the six enneads-第95部分

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　the　nature　of　a　thing　we　must　observe　it　in　its　unalloyed　state；　since　any　addition　obscures　the　reality。　Clear；　then　look：　or；　rather；　let　a　man　first　purify　himself　and　then　observe：　he　will　not　doubt　his　immortality　when　he　sees　himself　thus　entered　into　the　pure；　the　Intellectual。　For；　what　he　sees　is　an　Intellectual…Principle　looking　on　nothing　of　sense；　nothing　of　this　mortality；　but　by　its　own　eternity　having　intellection　of　the　eternal：　he　will　see　all　things　in　this　Intellectual　substance；　himself　having　become　an　Intellectual　Kosmos　and　all　lightsome；　illuminated　by　the　truth　streaming　from　The　Good；　which　radiates　truth　upon　all　that　stands　within　that　realm　of　the　divine。　　　　　Thus　he　will　often　feel　the　beauty　of　that　word　〃Farewell：　I　am　to　you　an　immortal　God；〃　for　he　has　ascended　to　the　Supreme；　and　is　all　one　strain　to　enter　into　likeness　with　it。　　　　　If　the　purification　puts　the　human　into　knowledge　of　the　highest；　then；　too；　the　science　latent　within　becomes　manifest；　the　only　authentic　knowing。　For　it　is　not　by　running　hither　and　thither　outside　of　itself　that　the　soul　understands　morality　and　right　conduct：　it　learns　them　of　its　own　nature；　in　its　contact　with　itself；　in　its　intellectual　grasp　of　itself；　seeing　deeply　impressed　upon　it　the　images　of　its　primal　state；　what　was　one　mass　of　rust　from　long　neglect　it　has　restored　to　purity。　　　　　Imagine　living　gold：　it　files　away　all　that　is　earthy　about　it；　all　that　kept　it　in　self…ignorance　preventing　it　from　knowing　itself　as　gold；　seen　now　unalloyed　it　is　at　once　filled　with　admiration　of　its　worth　and　knows　that　it　has　no　need　of　any　other　glory　than　its　own；　triumphant　if　only　it　be　allowed　to　remain　purely　to　itself。　　　　　11。　（16）　What　intelligent　mind　can　doubt　the　immortality　of　such　a　value；　one　in　which　there　is　a　life　self…springing　and　therefore　not　to　be　destroyed？　　　　　This　is　at　any　rate　a　life　not　imported　from　without；　not　present　in　the　mode　of　the　heat　in　fire…　for　if　heat　is　characteristic　of　the　fire　proper；　it　certainly　is　adventitious　to　the　Matter　underlying　the　fire；　or　fire；　too；　would　be　everlasting…　it　is　not　in　any　such　mode　that　the　soul　has　life：　this　is　no　case　of　a　Matter　underlying　and　a　life　brought　into　that　Matter　and　making　it　into　soul　＇as　heat　comes　into　matter　and　makes　it　fire＇。　　　　　Either　life　is　Essential　Reality；　and　therefore　self…living…　the　very　thing　we　have　been　seeking…　and　undeniably　immortal：　or　it；　too；　is　a　compound　and　must　be　traced　back　through　all　the　constituents　until　an　immortal　substance　is　reached；　something　deriving　movement　from　itself；　and　therefore　debarred　from　accepting　death。　　　　　Even　supposing　life　could　be　described　as　a　condition　imposed　upon　Matter；　still　the　source　from　which　this　condition　entered　the　Matter　must　necessarily　be　admitted　to　be　immortal　simply　by　being　unable　to　take　into　itself　the　opposite　of　the　life　which　it　conveys。　　　　　Of　course；　life　is　no　such　mere　condition；　but　an　independent　principle；　effectively　living。　　　　　12。　（17）　A　further　consideration　is　that　if　every　soul　is　to　be　held　dissoluble　the　universe　must　long　since　have　ceased　to　be：　if　it　is　pretended　that　one　kind　of　soul；　our　own　for　example；　is　mortal；　and　another；　that　of　the　All；　let　us　suppose；　is　immortal；　we　demand　to　know　the　reason　of　the　difference　alleged。　　　　　