the six enneads-第77节

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nct　orientation　by　which　each　is；　or　tends　to　become；　what　it　looks　upon。　The　very　fulfillment　and　perfectionment　attainable　by　souls　cannot　but　be　different。　　　　　But；　if　in　the　total　the　organization　in　which　they　have　their　being　is　compact　of　variety…　as　it　must　be　since　every　Reason…Principle　is　a　unity　of　multiplicity　and　variety；　and　may　be　thought　of　as　a　psychic　animated　organism　having　many　shapes　at　its　command…　if　this　is　so　and　all　constitutes　a　system　in　which　being　is　not　cut　adrift　from　being；　if　there　is　nothing　chance…　borne　among　beings　as　there　is　none　even　in　bodily　organisms；　then　it　follows　that　Number　must　enter　into　the　scheme；　for；　once　again；　Being　must　be　stable；　the　members　of　the　Intellectual　must　possess　identity；　each　numerically　one；　this　is　the　condition　of　individuality。　Where；　as　in　bodily　masses；　the　Idea　is　not　essentially　native；　and　the　individuality　is　therefore　in　flux；　existence　under　ideal　form　can　rise　only　out　of　imitation　of　the　Authentic　Existences；　these　last；　on　the　contrary；　not　rising　out　of　any　such　conjunction　＇as　the　duality　of　Idea　and　dead　Matter＇　have　their　being　in　that　which　is　numerically　one；　that　which　was　from　the　beginning；　and　neither　becomes　what　it　has　not　been　nor　can　cease　to　be　what　it　is。　　　　　Even　supposing　Real…Beings　＇such　as　soul＇　to　be　produced　by　some　other　principle；　they　are　certainly　not　made　from　Matter；　or；　if　they　were；　the　creating　principle　must　infuse　into　them；　from　within　itself；　something　of　the　nature　of　Real…Being；　but；　at　this；　it　would　itself　suffer　change；　as　it　created　more　or　less。　And；　after　all；　why　should　it　thus　produce　at　any　given　moment　rather　than　remain　for　ever　stationary？　　　　　Moreover　the　produced　total；　variable　from　more　to　less；　could　not　be　an　eternal：　yet　the　soul；　it　stands　agreed；　is　eternal。　　　　　But　what　becomes　of　the　soul's　infinity　if　it　is　thus　fixed？　　　　　The　infinity　is　a　matter　of　power：　there　is　question；　not　of　the　soul's　being　divisible　into　an　infinite　number　of　parts；　but　of　an　infinite　possible　effectiveness：　it　is　infinity　in　the　sense　in　which　the　Supreme　God；　also；　is　free　of　all　bound。　　　　　This　means　that　it　is　no　external　limit　that　defines　the　individual　being　or　the　extension　of　souls　any　more　than　of　God；　on　the　contrary　each　in　right　of　its　own　power　is　all　that　it　chooses　to　be：　and　we　are　not　to　think　of　it　as　going　forth　from　itself　＇losing　its　unity　by　any　partition＇：　the　fact　is　simply　that　the　element　within　it；　which　is　apt　to　entrance　into　body；　has　the　power　of　immediate　projection　any　whither：　the　soul　is　certainly　not　wrenched　asunder　by　its　presence　at　once　in　foot　and　in　finger。　Its　presence　in　the　All　is　similarly　unbroken；　over　its　entire　range　it　exists　in　every　several　part　of　everything　having　even　vegetal　life；　even　in　a　part　cut　off　from　the　main；　in　any　possible　segment　it　is　as　it　is　at　its　source。　For　the　body　of　the　All　is　a　unit；　and　soul　is　everywhere　present　to　it　as　to　one　thing。　　　　　