Pseudo-Dionysius: The Divine Names · 3 of 6 · tr. C.E. Rolt
Chapter 13, Section 1c
Emily Brontë: “Every existence would exist in Thee.”) And if all things be conceived as being ultimately unified with each other, then all things taken as a whole are One.
507 507 All things possess the same Super-Essence, and that is why they are connected together in this world.
3.
Moreover, we must bear this in mind: that when we attribute a common unity to things we do so in 187 accordance with the preconceived law of their kind belonging to each one, and that the One is thus the elementary basis of all things.
508 508 Cf.
p.
186, n.
3.
And if you take away the One there will remain neither whole nor part nor anything else in the world; for all things are contained beforehand and embraced by the One as an Unity in Itself.
Thus Scripture speaks of the whole Supreme Godhead as the Cause of all things by employing the title of “One”; and there is One God Who is the Father and One Lord Jesus Christ and One unchanging Spirit, through the transcendent indivisibility of the entire Divine Unity, wherein all things are knit together in one and possess a supernal Unity and super-essentially pre-exist.
Hence all things are rightly referred and attributed unto It, since by It and in It and unto It all things possess their existence, co-ordination, permanence, cohesion, fulfilment, and innate tendency.
And you will not find anything in .the world but derives from the One (which, in a super-essential sense, is the name of the whole Godhead) both its individual existence and the process that perfects and preserves it.
509 509 i.
e.
Both its unity in space and its unity in time.
And we also must, in the power of the Divine Unity, turn from the Many to the One and declare the Unity of the whole single Godhead, which is the One Cause of all things; before all distinctions of One and Many, Part and Whole, Definiteness and Indefiniteness, 510 510 A thing is definite when we can say of it: “This is not that,” indefinite when it is doubtful whether this is, or is not, that.
The Godhead not being a particular thing, belongs to a region where there is no “this” or “that.” So we cannot say, on that ultimate plane either: “This is not that,” or, “It is doubtful whether this is that.” Hence the mystical act of Unknowing.
Knowledge distinguishes things, Unknowing passes beyond this act yet without confusion.
In Unknowing the distinction between Thinker and Object of Thought is (from one point of view) gone; and yet the psychical state is a luminously clear one.
Our personalities in their Super-Essence are merged yet unconfused.
188 Finitude and Infinitude; 511 511 See p.
162 on “Greatness” and “Smallness.” giving definite shape to all things that have Being, and to Being itself; the Cause of everything and of all together—a Cause both co-existent and pre-existent and transcendent, and all these things at once; yea, beyond existent Unity itself, and giving definite shape to existent Unity itself.
For Unity, as found in the creatures, is numerical; and number participates in Essence: but the Super-Essential Unity gives definite shape to existent unity and to every number, and is Itself the Beginning, the Cause, the Numerical Principle and the Law of Unity, number and every creature.
Themes
◆Apophatic Theologytheology
Describing the divine only by negation—God transcends all positive categories and concepts; the via negativa.
The text describes God as transcending distinctions of One and Many, Part and Whole, Definiteness and Indefiniteness.
All passages →◆Cosmic Consciousnessanthropology
A state of awareness transcending ordinary human consciousness, often involving unity with the universe or higher dimensions.
All things are knit together in one and possess a supernal Unity and super-essentially pre-exist.
All passages →◆Divine Hiddennesstheology
The supreme God's radical concealment beyond ordinary knowledge or perception; the Hidden Father.
The text mentions a region where there is no 'this' or 'that,' implying radical concealment beyond ordinary distinction.
All passages →◆Divine Lighttheology
The uncreated luminous quality of the divine, sometimes experienced directly in mystical states; illumination as revelation.
The passage describes the Godhead as luminously clear in Unknowing and possessing a supernal Unity.
All passages →◆Divine Simplicitytheology
The doctrine that God has no parts, divisions, or composite attributes; pure undivided being.
The text emphasizes the transcendent indivisibility of the entire Divine Unity and the One as an elementary basis.
All passages →◆Emanation Hierarchycosmology
A chain of divine beings or principles flowing downward from a single transcendent source (the One or the Father), each level less perfect than the one above.
The passage describes a hierarchy where all things derive from the One Cause and possess their existence through It.
All passages →◆Gnosis Direct Knowledgesoteriology
Salvation through direct experiential knowledge of the divine nature, not through faith, ritual, or moral works alone.
The mystical act of Unknowing is presented as a luminously clear state that transcends ordinary distinctions.
All passages →◆Living Godtheology
The divine conceived as active, present, and dynamic—not an abstract principle but a personal responsive reality.
God is portrayed as actively giving definite shape to all things that have Being.
All passages →◆Monadcosmology
The absolutely simple, undivided first principle from which all multiplicity and existence flows.
The text centrally defines the One as the elementary basis of all things and the transcendent indivisible first principle from which existence flows.
All passages →◆Mystical Unionsoteriology
The merging of the individual soul or self with the divine, transcending personal identity.
The passage describes a state where personalities in their Super-Essence are merged yet unconfused with the divine.
All passages →◆Numerical Mysticismtheology
Numbers, proportions, and mathematical relationships as the underlying structure of divine reality.