Each　is　a　principle　of　motion；　each　is　self…living；　each　touches　the　same　sphere　by　the　same　tentacles；　each　has　intellection　of　the　celestial　order　and　of　the　super…celestial；　each　is　seeking　to　win　to　what　has　essential　being；　each　is　moving　upwards　to　the　primal　source。　　　　　Again：　the　soul's　understanding　of　the　Absolute　Forms　by　means　of　the　visions　stored　up　in　it　is　effected　within　itself；　such　perception　is　reminiscence；　the　soul　then　must　have　its　being　before　embodiment；　and　drawing　on　an　eternal　science；　must　itself　be　eternal。　　　　　Every　dissoluble　entity；　that　has　come　to　be　by　way　of　groupment；　must　in　the　nature　of　things　be　broken　apart　by　that　very　mode　which　brought　it　together：　but　the　soul　is　one　and　simplex；　living　not　in　the　sense　of　potential　reception　of　life　but　by　its　own　energy；　and　this　can　be　no　cause　of　dissolution。　　　　　But；　we　will　be　told；　it　tends　to　destruction　by　having　been　divided　（in　the　body）　and　so　becoming　fragmentary。　　　　　No：　the　soul；　as　we　have　shown；　is　not　a　mass；　not　a　quantity。　　　　　May　not　it　change　and　so　come　to　destruction？　　　　　No：　the　change　that　destroys　annuls　the　form　but　leaves　the　underlying　substance：　and　that　could　not　happen　to　anything　except　a　compound。　　　　　If　it　can　be　destroyed　in　no　such　ways；　it　is　necessarily　indestructible。　　　　　13。　（18）　But　how　does　the　soul　enter　into　body　from　the　aloofness　of　the　Intellectual？　　　　　There　is　the　Intellectual…Principle　which　remains　among　the　intellectual　beings；　living　the　purely　intellective　life；　and　this；　knowing　no　impulse　or　appetite；　is　for　ever　stationary　in　that　Realm。　But　immediately　following　upon　it；　there　is　that　which　has　acquired　appetite　and；　by　this　accruement；　has　already　taken　a　great　step　outward；　it　has　the　desire　of　elaborating　order　on　the　model　of　what　it　has　seen　in　the　Intellectual…Principle：　pregnant　by　those　Beings；　and　in　pain　to　the　birth；　it　is　eager　to　make；　to　create。　In　this　new　zest　it　strains　towards　the　realm　of　sense：　thus；　while　this　primal　soul　in　union　with　the　Soul　of　the　All　transcends　the　sphere　administered；　it　is　inevitably　turned　outward；　and　has　added　the　universe　to　its　concern：　yet　in　choosing　to　administer　the　partial　and　exiling　itself　to　enter　the　place　in　which　it　finds　its　appropriate　task；　it　still　is　not　wholly　and　exclusively　held　by　body：　it　is　still　in　possession　of　the　unembodied；　and　the　Intellectual…Principle　in　it　remains　immune。　As　a　whole　it　is　partly　in　body；　partly　outside：　it　has　plunged　from　among　the　primals　and　entered　this　sphere　of　tertiaries：　the　process　has　been　an　activity　of　the　Intellectual…Principle；　which　thus；　while　itself　remaining　in　its　identity；　operates　throughout　the　soul　to　flood　the　universe　with　beauty　and　penetrant　order…　immortal　mind；　eternal　in　its　unfailing　energy；　acting　through　immortal　soul。　　　　　14。　（19）　As　for　the　souls　of　the　other　living　beings；　fallen　to　the　degree　of　entering　brute　bodies；　these　too　must　be　immortal。　And　if　there　is　in　the　animal　world　any　other　phase　of　soul；　its　only　possible　origin；　since　it　is　the　life…giver；　is；　still；　that　one　principle　of　life：　so　too　with　the　soul　in　the　vegetal　order。　　　　　All　have　sprung　from　one　source；　all　have　life　as　their　own；　all　are　incorporeal；　indivisible；　all　are　real…beings。　　　　　If　we　are　told　that　man's　soul　being　tripartite　must　as　a　compound　entity　be　dissolved；　our　answer　shall　be　that　pure　souls　upon　their　emancipation　will　put　away　all　that　has　fastened　to　them　at　birth；　all　that　increment　which　the　others　will　long　retain。　　　　　