the six enneads-第61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！


ts　own　Nature；　be　a　Measure　of　Movement：　primarily　a　Kind　to　itself；　it　will　incidentally　exhibit　the　magnitudes　of　that　movement。　　　　　And　the　reiterated　observation　of　Movement…　the　same　extent　found　to　be　traversed　in　such　and　such　a　period…　will　lead　to　the　conception　of　a　definite　quantity　of　Time　past。　　　　　This　brings　us　to　the　fact　that；　in　a　certain　sense；　the　Movement；　the　orbit　of　the　universe；　may　legitimately　be　said　to　measure　Time…　in　so　far　as　that　is　possible　at　all…　since　any　definite　stretch　of　that　circuit　occupies　a　certain　quantity　of　Time；　and　this　is　the　only　grasp　we　have　of　Time；　our　only　understanding　of　it：　what　that　circuit　measures…　by　indication；　that　is…　will　be　Time；　manifested　by　the　Movement　but　not　brought　into　being　by　it。　　　　　This　means　that　the　measure　of　the　Spheric　Movement　has　itself　been　measured　by　a　definite　stretch　of　that　Movement　and　therefore　is　something　different；　as　measure；　it　is　one　thing　and；　as　the　measured；　it　is　another；　＇its　being　measure　or＇　its　being　measured　cannot　be　of　its　essence。　　　　　We　are　no　nearer　knowledge　than　if　we　said　that　the　foot…rule　measures　Magnitude　while　we　left　the　concept　Magnitude　undefined；　or；　again；　we　might　as　well　define　Movement…　whose　limitlessness　puts　it　out　of　our　reach…　as　the　thing　measured　by　Space；　the　definition　would　be　parallel　since　we　can　mark　off　a　certain　space　which　the　Movement　has　traversed　and　say　the　one　is　equivalent　to　the　other。　　　　　13。　The　Spheral　Circuit；　then；　performed　in　Time；　indicates　it：　but　when　we　come　to　Time　itself　there　is　no　question　of　its　being　〃within〃　something　else：　it　must　be　primary；　a　thing　〃within　itself。〃　It　is　that　in　which　all　the　rest　happens；　in　which　all　movement　and　rest　exist　smoothly　and　under　order；　something　following　a　definite　order　is　necessary　to　exhibit　it　and　to　make　it　a　subject　of　knowledge…　though　not　to　produce　it…　it　is　known　by　order　whether　in　rest　or　in　motion；　in　motion　especially；　for　Movement　better　moves　Time　into　our　ken　than　rest　can；　and　it　is　easier　to　estimate　distance　traversed　than　repose　maintained。　　　　This　last　fact　has　led　to　Time　being　called　a　measure　of　Movement　when　it　should　have　been　described　as　something　measured　by　Movement　and　then　defined　in　its　essential　nature；　it　is　an　error　to　define　it　by　a　mere　accidental　concomitant　and　so　to　reverse　the　actual　order　of　things。　Possibly；　however；　this　reversal　was　not　intended　by　the　authors　of　the　explanation：　but；　at　any　rate；　we　do　not　understand　them；　they　plainly　apply　the　term　Measure　to　what　is　in　reality　the　measured　and　leave　us　unable　to　grasp　their　meaning：　our　perplexity　may　be　due　to　the　fact　that　their　writings…　addressed　to　disciples　acquainted　with　their　teaching…　do　not　explain　what　this　thing；　measure；　or　measured　object；　is　in　itself。　　　　　Plato　does　not　make　the　essence　of　Time　consist　in　its　being　either　a　measure　or　a　thing　measured　by　something　else。　　　　　Upon　the　point　of　the　means　by　which　it　is　known；　he　remarks　that　the　Circuit　advances　an　infinitesimal　distance　for　every　infinitesimal　segment　of　Time　so　that　from　that　observation　it　is　possible　to　estimate　what　the　Time　is；　how　much　it　amounts　to：　but　when　his　purpose　is　to　explain　its　essential　nature　he　tells　us　that　it　sprang　into　Being　simultaneously　with　the　Heavenly　system；　a　reproduction　of　Eternity；　its　image　in　motion；　Time　necessarily　unresting　as　the　Life　with　which　it　must　keep　pace：　and　〃coeval　with　the　Heavens〃　because　it　is　this　same　Life　＇of　the　Divine　Soul＇　which　brings　the　Heavens　also　into　being；　Time　and　the　Heavens　are　the　work　of　the　one　Life。　　　　　