The text explicitly contrasts numerical Unity with Super-Essential Unity and discusses the One as the Numerical Principle and Law of Unity.
All passages →◆Opposites Transcendedanthropology
The dissolution of binary oppositions (male/female, inner/outer, above/below) as a mark of spiritual completion.
The text states that distinctions of One and Many are not inherent to the Godhead but belong to a region of deficiency.
All passages →◆Paradox As Teachingethics
Using apparent contradiction, reversal, or riddle to destabilise ordinary understanding and induce insight.
The text uses the paradoxical concept of Unknowing as a luminously clear state to describe the divine.
All passages →◆Return To Sourcesoteriology
The soul's journey back to its divine origin, reversing the fall into matter through stages of purification or illumination.
The instruction is to turn from the Many to the One, implying a movement back toward the divine origin.
All passages →◆Sacred Namestheology
Divine names or formulas that carry ontological power, used in prayer, liturgy, or magical practice.
Scripture is cited for employing the title of 'One' as a name of the whole Godhead.
All passages →◆Unity Of Beingtheology
The doctrine that all existence is ultimately one substance or one divine reality; non-duality as a theological claim.
The passage asserts that all things are ultimately unified with each other and possess a supernal Unity.
All passages →Related passages · 70 parallels
◆egyptian|The Egyptian Book of the Dead (Papyrus of Ani)|Chapter 43 (part 69)
“xcii} unity of a supreme and self-existent being, his eternity, his almightiness, and external reproduction thereby as God; the attributing of the creation of the world and of all living beings to this supreme God; the immortality of the so…”
Both passages emphasize the concept of a supreme, singular, and self-existent being that is the source of all creation. They also highlight the unity and eternity of this divine entity, though they come from different mystical traditions.
◆hermeticism|Corpus Hermeticum 11: The Hymn|Section 1c
“It must, then, be that such a one as this must be some one who's wholly One.
9.
For as the many motions of them [all] are different, and as their bodies are not like, yet has one speed been ordered for them all, it is impossible that ther…”
Both passages emphasize the unity and oneness of the divine and the interconnectedness of all things. They discuss the singular nature of the creator and the unity of existence, though they come from different mystical traditions.
◆hermeticism|Corpus Hermeticum 11: The Hymn|Section 1d
“And this is, My beloved, Life; this is the Beautiful; this is the Good; this, God.
14.
And if thou wouldst in practice understand [this work], behold what taketh place with thee desiring to beget.
Yet this is not like unto that, for He d…”
Both passages discuss the unity and oneness of God as the source and sustainer of all things. They explore the concept of a single, indivisible divine essence that encompasses and gives life to all existence, using similar metaphysical reasoning.
◆neoplatonism|Select Works of Plotinus|Select Works, Section 124
“Section 2 2. We are obliged, therefore, at the start, both to establish the existence of this other Kind and to examine its nature and the mode of its Being. Now if Matter must characteristically be undetermined, void of shape, while in tha…”
Both passages explore the nature of ultimate reality and the unity of existence. Passage A discusses the primal, simplex nature of the Highest Kind, while Passage B elaborates on the Super-Essence and the Divine Unity that encompasses all things.
◆neoplatonism|Select Works of Plotinus|Select Works, Section 129
“Section 7 7. Empedokles in identifying his "elements" with Matter is refuted by their decay. Anaxagoras, in identifying his "primal-combination" with Matter- to which he allots no mere aptness to any and every nature or quality but the effe…”
Both passages discuss the concept of unity and the nature of existence, exploring how all things are interconnected and derived from a single, ultimate principle. Passage A focuses on the Intellectual-Principle and Matter, while Passage B discusses the Super-Essence and the Divine Unity, but both share a deep philosophical inquiry into the nature of unity and existence.
◆neoplatonism|Select Works of Plotinus|Select Works, Section 142
“Section 3 3. We come now to the purpose of all this discussion; to make clear in what sense or to what degree Actualization is predicable in the Intellectual Realm and whether all is in Actualization there, each and every member of that rea…”
Both passages discuss the nature of reality and the concept of unity and actualization in a metaphysical sense. Passage A from Plotinus explores the idea of actualization and the lack of potentiality in the Intellectual Realm, while Passage B from a mystical Christian text discusses the unity and super-essence of all things in God. Both texts emphasize the eternal and unchanging nature of the highest reality.
◆neoplatonism|Select Works of Plotinus|Select Works, Section 157 (part 1)
“Section 1 1.
We have seen elsewhere that the Good, the Principle, is simplex, and, correspondingly, primal- for the secondary can never be simplex- that it contains nothing: that it is an integral Unity.
Now the same Nature belongs to the…”
Both passages discuss the concept of a singular, transcendent principle that is the source of all existence. They emphasize the unity and simplicity of this principle, which is beyond human comprehension and the cause of all things. The passages share a mystical perspective on the ultimate reality, describing it as the One or the Good, which is the foundation of all other principles and beings.
