Pseudo-Dionysius: The Divine Names · 6 of 6 · tr. C.E. Rolt
Chapter 13, Section 1f
Thus in the form “1 x 1” the first figure represents the unity underlying all numbers, the second figure represents unity as a particular number among other numbers.
The first figure may thus be taken as a symbol of the Godhead, the second figure as a symbol of all created unity.
502 Though created unity differs (see last note) from Uncreated Unity, yet it is, so to speak, a reflection thereof, as essence is a reflection of Super-Essence.
So each number, because based on an underlying Unity, is itself a unit, and the underlying Unity of the Godhead shines through the world in all the harmonies and systems of things.
503 A tree is one tree though (1) made up of root, trunk, branches, leaves, etc., (2) green in the leaves and brown in the trunk, etc.
504 There are many oaks with different capacities of growth and productiveness, yet all belong to the same “oak species”; and there are many species or kinds of trees (oaks, chestnuts, firs, etc.) yet all belong to the genus “tree.” 505 A man’s thoughts, desires and acts of will all spring from his one personality.
506 Just as in the series 1 x 2, 1 x 3, 1 x 4, etc., if you destroy the 2, 3, 4, etc., the 1 remains, so if the universe disappeared the Godhead would still remain.
(Cf.
Emily Brontë: “Every existence would exist in Thee.”) 507 All things possess the same Super-Essence, and that is why they are connected together in this world.
508 Cf.
p.
186, n.
3.
509 i.
e.
Both its unity in space and its unity in time.
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.
511 See p.
162 on “Greatness” and “Smallness.” 512 Numerical unity is a number among other numbers and so implies differentiation.
The Godhead is undifferentiated.
513 This anthropomorphic phrase is not inconsistent with the conceptions D.
has been expounding; because he regards the limits of individual human capacities, etc., as timelessly existent in the Super-Essence.
By a natural, though inadequate, metaphor, the limits of the resulting activities are spoken of as due to God’s Will.
Themes
◆Anthropomorphismtheology
Attributing human characteristics, emotions, or form to the divine; embodied divine imagery.
The passage explicitly references 'anthropomorphic phrase' regarding God's Will.
All passages →◆Apophatic Theologytheology
Describing the divine only by negation—God transcends all positive categories and concepts; the via negativa.
The text describes the Godhead as not being a particular thing and belonging to a region where there is no 'this' or 'that'.
All passages →◆Correspondencecosmology
The Hermetic axiom that the structure of the cosmos is reflected at every scale — 'as above, so below; as within, so without' — making each level a legible map of the others.
The passage states that essence is a reflection of Super-Essence and numbers shine through the world in harmonies.
All passages →◆Divine Hiddennesstheology
The supreme God's radical concealment beyond ordinary knowledge or perception; the Hidden Father.
The Godhead belongs to a region where there is no 'this' or 'that', indicating 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 text mentions the Godhead shining through the world in harmonies and systems of things.
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.
Created unity is described as a reflection of Uncreated Unity, implying a hierarchical relationship.
All passages →◆Gnosis Direct Knowledgesoteriology
Salvation through direct experiential knowledge of the divine nature, not through faith, ritual, or moral works alone.
The passage discusses the mystical act of Unknowing as a luminously clear state beyond distinction.
All passages →◆Living Godtheology
The divine conceived as active, present, and dynamic—not an abstract principle but a personal responsive reality.
The Godhead is described as shining through the world rather than being an abstract principle.
All passages →◆Mystical Unionsoteriology
The merging of the individual soul or self with the divine, transcending personal identity.
The passage describes merging personalities with Super-Essence in a luminously clear state without confusion.
All passages →◆Numerical Mysticismtheology
Numbers, proportions, and mathematical relationships as the underlying structure of divine reality.
The passage extensively uses numbers (1x1, 1x2) as symbols for Godhead and created unity to explain divine structure.
All passages →◆Opposites Transcendedanthropology
The dissolution of binary oppositions (male/female, inner/outer, above/below) as a mark of spiritual completion.
The distinction between Thinker and Object of Thought is gone in the mystical state described.
All passages →◆Paradox As Teachingethics
Using apparent contradiction, reversal, or riddle to destabilise ordinary understanding and induce insight.
The text describes Unknowing as a luminously clear state that transcends ordinary knowledge distinctions.
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 passage implies a return to the underlying Unity when the universe disappears.
