the six enneads-第116章

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her；　even　in　its　unlikeness；　it　still　comes　to　likeness　in　this　sphere；　too；　by　virtue　of　action　and　production；　in　its　action　it　still　contemplates；　and　its　production　produces　Ideal…forms…　divine　intellections　perfectly　wrought　out…　so　that　all　its　creations　are　representations　of　the　divine　Intellection　and　of　the　divine　Intellect；　moulded　upon　the　archetype；　of　which　all　are　emanations　and　images；　the　nearer　more　true；　the　very　latest　preserving　some　faint　likeness　of　the　source。　　　　　8。　Now　comes　the　question　what　sort　of　thing　does　the　Intellectual…Principle　see　in　seeing　the　Intellectual　Realm　and　what　in　seeing　itself？　　　　　We　are　not　to　look　for　an　Intellectual　realm　reminding　us　of　the　colour　or　shape　to　be　seen　on　material　objects：　the　intellectual　antedates　all　such　things；　and　even　in　our　sphere　the　production　is　very　different　from　the　Reason…Principle　in　the　seeds　from　which　it　is　produced。　The　seed　principles　are　invisible　and　the　beings　of　the　Intellectual　still　more　characteristically　so；　the　Intellectuals　are　of　one　same　nature　with　the　Intellectual　Realm　which　contains　them；　just　as　the　Reason…Principle　in　the　seed　is　identical　with　the　soul；　or　life…principle；　containing　it。　　　　　But　the　Soul　（considered　as　apart　from　the　Intellectual…Principle）　has　no　vision　of　what　it　thus　contains；　for　it　is　not　the　producer　but；　like　the　Reason…Principles　also；　an　image　of　its　source：　that　source　is　the　brilliant；　the　authentic；　the　primarily　existent；　the　thing　self…sprung　and　self…intent；　but　its　image；　soul；　is　a　thing　which　can　have　no　permanence　except　by　attachment；　by　living　in　that　other；　the　very　nature　of　an　image　is　that；　as　a　secondary；　it　shall　have　its　being　in　something　else；　if　at　all　it　exist　apart　from　its　original。　Hence　this　image　（soul）　has　not　vision；　for　it　has　not　the　necessary　light；　and；　if　it　should　see；　then；　as　finding　its　completion　elsewhere；　it　sees　another；　not　itself。　　　　　In　the　pure　Intellectual　there　is　nothing　of　this：　the　vision　and　the　envisioned　are　a　unity；　the　seen　is　as　the　seeing　and　seeing　as　seen。　　　　　What；　then；　is　there　that　can　pronounce　upon　the　nature　of　this　all…unity？　　　　　That　which　sees：　and　to　see　is　the　function　of　the　Intellectual…Principle。　Even　in　our　own　sphere　＇we　have　a　parallel　to　this　self…vision　of　a　unity＇；　our　vision　is　light　or　rather　becomes　one　with　light；　and　it　sees　light　for　it　sees　colours。　In　the　intellectual；　the　vision　sees　not　through　some　medium　but　by　and　through　itself　alone；　for　its　object　is　not　external：　by　one　light　it　sees　another　not　through　any　intermediate　agency；　a　light　sees　a　light；　that　is　to　say　a　thing　sees　itself。　This　light　shining　within　the　soul　enlightens　it；　that　is；　it　makes　the　soul　intellective；　working　it　into　likeness　with　itself；　the　light　above。　　　　　Think　of　the　traces　of　this　light　upon　the　soul；　then　say　to　yourself　that　such；　and　more　beautiful　and　broader　and　more　radiant；　is　the　light　itself；　thus　you　will　approach　to　the　nature　of　the　Intellectual…Principle　and　the　Intellectual　Realm；　for　it　is　this　light；　itself　lit　from　above；　which　gives　the　soul　its　brighter　life。　　　　　It　is　not　the　source　of　the　generative　life　of　the　soul　which；　on　the　contrary；　it　draws　inward；　preserving　it　from　such　diffusion；　holding　it　to　the　love　of　the　splendour　of　its　Prior。　　　　　Nor　does　it　give　the　life　of　perception　and　sensation；　for　that　looks　to　the　external　and　to　what　acts　most　vigorously　upon　the　senses　whereas　one　accepting　that　light　of　truth　may　be　said　no　longer　to　see　the　visible；　but　the　very　contrary。　　　　　This　means　in　sum　that　the　life　the　soul　takes　thence　is　an　intellective　life；　a　trace　of　the　life　in　the　＇divine＇　Intellect；　in　which　alone　the　authentic　exists。　　　　　The　life　in　the　Divine　Intellect　is　also　an　Act：　it　is　the　primal　light　outlamping　to　itself　primarily；　its　own　torch；　light…giver　and　lit　at　once；　the　authentic　intellectual　object；　knowing　at　once　and　known；　seen　to　itself　and　needing　no　other　than　itself　to　see　by；　self…sufficing　to　the　vision；　since　what　it　sees　it　is；　known　to　us　by　that　very　same　light；　our　knowledge　of　it　attained　through　itself；　for　from　nowhere　else　could　we　find　the　means　of　telling　of　it。　By　its　nature；　its　self…vision　is　the　clearer　but；　using　it　as　our　medium；　we　too　may　come　to　see　by　it。　　　　　In　the　strength　of　such　considerations　we　lead　up　our　own　soul　to　the　Divine；　so　that　it　poses　itself　as　an　image　of　that　Being；　its　life　becoming　an　imprint　and　a　likeness　of　the　Highest；　its　every　act　of　thought　making　it　over　into　the　Divine　and　the　Intellectual。　　　　　