the six enneads-第8部分

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　longer　to　anything　below？　　　　　If　the　Sage　thinks　all　fortunate　events；　however　momentous；　to　be　no　great　matter…　kingdom　and　the　rule　over　cities　and　peoples；　colonisations　and　the　founding　of　states；　even　though　all　be　his　own　handiwork…　how　can　he　take　any　great　account　of　the　vacillations　of　power　or　the　ruin　of　his　fatherland？　Certainly　if　he　thought　any　such　event　a　great　disaster；　or　any　disaster　at　all；　he　must　be　of　a　very　strange　way　of　thinking。　One　that　sets　great　store　by　wood　and　stones；　or。。。　Zeus。。。　by　mortality　among　mortals　cannot　yet　be　the　Sage；　whose　estimate　of　death；　we　hold；　must　be　that　it　is　better　than　life　in　the　body。　　　　　But　suppose　that　he　himself　is　offered　a　victim　in　sacrifice？　　　　　Can　he　think　it　an　evil　to　die　beside　the　altars？　　　　　But　if　he　go　unburied？　　　　　Wheresoever　it　lie；　under　earth　or　over　earth；　his　body　will　always　rot。　　　　　But　if　he　has　been　hidden　away；　not　with　costly　ceremony　but　in　an　unnamed　grave；　not　counted　worthy　of　a　towering　monument？　　　　　The　littleness　of　it！　　　　　But　if　he　falls　into　his　enemies'　hands；　into　prison？　　　　　There　is　always　the　way　towards　escape；　if　none　towards　well…being。　　　　　But　if　his　nearest　be　taken　from　him；　his　sons　and　daughters　dragged　away　to　captivity？　　　　　What　then；　we　ask；　if　he　had　died　without　witnessing　the　wrong？　Could　he　have　quitted　the　world　in　the　calm　conviction　that　nothing　of　all　this　could　happen？　He　must　be　very　shallow。　Can　he　fail　to　see　that　it　is　possible　for　such　calamities　to　overtake　his　household；　and　does　he　cease　to　be　a　happy　man　for　the　knowledge　of　what　may　occur？　In　the　knowledge　of　the　possibility　he　may　be　at　ease；　so；　too；　when　the　evil　has　come　about。　　　　　He　would　reflect　that　the　nature　of　this　All　is　such　as　brings　these　things　to　pass　and　man　must　bow　the　head。　　　　　Besides　in　many　cases　captivity　will　certainly　prove　an　advantage；　and　those　that　suffer　have　their　freedom　in　their　hands：　if　they　stay；　either　there　is　reason　in　their　staying；　and　then　they　have　no　real　grievance；　or　they　stay　against　reason；　when　they　should　not；　and　then　they　have　themselves　to　blame。　Clearly　the　absurdities　of　his　neighbours；　however　near；　cannot　plunge　the　Sage　into　evil：　his　state　cannot　hang　upon　the　fortunes　good　or　bad　of　any　other　men。　　　　　8。　As　for　violent　personal　sufferings；　he　will　carry　them　off　as　well　as　he　can；　if　they　overpass　his　endurance　they　will　carry　him　off。　　　　　And　so　in　all　his　pain　he　asks　no　pity：　there　is　always　the　radiance　in　the　inner　soul　of　the　man；　untroubled　like　the　light　in　a　lantern　when　fierce　gusts　beat　about　it　in　a　wild　turmoil　of　wind　and　tempest。　　　　　But　what　if　he　be　put　beyond　himself？　What　if　pain　grow　so　intense　and　so　torture　him　that　the　agony　all　but　kills？　Well；　when　he　is　put　to　torture　he　will　plan　what　is　to　be　done：　he　retains　his　freedom　of　action。　　　　　Besides　we　must　remember　that　the　Sage　sees　things　very　differently　from　the　average　man；　neither　ordinary　experiences　nor　pains　and　sorrows；　whether　touching　himself　or　others；　pierce　to　the　inner　hold。　To　allow　them　any　such　passage　would　be　a　weakness　in　our　soul。　　　　　And　it　is　a　sign　of　weakness；　too；　if　we　should　think　it　gain　not　to　hear　of　miseries；　gain　to　die　before　they　come：　this　is　not　concern　for　others'　welfare　but　for　our　own　peace　of　mind。　Here　we　see　our　imperfection：　we　must　not　indulge　it；　we　must　put　it　from　us　and　cease　to　tremble　over　what　perhaps　may　be。　　　　　