the six enneads-第185节
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ts good its being is its choice： much more； then； must the very Principle； The Good； be desirable in itself when any fragment of it is very desirable to the extern and becomes the chosen essence promoting that extern's will and identical with the will that gave the existence？ As long as a thing is apart from its good it seeks outside itself； when it holds its good it itself as it is： and this is no matter of chance； the essence now is not outside of the will； by the good it is determined； by the good it is in self…possession。 If then this Principle is the means of determination to everything else； we see at once that self…possession must belong primally to it； so that； through it； others in their turn may be self…belonging： what we must call its essence comports its will to possess such a manner of being； we can form no idea of it without including in it the will towards itself as it is。 It must be a consistent self willing its being and being what it wills； its will and itself must be one thing； all the more one from the absence of distinction between a given nature and one which would be preferred。 What could The Good have wished to be other than what it is？ Suppose it had the choice of being what it preferred； power to alter the nature； it could not prefer to be something else； it could have no fault to find with anything in its nature； as if that nature were imposed by force； The Good is what from always it wished and wishes to be。 For the really existent Good is a willing towards itself； towards a good not gained by any wiles or even attracted to it by force of its nature； The Good is what it chose to be and； in fact； there was never anything outside it to which it could be drawn。 It may be added that nothing else contains in its essence the principle of its own satisfaction； there will be inner discord： but this hypostasis of the Good must necessarily have self…option； the will towards the self； if it had not； it could not bring satisfaction to the beings whose contentment demands participation in it or imagination of it。 Once more； we must be patient with language； we are forced to apply to the Supreme terms which strictly are ruled out； everywhere we must read 〃So to speak。〃 The Good； then； exists； it holds its existence through choice and will； conditions of its very being： yet it cannot be a manifold； therefore the will and the essential being must be taken as one identity； the act of the will must be self…determined and the being self…caused； thus reason shows the Supreme to be its own Author。 For if the act of will springs from God Himself and is as it were His operation and the same will is identical with His essence； He must be self…established。 He is not； therefore； 〃what He has happened to be〃 but what He has willed to be。 14。 Another approach： Everything to which existence may be attributed is either one with its essence or distinct from it。 Thus any given man is distinct from essential man though belonging to the order Man： a soul and a soul's essence are the same… that is； in case of soul pure and unmingled… Man as type is the same as man's essence； where the thing； man； and the essence are different； the particular man may be considered as accidental； but man； the essence； cannot be so； the type； Man； has Real Being。 Now if the essence of man is real； not chanced or accidental； how can we think That to be accidental which transcends the order man； author of the type； source of all being； a principle more nearly simplex than man's being or being of any kind？ As we approach the simplex； accident recedes； what is utterly simplex accident never touches at all。 Further we must remember what has been already said； that where there is true being； where things have been brought to reality by that Principle… and this is true of whatsoever has determined condition within the order of sense… all that reality is brought about in virtue of something emanating from the divine。 By things of determined condition I mean such as contain； inbound with their essence； the reason of their being as they are； so that； later； an observer can state the use for each of the constituent parts… why the eye； why feet of such and such a kind to such and such a being… and can recognise that the reason for the production of each organ is inherent in that particular being and that the parts exist for each other。 Why feet of a certain length？ Because another member is as it is： because the face is as it is； therefore the feet are what they are： in a word the mutual determinant is mutual adaptation and the reason of each of the several forms is that such is the plan of man。 Thus the essence and its reason are one and the same。 The constituent parts arise from the one source not because that source has so conceived each separately but because it has produced simultaneously the plan of the thing and its existence。 This therefore is author at once of the existence of things and of their reasons； both produced at the one stroke。 It is in correspondence with the things of process but far more nearly archetypal and authentic and in a closer relation with the Better； their source； than they can be。 Of things carrying their causes within； none arises at hazard or without purpose； this 〃So it happened to be〃 is applicable to none。 All that they have comes from The Good； the Supreme itself； then； as author of reason； of causation； and of causing essence… all certainly lying far outside of chance… must be the Principle and as it were the examplar of things； thus independent of hazard： it is； the First； the Authentic； immune from chance； from blind effect and happening： God is cause of Himself； for Himself and of Himself He is what He is； the first self； transcendently The Self。 15。 Lovable； very love； the Supreme is also self…love in that He is lovely no otherwise than from Himself and in Himself。 Self…presence can hold only in the identity of associated with associating； since； in the Supreme； associated and associating are one； seeker and sought one the sought serving as Hypostasis and substrate of the seeker… once more God's being and his seeking are identical： once more； then； the Supreme is the self…producing； sovereign of Himself； not happening to be as some extern willed but existing as He wills it。 And when we say that neither does He absorb anything nor anything absorb Him； thus again we are setting Him outside of all happening… not only because we declare Him unique and untouched by all but in another way also。 Suppose we found such a nature in ourselves； we are untouched by all that has gathered round us subjecting us to happening and chance； all that accruement was of the servile and lay exposed to chance： by this new state alone we acquire self…disposal and free act； the freedom of that light which belongs to the order of the good and is good in actuality； greater than anything Intellectual…Principle has to give； an actuality whose advantage over Intellection is no adventitious superiority。 When we attain to this state and become This alone； what can we say but that we are more than free； more than self…disposing？ And who then could link us to chance； hazard； happening； when thus we are become veritable Life； entered into That which contains no alloy but is purely itself？ Isolate anything else and the being is inadequate； the Supreme in isolation is still what it was。 The First cannot be in the soulless or in an unreasoning life； such a life is too feeble in being； it is reason dissipated； it is indetermination； only in the measure of approach towards reason is there liberation from happening； the rational is above chance。 Ascending we come upon the Supreme； not as reason but as reason's better： thus God is far removed from all happening： the root of reason is self…springing。 The Supreme is the Term of all； it is like the principle and ground of some vast tree of rational life； itself unchanging； it gives reasoned being to the growth into which it enters。 16。 We maintain； and it is evident truth； that the Supreme is everywhere and yet nowhere； keeping this constantly in mind let us see how it bears on our present enquiry。 If God is nowhere； then not anywhere has He 〃happened to be〃； as also everywhere； He is everywhere in entirety： at once； He is that everywhere and everywise： He is not in the everywhere but is the everywhere as well as the giver to the rest of things of their being in that everywhere。 Holding the supreme place… or rather no holder but Himself the Supreme… all lies subject to Him； they have not brought Him to be but happen； all； to Him… or rather they stand there before Him looking upon Him； not He upon them。 He is borne； so to speak； to the inmost of Himself in love of that pure radiance which He is； He Himself being that which He。 loves。 That is to say； as self…dwelling Act and Intellectual…Principle； the most to be loved； He has given Himself existence。 Intellectual…Principle is the issue of Act： God therefore is issue of Act； but； since no other has generated Him； He is what He made Himself： He is not； therefore； 〃as He happened to be〃 but as He acted Himself into being。 Again； if He preeminently is because He holds firmly； so to speak； towards Himself； looking towards Hims
