the six enneads-第23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！


od　fame；　it　is　either　deserved　and　then　is　due　to　the　services　done　and　to　the　merit　of　those　appraising　them；　or　it　is　undeserved；　and　then　must　be　attributed　to　the　injustice　of　those　making　the　award。　And　the　same　principle　holds　is　regards　power…　for　this　also　may　be　rightly　or　unrightly　placed…　it　depends　either　upon　the　merit　of　the　dispensers　of　place　or　upon　the　man　himself　who　has　effected　his　purpose　by　the　organization　of　supporters　or　in　many　other　possible　ways。　Marriages；　similarly；　are　brought　about　either　by　choice　or　by　chance　interplay　of　circumstance。　And　births　are　determined　by　marriages：　the　child　is　moulded　true　to　type　when　all　goes　well；　otherwise　it　is　marred　by　some　inner　detriment；　something　due　to　the　mother　personally　or　to　an　environment　unfavourable　to　that　particular　conception。　　　　　15。　According　to　Plato；　lots　and　choice　play　a　part　＇in　the　determination　of　human　conditions＇　before　the　Spindle　of　Necessity　is　turned；　that　once　done；　only　the　Spindle…destiny　is　valid；　it　fixes　the　chosen　conditions　irretrievably　since　the　elected　guardian…spirit　becomes　accessory　to　their　accomplishment。　　　　　But　what　is　the　significance　of　the　Lots？　　　　　By　the　Lots　we　are　to　understand　birth　into　the　conditions　actually　existent　in　the　All　at　the　particular　moment　of　each　entry　into　body；　birth　into　such　and　such　a　physical　frame；　from　such　and　such　parents；　in　this　or　that　place；　and　generally　all　that　in　our　phraseology　is　the　External。　　　　　For　Particulars　and　Universals　alike　it　is　established　that　to　the　first　of　those　known　as　the　Fates；　to　Clotho　the　Spinner；　must　be　due　the　unity　and　as　it　were　interweaving　of　all　that　exists：　Lachesis　presides　over　the　Lots：　to　Atropos　must　necessarily　belong　the　conduct　of　mundane　events。　　　　　Of　men；　some　enter　into　life　as　fragments　of　the　All；　bound　to　that　which　is　external　to　themselves：　they　are　victims　of　a　sort　of　fascination；　and　are　hardly；　or　not　at　all；　themselves：　but　others　mastering　all　this…　straining；　so　to　speak；　by　the　head　towards　the　Higher；　to　what　is　outside　even　the　Soul…　preserve　still　the　nobility　and　the　ancient　privilege　of　the　Soul's　essential　being。　　　　　For　certainly　we　cannot　think　of　the　Soul　as　a　thing　whose　nature　is　just　a　sum　of　impressions　from　outside…　as　if　it；　alone；　of　all　that　exists；　had　no　native　character。　　　　　No：　much　more　than　all　else；　the　Soul；　possessing　the　Idea　which　belongs　to　a　Principle；　must　have　as　its　native　wealth　many　powers　serving　to　the　activities　of　its　Kind。　It　is　an　Essential…Existent　and　with　this　Existence　must　go　desire　and　act　and　the　tendency　towards　some　good。　　　　　While　body　and　soul　stand　one　combined　thing；　there　is　a　joint　nature；　a　definite　entity　having　definite　functions　and　employments；　but　as　soon　as　any　Soul　is　detached；　its　employments　are　kept　apart；　its　very　own：　it　ceases　to　take　the　body's　concerns　to　itself：　it　has　vision　now：　body　and　soul　stand　widely　apart。　　　　　16。　The　question　arises　what　phase　of　the　Soul　enters　into　the　union　for　the　period　of　embodiment　and　what　phase　remains　distinct；　what　is　separable　and　what　necessarily　interlinked；　and　in　general　what　the　Living…Being　is。　　　　　On　all　this　there　has　been　a　conflict　of　teaching：　the　matter　must　be　examined　later　on　from　quite　other　considerations　than　occupy　us　here。　For　the　present　let　us　explain　in　what　sense　we　have　described　the　All　as　the　expressed　idea　of　the　Governing　Soul。　　　　　