◆neoplatonism|Select Works of Plotinus|Select Works, Section 180
“Section 4 4. Another theory: The Universe is permeated by one Soul, Cause of all things and events; every separate phenomenon as a member of a whole moves in its place with the general movement; all the various causes spring into action fro…”
Both passages discuss the concept of unity and the interconnectedness of all things. Passage A from Plotinus explores the idea of a single Soul permeating the Universe and the interconnection of causes, while Passage B from the mystical tradition discusses the ultimate unity of all things in the One, emphasizing the Super-Essence that connects everything. Both texts grapple with the balance between individuality and unity.
◆neoplatonism|Select Works of Plotinus|Select Works, Section 207
“Section 1 1. What is our answer? All events and things, good and evil alike, are included under the Universal Reason-Principle of which they are parts- strictly "included" for this Universal Idea does not engender them but encompasses them.…”
Both passages discuss the concept of unity and the interconnectedness of all things, emphasizing a universal principle that encompasses and unifies diverse elements. They share a mystical perspective on the underlying oneness of existence, though they come from different traditions.
◆neoplatonism|Select Works of Plotinus|Select Works, Section 225
“Section 4 4. Does each individual Soul, then, contain within itself such a Love in essence and substantial reality? Since not only the pure All-Soul but also that of the Universe contain such a Love, it would be difficult to explain why our…”
Both passages explore the concept of unity and the interconnectedness of all things within a divine or universal framework. Passage A discusses the individual Soul's connection to the All-Soul and the universal Love, while Passage B describes the ultimate unity of all things within the One, emphasizing the Super-Essence that binds everything together.
60 more
◆neoplatonism|Select Works of Plotinus|Select Works, Section 246
“Section 14 14. But would this mean that if there were no Matter nothing would exist? Precisely as in the absence of a mirror, or something of similar power, there would be no reflection. A thing whose very nature is to be lodged in somethin…”
Both passages explore the relationship between the ultimate reality (the One or the Authentic Beings) and the material world (Matter or the Many). They discuss how the material world is dependent on the ultimate reality for its existence and how it reflects or participates in the ultimate reality in a limited way.
◆neoplatonism|Select Works of Plotinus|Select Works, Section 250 (part 2)
“No: for there is no first Idea except the Ideal Principle of the Universe- and, by this Idea, Matter is [the seat of] all things at once and of the particular thing in its parts- for the Matter of a living being is disparted according to th…”
Both passages discuss the concept of a unifying principle that underlies all existence. Passage A from Plotinus speaks of the Ideal Principle of the Universe and the Reason-Principle, while Passage B from the mystical tradition discusses the One as the Super-Essence that unifies all things. Both emphasize the interconnectedness and unity of all existence.
◆neoplatonism|Select Works of Plotinus|Select Works, Section 255
“Section 3 3. What, then, can this be, this something in virtue of which we declare the entire divine Realm to be Eternal, everlasting? We must come to some understanding of this perpetuity with which Eternity is either identical or in confo…”
Both passages explore the concept of unity and eternity within a divine context, emphasizing the interconnectedness and timeless nature of existence. They share a mystical perspective on the ultimate reality, though they come from different traditions.
◆neoplatonism|Select Works of Plotinus|Select Works, Section 256
“Section 4 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…”
Both passages discuss the concept of an ultimate, unified essence that encompasses all existence. They explore the idea that this essence is complete, self-sufficient, and contains all things within it, reflecting a deep mystical understanding of unity and being.
◆neoplatonism|Select Works of Plotinus|Select Works, Section 274 (part 2)
“The Intellectual-Principle on the other hand was never merely the Principle of an inviolable unity; it was a universal as well and, being so, was the Intellectual-Principle of all things.
Being, thus, all things and the Principle of all, i…”
Both passages discuss the concept of a unified, all-encompassing principle that is the source and essence of all things. They explore the idea that this principle is not merely a singular unity but also a universal that includes all things within it.
◆neoplatonism|Select Works of Plotinus|Select Works, Section 275 (part 1)
“Section 9 9.
Clearly a Being of this nature is not the primal existent; there must exist that which transcends it, that Being [the Absolute], to which all our discussion has been leading.
In the first place, Plurality is later than Unity.…”
Both passages explore the concept of a transcendent, unitary source of all existence. They discuss the nature of the One or the Absolute, which is beyond intellectual comprehension and is the source of all plurality and multiplicity. The passages share a mystical approach to understanding the ultimate reality.
◆neoplatonism|Select Works of Plotinus|Select Works, Section 275 (part 2)
“In its character as Life, as emanation, as containing all things in their precise forms and not merely in the agglomerate mass- for this would be to contain them imperfectly and inarticulately- it must of necessity derive from some other Be…”
Both passages discuss the concept of a singular, transcendent principle that is the source of all existence and unity. They explore the idea of a simple, indivisible source that precedes and encompasses all things, though they use different terminology and contexts.
◆neoplatonism|Select Works of Plotinus|Select Works, Section 280 (part 1)
“Section 3 3.
(A)...
How, then, does Unity give rise to Multiplicity?
By its omnipresence: there is nowhere where it is not; it occupies, therefore, all that is; at once, it is manifold- or, rather, it is all things.
