the six enneads-第13节

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he　ugliness　of　the　Soul；　and　set　that　against　its　beauty：　to　understand；　at　once；　what　this　ugliness　is　and　how　it　comes　to　appear　in　the　Soul　will　certainly　open　our　way　before　us。　　　　　Let　us　then　suppose　an　ugly　Soul；　dissolute；　unrighteous：　teeming　with　all　the　lusts；　torn　by　internal　discord；　beset　by　the　fears　of　its　cowardice　and　the　envies　of　its　pettiness；　thinking；　in　the　little　thought　it　has；　only　of　the　perish　able　and　the　base；　perverse　in　all　its　the　friend　of　unclean　pleasures；　living　the　life　of　abandonment　to　bodily　sensation　and　delighting　in　its　deformity。　　　　　What　must　we　think　but　that　all　this　shame　is　something　that　has　gathered　about　the　Soul；　some　foreign　bane　outraging　it；　soiling　it；　so　that；　encumbered　with　all　manner　of　turpitude；　it　has　no　longer　a　clean　activity　or　a　clean　sensation；　but　commands　only　a　life　smouldering　dully　under　the　crust　of　evil；　that；　sunk　in　manifold　death；　it　no　longer　sees　what　a　Soul　should　see；　may　no　longer　rest　in　its　own　being；　dragged　ever　as　it　is　towards　the　outer；　the　lower；　the　dark？　　　　　An　unclean　thing；　I　dare　to　say；　flickering　hither　and　thither　at　the　call　of　objects　of　sense；　deeply　infected　with　the　taint　of　body；　occupied　always　in　Matter；　and　absorbing　Matter　into　itself；　in　its　commerce　with　the　Ignoble　it　has　trafficked　away　for　an　alien　nature　its　own　essential　Idea。　　　　　If　a　man　has　been　immersed　in　filth　or　daubed　with　mud　his　native　comeliness　disappears　and　all　that　is　seen　is　the　foul　stuff　besmearing　him：　his　ugly　condition　is　due　to　alien　matter　that　has　encrusted　him；　and　if　he　is　to　win　back　his　grace　it　must　be　his　business　to　scour　and　purify　himself　and　make　himself　what　he　was。　　　　　So；　we　may　justly　say；　a　Soul　becomes　ugly…　by　something　foisted　upon　it；　by　sinking　itself　into　the　alien；　by　a　fall；　a　descent　into　body；　into　Matter。　The　dishonour　of　the　Soul　is　in　its　ceasing　to　be　clean　and　apart。　Gold　is　degraded　when　it　is　mixed　with　earthy　particles；　if　these　be　worked　out；　the　gold　is　left　and　is　beautiful；　isolated　from　all　that　is　foreign；　gold　with　gold　alone。　And　so　the　Soul；　let　it　be　but　cleared　of　the　desires　that　come　by　its　too　intimate　converse　with　the　body；　emancipated　from　all　the　passions；　purged　of　all　that　embodiment　has　thrust　upon　it；　withdrawn；　a　solitary；　to　itself　again…　in　that　moment　the　ugliness　that　came　only　from　the　alien　is　stripped　away。　　　　　6。　For；　as　the　ancient　teaching　was；　moral…discipline　and　courage　and　every　virtue；　not　even　excepting　Wisdom　itself；　all　is　purification。　　　　　Hence　the　Mysteries　with　good　reason　adumbrate　the　immersion　of　the　unpurified　in　filth；　even　in　the　Nether…World；　since　the　unclean　loves　filth　for　its　very　filthiness；　and　swine　foul　of　body　find　their　joy　in　foulness。　　　　　What　else　is　Sophrosyne；　rightly　so…called；　but　to　take　no　part　in　the　pleasures　of　the　body；　to　break　away　from　them　as　unclean　and　unworthy　of　the　clean？　So　too；　Courage　is　but　being　fearless　of　the　death　which　is　but　the　parting　of　the　Soul　from　the　body；　an　event　which　no　one　can　dread　whose　delight　is　to　be　his　unmingled　self。　