All passages →◆Separation From Sourcesoteriology
The felt condition of exile from one's divine origin — Rumi's reed flute torn from its bed, Plotinus's 'we have forgotten,' the Gnostic forgetfulness; the affective wound that complements return_to_source and gives the return its motive.
Created unity is distinguished from Uncreated Unity, implying a state of separation.
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 possess the same Super-Essence and are connected together in this world.
All passages →Related passages · 22 parallels
◆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, undifferentiated ultimate reality (The One/Godhead) that is the source of all creation. They also explore the relationship between this ultimate reality and the multiplicity of the created world, emphasizing the simplicity and self-sufficiency of the ultimate principle.
◆neoplatonism|Select Works of Plotinus|Select Works, Section 189
“Section 2 2. By derivation from that Authentic Kosmos, one within itself, there subsists this lower kosmos, no longer a true unity. It is multiple, divided into various elements, thing standing apart from thing in a new estrangement. No lon…”
Both passages discuss the relationship between a transcendent unity (the One or the Godhead) and the multiplicity of the created world. They explore how the divine unity manifests in the diverse and sometimes discordant elements of existence, emphasizing the underlying harmony and the role of an intermediary principle (Intellectual Principle or Soul) in maintaining this order.
◆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 discuss the concept of unity and the distinction between the ultimate unity (The One in Plotinus, the Godhead in the second passage) and created or derived unity. They explore the idea of a transcendent, undifferentiated unity that is the source of all other forms of unity.
◆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 a singular, underlying unity that precedes and underlies all multiplicity. They explore the relationship between unity and multiplicity, and the nature of the ultimate reality as a simplex unity that is distinct from the manifold of created things.
◆neoplatonism|Select Works of Plotinus|Select Works, Section 509
“Section 1 1. Philosophy at a very early stage investigated the number and character of the Existents. Various theories resulted: some declared for one Existent, others for a finite number, others again for an infinite number, while as regar…”
Both passages explore the nature of unity and multiplicity in existence, with Passage A discussing the genera of existents in the Intellectual and Sensible realms, and Passage B discussing the underlying unity of all numbers and the Godhead. Both texts grapple with the relationship between the one and the many, and the nature of existence in different realms.
◆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, discussing how unity underlies all existence and how multiplicity arises from this unity. They both delve into the nature of being and the relationship between the one and the many, albeit from different philosophical and mystical traditions.
◆neoplatonism|Select Works of Plotinus|Select Works, Section 541
“Section 3 3. We assert, then, a plurality of Existents, but a plurality not fortuitous and therefore a plurality deriving from a unity. But even admitting this derivation from a unity- a unity however not predicated of them in respect of th…”
Both passages explore the concept of unity and its relationship to multiplicity, with Passage A discussing the One as the transcendent source of all existents and Passage B describing the Godhead as the underlying unity of all numbers and created things. Both texts emphasize the idea of a singular, undifferentiated source that manifests in diverse forms.
◆neoplatonism|Select Works of Plotinus|Select Works, Section 543
“Section 5 5. A first point demanding consideration: Bodies- those, for example, of animals and plants- are each a multiplicity founded on colour and shape and magnitude, and on the forms and arrangement of parts: yet all these elements spri…”
Both passages discuss the concept of unity and plurality, exploring how multiplicity arises from a fundamental unity. They also touch on the nature of the soul or Godhead as a unified principle that underlies all existence.
◆neoplatonism|Select Works of Plotinus|Select Works, Section 547 (part 2)
“In sum, the unity exhibited in Being on the one hand approximates to Unity-Absolute and on the other tends to identify itself with Being: Being is a unity in relation to the Absolute, is Being by virtue of its sequence upon that Absolute: i…”
Both passages discuss the concept of unity and its relationship to multiplicity and the absolute. Passage A explores the unity of Being in relation to Unity-Absolute, while Passage B discusses the underlying unity of all numbers and the Godhead as the ultimate unity. Both texts emphasize the distinction between the absolute unity and its manifestations in the created world.
◆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 multiplicity and being. Passage A discusses unity as a principle that is not a genus, while Passage B uses mathematical and natural examples to illustrate the reflection of divine unity in created things. Both texts delve into the metaphysical nature of unity and its manifestation in different forms.
12 more
◆neoplatonism|Select Works of Plotinus|Select Works, Section 549 (part 1)
“Section 11 11.
We are bound however to enquire under what mode unity is contained in Being.
How is what is termed the "dividing" effected- especially the dividing of the genera Being and unity?
