the six enneads-第84节
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mplation of the Supreme。 When we seize anything in the direct intellectual act there is room for nothing else than to know and to contemplate the object； and in the knowing there is not included any previous knowledge； all such assertion of stage and progress belongs to the lower and is a sign of the altered； this means that； once purely in the Intellectual； no one of us can have any memory of our experience here。 Further； if all intellection is timeless… as appears from the fact that the Intellectual beings are of eternity not of time… there can be no memory in the intellectual world； not merely none of earthly things but none whatever： all is presence There； for nothing passes away； there is no change from old to new。 This； however； does not alter the fact that distinction exists in that realm… downwards from the Supreme to the Ideas； upward from the Ideas to the Universal and to the Supreme。 Admitting that the Highest； as a self…contained unity； has no outgoing effect； that does not prevent the soul which has attained to the Supreme from exerting its own characteristic Act： it certainly may have the intuition； not by stages and parts； of that Being which is without stage and part。 But that would be in the nature of grasping a pure unity？ No： in the nature of grasping all the intellectual facts of a many that constitutes a unity。 For since the object of vision has variety ＇distinction within its essential oneness＇ the intuition must be multiple and the intuitions various； just as in a face we see at the one glance eyes and nose and all the rest。 But is not this impossible when the object to be thus divided and treated as a thing of grades； is a pure unity？ No： there has already been discrimination within the Intellectual…Principle； the Act of the soul is little more than a reading of this。 First and last is in the Ideas not a matter of time； and so does not bring time into the soul's intuition of earlier and later among them。 There is a grading by order as well： the ordered disposition of some growing thing begins with root and reaches to topmost point； but； to one seeing the plant as a whole； there is no other first and last than simply that of the order。 Still； the soul ＇in this intuition within the divine＇ looks to what is a unity； next it entertains multiplicity； all that is： how explain this grasping first of the unity and later of the rest？ The explanation is that the unity of this power ＇the Supreme＇ is such as to allow of its being multiple to another principle ＇the soul＇； to which it is all things and therefore does not present itself as one indivisible object of intuition： its activities do not ＇like its essence＇ fall under the rule of unity； they are for ever multiple in virtue of that abiding power； and in their outgoing they actually become all things。 For with the Intellectual or Supreme… considered as distinct from the One… there is already the power of harbouring that Principle of Multiplicity； the source of things not previously existent in its superior。 2。 Enough on that point： we come now to the question of memory of the personality？ There will not even be memory of the personality； no thought that the contemplator is the self… Socrates； for example… or that it is Intellect or Soul。 In this connection it should be borne in mind that； in contemplative vision； especially when it is vivid； we are not at the time aware of our own personality； we are in possession of ourselves but the activity is towards the object of vision with which the thinker becomes identified； he has made himself over as matter to be shaped； he takes ideal form under the action of the vision while remaining； potentially； himself。 This means that he is actively himself when he has intellection of nothing。 Or； if he is himself ＇pure and simple＇； he is empty of all： if； on the contrary； he is himself ＇by the self…possession of contemplation＇ in such a way as to be identified with what is all； then by the act of self…intellection he has the simultaneous intellection of all： in such a case self…intuition by personal activity brings the intellection； not merely of the self； but also of the total therein embraced； and similarly the intuition of the total of things brings that of the personal self as included among all。 But such a process would appear to introduce into the Intellectual that element of change against which we ourselves have only now been protesting？ The answer is that； while unchangeable identity is essential to the Intellectual…Principle； the soul； lying so to speak on the borders of the Intellectual Realm； is amenable to change； it has； for example； its inward advance； and obviously anything that attains position near to something motionless does so by a change directed towards that unchanging goal and is not itself motionless in the same degree。 Nor is it really change to turn from the self to the constituents of self or from those constituents to the self； and in this case the contemplator is the total； the duality has become unity。 None the less the soul； even in the Intellectual Realm； is under the dispensation of a variety confronting it and a content of its own？ No： once pure in the Intellectual； it too possesses that same unchangeableness： for it possesses identity of essence； when it is in that region it must of necessity enter into oneness with the Intellectual…Principle by the sheer fact of its self…orientation； for by that intention all interval disappears； the soul advances and is taken into unison； and in that association becomes one with the Intellectual…Principle… but not to its own destruction： the two are one； and two。 In such a state there is no question of stage and change： the soul； without motion ＇but by right of its essential being＇ would be intent upon its intellectual act； and in possession； simultaneously； of its self…awareness； for it has become one simultaneous existence with the Supreme。 3。 But it leaves that conjunction； it cannot suffer that unity； it falls in love with its own powers and possessions； and desires to stand apart； it leans outward so to speak： then； it appears to acquire a memory of itself。 In this self…memory a distinction is to be made； the memory dealing with the Intellectual Realm upbears the soul； not to fall； the memory of things here bears it downwards to this universe； the intermediate memory dealing with the heavenly sphere holds it there too； and； in all its memory； the thing it has in mind it is and grows to； for this bearing…in…mind must be either intuition ＇i。e。； knowledge with identity＇ or representation by image： and the imaging in the case of the is not a taking in of something but is vision and condition… so much so； that； in its very sense… sight； it is the lower in the degree in which it penetrates the object。 Since its possession of the total of things is not primal but secondary； it does not become all things perfectly ＇in becoming identical with the All in the Intellectual＇； it is of the boundary order； situated between two regions； and has tendency to both。 4。 In that realm it has also vision； through the Intellectual…Principle； of The Good which does not so hold to itself as not to reach the soul； what intervenes between them is not body and therefore is no hindrance… and； indeed； where bodily forms do intervene there is still access in many ways from the primal to the tertiaries。 If； on the contrary； the soul gives itself to the inferior； the same principle of penetration comes into play； and it possesses itself； by memory and imagination； of the thing it desired： and hence the memory； even dealing with the highest； is not the highest。 Memory； of course； must be understood not merely of what might be called the sense of remembrance； but so as to include a condition induced by the past experience or vision。 There is such a thing as possessing more powerfully without consciousness than in full knowledge； with full awareness the possession is of something quite distinct from the self； unconscious possession runs very close to identity； and any such approach to identification with the lower means the deeper fall of the soul。 If the soul； on abandoning its place in the Supreme； revives its memories of the lower； it must have in some form possessed them even there though the activity of the beings in that realm kept them in abeyance： they could not be in the nature of impressions permanently adopted… a notion which would entail absurdities… but were no more than a potentiality realized after return。 When that energy of the Intellectual world ceases to tell upon the soul； it sees what it saw in the earlier state before it revisited the Supreme。 5。 But this power which determines memory is it also the principle by which the Supreme becomes effective in us？ At any time when we have not been in direct vision of that sphere； memory is the source of its activity within us； when we have possessed that vision； its presence is due to the principle by which we enjoyed it： this principle awakens where it wakens； and it alone has vision in that order； for this is no matter to be brought to us by way of analogy； or by the syllogistic reasoning whose grounds lie elsewhere； the power which； even h