If it were simply an…”
Both passages explore the concept of unity and multiplicity, discussing how a singular, transcendent principle gives rise to the diversity of existence. They share a mystical perspective on the nature of reality and the relationship between the One and the Many.
◆neoplatonism|Select Works of Plotinus|Select Works, Section 406
“Section 6 6. Something besides a unity there must be or all would be indiscernibly buried, shapeless within that unbroken whole: none of the real beings [of the Intellectual Kosmos] would exist if that unity remained at halt within itself:…”
Both passages discuss the concept of unity and plurality, and the emanation of beings from a singular, ultimate source. They explore the idea that all things are interconnected and derive their existence from a higher, unified principle.
◆neoplatonism|Select Works of Plotinus|Select Works, Section 414
“Section 5 5. How then can a multitude of essential beings be really one? Obviously either the one essence will be entire in all, or the many will rise from a one which remains unaltered and yet includes the one- many in virtue of giving its…”
Both passages explore the concept of unity within multiplicity, discussing how a single essence can be present in many forms without being divided. They both use examples and analogies to illustrate the idea of an underlying unity that encompasses all things.
◆neoplatonism|Select Works of Plotinus|Select Works, Section 442 (part 1)
“Section 10 10.
This matter need not be elaborated at present: it suffices to say that if the created were all, these ultimates [the higher] need not exist: but the Supreme does include primals, the primals because the producers.
In other…”
Both passages explore the concept of unity and multiplicity within a divine or transcendent framework. They discuss the necessity of multiplicity for cognition and the ultimate unity that underlies all existence, though they do so within different philosophical and theological contexts.
◆neoplatonism|Select Works of Plotinus|Select Works, Section 444 (part 1)
“Section 12 12.
But why, after all, should it not be such a manifold as long as it remains one substantial existence, having the multiplicity not of a compound being but of a unity with a variety of activities?
Now, no doubt, if these vari…”
Both passages explore the concept of a singular, unified principle from which all multiplicity arises. They discuss the nature of unity and multiplicity in metaphysical terms, emphasizing the primacy of the One.
◆neoplatonism|Select Works of Plotinus|Select Works, Section 451
“Section 1 1. Anything existing after The First must necessarily arise from that First, whether immediately or as tracing back to it through intervenients; there must be an order of secondaries and tertiaries, in which any second is to be re…”
Both passages discuss the concept of a singular, transcendent First Principle or Unity from which all things emanate. They emphasize the simplicity, self-sufficiency, and perfection of this First Principle, and how it is the source of all existence and multiplicity.
◆neoplatonism|Select Works of Plotinus|Select Works, Section 452 (part 2)
“And again, if that secondary is all things, and if above its multiplicity there is a unity not ranking among those things, once more this unity transcends Real Being and therefore transcends the Intellectual-Principle as well.
There is thu…”
Both passages discuss the concept of a transcendent unity that underlies and encompasses all existence. They explore the idea that this unity is not merely a collection of things but a fundamental principle that gives shape and existence to all things.
◆neoplatonism|Select Works of Plotinus|Select Works, Section 457
“Section 4 4. We have said that all must be brought back to a unity: this must be an authentic unity, not belonging to the order in which multiplicity is unified by participation in what is truly a One; we need a unity independent of partici…”
Both passages explore the concept of the One as a transcendent, unifying principle that is beyond multiplicity and distinction. They emphasize the primacy of unity and the difficulty of comprehending it fully, though they come from different mystical traditions (Plotinus from Neoplatonism and the second passage from Christian mysticism).
◆neoplatonism|Select Works of Plotinus|Select Works, Section 458
“Section 5 5. We return to our statement that The First remains intact even when other entities spring from it. In the case of numbers, the unit remains intact while something else produces, and thus number arises in dependence on the unit:…”
Both passages discuss the concept of a singular, ultimate source or unity from which all existence derives. They explore the idea that this unity remains intact while giving rise to multiplicity, and that all things are interconnected through this unity. The passages use similar language and concepts to describe the relationship between the One and the many, indicating a genuine conceptual parallel.
◆neoplatonism|Select Works of Plotinus|Select Works, Section 462
“Section 9 9. Everything brought into being under some principle not itself is contained either within its maker or, if there is any intermediate, within that: having a prior essential to its being, it needs that prior always, otherwise it w…”
Both passages discuss the concept of a supreme, uncontained source that encompasses all things. They describe a unity that is both present and not present in a circumscribed sense, and emphasize the dependence of all things on this ultimate principle.
◆neoplatonism|Select Works of Plotinus|Select Works, Section 470
“Section 3 3. We may be told that nothing prevents an identity being thus multiple. But there must be a unity underlying the aggregate: a manifold is impossible without a unity for its source or ground, or at least, failing some unity, relat…”
Both passages discuss the concept of unity and the underlying principle that unifies all things. They explore the idea of a singular, self-existent unity that precedes and underlies the multiplicity of existence, though they do so within different philosophical and religious frameworks.
◆neoplatonism|Select Works of Plotinus|Select Works, Section 498
“Section 6 6. We take it, then, that the Intellectual-Principle is the authentic existences and contains them all- not as in a place but as possessing itself and being one thing with this its content. All are one there and yet are distinct:…”
Both passages discuss the unity and multiplicity of existence, exploring how individual entities are interconnected and unified within a greater whole. Passage A focuses on the Intellectual-Principle containing all authentic existences, while Passage B discusses the Super-Essence and the Divine Unity that encompasses all things.
