the six enneads- 第78部分

　alone　its　images　can　be　produced。　The　soul；　on　the　contrary；　is　sovereign　over　material　things　by　might　of　Real…Being；　their　quality　is　determined　by　its　lead；　and　those　elementary　things　cannot　stand　against　its　will。　On　the　later　level；　things　are　hindered　one　by　the　other；　and　thus　often　fall　short　of　the　characteristic　shape　at　which　their　unextended　Reason…Principle　must　be　aiming；　in　that　other　world　＇under　the　soul　but　above　the　material＇　the　entire　shape　＇as　well　as　the　idea＇　comes　from　soul；　and　all　that　is　produced　takes　and　keeps　its　appointed　place　in　a　unity；　so　that　the　engendered　thing；　without　labour　as　without　clash；　becomes　all　that　it　should　be。　In　that　world　the　soul　has　elaborated　its　creation；　the　images　of　the　gods；　dwellings　for　men；　each　existing　to　some　peculiar　purpose。　　　　　Soul　could　produce　none　but　the　things　which　truly　represent　its　powers：　fire　produces　warmth；　another　source　produces　cold；　soul　has　a　double　efficacy；　its　act　within　itself；　and　its　act　from　within　outwards　towards　the　new　production。　　　　　In　soulless　entities；　the　outgo　＇natural　to　everything＇　remains　dormant；　and　any　efficiency　they　have　is　to　bring　to　their　own　likeness　whatever　is　amenable　to　their　act。　All　existence　has　this　tendency　to　bring　other　things　to　likeness；　but　the　soul　has　the　distinction　of　possessing　at　once　an　action　of　conscious　attention　within　itself；　and　an　action　towards　the　outer。　It　has　thus　the　function　of　giving　life　to　all　that　does　not　live　by　prior　right；　and　the　life　it　gives　is　commensurate　with　its　own；　that　is　to　say；　living　in　reason；　it　communicates　reason　to　the　body…　an　image　of　the　reason　within　itself；　just　as　the　life　given　to　the　body　is　an　image　of　Real…Being…　and　it　bestows；　also；　upon　that　material　the　appropriate　shapes　of　which　it　contains　the　Reason…Forms。　　　　　The　content　of　the　creative　soul　includes　the　Ideal　shapes　of　gods　and　of　all　else：　and　hence　it　is　that　the　kosmos　contains　all。　　　　　11。　I　think；　therefore；　that　those　ancient　sages；　who　sought　to　secure　the　presence　of　divine　beings　by　the　erection　of　shrines　and　statues；　showed　insight　into　the　nature　of　the　All；　they　perceived　that；　though　this　Soul　is　everywhere　tractable；　its　presence　will　be　secured　all　the　more　readily　when　an　appropriate　receptacle　is　elaborated；　a　place　especially　capable　of　receiving　some　portion　or　phase　of　it；　something　reproducing　it；　or　representing　it；　and　serving　like　a　mirror　to　catch　an　image　of　it。　　　　　It　belongs　to　the　nature　of　the　All　to　make　its　entire　content　reproduce；　most　felicitously；　the　Reason…Principles　in　which　it　participates；　every　particular　thing　is　the　image　within　matter　of　a　Reason…Principle　which　itself　images　a　pre…material　Reason…Principle：　thus　every　particular　entity　is　linked　to　that　Divine　Being　in　whose　likeness　it　is　made；　the　divine　principle　which　the　soul　contemplated　and　contained　in　the　act　of　each　creation。　Such　mediation　and　representation　there　must　have　been　since　it　was　equally　impossible　for　the　created　to　be　without　share　in　the　Supreme；　and　for　the　Supreme　to　descend　into　the　created。　　　　　The　Intellectual…Principle　in　the　Supreme　has　ever　been　the　sun　of　that　sphere…　let　us　accept　that　as　the　type　of　the　creative　Logos…　and　immediately　upon　it　follows　the　Soul　depending　from　it；　stationary　Soul　from　stationary　Intelligence。　But　the　Soul　borders　also　upon　the　sun　of　this　sphere；　and　it　becomes　the　medium　by　which　all　is　linked　to　the　overworld；　it　plays　the　part　of　an　interpreter　between　what　emanates　from　that　sphere　down　to　this　lower　universe；　and　what　rises…　as　far　as；　through　soul；　anything　can…　from　the　lower　to　the　highest。　　　　　Nothing；　in　fact；　is　far　away　from　anything；　things　are　not　remote：　there　is；　no　doubt；　the　aloofness　of　difference　and　of　mingled　natures　as　against　the　unmingled；　but　selfhood　has　nothing　to　do　with　spatial　position；　and　in　unity　itself　there　may　still　be　distinction。　　　　　These　Beings　＇the　Reason…Principles　of　this　sphere＇　are　divine　in　virtue　of　cleaving　to　the　Supreme；　because；　by　the　medium　of　the　Soul　thought　of　as　descending　they　remain　linked　with　the　Primal　Soul；　and　through　it　are　veritably　what　they　are　called　and　possess　the　vision　of　the　Intellectual　Principle；　the　single　object　of　contemplation　to　that　soul　in　which　they　have　their　being。　　　　　12。　The　souls　of　men；　seeing　their　images　in　the　mirror　of　Dionysus　as　it　were；　have　entered　into　that　realm　in　a　leap　downward　from　the　Supreme：　yet　even　they　are　not　cut　off　from　their　origin；　from　the　divine　Intellect；　it　is　not　that　they　have　come　bringing　the　Intellectual　Principle　down　in　their　fall；　it　is　that　though　they　have　descended　even　to　earth；　yet　their　higher　part　holds　for　ever　above　the　heavens。　　　　　