the six enneads- 第64部分

there　be　that　once　was　in　it　and　now　is　gone？　Futurity；　similarly；　is　banned；　nothing　could　be　yet　to　come　to　it。　Thus　no　ground　is　left　for　its　existence　but　that　it　be　what　it　is。　　　　　That　which　neither　has　been　nor　will　be；　but　simply　possesses　being；　that　which　enjoys　stable　existence　as　neither　in　process　of　change　nor　having　ever　changed…　that　is　Eternity。　Thus　we　come　to　the　definition：　the　Life…　instantaneously　entire；　complete；　at　no　point　broken　into　period　or　part…　which　belongs　to　the　Authentic　Existent　by　its　very　existence；　this　is　the　thing　we　were　probing　for…　this　is　Eternity。　　　　　4。　We　must；　however；　avoid　thinking　of　it　as　an　accidental　from　outside　grafted　upon　that　Nature：　it　is　native　to　it；　integral　to　it。　　　　　It　is　discerned　as　present　essentially　in　that　Nature　like　everything　else　that　we　can　predicate　There…　all　immanent；　springing　from　that　Essence　and　inherent　to　that　Essence。　For　whatsoever　has　primal　Being　must　be　immanent　to　the　Firsts　and　be　a　First…Eternity　equally　with　The　Good　that　is　among　them　and　of　them　and　equally　with　the　truth　that　is　among　them。　　　　　In　one　aspect；　no　doubt；　Eternity　resides　in　a　partial　phase　of　the　All…Being；　but　in　another　aspect　it　is　inherent　in　the　All　taken　as　a　totality；　since　that　Authentic　All　is　not　a　thing　patched　up　out　of　external　parts；　but　is　authentically　an　all　because　its　parts　are　engendered　by　itself。　It　is　like　the　truthfulness　in　the　Supreme　which　is　not　an　agreement　with　some　outside　fact　or　being　but　is　inherent　in　each　member　about　which　it　is　the　truth。　To　an　authentic　All　it　is　not　enough　that　it　be　everything　that　exists：　it　must　possess　allness　in　the　full　sense　that　nothing　whatever　is　absent　from　it。　Then　nothing　is　in　store　for　it：　if　anything　were　to　come；　that　thing　must　have　been　lacking　to　it；　and　it　was；　therefore；　not　All。　And　what；　of　a　Nature　contrary　to　its　own；　could　enter　into　it　when　it　is　＇the　Supreme　and　therefore＇　immune？　Since　nothing　can　accrue　to　it；　it　cannot　seek　change　or　be　changed　or　ever　have　made　its　way　into　Being。　　　　　Engendered　things　are　in　continuous　process　of　acquisition；　eliminate　futurity；　therefore；　and　at　once　they　lose　their　being；　if　the　non…engendered　are　made　amenable　to　futurity　they　are　thrown　down　from　the　seat　of　their　existence；　for；　clearly；　existence　is　not　theirs　by　their　nature　if　it　appears　only　as　a　being　about　to　be；　a　becoming；　an　advancing　from　stage　to　stage。　　　　　The　essential　existence　of　generated　things　seems　to　lie　in　their　existing　from　the　time　of　their　generation　to　the　ultimate　of　time　after　which　they　cease　to　be：　but　such　an　existence　is　compact　of　futurity；　and　the　annulment　of　that　futurity　means　the　stopping　of　the　life　and　therefore　of　the　essential　existence。　　　　　Such　a　stoppage　would　be　true；　also；　of　the　＇generated＇　All　in　so　far　as　it　is　a　thing　of　process　and　change：　for　this　reason　it　keeps　hastening　towards　its　future；　dreading　to　rest；　seeking　to　draw　Being　to　itself　by　a　perpetual　variety　of　production　and　action　and　by　its　circling　in　a　sort　of　ambition　after　Essential　Existence。　　　　　And　here　we　have；　incidentally；　lighted　upon　the　cause　of　the　Circuit　of　the　All；　it　is　a　movement　which　seeks　perpetuity　by　way　of　futurity。　　　　　The　Primals；　on　the　contrary；　in　their　state　of　blessedness　have　no　such　aspiration　towards　anything　to　come：　they　are　the　whole；　now；　what　life　may　be　thought　of　as　their　due；　they　possess　entire；　they；　therefore；　seek　nothing；　since　there　is　nothing　future　to　them；　nothing　external　to　them　in　which　any　futurity　could　find　lodgement。　　　　　Thus　the　perfect　and　all…comprehensive　essence　of　the　Authentic　Existent　does　not　consist　merely　in　the　completeness　inherent　in　its　members；　its　essence　includes；　further；　its　established　immunity　from　all　lack　with　the　exclusion；　also；　of　all　that　is　without　Being…　for　not　only　must　all　things　be　contained　in　the　All　and　Whole；　but　it　can　contain　nothing　that　is；　or　was　ever；　non…existent…　and　this　State　and　Nature　of　the　Authentic　Existent　is　Eternity：　in　our　very　word；　Eternity　means　Ever…Being。　　　　　5。　This　Ever…Being　is　realized　when　upon　examination　of　an　object　I　am　able　to　say…　or　rather；　to　know…　that　in　its　very　Nature　it　is　incapable　of　increment　or　change；　anything　that　fails　by　that　test　is　no　Ever…Existent　or；　at　least；　no　Ever…All…Existent。　　　　　But　is　perpetuity　enough　in　itself　to　constitute　an　Eternal？　　　　　No：　the　object　must；　farther；　include　such　a　Nature…Principle　as　to　give　the　assurance　that　the　actual　state　excludes　all　future　change；　so　that　it　is　found　at　every　observation　as　it　always　was。　　　　　