◆neoplatonism|Select Works of Plotinus|Select Works, Section 500
“Section 8 8. If, then, the Intellection is an act upon the inner content [of a perfect unity], that content is at once the Idea [as object: eidos] and the Idea itself [as concept: idea]. What, then, is that content? An Intellectual-Principl…”
Both passages explore the concept of unity and the interconnection of all things within a divine or intellectual principle. They discuss the idea that the ultimate reality is a unified whole, from which all individual beings and concepts derive their existence and essence.
◆neoplatonism|Select Works of Plotinus|Select Works, Section 506
“Section 14 14. There is, thus, a Nature comprehending in the Intellectual all that exists, and this Principle must be the source of all. But how, seeing that the veritable source must be a unity, simplex utterly? The mode by which from the…”
Both passages explore the concept of unity as the fundamental principle from which all existence derives. They discuss the relationship between the One and the many, and the nature of the ultimate reality that underlies all things.
◆neoplatonism|Select Works of Plotinus|Select Works, Section 510
“Section 2 2. But are we really obliged to posit the existence of such genera? Take Substance, for Substance must certainly be our starting-point: what are the grounds for regarding Substance as one single genus? It has been remarked that Su…”
Both passages explore the concept of unity and essence in their respective traditions. Plotinus discusses the nature of Substance and its unity across different realms, while the second passage delves into the Super-Essence and the unity of all things within a divine context. Both texts grapple with the idea of a fundamental, unifying principle that underlies all existence.
◆neoplatonism|Select Works of Plotinus|Select Works, Section 511
“Section 3 3. But perhaps we should rather speak of some single category, embracing Intellectual Substance, Matter, Form, and the Composite of Matter and Form. One might refer to the family of the Heraclids as a unity in the sense, not of a…”
Both passages explore the concept of unity and substance, discussing how all things derive from a single, ultimate source. Plotinus focuses on Intellectual Substance and its derivatives, while the second passage discusses the Super-Essence and the One as the ultimate cause and unity of all things.
◆neoplatonism|Select Works of Plotinus|Select Works, Section 513
“Section 6 6. In considering Relation we must enquire whether it possesses the community of a genus, or whether it may on other grounds be treated as a unity. Above all, has Relation- for example, that of right and left, double and half- any…”
Both passages explore the nature of unity and relation, with Plotinus examining the nature of relations and their actuality, while the second passage discusses the ultimate unity of all things and the concept of the One. Both delve into metaphysical concepts of unity and interconnection, though from different philosophical and mystical perspectives.
◆neoplatonism|Select Works of Plotinus|Select Works, Section 532
“Section 25 25. There are those who lay down four categories and make a fourfold division into Substrates, Qualities, States, and Relative States, and find in these a common Something, and so include everything in one genus. Against this the…”
Both passages discuss the concept of unity and the nature of existence, exploring how all things are interconnected and derived from a single, fundamental principle. Passage A critiques the idea of a common 'Something' that encompasses all existence, while Passage B elaborates on the Super-Essence that unifies all things.
◆neoplatonism|Select Works of Plotinus|Select Works, Section 540
“Section 2 2. In asserting that Being is not a unity, we do not mean to imply a definite number of existences; the number may well be infinite: we mean simply that it is many as well as one, that it is, so to speak, a diversified unity, a pl…”
Both passages explore the concept of unity and multiplicity in existence, discussing how the One can encompass many and the nature of Being. They share a mystical perspective on the relationship between unity and plurality, though they come from different philosophical and religious traditions.
◆neoplatonism|Select Works of Plotinus|Select Works, Section 545
“Section 7 7. What, then, are the several entities observable in this plurality? We have found Substance [Essence] and life simultaneously present in Soul. Now, this Substance is a common property of Soul, but life, common to all souls, diff…”
Both passages explore the unity and multiplicity of existence, discussing how different aspects of being (such as Substance, Motion, Stability, and the One) are interconnected and ultimately unified. They share a mystical perspective on the nature of reality, emphasizing the interconnectedness and unity of all things.
◆neoplatonism|Select Works of Plotinus|Select Works, Section 548
“Section 10 10. In what sense is the particular manifestation of Being a unity? Clearly, in so far as it is one thing, it forfeits its unity; with "one" and "thing" we have already plurality. No species can be a unity in more than an equivoc…”
Both passages explore the concept of unity and its relationship to being and multiplicity. They discuss the nature of unity as a fundamental principle that underlies all existence, though they do so within different philosophical and theological frameworks.
◆neoplatonism|Select Works of Plotinus|Select Works, Section 550
“Section 12 12. Enough upon that side of the question. But how does the perfection [goodness] of numbers, lifeless things, depend upon their particular unity? Just as all other inanimates find their perfection in their unity. If it should be…”
Both passages explore the concept of unity and perfection in different contexts. Passage A discusses the perfection of numbers and inanimate objects through their unity, while Passage B delves into the unity of all things in a divine context, emphasizing the One as the elementary basis of all existence. Both texts highlight the importance of unity as a fundamental principle.