And　Magnanimity　is　but　disregard　for　the　lure　of　things　here。　And　Wisdom　is　but　the　Act　of　the　Intellectual…Principle　withdrawn　from　the　lower　places　and　leading　the　Soul　to　the　Above。　　　　　The　Soul　thus　cleansed　is　all　Idea　and　Reason；　wholly　free　of　body；　intellective；　entirely　of　that　divine　order　from　which　the　wellspring　of　Beauty　rises　and　all　the　race　of　Beauty。　　　　　Hence　the　Soul　heightened　to　the　Intellectual…Principle　is　beautiful　to　all　its　power。　For　Intellection　and　all　that　proceeds　from　Intellection　are　the　Soul's　beauty；　a　graciousness　native　to　it　and　not　foreign；　for　only　with　these　is　it　truly　Soul。　And　it　is　just　to　say　that　in　the　Soul's　becoming　a　good　and　beautiful　thing　is　its　becoming　like　to　God；　for　from　the　Divine　comes　all　the　Beauty　and　all　the　Good　in　beings。　　　　　We　may　even　say　that　Beauty　is　the　Authentic…Existents　and　Ugliness　is　the　Principle　contrary　to　Existence：　and　the　Ugly　is　also　the　primal　evil；　therefore　its　contrary　is　at　once　good　and　beautiful；　or　is　Good　and　Beauty：　and　hence　the　one　method　will　discover　to　us　the　Beauty…Good　and　the　Ugliness…Evil。　　　　　And　Beauty；　this　Beauty　which　is　also　The　Good；　must　be　posed　as　The　First：　directly　deriving　from　this　First　is　the　Intellectual…Principle　which　is　pre…eminently　the　manifestation　of　Beauty；　through　the　Intellectual…Principle　Soul　is　beautiful。　The　beauty　in　things　of　a　lower　order…actions　and　pursuits　for　instance…　comes　by　operation　of　the　shaping　Soul　which　is　also　the　author　of　the　beauty　found　in　the　world　of　sense。　For　the　Soul；　a　divine　thing；　a　fragment　as　it　were　of　the　Primal　Beauty；　makes　beautiful　to　the　fulness　of　their　capacity　all　things　whatsoever　that　it　grasps　and　moulds。　　　　　7。　Therefore　we　must　ascend　again　towards　the　Good；　the　desired　of　every　Soul。　Anyone　that　has　seen　This；　knows　what　I　intend　when　I　say　that　it　is　beautiful。　Even　the　desire　of　it　is　to　be　desired　as　a　Good。　To　attain　it　is　for　those　that　will　take　the　upward　path；　who　will　set　all　their　forces　towards　it；　who　will　divest　themselves　of　all　that　we　have　put　on　in　our　descent：…　so；　to　those　that　approach　the　Holy　Celebrations　of　the　Mysteries；　there　are　appointed　purifications　and　the　laying　aside　of　the　garments　worn　before；　and　the　entry　in　nakedness…　until；　passing；　on　the　upward　way；　all　that　is　other　than　the　God；　each　in　the　solitude　of　himself　shall　behold　that　solitary…dwelling　Existence；　the　Apart；　the　Unmingled；　the　Pure；　that　from　Which　all　things　depend；　for　Which　all　look　and　live　and　act　and　know；　the　Source　of　Life　and　of　Intellection　and　of　Being。　　　　　And　one　that　shall　know　this　vision…　with　what　passion　of　love　shall　he　not　be　seized；　with　what　pang　of　desire；　what　longing　to　be　molten　into　one　with　This；　what　wondering　delight！　If　he　that　has　never　seen　this　Being　must　hunger　for　It　as　for　all　his　welfare；　he　that　has　known　must　love　and　reverence　It　as　the　very　Beauty；　he　will　be　flooded　with　awe　and　gladness；　stricken　by　a　salutary　terror；　he　loves　with　a　veritable　love；　with　sharp　desire；　all　other　loves　than　this　he　must　despise；　and　disdain　all　that　once　seemed　fair。　　　　　