the six enneads- 第37部分

ul；　the　Soul　in　the　Supreme；　but　only　to　the　plan　of　the　material　world；　and　if　the　other　elements　sufficed　to　maintain　a　Kosmos；　the　Soul　in　the　Supreme　would　be　unconcerned。　　　　　The　constitution　of　the　All　is　very　different　from　that　of　the　single；　separate　forms　of　life：　there；　the　established　rule　commanding　to　permanence　is　sovereign；　here　things　are　like　deserters　kept　to　their　own　place　and　duty　by　a　double　bond；　there　is　no　outlet　from　the　All；　and　therefore　no　need　of　restraining　or　of　driving　errants　back　to　bounds：　all　remains　where　from　the　beginning　the　Soul's　nature　appointed。　　　　　The　natural　movement　within　the　plan　will　be　injurious　to　anything　whose　natural　tendency　it　opposes：　one　group　will　sweep　bravely　onward　with　the　great　total　to　which　it　is　adapted；　the　others；　not　able　to　comply　with　the　larger　order；　are　destroyed。　A　great　choral　is　moving　to　its　concerted　plan；　midway　in　the　march；　a　tortoise　is　intercepted；　unable　to　get　away　from　the　choral　line　it　is　trampled　under　foot；　but　if　it　could　only　range　itself　within　the　greater　movement　it　too　would　suffer　nothing。　　　　　8。　To　ask　why　the　Soul　has　created　the　Kosmos；　is　to　ask　why　there　is　a　Soul　and　why　a　Creator　creates。　The　question；　also；　implies　a　beginning　in　the　eternal　and；　further；　represents　creation　as　the　act　of　a　changeful　Being　who　turns　from　this　to　that。　　　　　Those　that　so　think　must　be　instructed…　if　they　would　but　bear　with　correction…　in　the　nature　of　the　Supernals；　and　brought　to　desist　from　that　blasphemy　of　majestic　powers　which　comes　so　easily　to　them；　where　all　should　be　reverent　scruple。　　　　　Even　in　the　administration　of　the　Universe　there　is　no　ground　for　such　attack；　for　it　affords　manifest　proof　of　the　greatness　of　the　Intellectual　Kind。　　　　　This　All　that　has　emerged　into　life　is　no　amorphous　structure…　like　those　lesser　forms　within　it　which　are　born　night　and　day　out　of　the　lavishness　of　its　vitality…　the　Universe　is　a　life　organized；　effective；　complex；　all…comprehensive；　displaying　an　unfathomable　wisdom。　How；　then；　can　anyone　deny　that　it　is　a　clear　image；　beautifully　formed；　of　the　Intellectual　Divinities？　No　doubt　it　is　copy；　not　original；　but　that　is　its　very　nature；　it　cannot　be　at　once　symbol　and　reality。　But　to　say　that　it　is　an　inadequate　copy　is　false；　nothing　has　been　left　out　which　a　beautiful　representation　within　the　physical　order　could　include。　　　　　Such　a　reproduction　there　must　necessarily　be…　though　not　by　deliberation　and　contrivance…　for　the　Intellectual　could　not　be　the　last　of　things；　but　must　have　a　double　Act；　one　within　itself　and　one　outgoing；　there　must；　then；　be　something　later　than　the　Divine；　for　only　the　thing　with　which　all　power　ends　fails　to　pass　downwards　something　of　itself。　In　the　Supreme　there　flourishes　a　marvellous　vigour；　and　therefore　it　produces。　　　　　Since　there　is　no　Universe　nobler　than　this；　is　it　not　clear　what　this　must　be？　A　representation　carrying　down　the　features　of　the　Intellectual　Realm　is　necessary；　there　is　no　other　Kosmos　than　this；　therefore　this　is　such　a　representation。　　　　　This　earth　of　ours　is　full　of　varied　life…forms　and　of　immortal　beings；　to　the　very　heavens　it　is　crowded。　And　the　stars；　those　of　the　upper　and　the　under　spheres；　moving　in　their　ordered　path；　fellow…travellers　with　the　universe；　how　can　they　be　less　than　gods？　Surely　they　must　be　morally　good：　what　could　prevent　them？　All　that　occasions　vice　here　below　is　unknown　there　evil　of　body；　perturbed　and　perturbing。　　　　　Knowledge；　too；　in　their　unbroken　peace；　what　hinders　them　from　the　intellectual　grasp　of　the　God…Head　and　the　Intellectual　Gods？　What　can　be　imagined　to　give　us　a　wisdom　higher　than　belongs　to　the　Supernals？　Could　anyone；　not　fallen　to　utter　folly；　bear　with　such　an　idea？　　　　　Admitting　that　human　Souls　have　descended　under　constraint　of　the　All…Soul；　are　we　to　think　the　constrained　the　nobler？　Among　Souls；　what　commands　must　be　higher　than　what　obeys。　And　if　the　coming　was　unconstrained；　why　find　fault　with　a　world　you　have　chosen　and　can　quit　if　you　dislike　it？　　　　　And　further；　if　the　order　of　this　Universe　is　such　that　we　are　able；　within　it；　to　practise　wisdom　and　to　live　our　earthly　course　by　the　Supernal；　does　not　that　prove　it　a　dependency　of　the　Divine？　　　　　9。　Wealth　and　poverty；　and　all　inequalities　of　that　order；　are　made　ground　of　complaint。　But　this　is　to　ignore　that　the　Sage　demands　no　equality　in　such　matters：　he　cannot　think　that　to　own　many　things　is　to　be　richer　or　that　the　powerful　have　the　better　of　the　simple；　he　leaves　all　such　preoccupations　to　another　kind　of　man。　