the six enneads-第24节

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h　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　us；　the　total　man　is　to　be　something　better　than　a　body　ensouled…　the　bodily　element　dominant　with　a　trace　of　Soul　running　through　it　and　a　resultant　life…course　mainly　of　the　body…　for　in　such　a　combination　all　is；　in　fact；　bodily。　There　is　another　life；　emancipated；　whose　quality　is　progression　towards　the　higher　realm；　towards　the　good　and　divine；　towards　that　Principle　which　no　one　possesses　except　by　deliberate　usage　but　so　may　appropriate；　becoming；　each　personally；　the　higher；　the　beautiful；　the　Godlike；　and　living；　remote；　in　and　by　It…　unless　one　choose　to　go　bereaved　of　that　higher　Soul　and　therefore；　to　live　fate…bound；　no　longer　profiting；　merely；　by　the　significance　of　the　sidereal　system　but　becoming　as　it　were　a　part　sunken　in　it　and　dragged　along　with　the　whole　thus　adopted。　　　　　For　every　human　Being　is　of　twofold　character；　there　is　that　compromise…total　and　there　is　the　Authentic　Man：　and　it　is　so　with　the　Kosmos　as　a　whole；　it　is　in　the　one　phase　a　conjunction　of　body　with　a　certain　form　of　the　Soul　bound　up　in　body；　in　the　other　phase　it　is　the　Universal　Soul；　that　which　is　not　itself　embodied　but　flashes　down　its　rays　into　the　embodied　Soul：　and　the　same　twofold　quality　belongs　to　the　Sun　and　the　other　members　of　the　heavenly　system。　　　　　To　the　remoter　Soul；　the　pure；　sun　and　stars　communicate　no　baseness。　In　their　efficacy　upon　the　＇material＇　All；　they　act　as　parts　of　it；　as　ensouled　bodies　within　it；　and　they　act　only　upon　what　is　partial；　body　is　the　agent　while；　at　the　same　time；　it　becomes　the　vehicle　through　which　is　transmitted　something　of　the　star's　will　and　of　that　authentic　Soul　in　it　which　is　steadfastly　in　contemplation　of　the　Highest。　　　　　But　＇with　every　allowance　to　the　lower　forces＇　all　follows　either　upon　that　Highest　or　rather　upon　the　Beings　about　It…　we　may　think　of　the　Divine　as　a　fire　whose　outgoing　warmth　pervades　the　Universe…　or　upon　whatsoever　is　transmitted　by　the　one　Soul　＇the　divine　first　Soul＇　to　the　other；　its　Kin　＇the　Soul　of　any　particular　being＇。　All　that　is　graceless　is　admixture。　For　the　Universe　is　in　truth　a　thing　of　blend；　and　if　we　separate　from　it　that　separable　Soul；　the　residue　is　little。　The　All　is　a　God　when　the　divine　Soul　is　counted　in　with　it；　〃the　rest；〃　we　read；　〃is　a　mighty　spirit　and　its　ways　are　subdivine。〃　　　　　10。　If　all　this　be　true；　we　must　at　once　admit　signification；　though；　neither　singly　nor　collectively；　can　we　ascribe　to　the　stars　any　efficacy　except　in　what　concerns　the　＇material＇　All　and　in　what　is　of　their　own　function。　　　　　We　must　admit　that　the　Soul　before　entering　into　birth　presents　itself　bearing　with　it　something　of　its　own；　for　it　could　never　touch　body　except　under　stress　of　a　powerful　inner　impulse；　we　must　admit　some　element　of　chance　around　it　from　its　very　entry；　since　the　moment　and　conditions　are　determined　by　the　kosmic　circuit：　and　we　must　admit　some　effective　power　in　that　circuit　itself；　it　is　co…operative；　and　completes　of　its　own　act　the　task　that　belongs　to　the　All　of　which　everything　in　the　circuit　takes　the　rank　and　function　of　a　part。　　　　　11。　And　we　must　remember　that　what　comes　from　the　supernals　does　not　enter　into　the　recipients　as　it　left　the　source；　fire；　for　instance；　will　be　duller；　the　loving　instinct　will　degenerate　and　issue　in　ugly　forms　of　the　passion；　the　vital　energy　in　a　subject　not　so　balanced　as　to　display　the　mean　of　manly　courage；　will　come　out　as　either　ferocity　or　faint…heartedness；　and　ambition。。。　in　love。。。；　and　the　instinct　towards　good　sets　up　the　pursuit　of　semblant　beauty；　intellectual　power　at　its　lowest　produces　the　extreme　of　wickedness；　for　wickedness　is　a　miscalculating　effort　towards　Intelligence。　　　　　Any　such　quality；　modified　at　best　from　its　supreme　form；　deteriorates　again　within　itself：　things　of　any　kind　that　approach　from　above；　altered　by　merely　leaving　their　source　change　further　still　by　their　blending　with　bodies；　with　Matter；　with　each　other。　　　　　12。　All　that　thus　proceeds　from　the　supernal　combines　into　a　unity　and　every　existing　entity　takes　something　from　this　blended　infusion　so　that　the　result　is　the　thing　itself　plus　some　quality。　The　effluence　does　not　make　the　horse　but　adds　something　to　it；　for　horse　comes　by　horse；　and　man　by　man：　the　sun　plays　its　part　no　doubt　in　the　shaping；　but　the　man　has　his　origin　in　the　Human…Principle。　Outer　things　have　their　effect；　sometimes　to　hurt　and　sometimes　to　help；　like　a　father；　they　often　contribute　to　good　but　sometimes　also　to　harm；　but　they　do　not　wrench　the　human　being　from　the　foundations　of　its　nature；　though　sometimes　Matter　is　the　dominant；　and　the　human　principle　takes　the　second　place　so　that　there　is　a　failure　to　achieve　perfection；　the　Ideal　has　been　attenuated。　　　　　13。　Of　phenomena　of　this　sphere　some　derive　from　the　Kosmic　Circuit　and　some　not：　we　must　take　them　singly　and　mark　them　off；　assigning　to　each　its　origin。　　　　　The　gist　of　the　whole　matter　lies　in　the　consideration　that　Soul　governs　this　All　by　the　plan　contained　in　the　Reason…Principle　and　plays　in　the　All　exactly　the　part　of　the　particular　principle　which　in　every　living…thing　forms　the　members　of　the　organism　and　adjusts　them　to　the　unity　of　which　they　are　portions；　the　entire　force　of　the　Soul　is　represented　in　the　All；　but；　in　the　parts；　Soul　is　present　only　in　proportion　to　the　degree　of　essential　reality　held　by　each　of　such　partial　objects。　Surrounding　every　separate　entity　there　are　other　entities；　whose　approach　will　sometimes　be　hostile　and　sometimes　helpful　to　the　purpose　of　its　nature；　but　to　the　All　taken　in　its　length　and　breadth　each　and　every　separate　existent　is　an　adjusted　part；　holding　its　own　characteristic　and　yet　contributing　by　its　own　native　tendency　to　the　entire　life…history　of　the　Universe。　　　　　The　soulless　parts　of　the　All　are　merely　instruments；　all　their　action　is　effected；　so　to　speak；　under　a　compulsion　from　outside　themselves。　　　　　The　ensouled　fall　into　two　classes。　The　one　kind　has　a　motion　of　its　own；　but　haphazard　like　that　of　horses　between　the　shafts　but　before　their　driver　sets　the　course；　they　are　set　right　by　the　wh