◆neoplatonism|Select Works of Plotinus|Select Works, Section 559 (part 1)
“Section 21 21.
How then does the universal Intellect produce the particulars while, in virtue of its Reason-Principle, remaining a unity?
In other words, how do the various grades of Being, as we call them, arise from the four primaries?…”
Both passages explore the concept of unity and multiplicity within a divine or ultimate reality. They discuss how a singular, transcendent principle can encompass and give rise to the diversity of existence, highlighting the interplay between unity and plurality in the structure of being.
◆neoplatonism|Select Works of Plotinus|Select Works, Section 559 (part 2)
“Clearly nothing may legitimately be excluded [from Being], for the whole must be complete in the higher sphere which, otherwise, would not be the whole.
Life, too, burst upon Being, or rather was inseparably bound up with it; and thus it w…”
Both passages discuss the unity and interconnectedness of all existence, emphasizing the concept of a singular, all-encompassing essence or intellect that binds everything together. They share a mystical perspective on the nature of being and the ultimate unity of all things.
◆neoplatonism|Select Works of Plotinus|Select Works, Section 568
“Section 7 7. But Matter, it may be contended, is the source of existence to the Sensible things implanted in it. From what source, then, we retort, does Matter itself derive existence and being? That Matter is not a Primary we have establis…”
Both passages discuss the nature of being and the relationship between different levels of existence. Plotinus explores the hierarchy of being, with Matter being a lower reflection of higher principles, while the second passage discusses the unity and super-essence of all things, emphasizing the One as the ultimate source of existence. Both texts delve into metaphysical concepts of unity and the nature of reality.
◆neoplatonism|Select Works of Plotinus|Select Works, Section 592
“Section 2 2. Side by side exist the Authentic All and its counterpart, the visible universe. The Authentic is contained in nothing, since nothing existed before it; of necessity anything coming after it must, as a first condition of existen…”
Both passages discuss the concept of an ultimate, all-encompassing unity or 'All' that contains and sustains all existence. They explore the idea that this unity is not limited by space or time and is the fundamental essence of all things.
◆neoplatonism|Select Works of Plotinus|Select Works, Section 597
“Section 7 7. Let us consider once more how it is possible for an identity to extend over a universe. This comes to the question how each variously placed entity in the multiplicity of the sense order can have its share in one identical Prin…”
Both passages explore the concept of unity and omnipresence, discussing how a single principle or essence can be present in all things without being divided or distributed. They use analogous reasoning to explain the indivisible nature of this unity.
◆neoplatonism|Select Works of Plotinus|Select Works, Section 601
“Section 11 11. Still, this integral omnipresence admitted, why do not all things participate in the Intellectual Order in its entirety? Why has it a first participant, a second, and so on? We can but see that presence is determined by the f…”
Both passages discuss the concept of unity and omnipresence within a divine or intellectual order. They explore how different entities participate in this unity, emphasizing the oneness and interconnectedness of all things, though from different philosophical and theological perspectives.
◆neoplatonism|Select Works of Plotinus|Select Works, Section 608
“Section 1 1. The integral omnipresence of a unity numerically identical is in fact universally received; for all men instinctively affirm the god in each of us to be one, the same in all. It would be taken as certain if no one asked How or…”
Both passages discuss the concept of unity and oneness as the fundamental principle underlying all existence. They explore the idea that all things are interconnected and derive their being from a single, ultimate unity. The passages come from different traditions but share a deep conceptual parallel in their mystical understanding of unity.
◆neoplatonism|Select Works of Plotinus|Select Works, Section 613
“Section 6 6. The Intellectual Beings, thus, are multiple and one; in virtue of their infinite nature their unity is a multiplicity, many in one and one over many, a unit-plurality. They act as entire upon entire; even upon the partial thing…”
Both passages discuss the concept of unity and multiplicity, exploring how the One encompasses the many without being absorbed by it. They share a mystical perspective on the nature of existence and the interconnectedness of all things.
◆neoplatonism|Select Works of Plotinus|Select Works, Section 614
“Section 7 7. To Real Being we go back, all that we have and are; to that we return as from that we came. Of what is There we have direct knowledge, not images or even impressions; and to know without image is to be; by our part in true know…”
Both passages discuss the unity of all existence and the concept of returning to or being part of a greater, singular reality. They emphasize the interconnectedness of all things and the transcendence of individual distinctions in the context of ultimate reality.
◆neoplatonism|Select Works of Plotinus|Select Works, Section 627
“Section 7 7. It is inevitably necessary to think of all as contained within one nature; one nature must hold and encompass all; there cannot be as in the realm of sense thing apart from thing, here a sun and elsewhere something else; all mu…”
Both passages discuss the concept of unity and the interconnection of all things within a single, encompassing nature or essence. They explore the idea that all entities are contained within a greater whole, emphasizing the unity and interdependence of existence.