He　has　learned　that　life　on　earth　has　two　distinct　forms；　the　way　of　the　Sage　and　the　way　of　the　mass；　the　Sage　intent　upon　the　sublimest；　upon　the　realm　above；　while　those　of　the　more　strictly　human　type　fall；　again；　under　two　classes；　the　one　reminiscent　of　virtue　and　therefore　not　without　touch　with　good；　the　other　mere　populace；　serving　to　provide　necessaries　to　the　better　sort。　　　　　But　what　of　murder？　What　of　the　feebleness　that　brings　men　under　slavery　to　the　passions？　　　　　Is　it　any　wonder　that　there　should　be　failing　and　error；　not　in　the　highest；　the　intellectual；　Principle　but　in　Souls　that　are　like　undeveloped　children？　And　is　not　life　justified　even　so　if　it　is　a　training　ground　with　its　victors　and　its　vanquished？　　　　　You　are　wronged；　need　that　trouble　an　immortal？　You　are　put　to　death；　you　have　attained　your　desire。　And　from　the　moment　your　citizenship　of　the　world　becomes　irksome　you　are　not　bound　to　it。　　　　　Our　adversaries　do　not　deny　that　even　here　there　is　a　system　of　law　and　penalty：　and　surely　we　cannot　in　justice　blame　a　dominion　which　awards　to　every　one　his　due；　where　virtue　has　its　honour；　and　vice　comes　to　its　fitting　shame；　in　which　there　are　not　merely　representations　of　the　gods；　but　the　gods　themselves；　watchers　from　above；　and…　as　we　read…　easily　rebutting　human　reproaches；　since　they　lead　all　things　in　order　from　a　beginning　to　an　end；　allotting　to　each　human　being；　as　life　follows　life；　a　fortune　shaped　to　all　that　has　preceded…　the　destiny　which；　to　those　that　do　not　penetrate　it；　becomes　the　matter　of　boorish　insolence　upon　things　divine。　　　　　A　man's　one　task　is　to　strive　towards　making　himself　perfect…　though　not　in　the　idea…　really　fatal　to　perfection…　that　to　be　perfect　is　possible　to　himself　alone。　　　　　We　must　recognize　that　other　men　have　attained　the　heights　of　goodness；　we　must　admit　the　goodness　of　the　celestial　spirits；　and　above　all　of　the　gods…　those　whose　presence　is　here　but　their　contemplation　in　the　Supreme；　and　loftiest　of　them；　the　lord　of　this　All；　the　most　blessed　Soul。　Rising　still　higher；　we　hymn　the　divinities　of　the　Intellectual　Sphere；　and；　above　all　these；　the　mighty　King　of　that　dominion；　whose　majesty　is　made　patent　in　the　very　multitude　of　the　gods。　　　　　It　is　not　by　crushing　the　divine　unto　a　unity　but　by　displaying　its　exuberance…　as　the　Supreme　himself　has　displayed　it…　that　we　show　knowledge　of　the　might　of　God；　who；　abidingly　what　He　is；　yet　creates　that　multitude；　all　dependent　on　Him；　existing　by　Him　and　from　Him。　　　　　This　Universe；　too；　exists　by　Him　and　looks　to　Him…　the　Universe　as　a　whole　and　every　God　within　it…　and　tells　of　Him　to　men；　all　alike　revealing　the　plan　and　will　of　the　Supreme。　　　　　These；　in　the　nature　of　things；　cannot　be　what　He　is；　but　that　does　not　justify　you　in　contempt　of　them；　in　pushing　yourself　forward　as　not　inferior　to　them。　　　　　The　more　perfect　the　man；　the　more　compliant　he　is；　even　towards　his　fellows；　we　must　temper　our　importance；　not　thrusting　insolently　beyond　what　our　nature　warrants；　we　must　allow　other　beings；　also；　their　place　in　the　presence　of　the　Godhead；　we　may　not　set　ourselves　alone　next　after　the　First　in　a　dream…flight　which　deprives　us　of　our　power　of　attaining　identity　with　the　Godhead　in　the　measure　possible　to　the　human　Soul；　that　is　to　say；　to　the　point　of　likeness　to　which　the　Intellectual…Principle　leads　us；　to　exalt　ourselves　above　the　Intellectual…Principle　is　to　fall　from　it。　　　　　Yet　imbeciles　are　found　to　accept　such　teaching　at　the　mere　sound　of　the　words　〃You；　yourself；　are　to　be　nobler　than　all　else；　nobler　than　men；　nobler　than　even　gods。〃　Human　audacity　is　very　great：　a　man　once　modest；　restrained　and　simple　hears；　〃You；　yourself；　are　the　child　of　God；　those　men　whom　you　used　to　venerate；　those　beings　whose　worship　they　inherit　from　antiquity；　none　of　these　are　His　children；　you　without　lifting　a　hand　are　nobler　than　the　very　heavens〃；　others　take　up　the　cry：　the　issue　will　be　much　as　if　in　a　crowd　all　equally　ignorant　of　figures；　one　man　were　told　that　he　stands　a　thousand　cubic　feet；　he　will　naturally　accept　his　thousand　cubits　even　though　the　others　present　are　said　to　measure　only　five　cubits；　he　will　merely　tell　himself　that　the　thousand　indicates　a　considerable　figure。　　　　　Another　point：　God　has　care　for　you；　how　then　can　He　be　indifferent　to　the　entire　Universe　in　which　you　exist？　　　　　We　may　be　told　that　He　is　too　much　occupied　to　look　upon　the　Universe；　and　that　it　would　not　be　right　for　Him　to　do　so；　yet；　when　He　looks　down　and　upon　these　people；　is　He　not　looking　outside　Himself　and　upon　the　Universe　in　which　they　exist？　If　He　cannot　look　outside　Himself　so　as　to　survey　the　Ko