Suppose　that　Life；　then；　to　revert…　an　impossibility…　to　perfect　unity：　Time；　whose　existence　is　in　that　Life；　and　the　Heavens；　no　longer　maintained　by　that　Life；　would　end　at　once。　　　　　It　is　the　height　of　absurdity　to　fasten　on　the　succession　of　earlier　and　later　occurring　in　the　life　and　movement　of　this　sphere　of　ours；　to　declare　that　it　must　be　some　definite　thing　and　to　call　it　Time；　while　denying　the　reality　of　the　more　truly　existent　Movement；　that　of　the　Soul；　which　has　also　its　earlier　and　later：　it　cannot　be　reasonable　to　recognize　succession　in　the　case　of　the　Soulless　Movement…　and　so　to　associate　Time　with　that…　while　ignoring　succession　and　the　reality　of　Time　in　the　Movement　from　which　the　other　takes　its　imitative　existence；　to　ignore；　that　is；　the　very　Movement　in　which　succession　first　appears；　a　self…actuated　movement　which；　engendering　its　own　every　operation；　is　the　source　of　all　that　follows　upon　itself；　to　all　which；　it　is　the　cause　of　existence；　at　once；　and　of　every　consequent。　　　　　But：…　we　treat　the　Kosmic　Movement　as　overarched　by　that　of　the　Soul　and　bring　it　under　Time；　yet　we　do　not　set　under　Time　that　Soul…Movement　itself　with　all　its　endless　progression：　what　is　our　explanation　of　this　paradox？　　　　　Simply；　that　the　Soul…Movement　has　for　its　Prior　Eternity　which　knows　neither　its　progression　nor　its　extension。　The　descent　towards　Time　begins　with　this　Soul…Movement；　it　made　Time　and　harbours　Time　as　a　concomitant　to　its　Act。　　　　　And　this　is　how　Time　is　omnipresent：　that　Soul　is　absent　from　no　fragment　of　the　Kosmos　just　as　our　Soul　is　absent　from　no　particle　of　ourselves。　As　for　those　who　pronounce　Time　a　thing　of　no　substantial　existence；　of　no　reality；　they　clearly　belie　God　Himself　whenever　they　say　〃He　was〃　or　〃He　will　be〃：　for　the　existence　indicated　by　the　〃was　and　will　be〃　can　have　only　such　reality　as　belongs　to　that　in　which　it　is　said　to　be　situated：…　but　this　school　demands　another　type　of　argument。　　　　　Meanwhile　we　have　a　supplementary　observation　to　make。　　　　　Take　a　man　walking　and　observe　the　advance　he　has　made；　that　advance　gives　you　the　quantity　of　movement　he　is　employing：　and　when　you　know　that　quantity…　represented　by　the　ground　traversed　by　his　feet；　for；　of　course；　we　are　supposing　the　bodily　movement　to　correspond　with　the　pace　he　has　set　within　himself…　you　know　also　the　movement　that　exists　in　the　man　himself　before　the　feet　move。　　　　　You　must　relate　the　body；　carried　forward　during　a　given　period　of　Time；　to　a　certain　quantity　of　Movement　causing　the　progress　and　to　the　Time　it　takes；　and　that　again　to　the　Movement；　equal　in　extension；　within　the　man's　soul。　　　　　But　the　Movement　within　the　Soul…　to　what　are　you　to　（relate）　refer　that？　　　　　Let　your　choice　fall　where　it　may；　from　this　point　there　is　nothing　but　the　unextended：　and　this　is　the　primarily　existent；　the　container　to　all　else；　having　itself　no　container；　brooking　none。　　　　　And；　as　with　Man's　Soul；　so　with　the　Soul　of　the　All。　　　　　〃Is　Time；　then；　within　ourselves　as　well？〃　　　　　Time　in　every　Soul　of　the　order　of　the　All…Soul；　present　in　like　form　in　all；　for　all　the　Souls　are　the　one　Soul。　　　　　And　this　is　why　Time　can　never　be　broken　apart；　any　more　than　Eternity　which；　similarly；　under　diverse　manifestations；　has　its　Being　as　an　integral　constituent　of　all　the　eternal　Existences。　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　EIGHTH　TRACTATE。