When　some　animal　rots　and　a　multitude　of　others　spring　from　it；　the　Life…Principle　now　present　is　not　the　particular　soul　that　was　in　the　larger　body；　that　body　has　ceased　to　be　receptive　of　soul；　or　there　would　have　been　no　death；　what　happens　is　that　whatsoever　in　the　product　of　the　decay　is　apt　material　for　animal　existence　of　one　kind　or　another　becomes　ensouled　by　the　fact　that　soul　is　nowhere　lacking；　though　a　recipient　of　soul　may　be。　This　new　ensouling　does　not　mean；　however；　an　increase　in　the　number　of　souls：　all　depend　from　the　one　or；　rather；　all　remains　one：　it　is　as　with　ourselves；　some　elements　are　shed；　others　grow　in　their　place；　the　soul　abandons　the　discarded　and　flows　into　the　newcoming　as　long　as　the　one　soul　of　the　man　holds　its　ground；　in　the　All　the　one　soul　holds　its　ground　for　ever；　its　distinct　contents　now　retain　soul　and　now　reject　it；　but　the　total　of　spiritual　beings　is　unaffected。　　　　　9。　But　we　must　examine　how　soul　comes　to　inhabit　the　body…　the　manner　and　the　process…　a　question　certainly　of　no　minor　interest。　　　　　The　entry　of　soul　into　body　takes　place　under　two　forms。　　　　　Firstly；　there　is　the　entry…　metensomatosis…　of　a　soul　present　in　body　by　change　from　one　＇wholly　material＇　frame　to　another　or　the　entry…　not　known　as　metensomatosis；　since　the　nature　of　the　earlier　habitacle　is　not　certainly　definable…　of　a　soul　leaving　an　aerial　or　fiery　body　for　one　of　earth。　　　　　Secondly；　there　is　the　entry　from　the　wholly　bodiless　into　any　kind　of　body；　this　is　the　earliest　form　of　any　dealing　between　body　and　soul；　and　this　entry　especially　demands　investigation。　　　　　What　then　can　be　thought　to　have　happened　when　soul；　utterly　clean　from　body；　first　comes　into　commerce　with　the　bodily　nature？　　　　　It　is　reasonable；　necessary　even；　to　begin　with　the　Soul　of　the　All。　Notice　that　if　we　are　to　explain　and　to　be　clear；　we　are　obliged　to　use　such　words　as　〃entry〃　and　〃ensoulment；〃　though　never　was　this　All　unensouled；　never　did　body　subsist　with　soul　away；　never　was　there　Matter　unelaborate；　we　separate；　the　better　to　understand；　there　is　nothing　illegitimate　in　the　verbal　and　mental　sundering　of　things　which　must　in　fact　be　co…existent。　　　　　The　true　doctrine　may　be　stated　as　follows：　　　　　In　the　absence　of　body；　soul　could　not　have　gone　forth；　since　there　is　no　other　place　to　which　its　nature　would　allow　it　to　descend。　Since　go　forth　it　must；　it　will　generate　a　place　for　itself；　at　once　body；　also；　exists。　　　　　While　the　Soul　＇as　an　eternal；　a　Divine　Being＇　is　at　rest…　in　rest　firmly　based　on　Repose；　the　Absolute…　yet；　as　we　may　put　it；　that　huge　illumination　of　the　Supreme　pouring　outwards　comes　at　last　to　the　extreme　bourne　of　its　light　and　dwindles　to　darkness；　this　darkness；　now　lying　there　beneath；　the　soul　sees　and　by　seeing　brings　to　shape；　for　in　the　law　of　things　this　ultimate　depth；　neighbouring　with　soul；　may　not　go　void　of　whatsoever　degree　of　that　Reason…Principle　it　can　absorb；　the　dimmed　reason　of　reality　at　its　faintest。　　　　　