But　even　that　inferior　phase　thus　laid　aside　will　not　be　destroyed　as　long　as　its　source　continues　to　exist；　for　nothing　from　the　realm　of　real　being　shall　pass　away。　　　　　15。　（20）　Thus　far　we　have　offered　the　considerations　appropriate　to　those　asking　for　demonstration：　those　whose　need　is　conviction　by　evidence　of　the　more　material　order　are　best　met　from　the　abundant　records　relevant　to　the　subject：　there　are　also　the　oracles　of　the　Gods　ordering　the　appeasing　of　wronged　souls　and　the　honouring　of　the　dead　as　still　sentient；　a　practice　common　to　all　mankind：　and　again；　not　a　few　souls；　once　among　men；　have　continued　to　serve　them　after　quitting　the　body　and　by　revelations；　practically　helpful；　make　clear；　as　well；　that　the　other　souls；　too；　have　not　ceased　to　be。　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　EIGHTH　TRACTATE。

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　THE　SOUL'S　DESCENT　INTO　BODY。

　　　　1。　Many　times　it　has　happened：　Lifted　out　of　the　body　into　myself；　becoming　external　to　all　other　things　and　self…encentered；　beholding　a　marvellous　beauty；　then；　more　than　ever；　assured　of　community　with　the　loftiest　order；　enacting　the　noblest　life；　acquiring　identity　with　the　divine；　stationing　within　It　by　having　attained　that　activity；　poised　above　whatsoever　within　the　Intellectual　is　less　than　the　Supreme：　yet；　there　comes　the　moment　of　descent　from　intellection　to　reasoning；　and　after　that　sojourn　in　the　divine；　I　ask　myself　how　it　happens　that　I　can　now　be　descending；　and　how　did　the　soul　ever　enter　into　my　body；　the　soul　which；　even　within　the　body；　is　the　high　thing　it　has　shown　itself　to　be。　　　　　Heraclitus；　who　urges　the　examination　of　this　matter；　tells　of　compulsory　alternation　from　contrary　to　contrary；　speaks　of　ascent　and　descent；　says　that　〃change　reposes；〃　and　that　〃it　is　weariness　to　keep　toiling　at　the　same　things　and　always　beginning　again〃；　but　he　seems　to　teach　by　metaphor；　not　concerning　himself　about　making　his　doctrine　clear　to　us；　probably　with　the　idea　that　it　is　for　us　to　seek　within　ourselves　as　he　sought　for　himself　and　found。　　　　　Empedocles…　where　he　says　that　it　is　law　for　faulty　souls　to　descend　to　this　sphere；　and　that　he　himself　was　here　because　he　turned　a　deserter；　wandered　from　God；　in　slavery　to　a　raving　discord…　reveals　neither　more　nor　less　than　Pythagoras　and　his　school　seem　to　me　to　convey　on　this　as　on　many　other　matters；　but　in　his　case；　versification　has　some　part　in　the　obscurity。　　　　　We　have　to　fall　back　on　the　illustrious　Plato；　who　uttered　many　noble　sayings　about　the　soul；　and　has　in　many　places　dwelt　upon　its　entry　into　body　so　that　we　may　well　hope　to　get　some　light　from　him。　　　　　What　do　we　learn　from　this　philosopher？　　　　　We　will　not　find　him　so　consistent　throughout　that　it　is　easy　to　discover　his　mind。　　　　　Everywhere；　no　doubt；　he　expresses　contempt　for　all　that　is　of　sense；　blames　the　commerce　of　the　soul　with　body　as　an　enchainment；　an　entombment；　and　upholds　as　a　great　truth　the　saying　of　the　Mysteries　that　the　soul　is　here　a　prisoner。　In　the　Cavern　of　Plato　and　in　the　Cave　of　Empedocles；　I　discern　this　universe；　where　the　breaking　of　the　fetters　and　the　ascent　from　the　depths　are　figures　of　the　wayfaring　toward　the　Intellectual　Realm。　　　　　In　the　Phaedrus　he　makes　a　failing　of　the　wings　the　cause　of　the　entry　to　this　realm：　and　there　are　Periods　which　send　back　the　soul　after　it　has　risen；　there　are　judgements　and　lots　and　fates　and　necessities　driving　othe