the six enneads-第22节

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　　　　　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　its　own　rank　and　place。　　　　　And　why　not　our　very　bodies；　also？　　　　　Because　the　forward　path　is　characteristic　of　body　and　because　all　the　body's　impulses　are　to　other　ends　and　because　what　in　us　is　of　this　circling　nature　is　hampered　in　its　motion　by　the　clay　it　bears　with　it；　while　in　the　higher　realm　everything　flows　on　its　course；　lightly　and　easily；　with　nothing　to　check　it；　once　there　is　any　principle　of　motion　in　it　at　all。　　　　　And　it　may　very　well　be　that　even　in　us　the　Spirit　which　dwells　with　the　Soul　does　thus　circle　about　the　divinity。　For　since　God　is　omnipresent　the　Soul　desiring　perfect　union　must　take　the　circular　course：　God　is　not　stationed。　　　　　Similarly　Plato　attributes　to　the　stars　not　only　the　spheric　movement　belonging　to　the　universe　as　a　whole　but　also　to　each　a　revolution　around　their　common　centre；　each…　not　by　way　of　thought　but　by　links　of　natural　necessity…　has　in　its　own　place　taken　hold　of　God　and　exults。　　　　　3。　The　truth　may　be　resumed　in　this　way：　　　　　There　is　a　lowest　power　of　the　Soul；　a　nearest　to　earth；　and　this　is　interwoven　throughout　the　entire　universe：　another　phase　possesses　sensation；　while　yet　another　includes　the　Reason　which　is　concerned　with　the　objects　of　sensation：　this　higher　phase　holds　itself　to　the　spheres；　poised　towards　the　Above　but　hovering　over　the　lesser　Soul　and　giving　forth　to　it　an　effluence　which　makes　it　more　intensely　vital。　　　　　The　lower　Soul　is　moved　by　the　higher　which；　besides　encircling　and　supporting　it；　actually　resides　in　whatsoever　part　of　it　has　thrust　upwards　and　attained　the　spheres。　The　lower　then；　ringed　round　by　the　higher　and　answering　its　call；　turns　and　tends　towards　it；　and　this　upward　tension　communicates　motion　to　the　material　frame　in　which　it　is　involved：　for　if　a　single　point　in　a　spheric　mass　is　in　any　degree　moved；　without　being　drawn　away　from　the　rest；　it　moves　the　whole；　and　the　sphere　is　set　in　motion。　Something　of　the　same　kind　happens　in　the　case　of　our　bodies：　the　unspatial　movement　of　the　Soul…　in　happiness；　for　instance；　or　at　the　idea　of　some　pleasant　event…　sets　up　a　spatial　movement　in　the　body：　the　Soul；　attaining　in　its　own　region　some　good　which　increases　its　sense　of　life；　moves　towards　what　pleases　it；　and　so；　by　force　of　the　union　established　in　the　order　of　nature；　it　moves　the　body；　in　the　body's　region；　that　is　in　space。　　　　　As　for　that　phase　of　the　Soul　in　which　sensation　is　vested；　it；　too；　takes　its　good　from　the　Supreme　above　itself　and　moves；　rejoicingly；　in　quest　of　it：　and　since　the　object　of　its　desire　is　everywhere；　it　too　ranges　always　through　the　entire　scope　of　the　universe。　　　　　The　Intellectual…Principle　has　no　such　progress　in　any　region；　its　movement　is　a　stationary　act；　for　it　turns　upon　itself。　　　　　And　this　is　why　the　All；　circling　as　it　does；　is　at　the　same　time　at　rest。　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　THIRD　TRACTATE。