One　theory　might　be　that　the　Soul　creates　the　particular　entities　in　succession…　man　followed　by　horse　and　other　animals　domestic　or　wild：　fire　and　earth；　though；　first　of　all…　that　it　watches　these　creations　acting　upon　each　other　whether　to　help　or　to　harm；　observes；　and　no　more；　the　tangled　web　formed　of　all　these　strands；　and　their　unfailing　sequences；　and　that　it　makes　no　concern　of　the　result　beyond　securing　the　reproduction　of　the　primal　living…beings；　leaving　them　for　the　rest　to　act　upon　each　other　according　to　their　definite　natures。　　　　　Another　view　makes　the　soul　answerable　for　all　that　thus　comes　about；　since　its　first　creations　have　set　up　the　entire　enchainment。　　　　　No　doubt　the　Reason…Principle　＇conveyed　by　the　Soul＇　covers　all　the　action　and　experience　of　this　realm：　nothing　happens；　even　here；　by　any　form　of　haphazard；　all　follows　a　necessary　order。　　　　　Is　everything；　then；　to　be　attributed　to　the　act　of　the　Reason…Principles？　　　　　To　their　existence；　no　doubt；　but　not　to　their　effective　action；　they　exist　and　they　know；　or　better；　the　Soul；　which　contains　the　engendering　Reason…Principle；　knows　the　results　of　all　it　has　brought　to　pass。　For　whensoever　similar　factors　meet　and　act　in　relation　to　each　other；　similar　consequences　must　inevitably　ensue：　the　Soul　adopting　or　foreplanning　the　given　conditions　accomplishes　the　due　outcome　and　links　all　into　a　total。　　　　　All；　then；　is　antecedent　and　resultant；　each　sequent　becoming　in　turn　an　antecedent　once　it　has　taken　its　place　among　things。　And　perhaps　this　is　a　cause　of　progressive　deterioration：　men；　for　instance；　are　not　as　they　were　of　old；　by　dint　of　interval　and　of　the　inevitable　law；　the　Reason…Principles　have　ceded　something　to　the　characteristics　of　the　Matter。　　　　　But：　　　　　The　Soul　watches　the　ceaselessly　changing　universe　and　follows　all　the　fate　of　all　its　works：　this　is　its　life；　and　it　knows　no　respite　from　this　care；　but　is　ever　labouring　to　bring　about　perfection；　planning　to　lead　all　to　an　unending　state　of　excellence…　like　a　farmer；　first　sowing　and　planting　and　then　constantly　setting　to　rights　where　rainstorms　and　long　frosts　and　high　gales　have　played　havoc。　　　　　If　such　a　conception　of　Soul　be　rejected　as　untenable；　we　are　obliged　to　think　that　the　Reason…Principles　themselves　foreknew　or　even　contained　the　ruin　and　all　the　consequences　of　flaw。　　　　　But　then　we　would　be　imputing　the　creation　of　evil　to　the　Reason…Principles；　though　the　arts　and　their　guiding　principle　do　not　include　blundering；　do　not　cover　the　inartistic；　the　destruction　of　the　work　of　art。　　　　　And　here　it　will　be　objected　that　in　All　there　is　nothing　contrary　to　nature；　nothing　evil。　　　　　Still；　by　the　side　of　the　better　there　exists　also　what　is　less　good。　　　　　Well；　perhaps　even　the　less　good　has　its　contributory　value　in　the　All。　Perhaps　there　is　no　need　that　everything　be　good。　Contraries　may　co…operate；　and　without　opposites　there　could　be　no　ordered　Universe：　all　living　beings　of　the　partial　realm　include　contraries。　The　better　elements　are　compelled　into　existence　and　moulded　to　their　function　by　the　Reason…Principle　directly；　the　less　good　are　potentially　present　in　the　Reason…Principles；　actually　present　in　the　phenomena　themselves；　the　Soul's　power　had　reached　its　limit；　and　failed　to　bring　the　Reason…Principles　into　complete　actuality　since；　amid　the　clash　of　these　antecedent　Principles；　Matter　had　already　from　its　own　stock　produced　the　less　good。　　　　　