This；　indeed；　is　the　mood　even　of　those　who；　having　witnessed　the　manifestation　of　Gods　or　Supernals；　can　never　again　feel　the　old　delight　in　the　comeliness　of　material　forms：　what　then　are　we　to　think　of　one　that　contemplates　Absolute　Beauty　in　Its　essential　integrity；　no　accumulation　of　flesh　and　matter；　no　dweller　on　earth　or　in　the　heavens…　so　perfect　Its　purity…　far　above　all　such　things　in　that　they　are　non…essential；　composite；　not　primal　but　descending　from　This？　　　　　Beholding　this　Being…　the　Choragos　of　all　Existence；　the　Self…Intent　that　ever　gives　forth　and　never　takes…　resting；　rapt；　in　the　vision　and　possession　of　so　lofty　a　loveliness；　growing　to　Its　likeness；　what　Beauty　can　the　soul　yet　lack？　For　This；　the　Beauty　supreme；　the　absolute；　and　the　primal；　fashions　Its　lovers　to　Beauty　and　makes　them　also　worthy　of　love。　　　　　And　for　This；　the　sternest　and　the　uttermost　combat　is　set　before　the　Souls；　all　our　labour　is　for　This；　lest　we　be　left　without　part　in　this　noblest　vision；　which　to　attain　is　to　be　blessed　in　the　blissful　sight；　which　to　fail　of　is　to　fail　utterly。　　　　　For　not　he　that　has　failed　of　the　joy　that　is　in　colour　or　in　visible　forms；　not　he　that　has　failed　of　power　or　of　honours　or　of　kingdom　has　failed；　but　only　he　that　has　failed　of　only　This；　for　Whose　winning　he　should　renounce　kingdoms　and　command　over　earth　and　ocean　and　sky；　if　only；　spurning　the　world　of　sense　from　beneath　his　feet；　and　straining　to　This；　he　may　see。　　　　　8。　But　what　must　we　do？　How　lies　the　path？　How　come　to　vision　of　the　inaccessible　Beauty；　dwelling　as　if　in　consecrated　precincts；　apart　from　the　common　ways　where　all　may　see；　even　the　profane？　　　　　He　that　has　the　strength；　let　him　arise　and　withdraw　into　himself；　foregoing　all　that　is　known　by　the　eyes；　turning　away　for　ever　from　the　material　beauty　that　once　made　his　joy。　When　he　perceives　those　shapes　of　grace　that　show　in　body；　let　him　not　pursue：　he　must　know　them　for　copies；　vestiges；　shadows；　and　hasten　away　towards　That　they　tell　of。　For　if　anyone　follow　what　is　like　a　beautiful　shape　playing　over　water…　is　there　not　a　myth　telling　in　symbol　of　such　a　dupe；　how　he　sank　into　the　depths　of　the　current　and　was　swept　away　to　nothingness？　So　too；　one　that　is　held　by　material　beauty　and　will　not　break　free　shall　be　precipitated；　not　in　body　but　in　Soul；　down　to　the　dark　depths　loathed　of　the　Intellective…Being；　where；　blind　even　in　the　Lower…World；　he　shall　have　commerce　only　with　shadows；　there　as　here。　　　　　〃Let　us　flee　then　to　the　beloved　Fatherland〃：　this　is　the　soundest　counsel。　But　what　is　this　flight？　How　are　we　to　gain　the　open　sea？　For　Odysseus　is　surely　a　parable　to　us　when　he　commands　the　flight　from　the　sorceries　of　Circe　or　Calypso…　not　content　to　linger　for　all　the　pleasure　offered　to　his　eyes　and　all　the　delight　of　sense　filling　his　days。　　　　　The　Fatherland　to　us　is　There　whence　we　have　come；　and　There　is　The　Father。　　　　　What　then　is　our　course；　what　the　manner　of　our　flight？　This　is　not　a　journey　for　the　feet；　the　feet　bring　us　only　from　land　to　lan