If　the　soul　is　questioned　as　to　the　nature　of　that　Intellectual…Principle…　the　perfect　and　all…embracing；　the　primal　self…knower…　it　has　but　to　enter　into　that　Principle；　or　to　sink　all　its　activity　into　that；　and　at　once　it　shows　itself　to　be　in　effective　possession　of　those　priors　whose　memory　it　never　lost：　thus；　as　an　image　of　the　Intellectual…Principle；　it　can　make　itself　the　medium　by　which　to　attain　some　vision　of　it；　it　draws　upon　that　within　itself　which　is　most　closely　resemblant；　as　far　as　resemblance　is　possible　between　divine　Intellect　and　any　phase　of　soul。　　　　　9。　In　order；　then；　to　know　what　the　Divine　Mind　is；　we　must　observe　soul　and　especially　its　most　God…like　phase。　　　　　One　certain　way　to　this　knowledge　is　to　separate　first；　the　man　from　the　body…　yourself；　that　is；　from　your　body…　next　to　put　aside　that　soul　which　moulded　the　body；　and；　very　earnestly；　the　system　of　sense　with　desires　and　impulses　and　every　such　futility；　all　setting　definitely　towards　the　mortal：　what　is　left　is　the　phase　of　the　soul　which　we　have　declared　to　be　an　image　of　the　Divine　Intellect；　retaining　some　light　from　that　sun；　while　it　pours　downward　upon　the　sphere　of　magnitudes　＇that　is；　of　Matter＇　the　light　playing　about　itself　which　is　generated　from　its　own　nature。　　　　　Of　course　we　do　not　pretend　that　the　sun's　light　＇as　the　analogy　might　imply＇　remains　a　self…gathered　and　sun…centred　thing：　it　is　at　once　outrushing　and　indwelling；　it　strikes　outward　continuously；　lap　after　lap；　until　it　reaches　us　upon　our　earth：　we　must　take　it　that　all　the　light；　including　that　which　plays　about　the　sun's　orb；　has　travelled；　otherwise　we　would　have　a　void　expanse；　that　of　the　space…　which　is　material…　next　to　the　sun's　orb。　The　Soul；　on　the　contrary…　a　light　springing　from　the　Divine　Mind　and　shining　about　it…　is　in　closest　touch　with　that　source；　it　is　not　in　transit　but　remains　centred　there；　and；　in　likeness　to　that　principle；　it　has　no　place：　the　light　of　the　sun　is　actually　in　the　air；　but　the　soul　is　clean　of　all　such　contact　so　that　its　immunity　is　patent　to　itself　and　to　any　other　of　the　same　order。　　　　　And　by　its　own　characteristic　act；　though　not　without　reasoning　process；　it　knows　the　nature　of　the　Intellectual…Principle　which；　on　its　side；　knows　itself　without　need　of　reasoning；　for　it　is　ever　self…present　whereas　we　become　so　by　directing　our　soul　towards　it；　our　life　is　broken　and　there　are　many　lives；　but　that　principle　needs　no　changings　of　life　or　of　things；　the　lives　it　brings　to　being　are　for　others　not　for　itself：　it　cannot　need　the　inferior；　nor　does　it　for　itself　produce　the　less　when　it　possesses　or　is　the　all；　nor　the　images　when　it　possesses　or　is　the　prototype。　　　　　Anyone　not　of　the　strength　to　lay　hold　of　the　first　soul；　that　possessing　pure　intellection；　must　grasp　that　which　has　to　do　with　our　ordinary　thinking　and　thence　ascend：　if　even　this　prove　too　hard；　let　him　turn　to　account　the　sensitive　phase　which　carries　the　ideal　forms　of　the　less　fine　degree；　that　phase　which；　too；　with　its　powers；　is　immaterial　and　lies　just　within　the　realm　of　Ideal…principles。　　　　　One　may　even；　if　it　seem　necessary；　begin　as　low　as　the　reproductive　soul　and　its　very　production　and　thence　make　the　ascent；　mounting　from　those　ultimate　ideal　principles　to　the　ultimates　in　the　higher　sense；　that　is　to　the　primals。　　　　　10。　This　matter　need　not　be　elaborated　at　present：　it　suffices　to　say　that　if　the　created　were　all；　these　ultimates　＇the　higher＇　need　not　exist：　but　the　Supreme　does　include　primals；　the　primals　because　the　producers。　In　other　words；　there　must　be；　with　the　made；　the　making　source；　and；　unless　these　are　to　be　identical；　there　will　be　need　of　some　link　between　them。　Similarly；　this　link　which　is　the　Intellectual…Principle　demands　yet　a　Transcendent。　If　we　are　asked　why　this　Transcendent　also　should　not　have　self…vision；　our　answer　is　that　it　has　no　need　of　vision；　but　this　we　will　discuss　later：　for　the　moment　we　go　back；　since　the　question　at　issue　is　gravely　important。　　　　　We　repeat　that　the　Intellectual…Principle　must　have；　actually　has；　self…vision；　firstly　because　it　has　multiplicity；　next　because　it　exists　for　the　external　and　therefore　must　be　a　seeing　power；　one　seeing　that　external；　in　fact　its　very　essence　is　vision。　Given　some　external；　there　must　be　vision；　and　if　there　be　nothing　external　the　Intellectual…Principle　＇Divine　Mind＇　exists　in　vain。　Unless　there　is　something　beyond　bare　unity；　there　can　be　no　vision：　vision　must　converge　with　a　visible　object。　And　this　which　the　seer　is　to　see　can　be　only　a　multiple；　no　undistinguishable　unity；　nor　could　a　universal　unity　find　anything　upon　which　to　exercise　any　act；