the six enneads-第39节

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！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


w　whence　came　that　Darkness？　　　　　If　they　tell　us　that　the　Soul　created　the　Darkness　by　its　Decline；　then；　obviously；　there　was　nowhere　for　the　Soul　to　decline　to；　the　cause　of　the　decline　was　not　the　Darkness　but　the　very　nature　of　the　Soul。　The　theory；　therefore；　refers　the　entire　process　to　pre…existing　compulsions：　the　guilt　inheres　in　the　Primal　Beings。　　　　　13。　Those；　then；　that　censure　the　constitution　of　the　Kosmos　do　not　understand　what　they　are　doing　or　where　this　audacity　leads　them。　They　do　not　understand　that　there　is　a　successive　order　of　Primals；　Secondaries；　Tertiaries　and　so　on　continuously　to　the　Ultimates；　that　nothing　is　to　be　blamed　for　being　inferior　to　the　First；　that　we　can　but　accept；　meekly；　the　constitution　of　the　total；　and　make　our　best　way　towards　the　Primals；　withdrawing　from　the　tragic　spectacle；　as　they　see　it；　of　the　Kosmic　spheres…　which　in　reality　are　all　suave　graciousness。　　　　　And　what；　after　all；　is　there　so　terrible　in　these　Spheres　with　which　it　is　sought　to　frighten　people　unaccustomed　to　thinking；　never　trained　in　an　instructive　and　coherent　gnosis？　　　　　Even　the　fact　that　their　material　frame　is　of　fire　does　not　make　them　dreadful；　their　Movements　are　in　keeping　with　the　All　and　with　the　Earth：　but　what　we　must　consider　in　them　is　the　Soul；　that　on　which　these　people　base　their　own　title　to　honour。　　　　　And；　yet；　again；　their　material　frames　are　pre…eminent　in　vastness　and　beauty；　as　they　cooperate　in　act　and　in　influence　with　the　entire　order　of　Nature；　and　can　never　cease　to　exist　as　long　as　the　Primals　stand；　they　enter　into　the　completion　of　the　All　of　which　they　are　major　Parts。　　　　　If　men　rank　highly　among　other　living　Beings；　much　more　do　these；　whose　office　in　the　All　is　not　to　play　the　tyrant　but　to　serve　towards　beauty　and　order。　The　action　attributed　to　them　must　be　understood　as　a　foretelling　of　coming　events；　while　the　causing　of　all　the　variety　is　due；　in　part　to　diverse　destinies…　for　there　cannot　be　one　lot　for　the　entire　body　of　men…　in　part　to　the　birth　moment；　in　part　to　wide　divergencies　of　place；　in　part　to　states　of　the　Souls。　　　　　Once　more；　we　have　no　right　to　ask　that　all　men　shall　be　good；　or　to　rush　into　censure　because　such　universal　virtue　is　not　possible：　this　would　be　repeating　the　error　of　confusing　our　sphere　with　the　Supreme　and　treating　evil　as　a　nearly　negligible　failure　in　wisdom…　as　good　lessened　and　dwindling　continuously；　a　continuous　fading　out；　it　would　be　like　calling　the　Nature…Principle　evil　because　it　is　not　Sense…Perception　and　the　thing　of　sense　evil　for　not　being　a　Reason…Principle。　If　evil　is　no　more　than　that；　we　will　be　obliged　to　admit　evil　in　the　Supreme　also；　for　there；　too；　Soul　is　less　exalted　than　the　Intellectual…Principle；　and　That　too　has　its　Superior。　　　　　14。　In　yet　another　way　they　infringe　still　more　gravely　upon　the　inviolability　of　the　Supreme。　　　　　In　the　sacred　formulas　they　inscribe；　purporting　to　address　the　Supernal　Beings…　not　merely　the　Soul　but　even　the　Transcendents…　they　are　simply　uttering　spells　and　appeasements　and　evocations　in　the　idea　that　these　Powers　will　obey　a　call　and　be　led　about　by　a　word　from　any　of　us　who　is　in　some　degree　trained　to　use　the　appropriate　forms　in　the　appropriate　way…　certain　melodies；　certain　sounds；　specially　directed　breathings；　sibilant　cries；　and　all　else　to　which　is　ascribed　magic　potency　upon　the　Supreme。　Perhaps　they　would　repudiate　any　such　intention：　still　they　must　explain　how　these　things　act　upon　the　unembodied：　they　do　not　see　that　the　power　they　attribute　to　their　own　words　is　so　much　taken　away　from　the　majesty　of　the　divine。　　　　　They　tell　us　they　can　free　themselves　of　diseases。　　　　　If　they　meant；　by　temperate　living　and　an　appropriate　regime；　they　would　be　right　and　in　accordance　with　all　sound　knowledge。　But　they　assert　diseases　to　be　Spirit…Beings　and　boast　of　being　able　to　expel　them　by　formula：　this　pretension　may　enhance　their　importance　with　the　crowd；　gaping　upon　the　powers　of　magicians；　but　they　can　never　persuade　the　intelligent　that　disease　arises　otherwise　than　from　such　causes　as　overstrain；　excess；　deficiency；　putrid　decay；　in　a　word；　some　variation　whether　from　within　or　from　without。　　　　　The　nature　of　illness　is　indicated　by　its　very　cure。　A　motion；　a　medicine；　the　letting　of　blood；　and　the　disease　shifts　down　and　away；　sometimes　scantiness　of　nourishment　restores　the　system：　presumably　the　Spiritual　power　gets　hungry　or　is　debilitated　by　the　purge。　Either　this　Spirit　makes　a　hasty　exit　or　it　remains　within。　