Imagine；　then；　the　state　of　a　being　which　cannot　fall　away　from　the　vision　of　this　but　is　for　ever　caught　to　it；　held　by　the　spell　of　its　grandeur；　kept　to　it　by　virtue　of　a　nature　itself　unfailing…　or　even　the　state　of　one　that　must　labour　towards　Eternity　by　directed　effort；　but　then　to　rest　in　it；　immoveable　at　any　point　assimilated　to　it；　co…eternal　with　it；　contemplating　Eternity　and　the　Eternal　by　what　is　Eternal　within　the　self。　　　　　Accepting　this　as　a　true　account　of　an　eternal；　a　perdurable　Existent…　one　which　never　turns　to　any　Kind　outside　itself；　that　possesses　life　complete　once　for　all；　that　has　never　received　any　accession；　that　is　now　receiving　none　and　will　never　receive　any…　we　have；　with　the　statement　of　a　perduring　Being；　the　statement　also　of　perdurance　and　of　Eternity：　perdurance　is　the　corresponding　state　arising　from　the　＇divine＇　substratum　and　inherent　in　it；　Eternity　＇the　Principle　as　distinguished　from　the　property　of　everlastingness＇　is　that　substratum　carrying　that　state　in　manifestation。　　　　　Eternity；　thus；　is　of　the　order　of　the　supremely　great；　it　proves　on　investigation　to　be　identical　with　God：　it　may　fitly　be　described　as　God　made　manifest；　as　God　declaring　what　He　is；　as　existence　without　jolt　or　change；　and　therefore　as　also　the　firmly　living。　　　　　And　it　should　be　no　shock　that　we　find　plurality　in　it；　each　of　the　Beings　of　the　Supreme　is　multiple　by　virtue　of　unlimited　force；　for　to　be　limitless　implies　failing　at　no　point；　and　Eternity　is　pre…eminently　the　limitless　since　（having　no　past　or　future）　it　spends　nothing　of　its　own　substance。　　　　　Thus　a　close　enough　definition　of　Eternity　would　be　that　it　is　a　life　limitless　in　the　full　sense　of　being　all　the　life　there　is　and　a　life　which；　knowing　nothing　of　past　or　future　to　shatter　its　completeness；　possesses　itself　intact　for　ever。　To　the　notion　of　a　Life　（a　Living…Principle）　all…comprehensive　add　that　it　never　spends　itself；　and　we　have　the　statement　of　a　Life　instantaneously　infinite。　　　　　6。　Now　the　Principle　this　stated；　all　good　and　beauty；　and　everlasting；　is　centred　in　The　One；　sprung　from　It；　and　pointed　towards　It；　never　straying　from　It；　but　ever　holding　about　It　and　in　It　and　living　by　Its　law；　and　it　is　in　this　reference；　as　I　judge；　that　Plato…　finely；　and　by　no　means　inadvertently　but　with　profound　intention…　wrote　those　words　of　his；　〃Eternity　stable　in　Unity〃；　he　wishes　to　convey　that　Eternity　is　not　merely　something　circling　on　its　traces　into　a　final　unity　but　has　＇instantaneous＇　Being　about　The　One　as　the　unchanging　Life　of　the　Authentic　Existent。　This　is　certainly　what　we　have　been　seeking：　this　Principle；　at　rest　within　rest　with　the　One；　is　Eternity；　possessing　this　stable　quality；　being　itself　at　once　the　absolute　self…identical　and　none　the　less　the　active　manifestation　of　an　unchanging　Life　set　towards　the　Divine　and　dwelling　within　It；　untrue；　therefore；　neither　on　the　side　of　Being　nor　on　the　side　of　Life…　this　will　be　Eternity　＇the　Real…Being　we　have　sought＇。　　　　　Truly　to　be　comports　never　lacking　existence　and　never　knowing　variety　in　the　mode　of　existence：　Being　is；　therefore；　self…identical　throughout；　and；　therefore；　again　is　one　undistinguishable　thing。　Being　can　have　no　this　and　that；　it　cannot　be　treated　in　terms　of　intervals；　unfoldings；　progression；　extension；　there　is　no　grasping　any　first　or　last　in　it。　　　　　If；　then；　there　is　no　first　or　last　in　this　Principle；　if　existence　is　its　most　authentic　possession　and　its　very　self；　and　this　in　the　sense　that　its　existence　is　Essence　or　Life…　then；　once　again；　we　meet　here　what　we　have　been　discussing；　Eternity。　　　　　Observe　that　such　words　as　〃always；〃　〃never；〃　〃sometimes〃　must　be　taken　as　mere　conveniences　of　exposition：　thus　〃always…　used　in　the　sense　not　of　time　but　of　incorruptibility　and　endlessly　complete　scope…　might　set　up　the　false　notion　of　stage　and　interval。　We　might　perhaps　prefer　to　speak　of　〃Being；〃　without　any　attribute；　but　since　this　term　is　applicable　to　Essence　and　some　writers　have　used　the　word　〃Essence〃　for　things　of　process；　we　cannot　convey　our　meaning　to　them　without　introducing　some　word　carrying　the　notion　of　perdurance。　　　　　There　is；　of　course；　no　difference　between　Being　and　Everlasting　Being；　just　as　there　is　none　between　a　philosopher　and　a　true　philosopher：　the　attribute　〃true〃　came　into　use　because　there　arose　what　masqueraded　as　philosophy；　and　for　similar　reasons　〃everlasting〃　was　adjoined　to　〃Being；〃　and　〃Being〃　to　〃everlasting；〃　and　we　have　＇the　tautology　of＇　〃Everlasting　Being。〃　We　must　take　this　〃Everlasting〃　as　expressing　no　more　than　Authentic　Being：　it　is　merely　a　partial　expression　of　a　p