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　NATURE　CONTEMPLATION　AND　THE　ONE。

　　　　1。　Supposing　we　played　a　little　before　entering　upon　our　serious　concern　and　maintained　that　all　things　are　striving　after　Contemplation；　looking　to　Vision　as　their　one　end…　and　this；　not　merely　beings　endowed　with　reason　but　even　the　unreasoning　animals；　the　Principle　that　rules　in　growing　things；　and　the　Earth　that　produces　these…　and　that　all　achieve　their　purpose　in　the　measure　possible　to　their　kind；　each　attaining　Vision　and　possessing　itself　of　the　End　in　its　own　way　and　degree；　some　things　in　entire　reality；　others　in　mimicry　and　in　image…　we　would　scarcely　find　anyone　to　endure　so　strange　a　thesis。　But　in　a　discussion　entirely　among　ourselves　there　is　no　risk　in　a　light　handling　of　our　own　ideas。　　　　　Well…　in　the　play　of　this　very　moment　am　I　engaged　in　the　act　of　Contemplation？　　　　　Yes；　I　and　all　that　enter　this　play　are　in　Contemplation：　our　play　aims　at　Vision；　and　there　is　every　reason　to　believe　that　child　or　man；　in　sport　or　earnest；　is　playing　or　working　only　towards　Vision；　that　every　act　is　an　effort　towards　Vision；　the　compulsory　act；　which　tends　rather　to　bring　the　Vision　down　to　outward　things；　and　the　act　thought　of　as　voluntary；　less　concerned　with　the　outer；　originate　alike　in　the　effort　towards　Vision。　　　　　The　case　of　Man　will　be　treated　later　on；　let　us　speak；　first；　of　the　earth　and　of　the　trees　and　vegetation　in　general；　asking　ourselves　what　is　the　nature　of　Contemplation　in　them；　how　we　relate　to　any　Contemplative　activity　the　labour　and　productiveness　of　the　earth；　how　Nature；　held　to　be　devoid　of　reason　and　even　of　conscious　representation；　can　either　harbour　Contemplation　or　produce　by　means　of　the　Contemplation　which　it　does　not　possess。　　　　　2。　There　is；　obviously；　no　question　here　of　hands　or　feet；　of　any　implement　borrowed　or　inherent：　Nature　needs　simply　the　Matter　which　it　is　to　work　upon　and　bring　under　Form；　its　productivity　cannot　depend　upon　mechanical　operation。　What　driving　or　hoisting　goes　to　produce　all　that　variety　of　colour　and　pattern？　　　　　The　wax…workers；　whose　methods　have　been　cited　as　parallel　to　the　creative　act　of　Nature；　are　unable　to　make　colours；　all　they　can　do　to　impose　upon　their　handicraft　colours　taken　from　elsewhere。　None　the　less　there　is　a　parallel　which　demands　attention：　in　the　case　of　workers　in　such　arts　there　must　be　something　locked　within　themselves；　an　efficacy　not　going　out　from　them　and　yet　guiding　their　hands　in　all　their　creation；　and　this　observation　should　have　indicated　a　similar　phenomenon　in　Nature；　it　should　be　clear　that　this　indwelling　efficacy；　which　makes　without　hands；　must　exist　in　Nature；　no　less　than　in　the　craftsman…　but；　there；　as　a　thing　completely　inbound。　Nature　need　possess　no　outgoing　force　as　against　that　remaining　within；　the　only　moved　thing　is　Matter；　there　can　be　no　moved　phase　in　this　Nature…Principle；　any　such　moved　phase　could　not　be　the　primal　mover；　this　Nature…Principle　is　no　such　moved　entity；　it　is　the　unmoved　Principle　operating　in　the　Kosmos。　　　　　We　may　be　answered　that　the　Reason…Principle　is；　no　doubt；　unmoved；　but　that　the　Nature…Principle；　another　being；　operates　by　motion。　　　　　But；　if　Nature　entire　is　in　question　here；　it　is　identical　with　the　Reason…Principle；　and　any　part　o