If　it　stays；　how　does　the　disease　disappear；　with　the　cause　still　present？　If　it　quits　the　place；　what　has　driven　it　out？　Has　anything　happened　to　it？　Are　we　to　suppose　it　throve　on　the　disease？　In　that　case　the　disease　existed　as　something　distinct　from　the　Spirit…Power。　Then　again；　if　it　steps　in　where　no　cause　of　sickness　exists；　why　should　there　be　anything　else　but　illness？　If　there　must　be　such　a　cause；　the　Spirit　is　unnecessary：　that　cause　is　sufficient　to　produce　that　fever。　As　for　the　notion；　that　just　when　the　cause　presents　itself；　the　watchful　Spirit　leaps　to　incorporate　itself　with　it；　this　is　simply　amusing。　　　　　But　the　manner　and　motive　of　their　teaching　have　been　sufficiently　exhibited；　and　this　was　the　main　purpose　of　the　discussion　here　upon　their　Spirit…Powers。　I　leave　it　to　yourselves　to　read　the　books　and　examine　the　rest　of　the　doctrine：　you　will　note　all　through　how　our　form　of　philosophy　inculcates　simplicity　of　character　and　honest　thinking　in　addition　to　all　other　good　qualities；　how　it　cultivates　reverence　and　not　arrogant　self…assertion；　how　its　boldness　is　balanced　by　reason；　by　careful　proof；　by　cautious　progression；　by　the　utmost　circumspection…　and　you　will　compare　those　other　systems　to　one　proceeding　by　this　method。　You　will　find　that　the　tenets　of　their　school　have　been　huddled　together　under　a　very　different　plan：　they　do　not　deserve　any　further　examination　here。　　　　　15。　There　is；　however；　one　matter　which　we　must　on　no　account　overlook…　the　effect　of　these　teachings　upon　the　hearers　led　by　them　into　despising　the　world　and　all　that　is　in　it。　　　　　There　are　two　theories　as　to　the　attainment　of　the　End　of　life。　The　one　proposes　pleasure；　bodily　pleasure；　as　the　term；　the　other　pronounces　for　good　and　virtue；　the　desire　of　which　comes　from　God　and　moves；　by　ways　to　be　studied　elsewhere；　towards　God。　　　　　Epicurus　denies　a　Providence　and　recommends　pleasure　and　its　enjoyment；　all　that　is　left　to　us：　but　the　doctrine　under　discussion　is　still　more　wanton；　it　carps　at　Providence　and　the　Lord　of　Providence；　it　scorns　every　law　known　to　us；　immemorial　virtue　and　all　restraint　it　makes　into　a　laughing　stock；　lest　any　loveliness　be　seen　on　earth；　it　cuts　at　the　root　of　all　orderly　living；　and　of　the　righteousness　which；　innate　in　the　moral　sense；　is　made　perfect　by　thought　and　by　self…discipline：　all　that　would　give　us　a　noble　human　being　is　gone。　What　is　left　for　them　except　where　the　pupil　by　his　own　character　betters　the　teaching…　comes　to　pleasure；　self…seeking；　the　grudge　of　any　share　with　one's　fellows；　the　pursuit　of　advantage。　　　　　Their　error　is　that　they　know　nothing　good　here：　all　they　care　for　is　something　else　to　which　they　will　at　some　future　time　apply　themselves：　yet；　this　world；　to　those　that　have　known　it　once；　must　be　the　starting…point　of　the　pursuit：　arrived　here　from　out　of　the　divine　nature；　they　must　inaugurate　their　effort　by　some　earthly　correction。　The　understanding　of　beauty　is　not　given　except　to　a　nature　scorning　the　delight　of　the　body；　and　those　that　have　no　part　in　well…doing　can　make　no　step　towards　the　Supernal。　　　　　This　school；　in　fact；　is　convicted　by　its　neglect　of　all　mention　of　virtue：　any　discussion　of　such　matters　is　missing　utterly：　we　are　not　told　what　virtue　is　or　under　what　different　kinds　it　appears；　there　is　no　word　of　all　the　numerous　and　noble　reflections　upon　it　that　have　come　down　to　us　from　the　ancients；　we　do　not　learn　what　constitutes　it　or　how　it　is　acquired；　how　the　Soul　is　tended；　how　it　is　cleaned。　For　to　say　〃Look　to　God〃　is　not　helpful　without　some　instruction　as　to　what　this　looking　imports：　it　might　very　well　be　said　that　one　can　〃look〃　and　still　sacrifice　no　pleasure；　still　be　the　slave　of　impulse；　repeating　the　word　God　but　held　in　the　grip　of　every　passion　and　making　no　effort　to　master　any。　Virtue；　advancing　towards　the　Term　and；　linked　with　thought；　occupying　a　Soul　makes　God　manifest：　God　on　the　lips；　without　a　good　conduct　of　life；　is　a　word。　　　　　16。　On　the　other　hand；　to　despise　this　Sphere；　and　the　Gods　within　it　or　anything　else　that　is　lovely；　is　not　the　way　to　goodness。　　　　　Every　evil…doer　began　by　despising　the　Gods；　and　one　not　previously　corrupt；　taking　to　this　contempt；　even　though　in　other　respects　not　wholly　bad；　becomes　an　evil…doer　by　the　very　fact。　　　　　Besides；　in　this　slighting　of　the　Mundane　Gods　and　the　world；　the　honour　they　profess　for　the　gods　of　the　Intellectual　Sphere　becomes　an　inconsistency；　Where　we　love；　our　hearts　are　warm　also　to　the　Kin　of　the　beloved；　we　are　not　indifferent　to　the　children　of　our　friend。　Now　every　Soul　is　a　child　of　that　Father；　but　in　the　heavenly　bodies　there　are　Souls；　intellective；　holy；　much　closer　to　the　Supernal　Bei