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！
s aptitude and by this draws near： now it is not body merely； but living body。 By this neighboring it is enhanced with some impress of soul… not in the sense of a portion of soul entering into it； but that it is warmed and lit by soul entire： at once there is the ground of desire； pleasure； pain； the body of the living form that has come to be was certainly no unrelated thing。 The soul； sprung from the divine； lay self…enclosed at peace； true to its own quality； but its neighbour； in uproar through weakness； instable of its own nature and beaten upon from without； cries； at first to itself and afterwards upon the living total； spreading the disorder at large。 Thus； at an assembly the Elders may sit in tranquil meditation； but an unruly populace； crying for food and casting up a host of grievances； will bring the whole gathering into ugly turmoil； when this sort of people hold their peace so that a word from a man of sense may reach them； some passable order is restored and the baser part ceases to prevail； otherwise the silence of the better allows the rabble to rule； the distracted assembly unable to take the word from above。 This is the evil of state and of council： and this is the evil of man； man includes an inner rabble… pleasures； desires； fears… and these become masters when the man； the manifold； gives them play。 But one that has reduced his rabble and gone back to the Man he was； lives to that and is that Man again； so that what he allows to the body is allowed as to something separate。 There is the man； too； that lives partly in the one allegiance and partly in the other； he is a blend of the good that is himself with the evil that is alien。 16。 But if that Principle can never fall to evil and we have given a true account of the soul's entry or presence to body； what are we to say of the periodic Descents and Returns； the punishments； the banishment into animal forms？ That teaching we have inherited from those ancient philosophers who have best probed into soul and we must try to show that our own doctrine is accordant with it； or at least not conflicting。 We have seen that the participation of things here in that higher means not that the soul has gone outside of itself to enter the corporeal； but that the corporeal has approached soul and is now participant in it； the coming affirmed by the ancients can be only that approach of the body to the higher by which it partakes of life and of soul； this has nothing to do with local entry but is some form of communion； by the descent and embodiment of current phrasing must be understood not that soul becomes an appanage of body but that it gives out to it something of itself； similarly； the soul's departure is the complete cessation of that communion。 The various rankings of the universe will determine various degrees of the communion； soul； ultimate of the Intellectual； will give forth freely to body as being more nearly of the one power and standing closer； as distance holds in that order。 The soul's evil will be this association； its good the release。 Why？ Because； even unmerged； a soul in any way to be described as attached to this universe is in some degree fallen from the All into a state of partition； essentially belonging to the All； it no longer directs its act Thither： thus； a man's knowledge is one whole； but he may guide himself by no more than some single item of it； where his good would lie in living not by some such fragment but by the total of his knowing。 That One Soul… member of the Intellectual kosmos and there merging what it has of partial into the total… has broken away； so to speak； from the All to the part and to that devotes itself becoming partial with it： thus fire that might consume everything may be set to ply its all…power upon some trifle。 So long as the soul remains utterly unattached it is soul not singled out； when it has accepted separation… not that of place but that of act determining individualities… it is a part； no longer the soul entire； or at least not entire in the first sense； when； on the contrary； it exercises no such outward control it is perfectly the All…Soul； the partial in it latent。 As for the entry into the World of the Shades； if this means into the unseen； that is its release； if into some lower place； there is nothing strange in that； since even here the soul is taken to be where the body is； in place with the body。 But on the dissolution of the body？ So long as the image…soul has not been discarded； clearly the higher will be where that is； if； on the contrary； the higher has been completely emancipated by philosophic discipline； the image…soul may very well go alone to that lower place； the authentic passing uncontaminated into the Intellectual； separated from that image but nonetheless the soul entire。 Let the image…offspring of the individuality… fare as it may； the true soul when it turns its light upon itself； chooses the higher and by that choice blends into the All； neither acting now nor extinct。 But it is time to return to our main theme： FIFTH TRACTATE
ON THE INTEGRAL OMNIPRESENCE OF THE AUTHENTIC EXISTENT （2）。
1。 The integral omnipresence of a unity numerically identical is in fact universally received； for all men instinctively affirm the god in each of us to be one； the same in all。 It would be taken as certain if no one asked How or sought to bring the conviction to the test of reasoning； with this effective in their thought； men would be at rest； finding their stay in that oneness and identity； so that nothing would wrench them from this unity。 This principle； indeed； is the most solidly established of all； proclaimed by our very souls； we do not piece it up item by item； but find it within beforehand； it precedes even the principle by which we affirm unquestionably that all things seek their good； for this universal quest of good depends on the fact that all aim at unity and possess unity and that universally effort is towards unity。 Now this unity in going forth； so far as it may； towards the Other Order must become manifest as multiplicity and in some sense become multiple； but the primal nature and the appetition of the good； which is appetition of unity； lead back to what is authentically one； to this every form of Being is urged in a movement towards its own reality。 For the good to every nature possessing unity is to be self…belonging； to be itself； and that means to be a unity。 In virtue of that unity the Good may be regarded as truly inherent。 Hence the Good is not to be sought outside； it could not have fallen outside of what is； it cannot possibly be found in non…Being； within Being the Good must lie； since it is never a non…Being。 If that Good has Being and is within the realm of Being； then it is present； self…contained； in everything： we； therefore； need not look outside of Being； we are in it； yet that Good is not exclusively ours： therefore all beings are one。 2。 Now the reasoning faculty which undertakes this problem is not a unity but a thing of parts； it brings the bodily nature into the enquiry； borrowing its principles from the corporeal： thus it thinks of the Essential Existence as corporeal and as a thing of parts； it baulks at the unity because it does not start from the appropriate principles。 We； however； must be careful to bring the appropriately convincing principles to the discussion of the Unity； of perfect Being： we must hold to the Intellectual principles which alone apply to the Intellectual Order and to Real Being。 On the one hand there is the unstable； exposed to all sorts of change； distributed in place； not so much Being as Becoming： on the other； there is that which exists eternally； not divided； subject to no change of state； neither coming into being nor falling from it； set in no region or place or support； emerging from nowhere； entering into nothing； fast within itself。 In dealing with that lower order we would reason from its own nature and the characteristics it exhibits； thus； on a plausible foundation； we achieve plausible results by a plausible system of deduction： similarly； in dealing with the Intellectual； the only way is to grasp the nature of the essence concerned and so lay the sure foundations of the argument； not forgetfully straying over into that other order but basing our treatment on what is essential to the Nature with which we deal。 In every entity the essential nature is the governing principle and； as we are told； a sound definition brings to light many even of the concomitants： where the essential nature is the entire being； we must be all the more careful to keep to that； to look to that； to refer all to that。 3。 If this principle is the Authentic Existent and holds unchanging identity； does not go forth from itself； is untouched by any process of becoming or； as we have said； by any situation in place； then it must be always self…gathered； never in separation； not partly here and partly there； not giving forth from itself： any such instability would set it in thing after thing or at least in something other than itself： then it would no longer be self…gathered； nor would it be immune； for anyt