Their　initial　descent　is　deepened　since　that　mid…part　of　theirs　is　compelled　to　labour　in　care　of　the　care…needing　thing　into　which　they　have　entered。　But　Zeus；　the　father；　takes　pity　on　their　toils　and　makes　the　bonds　in　which　they　labour　soluble　by　death　and　gives　respite　in　due　time；　freeing　them　from　the　body；　that　they　too　may　come　to　dwell　there　where　the　Universal　Soul；　unconcerned　with　earthly　needs；　has　ever　dwelt。　　　　　For　the　container　of　the　total　of　things　must　be　a　self…sufficing　entity　and　remain　so：　in　its　periods　it　is　wrought　out　to　purpose　under　its　Reason…Principles　which　are　perdurably　valid；　by　these　periods　it　reverts　unfailingly；　in　the　measured　stages　of　defined　life…duration；　to　its　established　character；　it　is　leading　the　things　of　this　realm　to　be　of　one　voice　and　plan　with　the　Supreme。　And　thus　the　kosmic　content　is　carried　forward　to　its　purpose；　everything　in　its　co…ordinate　place；　under　one　only　Reason…Principle　operating　alike　in　the　descent　and　return　of　souls　and　to　every　purpose　of　the　system。　　　　　We　may　know　this　also　by　the　concordance　of　the　Souls　with　the　ordered　scheme　of　the　kosmos；　they　are　not　independent；　but；　by　their　descent；　they　have　put　themselves　in　contact；　and　they　stand　henceforth　in　harmonious　association　with　kosmic　circuit…　to　the　extent　that　their　fortunes；　their　life　experiences；　their　choosing　and　refusing；　are　announced　by　the　patterns　of　the　stars…　and　out　of　this　concordance　rises　as　it　were　one　musical　utterance：　the　music；　the　harmony；　by　which　all　is　described　is　the　best　witness　to　this　truth。　　　　　Such　a　consonance　can　have　been　procured　in　one　only　way：　　　　　The　All　must；　in　every　detail　of　act　and　experience；　be　an　expression　of　the　Supreme；　which　must　dominate　alike　its　periods　and　its　stable　ordering　and　the　life…careers　varying　with　the　movement　of　the　souls　as　they　are　sometimes　absorbed　in　that　highest；　sometimes　in　the　heavens；　sometimes　turned　to　the　things　and　places　of　our　earth。　All　that　is　Divine　Intellect　will　rest　eternally　above；　and　could　never　fall　from　its　sphere　but；　poised　entire　in　its　own　high　place；　will　communicate　to　things　here　through　the　channel　of　Soul。　Soul　in　virtue　of　neighbourhood　is　more　closely　modelled　upon　the　Idea　uttered　by　the　Divine　Intellect；　and　thus　is　able　to　produce　order　in　the　movement　of　the　lower　realm；　one　phase　＇the　World…Soul＇　maintaining　the　unvarying　march　＇of　the　kosmic　circuit＇　the　other　＇the　soul　of　the　Individual＇　adopting　itself　to　times　and　season。　　　　　The　depth　of　the　descent；　also；　will　differ…　sometimes　lower；　sometimes　less　low…　and　this　even　in　its　entry　into　any　given　Kind：　all　that　is　fixed　is　that　each　several　soul　descends　to　a　recipient　indicated　by　affinity　of　condition；　it　moves　towards　the　thing　which　it　There　resembled；　and　enters；　accordingly；　into　the　body　of　man　or　animal。　　　　　13。　The　Ineluctable；　the　Kosmic　Law　is；　thus；　rooted　in　a　natural　principle　under　which　each　several　entity　is　overruled　to　go；　duly　and　in　order；　towards　that　place　and　Kind　to　which　it　characteristically　tends；　that　is　towards　the　image　of　its　primal　choice　and　constitution。　　　　　In　that　archetypal　world　every　form　of　soul　is　near　to　the　image　＇the　thing　in　the　world　of　copy＇　to　which　its　individual　constitution　inclines　it；　there　is　therefore　no　need　of　a　sender　or　leader　acting　at　the　right　moment　to　bring　it　at　the　right　moment　whether　into　body　or　into　a　definitely　appropriate　body：　of　its　own　motion　it　descends　at　the　precisely　true　time　and　enters　where　it　must。　To　every　Soul　its　own　hour；　when　that　strikes　it　descends　and　enters　the　body　suitable　to　it　as　at　the　cry　of　a　herald；　thus　all　is　set　stirring　and　advancing　as　by　a　magician's　power　or　by　some　mighty　traction；　it　is　much　as；　in　any　living　thing；　the　soul　itself　effects　the　fulfillment　of　the　natural　career；　stirring　and　bringing　forth；　in　due　season；　every　element…　beard；　horn；　and　all　the　successive　stages　of　tendency　and　of　output…　or；　as　it　leads　a　tree　through　its　normal　course　within　set　periods。　　　　　The　Souls　go　forth　neither　under　compulsion　nor　of　freewill；　or；　at　least；　freedom；　here；　is　not　to　be　regarded　as　action　upon　preference；　it　is　more　like　such　a　leap　of　the　nature　as　moves　men　to　the　instinctive　desire　of　sexual　union；　or；　in　the　case　of　some；　to　fine　conduct；　the　motive　lies　elsewhere　than　in　the　reason：　like　is　destined　unfailingly　to　like；　and　each　moves　hither　or　thither　at　its　fixed　moment。　　　　　Even　the　Intellectual…Principle；　which　is　before　all　the　kosmos；　h