◆neoplatonism|Select Works of Plotinus|Select Works, Section 628
“Section 8 8. As then there is a Life-Form primal- which therefore is the Life-Form Absolute- and there is Intellectual-Principle or Being, Authentic Being, these, we affirm, contain all living things and all Number, and Absolute Justice and…”
Both passages discuss the concept of a unified, transcendent principle that underlies all existence. They explore the nature of being, intellect, and life as emanating from a singular, ultimate source, though they use different terminology and frameworks.
◆neoplatonism|Select Works of Plotinus|Select Works, Section 629
“Section 9 9. It remains then to consider whether Being by its distinction produced Number or Number produced that distinction. It is certain that either Number was the cause of Being, movement, rest, identity and difference, or these the ca…”
Both passages explore the relationship between unity, being, and number, positing that unity precedes being and number, and that all things are ultimately unified. They share a mystical perspective on the nature of existence and the primacy of unity.
◆neoplatonism|Select Works of Plotinus|Select Works, Section 631
“Section 11 11. It may be suggested that the decad is nothing more than so many henads; admitting the one henad why should we reject the ten? As the one is a real existence why not the rest? We are certainly not compelled to attach that one…”
Both passages explore the concept of unity and the One as the fundamental principle underlying all existence. They discuss the nature of unity in relation to multiplicity and the role of the One in the creation and sustenance of all things, showing a genuine conceptual parallel across different mystical traditions.
◆neoplatonism|Select Works of Plotinus|Select Works, Section 632
“Section 12 12. We may be told that unity and monad have no real existence, that the only unity is some definite object that is one thing, so that all comes to an attitude of the mind towards things considered singly. But, to begin with, why…”
Both passages explore the concept of unity and its fundamental nature. Passage A discusses the existence of unity as an independent concept within the mind, while Passage B delves into the idea of a super-essential unity that underlies all existence. Both texts emphasize the primacy and interconnectedness of unity in their respective philosophical and mystical frameworks.
◆neoplatonism|Select Works of Plotinus|Select Works, Section 633 (part 1)
“Section 13 13.
It cannot reasonably be thought that the notion of unity is derived from the object since this is physical- man, animal, even stone, a presentation of that order is something very different from unity [which must be a thing…”
Both passages explore the concept of unity as a fundamental principle underlying all existence. They discuss the primacy of unity and its role in the structure of reality, though from different philosophical and theological perspectives.
◆neoplatonism|Select Works of Plotinus|Select Works, Section 634
“Section 14 14. To the argument touching relation we have an answer surely legitimate: The Unity is not of a nature to lose its own manner of being only because something else stands in a state which it does not itself share; to stray from i…”
Both passages explore the concept of unity and its relationship to multiplicity and existence. They discuss the nature of unity as a fundamental principle that underlies all things, and how this unity is not diminished by the existence of multiplicity. The passages also touch on the idea of participation in higher forms or essences.
◆neoplatonism|Select Works of Plotinus|Select Works, Section 635
“Section 15 15. We must repeat: The Collective Being, the Authentic, There, is at once Being and Intellectual-Principle and the Complete Living Form; thus it includes the total of living things; the Unity There is reproduced by the unity of…”
Both passages discuss the concept of unity and the oneness of all existence, exploring how individual beings and entities are interconnected and derived from a singular, transcendent principle. They both delve into the metaphysical nature of unity and its role in the structure of reality.
◆neoplatonism|Select Works of Plotinus|Select Works, Section 640 (part 2)
“If then the future is present, it must be present as having been foreconceived for later coming to be; at that divine stage therefore it lacks nothing and therefore can never lack; all existed, eternally and in such a way that at the later…”
Both passages discuss the unity and interconnectedness of all things, with Passage A focusing on the eternal presence and unity of all existence within a divine stage, and Passage B emphasizing the Super-Essence and the One as the ultimate unity that encompasses all things. Both texts explore the concept of a transcendent unity that contains and causes all existence.
◆neoplatonism|Select Works of Plotinus|Select Works, Section 647
“Section 8 8. So much for the thing of sense; but it would appear that the prototype There of the living form, the universal horse, must look deliberately towards this sphere; and, that being so, the idea of horse must have been worked out i…”
Both passages explore the concept of unity and the relationship between the divine and the manifold. They discuss the idea that all things are ultimately unified and derive their existence from a singular, transcendent principle.
◆neoplatonism|Select Works of Plotinus|Select Works, Section 651
“Section 12 12. Or take it another way: Since in our view this universe stands to that as copy to original, the living total must exist There beforehand; that is the realm of complete Being and everything must exist There. The sky There must…”
Both passages discuss the concept of a unified, all-encompassing reality that encompasses all existence. Passage A describes a realm of complete Being where all things exist in a living total, while Passage B speaks of a Super-Essence that unifies all things and from which all things derive their existence.
◆neoplatonism|Select Works of Plotinus|Select Works, Section 652 (part 2)
“To a traveller over land, all is earth but earth abounding in difference: so in this journey the life through which Intellectual-Principle passes is one life but, in its ceaseless changing, a varied life.
Throughout this endless variation…”
Both passages discuss the concept of a unifying principle that encompasses all existence. Passage A from Plotinus emphasizes the unchanging identity of Intellectual-Principle, while Passage B from the mystical tradition speaks of the One as the Super-Essence that unifies all things. Both texts explore the idea of unity and the interconnection of all things within a divine or metaphysical framework.
