　of　a　whole；　so　are　we：　in　different　ways　the　one　law　applies。　　　　　All　teems　with　symbol；　the　wise　man　is　the　man　who　in　any　one　thing　can　read　another；　a　process　familiar　to　all　of　us　in　not　a　few　examples　of　everyday　experience。　　　　　But　what　is　the　comprehensive　principle　of　co…ordination？　Establish　this　and　we　have　a　reasonable　basis　for　the　divination；　not　only　by　stars　but　also　by　birds　and　other　animals；　from　which　we　derive　guidance　in　our　varied　concerns。　　　　　All　things　must　be　enchained；　and　the　sympathy　and　correspondence　obtaining　in　any　one　closely　knit　organism　must　exist；　first；　and　most　intensely；　in　the　All。　There　must　be　one　principle　constituting　this　unit　of　many　forms　of　life　and　enclosing　the　several　members　within　the　unity；　while　at　the　same　time；　precisely　as　in　each　thing　of　detail　the　parts　too　have　each　a　definite　function；　so　in　the　All　each　several　member　must　have　its　own　task…　but　more　markedly　so　since　in　this　case　the　parts　are　not　merely　members　but　themselves　Alls；　members　of　the　loftier　Kind。　　　　　Thus　each　entity　takes　its　origin　from　one　Principle　and；　therefore；　while　executing　its　own　function；　works　in　with　every　other　member　of　that　All　from　which　its　distinct　task　has　by　no　means　cut　it　off：　each　performs　its　act；　each　receives　something　from　the　others；　every　one　at　its　own　moment　bringing　its　touch　of　sweet　or　bitter。　And　there　is　nothing　undesigned；　nothing　of　chance；　in　all　the　process：　all　is　one　scheme　of　differentiation；　starting　from　the　Firsts　and　working　itself　out　in　a　continuous　progression　of　Kinds。　　　　　8。　Soul；　then；　in　the　same　way；　is　intent　upon　a　task　of　its　own；　alike　in　its　direct　course　and　in　its　divagation　it　is　the　cause　of　all　by　its　possession　of　the　Thought　of　the　First　Principle：　thus　a　Law　of　Justice　goes　with　all　that　exists　in　the　Universe　which；　otherwise；　would　be　dissolved；　and　is　perdurable　because　the　entire　fabric　is　guided　as　much　by　the　orderliness　as　by　the　power　of　the　controlling　force。　And　in　this　order　the　stars；　as　being　no　minor　members　of　the　heavenly　system；　are　co…operators　contributing　at　once　to　its　stately　beauty　and　to　its　symbolic　quality。　Their　symbolic　power　extends　to　the　entire　realm　of　sense；　their　efficacy　only　to　what　they　patently　do。　　　　　For　our　part；　nature　keeps　us　upon　the　work　of　the　Soul　as　long　as　we　are　not　wrecked　in　the　multiplicity　of　the　Universe：　once　thus　sunk　and　held　we　pay　the　penalty；　which　consists　both　in　the　fall　itself　and　in　the　lower　rank　thus　entailed　upon　us：　riches　and　poverty　are　caused　by　the　combinations　of　external　fact。　　　　　And　what　of　virtue　and　vice？　　　　　That　question　has　been　amply　discussed　elsewhere：　in　a　word；　virtue　is　ours　by　the　ancient　staple　of　the　Soul；　vice　is　due　to　the　commerce　of　a　Soul　with　the　outer　world。　　　　　9。　This　brings　us　to　the　Spindle…destiny；　spun　according　to　the　ancients　by　the　Fates。　To　Plato　the　Spindle　represents　the　co…operation　of　the　moving　and　the　stable　elements　of　the　kosmic　circuit：　the　Fates　with　Necessity；　Mother　of　the　Fates；　manipulate　it　and　spin　at　the　birth　of　every　being；　so　that　all　comes　into　existence　through　Necessity。　　　　　In　the　Timaeus；　the　creating　God　bestows　the　essential　of　the　Soul；　but　it　is　the　divinities　moving　in　the　kosmos　＇the　stars＇　that　infuse　the　powerful　affections　holding　from　Necessity　our　impulse　and　our　desire；　our　sense　of　pleasure　and　of　pain…　and　that　lower　phase　of　the　Soul　in　which　such　experiences　originate。　By　this　statement　our　personality　is　bound　up　with　the　stars；　whence　our　Soul　＇as　total　of　Principle　and　affections＇　takes　shape；　and　we　are　set　under　necessity　at　our　very　entrance　into　the　world：　our　temperament　will　be　of　the　stars'　ordering；　and　so；　therefore；　the　actions　which　derive　from　temperament；　and　all　the　experiences　of　a　nature　shaped　to　impressions。　　　　　What；　after　all　this；　remains　to　stand　for　the　〃We〃？　　　　　The　〃We〃　is　the　actual　resultant　of　a　Being　whose　nature　includes；　with　certain　sensibilities；　the　power　of　governing　them。　Cut　off　as　we　are　by　the　nature　of　the　body；　God　has　yet　given　us；　in　the　midst　of　all　this　evil；　virtue　the　unconquerable；　meaningless　in　a　state　of　tranquil　safety　but　everything　where　its　absence　would　be　peril　of　fall。　　　　　Our　task；　then；　is　to　work　for　our　liberation　from　this　sphere；　severing　ourselves　from　all　that　has　gathered　about