Imagine　that　a　stately　and　varied　mansion　has　been　built；　it　has　never　been　abandoned　by　its　Architect；　who；　yet；　is　not　tied　down　to　it；　he　has　judged　it　worthy　in　all　its　length　and　breadth　of　all　the　care　that　can　serve　to　its　Being…　as　far　as　it　can　share　in　Being…　or　to　its　beauty；　but　a　care　without　burden　to　its　director；　who　never　descends；　but　presides　over　it　from　above：　this　gives　the　degree　in　which　the　kosmos　is　ensouled；　not　by　a　soul　belonging　to　it；　but　by　one　present　to　it；　it　is　mastered　not　master；　not　possessor　but　possessed。　The　soul　bears　it　up；　and　it　lies　within；　no　fragment　of　it　unsharing。　　　　　The　kosmos　is　like　a　net　which　takes　all　its　life；　as　far　as　ever　it　stretches；　from　being　wet　in　the　water；　and　has　no　act　of　its　own；　the　sea　rolls　away　and　the　net　with　it；　precisely　to　the　full　of　its　scope；　for　no　mesh　of　it　can　strain　beyond　its　set　place：　the　soul　is　of　so　far…reaching　a　nature…　a　thing　unbounded…　as　to　embrace　the　entire　body　of　the　All　in　the　one　extension；　so　far　as　the　universe　extends；　there　soul　is；　and　if　the　universe　had　no　existence；　the　extent　of　soul　would　be　the　same；　it　is　eternally　what　it　is。　The　universe　spreads　as　broad　as　the　presence　of　soul；　the　bound　of　its　expansion　is　the　point　at　which；　in　its　downward　egression　from　the　Supreme；　it　still　has　soul　to　bind　it　in　one：　it　is　a　shadow　as　broad　as　the　Reason…Principle　proceeding　from　soul；　and　that　Reason…Principle　is　of　scope　to　generate　a　kosmic　bulk　as　vast　as　lay　in　the　purposes　of　the　Idea　＇the　Divine　forming　power＇　which　it　conveys。　　　　　10。　In　view　of　all　this　we　must　now　work　back　from　the　items　to　the　unit；　and　consider　the　entire　scheme　as　one　enduring　thing。　　　　　We　ascend　from　air；　light；　sun…　or；　moon　and　light　and　sun…　in　detail；　to　these　things　as　constituting　a　total…　though　a　total　of　degrees；　primary；　secondary；　tertiary。　Thence　we　come　to　the　＇kosmic＇　Soul；　always　the　one　undiscriminated　entity。　At　this　point　in　our　survey　we　have　before　us　the　over…world　and　all　that　follows　upon　it。　That　suite　＇the　lower　and　material　world＇　we　take　to　be　the　very　last　effect　that　has　penetrated　to　its　furthest　reach。　　　　　Our　knowledge　of　the　first　is　gained　from　the　ultimate　of　all；　from　the　very　shadow　cast　by　the　fire；　because　this　ultimate　＇the　material　world＇　itself　receives　its　share　of　the　general　light；　something　of　the　nature　of　the　Forming…Idea　hovering　over　the　outcast　that　at　first　lay　in　blank　obscurity。　It　is　brought　under　the　scheme　of　reason　by　the　efficacy　of　soul　whose　entire　extension　latently　holds　this　rationalizing　power。　As　we　know；　the　Reason…Principles　carried　in　animal　seed　fashion　and　shape　living　beings　into　so　many　universes　in　the　small。　For　whatsoever　touches　soul　is　moulded　to　the　nature　of　soul's　own　Real…Being。　　　　　We　are　not　to　think　that　the　Soul　acts　upon　the　object　by　conformity　to　any　external　judgement；　there　is　no　pause　for　willing　or　planning：　any　such　procedure　would　not　be　an　act　of　sheer　nature；　but　one　of　applied　art：　but　art　is　of　later　origin　than　soul；　it　is　an　imitator；　producing　dim　and　feeble　copies…　toys；　things　of　no　great　worth…　and　it　is　dependent　upon　all　sorts　of　mechanism　by　which　alone　its　images　can　be　produced。　The　soul；　on　the　contrary；　is　sovereign　over　material　things　by　m