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　ARE　THE　STARS　CAUSES？

　　　　1。　That　the　circuit　of　the　stars　indicates　definite　events　to　come　but　without　being　the　cause　direct　of　all　that　happens；　has　been　elsewhere　affirmed；　and　proved　by　some　modicum　of　argument：　but　the　subject　demands　more　precise　and　detailed　investigation　for　to　take　the　one　view　rather　than　the　other　is　of　no　small　moment。　　　　　The　belief　is　that　the　planets　in　their　courses　actually　produce　not　merely　such　conditions　as　poverty；　wealth；　health　and　sickness　but　even　ugliness　and　beauty　and；　gravest　of　all；　vices　and　virtue　and　the　very　acts　that　spring　from　these　qualities；　the　definite　doings　of　each　moment　of　virtue　or　vice。　We　are　to　suppose　the　stars　to　be　annoyed　with　men…　and　upon　matters　in　which　men；　moulded　to　what　they　are　by　the　stars　themselves；　can　surely　do　them　no　wrong。　　　　　They　will　be　distributing　what　pass　for　their　good　gifts；　not　out　of　kindness　towards　the　recipients　but　as　they　themselves　are　affected　pleasantly　or　disagreeably　at　the　various　points　of　their　course；　so　that　they　must　be　supposed　to　change　their　plans　as　they　stand　at　their　zeniths　or　are　declining。　　　　　More　absurdly　still；　some　of　them　are　supposed　to　be　malicious　and　others　to　be　helpful；　and　yet　the　evil　stars　will　bestow　favours　and　the　benevolent　act　harshly：　further；　their　action　alters　as　they　see　each　other　or　not；　so　that；　after　all；　they　possess　no　definite　nature　but　vary　according　to　their　angles　of　aspect；　a　star　is　kindly　when　it　sees　one　of　its　fellows　but　changes　at　sight　of　another：　and　there　is　even　a　distinction　to　be　made　in　the　seeing　as　it　occurs　in　this　figure　or　in　that。　Lastly；　all　acting　together；　the　fused　influence　is　different　again　from　that　of　each　single　star；　just　as　the　blending　of　distinct　fluids　gives　a　mixture　unlike　any　of　them。　　　　　Since　these　opinions　and　others　of　the　same　order　are　prevalent；　it　will　be　well　to　examine　them　carefully　one　by　one；　beginning　with　the　fundamental　question：　　　　　2。　Are　these　planets　to　be　thought　of　as　soulless　or　unsouled？　　　　　Suppose　them；　first；　to　be　without　Soul。　　　　　In　that　case　they　can　purvey　only　heat　or　cold…　if　cold　from　the　stars　can　be　thought　of…　that　is　to　say；　any　communication　from　them　will　affect　only　our　bodily　nature；　since　all　they　have　to　communicate　to　us　is　merely　corporeal。　This　implies　that　no　considerable　change　can　be　caused　in　the　bodies　affected　since　emanations　merely　corporeal　cannot　differ　greatly　from　star　to　star；　and　must；　moreover；　blend　upon　earth　into　one　collective　resultant：　at　most　the　differences　would　be　such　as　depend　upon　local　position；　upon　nearness　or　farness　with　regard　to　the　centre　of　influence。　This　reasoning；　of　course；　is　as　valid　of　any　cold　emanation　there　may　be　as　of　the　warm。　　　　　Now；　what　is　there　in　such　corporeal　action　to　account　for　the　various　classes　and　kinds　of　men；　learned　and　illiterate；　scholars　as　against　orators；　musicians　as　against　people　of　other　professions？　Can　a　power　merely　physical　make　rich　or　poor？　Can　it　bring　about　such　conditions　as　in　no　sense　depend　upon　the　interaction　of　corporeal　elements？　Could　it；　for　example；　bring　a　man　such　and　such　a　brother；　father；　son；　or　wife；　give　him　a　stroke　of　good　fortune　at　a　particular　moment；　or　make　him　generalissimo　or　king？　　　　　Next；　suppose　the　stars　to　have　life　and　mind　and　to　be　effective　by　deliberate　purpose。　　　　　In　that　case；　what　have　they　suffered　from　us　that　they　should；　in　free　will；　do　us　hurt；　they　who　are　established　in　a　divine　place；　themselves　divine？　There　is　nothing　in　their　nature　of　what　makes　men　base；　nor　can　our　weal　or　woe　bring　them　the　slightest　good　or　ill。　　　　　3。　Possibly；　however；　they　act　not　by　choice　but　under　stress　of　their　several　positions　and　collective　figures？　　　　　But　if　position　and　figure　determined　their　action　each　several　one　would　necessarily　cause　identical　effects　with　every　other　on　entering　any　given　place　or　pattern。　　　　　And　that　raises　the　question　what　effect　for　good　or　bad　can　be　produced　upon　any　one　of　them　by　its　transit　in　the　parallel　of　this　or　that　section　of　the　Zodiac　circle…　for　they　are　not　in　the　Zodiacal　figure　itself　but　considerably　beneath　it　especially　since；　whatever　point　they　touch；　they　are　always　in　the　heavens。　　　　　It　is　absurd　to　think　that　the　particular　grouping　under　which　a　star　passes　can　modify　either　its　character　or　its　earthward　influences。　And　can　we　imagine　it　altered　by　its　own　progression　as　it　rises；　stands　at　centre；　declines？　Exultant　when　at　centre；　dejected　or　enfeebled　in　declension；　some　raging　as　they　rise　and　growing　benignant　as　they　set；　while　declension　brings　out　the　best　in　one　among　them；　surely　this　cannot　be？　　　　　We　must　not　forget　that　invariably　every　star；　considered　in　itself；　is　at　centre　with　regard　to　some　one　given　group　and　in　decline　with　regard　to　another　and　vice　versa；　and；　very　certainly；　it　is　not　at　once　happy　and　sad；　angry　and　kindly。　There　is　no　reasonable　escape　in　representing　some　of　them　as　glad　in　their　setting；　others　in　their　rising：　they　would　still　be　grieving　and　glad　at　one　and　the　same　time。　　　　　Further；　why　should　any　distress　of　theirs　work　harm　to　us？　　　　　No：　we　cannot　think　of　them　as　grieving　at　all　or　as　being　cheerful　up