◆neoplatonism|Select Works of Plotinus|Select Works, Section 690
“Section 8 8. But it is not, in our view, as an attribute that this freedom is present in the First. In the light of free acts, from which we eliminate the contraries, we recognise There self-determination, self-directed and, failing more su…”
Both passages discuss the concept of the First Principle or Ultimate Reality in a mystical context. They explore the nature of this principle as being beyond attributes, relations, and even being itself, emphasizing its unity and the derivation of all existence from it.
◆neoplatonism|Select Works of Plotinus|Select Works, Section 698
“Section 16 16. We maintain, and it is evident truth, that the Supreme is everywhere and yet nowhere; keeping this constantly in mind let us see how it bears on our present enquiry. If God is nowhere, then not anywhere has He "happened to be…”
Both passages discuss the concept of a supreme, unified essence that is the source and cause of all things. They explore the idea of a divine unity that transcends distinctions and is the foundation of existence, albeit within different theological frameworks.
◆neoplatonism|Select Works of Plotinus|Select Works, Section 699
“Section 17 17. Or consider it another way: We hold the universe, with its content entire, to be as all would be if the design of the maker had so willed it, elaborating it with purpose and prevision by reasonings amounting to a Providence.…”
Both passages discuss the concept of a supreme, unified principle that underlies all existence. They explore the idea of an ultimate unity from which all things derive their being and order, reflecting a deep conceptual parallel in their mystical perspectives.
◆neoplatonism|Select Works of Plotinus|Select Works, Section 702
“Section 20 20. The difficulty will be raised that God would seem to have existed before thus coming into existence; if He makes Himself, then in regard to the self which He makes He is not yet in being and as maker He exists before this Him…”
Both passages explore the concept of a singular, self-sufficient divine essence that is beyond duality and encompasses all existence. They discuss the unity and self-contained nature of the divine, emphasizing that the divine essence is not dependent on anything else for its existence.
◆neoplatonism|Select Works of Plotinus|Select Works, Section 705
“Section 1 1. It is in virtue of unity that beings are beings. This is equally true of things whose existence is primal and of all that are in any degree to be numbered among beings. What could exist at all except as one thing? Deprived of u…”
Both passages emphasize the concept of unity as the fundamental principle underlying all existence. They explore how unity is essential for the being of all things and how it transcends individual entities, though they do so within different philosophical and theological frameworks.
◆neoplatonism|Select Works of Plotinus|Select Works, Section 706
“Section 2 2. It may be suggested that, while in the unities of the partial order the essence and the unity are distinct, yet in collective existence, in Real Being, they are identical, so that when we have grasped Being we hold unity; Real…”
Both passages explore the concept of unity and being, discussing how unity is distinct from the manifold nature of being. They both delve into the idea of a transcendent unity that underlies all existence, though they use different terminology and philosophical frameworks.
◆western_esoteric|Tertium Organum (P.D. Ouspensky)|Chapter II (part 5)
“But if I should prove that a house, i.e., a physical fact, may exist, it does not at all mean that it exists really.
If I prove that a man may own the house it is no proof that he owns it.
Our relation to an idea and to a house are quite…”
Both passages explore the nature of existence and the distinction between physical and metaphysical realities. They discuss the idea of a higher dimension or unity that underlies and connects all things, though they approach this from different philosophical and religious perspectives.
◆western_esoteric|Tertium Organum (P.D. Ouspensky)|Chapter XIII (part 6)
“These chains of events go on continuously, inter-weaving among themselves, entering one into another, sometimes hidden from our eyes, and sometimes visible.
I find an admirable description of this idea in the chapter on "Karma" in Light on…”
Both passages discuss the interconnectedness and unity of all things, with Passage A focusing on the concept of karma and the unbroken continuity of phenomena, and Passage B emphasizing the ultimate unity and super-essence of all things. Both explore the idea that individual elements are part of a larger, interconnected whole.
◆western_esoteric|Tertium Organum (P.D. Ouspensky)|Chapter XVII (part 2)
“If in general life and feeling exist, they must exist in all.
Life and rationality make up the world.
If we consider nature from our side , from the side of phenomena, then it is necessary to say that each thing, each phenomenon , possess…”
Both passages explore the concept of a unified essence underlying all existence. Passage A discusses the psyche and rationality inherent in all phenomena, while Passage B delves into the Super-Essence that unifies all things. Both texts emphasize the interconnectedness and unity of all existence, though from different philosophical and mystical perspectives.
◆western_esoteric|Tertium Organum (P.D. Ouspensky)|Chapter XXI (part 9)
“There cannot be anything which is measured by years, days, hours—there cannot be before, now, after.
Moments of different epochs, divided by great intervals of time, exist simultaneously, and may touch one another.
Along with this, all th…”
Both passages discuss the unity and interconnectedness of all things, the transcendence of logical and mathematical axioms, and the idea of a higher reality that encompasses and unifies all existence. They share a mystical perspective on the nature of reality, emphasizing the limitations of human perception and the ultimate oneness of the universe.