Anyone　that　says　that　it　is　in　human　nature　to　grieve　over　misfortune　to　our　household　must　learn　that　this　is　not　so　with　all；　and　that；　precisely；　it　is　virtue's　use　to　raise　the　general　level　of　nature　towards　the　better　and　finer；　above　the　mass　of　men。　And　the　finer　is　to　set　at　nought　what　terrifies　the　common　mind。　　　　　We　cannot　be　indolent：　this　is　an　arena　for　the　powerful　combatant　holding　his　ground　against　the　blows　of　fortune；　and　knowing　that；　sore　though　they　be　to　some　natures；　they　are　little　to　his；　nothing　dreadful；　nursery　terrors。　　　　　So；　the　Sage　would　have　desired　misfortune？　　　　　It　is　precisely　to　meet　the　undesired　when　it　appears　that　he　has　the　virtue　which　gives　him；　to　confront　it；　his　passionless　and　unshakeable　soul。　　　　　9。　But　when　he　is　out　of　himself；　reason　quenched　by　sickness　or　by　magic　arts？　　　　　If　it　be　allowed　that　in　this　state；　resting　as　it　were　in　a　slumber；　he　remains　a　Sage；　why　should　he　not　equally　remain　happy？　No　one　rules　him　out　of　felicity　in　the　hours　of　sleep；　no　one　counts　up　that　time　and　so　denies　that　he　has　been　happy　all　his　life。　　　　　If　they　say　that；　failing　consciousness；　he　is　no　longer　the　Sage；　then　they　are　no　longer　reasoning　about　the　Sage：　but　we　do　suppose　a　Sage；　and　are　enquiring　whether；　as　long　as　he　is　the　Sage；　he　is　in　the　state　of　felicity。　　　　　〃Well；　a　Sage　let　him　remain；〃　they　say；　〃still；　having　no　sensation　and　not　expressing　his　virtue　in　act；　how　can　he　be　happy？〃　　　　　But　a　man　unconscious　of　his　health　may　be；　none　the　less；　healthy：　a　man　may　not　be　aware　of　his　personal　attraction；　but　he　remains　handsome　none　the　less：　if　he　has　no　sense　of　his　wisdom；　shall　he　be　any　the　less　wise？　　　　　It　may　perhaps　be　urged　that　sensation　and　consciousness　are　essential　to　wisdom　and　that　happiness　is　only　wisdom　brought　to　act。　　　　　Now；　this　argument　might　have　weight　if　prudence；　wisdom；　were　something　fetched　in　from　outside：　but　this　is　not　so：　wisdom　is；　in　its　essential　nature；　an　Authentic…Existence；　or　rather　is　The　Authentic…Existent…　and　this　Existent　does　not　perish　in　one　asleep　or；　to　take　the　particular　case　presented　to　us；　in　the　man　out　of　his　mind：　the　Act　of　this　Existent　is　continuous　within　him；　and　is　a　sleepless　activity：　the　Sage；　therefore；　even　unconscious；　is　still　the　Sage　in　Act。　　　　　This　activity　is　screened　not　from　the　man　entire　but　merely　from　one　part　of　him：　we　have　here　a　parallel　to　what　happens　in　the　activity　of　the　physical　or　vegetative　life　in　us　which　is　not　made　known　by　the　sensitive　faculty　to　the　rest　of　the　man：　if　our　physical　life　really　constituted　the　〃We；〃　its　Act　would　be　our　Act：　but；　in　the　fact；　this　physical　life　is　not　the　〃We〃；　the　〃We〃　is　the　activity　of　the　Intellectual…Principle　so　that　when　the　Intellective　is　in　Act　we　are　in　Act。　　　　　10。　Perhaps　the　reason　this　continuous　activity　remains　unperceived　is　that　it　has　no　touch　whatever　with　things　of　sense。　No　doubt　action　upon　material　things；　or　action　dictated　by　them；　must　proceed　through　the　sensitive　faculty　which　exists　for　that　use：　but　why　should　there　not　be　an　immediate　activity　of　the　Intellectual…Principle　and　of　the　soul　that　attends　it；　the　soul　that　antedates　sensation　or　any　perception？　For；　if　Intellection　and　Authentic…Existence　are　identical；　this　〃Earlier…than…perception〃　must　be　a　thing　having　Act。　　　　　