Is it the same division, or is it different…”
Both passages explore the concept of unity and its relationship to being and perfection. They discuss the distinction between unity in the divine or absolute sense and unity in the created or particular sense, highlighting the aspiration towards unity and perfection.
◆neoplatonism|Select Works of Plotinus|Select Works, Section 549 (part 2)
“In the first place, the point is common to lines and yet is not their genus, and this unity we are considering may also be common to numbers and not be their genus- though, we need hardly say, the unity of Unity-Absolute is not that of the…”
Both passages discuss the concept of unity and its relationship to being and numbers, exploring the distinction between absolute unity and created unity, and the nature of the divine as undifferentiated unity.
◆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 its relationship to perfection and the divine. Passage A discusses the perfection of numbers and inanimate objects through their unity, while Passage B uses numerical unity to symbolize the Godhead and its reflection in the created world. Both texts emphasize the underlying unity that connects all things.
◆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 the omnipresence of a divine or ultimate reality. Passage A from Plotinus emphasizes the integral omnipresence of a unity that is numerically identical and the universal quest for good as a movement towards unity. Passage B from the mystical tradition discusses the underlying unity of all numbers as a symbol of the Godhead and the reflection of uncreated unity in created unity, highlighting the interconnectedness of all things through a common Super-Essence.
◆neoplatonism|Select Works of Plotinus|Select Works, Section 625
“Section 5 5. What then is the veritable nature of Number? Is it an accompaniment upon each substance, something seen in the things as in a man we see one man, in a being one being and in the total of presentations the total of number? But h…”
Both passages explore the concept of unity and its relationship to numbers and the divine. Passage A discusses the nature of number and unity in the context of Plotinus' metaphysical framework, while Passage B uses numerical unity as a symbol of the Godhead and discusses the underlying unity of all things. Both texts delve into the metaphysical implications of unity and its role in the structure of reality.
◆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 relationship to existence and the divine. Passage A discusses the nature of unity as an inherent concept within the mind, while Passage B delves into the idea of unity as a reflection of the divine Godhead, highlighting the underlying unity in all things.
◆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. Passage A discusses unity in the context of the Intellectual order and its perception by the mind, while Passage B uses mathematical and metaphysical symbols to illustrate the idea of unity as a reflection of the Godhead. Both texts emphasize the primacy and necessity of unity in understanding reality.
◆neoplatonism|Select Works of Plotinus|Select Works, Section 636 (part 1)
“Section 16 16.
But here we may be questioned about these numbers which we describe as the primal and authentic: "Where do you place these numbers, in what genus among Beings?
To everyone they seem to come under Quantity and you have certa…”
Both passages explore the concept of unity and number as fundamental aspects of reality, with Passage A discussing the nature of numbers and their relationship to essence in the context of Plotinus' metaphysics, and Passage B discussing the unity of the Godhead and its reflection in the created world. Both texts emphasize the underlying unity that permeates all things, though they approach the topic from different mystical traditions.
◆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 explore the concept of unity as a fundamental aspect of existence, with Passage A discussing unity in the context of beings and soul, and Passage B discussing unity in the context of numbers and the Godhead. Both texts emphasize the distinction between absolute unity and the unity found in created or composite things.
◆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 its relationship to being and the divine. They discuss the distinction between unity and multiplicity, and the nature of the divine as a transcendent unity that underlies all existence.
◆renaissance_hermeticism|The Heroic Enthusiasts, Part I (Gli Eroici Furori)|INTRODUCTIONh
“The primal idea of Pythagoras, which Bruno worked out to a more distinct development is this: numbers are the beginning of things; in other words numbers are the cause of the existence of material things; they are not final, but are always…”
Both passages explore the concept of unity and the divine as the underlying principle of all existence, using numerical and metaphysical analogies to describe the relationship between the One and the many. They share a mystical perspective on the interconnectedness of all things and the ultimate reality of the divine unity.
◆western_esoteric|The Secret Teachings of All Ages (Manly P. Hall)|The Tree of the Sephirothg
“Thomas Maurice reproduces the above engraving, which is modification of the elaborate tree on the preceding page.
The Sephiroth are here superimposed, decreasing in size as they decrease in power and dignity.
Thus, the Crown is the greate…”
Both passages discuss the concept of unity and its reflection in the created world, with Passage A focusing on the Sephiroth and the Tetragrammaton as representations of divine unity and Passage B exploring the underlying unity of the Godhead and its manifestation in the world through numbers and natural forms.