Yet；　with　all　this；　Matter　is　continuously　overruled　towards　the　better；　so　that　out　of　the　total　of　things…　modified　by　Soul　on　the　one　hand　and　by　Matter　on　the　other　hand；　and　on　neither　hand　as　sound　as　in　the　Reason…Principles…　there　is；　in　the　end；　a　Unity。　　　　　17。　But　these　Reason…Principles；　contained　in　the　Soul；　are　they　Thoughts？　　　　　And　if　so；　by　what　process　does　the　Soul　create　in　accordance　with　these　Thoughts？　　　　　It　is　upon　Matter　that　this　act　of　the　Reason　is　exercised；　and　what　acts　physically　is　not　an　intellectual　operation　or　a　vision；　but　a　power　modifying　matter；　not　conscious　of　it　but　merely　acting　upon　it：　the　Reason…Principle；　in　other　words；　acts　much　like　a　force　producing　a　figure　or　pattern　upon　water…　that　of　a　circle；　suppose；　where　the　formation　of　the　ring　is　conditioned　by　something　distinct　from　that　force　itself。　　　　　If　this　is　so；　the　prior　puissance　of　the　Soul　＇that　which　conveys　the　Reason…Principles＇　must　act　by　manipulating　the　other　Soul；　that　which　is　united　with　Matter　and　has　the　generative　function。　　　　　But　is　this　handling　the　result　of　calculation？　　　　　Calculation　implies　reference。　Reference；　then；　to　something　outside　or　to　something　contained　within　itself？　If　to　its　own　content；　there　is　no　need　of　reasoning；　which　could　not　itself　perform　the　act　of　creation；　creation　is　the　operation　of　that　phase　of　the　Soul　which　contains　Ideal…Principles；　for　that　is　its　stronger　puissance；　its　creative　part。　　　　　It　creates；　then；　on　the　model　of　the　Ideas；　for；　what　it　has　received　from　the　Intellectual…Principle　it　must　pass　on　in　turn。　　　　　In　sum；　then；　the　Intellectual…Principle　gives　from　itself　to　the　Soul　of　the　All　which　follows　immediately　upon　it：　this　again　gives　forth　from　itself　to　its　next；　illuminated　and　imprinted　by　it；　and　that　secondary　Soul　at　once　begins　to　create；　as　under　order；　unhindered　in　some　of　its　creations；　striving　in　others　against　the　repugnance　of　Matter。　　　　　It　has　a　creative　power；　derived；　it　is　stored　with　Reason…Principles　not　the　very　originals：　therefore　it　creates；　but　not　in　full　accordance　with　the　Principles　from　which　it　has　been　endowed：　something　enters　from　itself；　and；　plainly；　this　is　inferior。　The　issue　then　is　something　living；　yes；　but　imperfect；　hindering　its　own　life；　something　very　poor　and　reluctant　and　crude；　formed　in　a　Matter　that　is　the　fallen　sediment　of　the　Higher　Order；　bitter　and　embittering。　This　is　the　Soul's　contribution　to　the　All。　　　　　18。　Are　the　evils　in　the　Universe　necessary　because　it　is　of　later　origin　than　the　Higher　Sphere？　　　　　Perhaps　rather　because　without　evil　the　All　would　be　incomplete。　For　most　or　even　all　forms　of　evil　serve　the　Universe…　much　as　the　poisonous　snake　has　its　use…　though　in　most　cases　their　function　is　unknown。　Vice　itself　has　many　useful　sides：　it　brings　about　much　that　is　beautiful；　in　artistic　creations　for　example；　and　it　stirs　us　to　thoughtful　living；　not　allowing　us　to　drowse　in　security。　　　　　If　all　this　is　so；　then　＇the　secret　of　creation　is　that＇　the　Soul　of　the　All　abides　in　contemplation　of　the　Highest　and　Best；　ceaselessly　striving　towards　the　Intelligible　Kind　and　towards　God：　but；　thus　absorbing　and　filled　full；　it　overflows…　so　to　speak…　and　the　image　it　gives　forth；　its　last　utterance　towards　the　lower；　will　be　the　creative　puissance。　　　　　This　ultimate　phase；　then；　is　the　Maker；　secondary　to　t