Let　us　explain　the　conditions　under　which　we　become　conscious　of　this　Intellective…Act。　　　　　When　the　Intellect　is　in　upward　orientation　that　＇lower　part　of　it＇　which　contains　＇or；　corresponds　to＇　the　life　of　the　Soul；　is；　so　to　speak；　flung　down　again　and　becomes　like　the　reflection　resting　on　the　smooth　and　shining　surface　of　a　mirror；　in　this　illustration；　when　the　mirror　is　in　place　the　image　appears　but；　though　the　mirror　be　absent　or　out　of　gear；　all　that　would　have　acted　and　produced　an　image　still　exists；　so　in　the　case　of　the　Soul；　when　there　is　peace　in　that　within　us　which　is　capable　of　reflecting　the　images　of　the　Rational　and　Intellectual…Principles　these　images　appear。　Then；　side　by　side　with　the　primal　knowledge　of　the　activity　of　the　Rational　and　the　Intellectual…Principles；　we　have　also　as　it　were　a　sense…perception　of　their　operation。　　　　　When；　on　the　contrary；　the　mirror　within　is　shattered　through　some　disturbance　of　the　harmony　of　the　body；　Reason　and　the　Intellectual…Principle　act　unpictured：　Intellection　is　unattended　by　imagination。　　　　　In　sum　we　may　safely　gather　that　while　the　Intellective…Act　may　be　attended　by　the　Imaging　Principle；　it　is　not　to　be　confounded　with　it。　　　　　And　even　in　our　conscious　life　we　can　point　to　many　noble　activities；　of　mind　and　of　hand　alike；　which　at　the　time　in　no　way　compel　our　consciousness。　A　reader　will　often　be　quite　unconscious　when　he　is　most　intent：　in　a　feat　of　courage　there　can　be　no　sense　either　of　the　brave　action　or　of　the　fact　that　all　that　is　done　conforms　to　the　rules　of　courage。　And　so　in　cases　beyond　number。　　　　　So　that　it　would　even　seem　that　consciousness　tends　to　blunt　the　activities　upon　which　it　is　exercised；　and　that　in　the　degree　in　which　these　pass　unobserved　they　are　purer　and　have　more　effect；　more　vitality；　and　that；　consequently；　the　Sage　arrived　at　this　state　has　the　truer　fulness　of　life；　life　not　spilled　out　in　sensation　but　gathered　closely　within　itself。　　　　　11。　We　shall　perhaps　be　told　that　in　such　a　state　the　man　is　no　longer　alive：　we　answer　that　these　people　show　themselves　equally　unable　to　understand　his　inner　life　and　his　happiness。　　　　　If　this　does　not　satisfy　them；　we　must　ask　them　to　keep　in　mind　a　living　Sage　and；　under　these　terms；　to　enquire　whether　the　man　is　in　happiness：　they　must　not　whittle　away　his　life　and　then　ask　whether　he　has　the　happy　life；　they　must　not　take　away　man　and　then　look　for　the　happiness　of　a　man：　once　they　allow　that　the　Sage　lives　within；　they　must　not　seek　him　among　the　outer　activities；　still　less　look　to　the　outer　world　for　the　object　of　his　desires。　To　consider　the　outer　world　to　be　a　field　to　his　desire；　to　fancy　the　Sage　desiring　any　good　external；　would　be　to　deny　Substantial…Existence　to　happiness；　for　the　Sage　would　like　to　see　all　men　prosperous　and　no　evil　befalling　anyone；　but　though　it　prove　otherwise；　he　is　still　content。　　　　　If　it　be　admitted　that　such　a　desire　would　be　against　reason；　since　evil　cannot　cease　to　be；　there　is　no　escape　from　agreeing　with　us　that　the　Sage's　will　is　set　always　and　only　inward。　　　　　12。　The　pleasure　demanded　for　the　life　cannot　be　in　the　enjoyments　of　the　licentious　or　in　any　gratifications　of　the　body…　there　is　no　place　for　these；　and　they　stifle　happiness…　nor　in　any　violent　emotions…　what　could　so　move　the　Sage？…　it　can　be　only　such　pleasure　as　there　must　be　where　Good　is；　pleasure　that　does　not　rise　from　movement　and　is　not　a　thing　of　process；　for　all　that　is　good　is　immediately