Select Works of Plotinus · 167 of 752 · tr. Thomas Taylor
Select Works, Section 172 (part 2)
Now, if the sight of Beauty excellently reproduced upon a face hurries the mind to that other Sphere, surely no one seeing the loveliness lavish in the world of sense- this vast orderliness, the Form which the stars even in their remoteness display- no one could be so dull-witted, so immoveable, as not to be carried by all this to recollection, and gripped by reverent awe in the thought of all this, so great, sprung from that greatness.
Not to answer thus could only be to have neither fathomed this world nor had any vision of that other.
Themes
◇Divine Providencetheology
Pronoia — the doctrine that the divine actively orders the unfolding of the cosmos and human affairs toward intelligible ends, against pure chance or blind necessity.
[auto] The passage explicitly defends Providence and the Lord of Providence against those who carp at it, making it a central theme of the argument.
All passages →◇Rejection Of Hypocrisyethics
Critique of outward religious observance that lacks inner transformation; form without substance.
[auto] The text strongly critiques those who speak of God without virtuous conduct, stating 'God on the lips, without a good conduct of life, is a word.'
All passages →Related passages · 7 parallels
◆christian_mysticism|Pseudo-Dionysius: The Divine Names|Chapter 7, Section 1d
“Furthermore, we must ask how it is that we know God when He cannot be perceived by the mind or the senses and is not a particular Being.
Perhaps ‘tis true to say that we know not God by His Nature (for this is unknowable and beyond the rea…”
Both passages discuss the concept of perceiving the divine through the natural world and the orderliness of creation. They share the idea that the beauty and order in the world serve as a pathway to understanding or recollecting a higher, transcendent reality.
◆greek_mystery|The Golden Verses of Pythagoras|Section 9 (part 2)
“Or in the third place, it is impelled when it is not proper, and to objects to which it ought not to tend.
22.
Endeavour not to conceal your errors p.
49 by words, but to remedy them by reproof.
23.
It is not so difficult to err, as no…”
Both passages emphasize the importance of virtue and the pursuit of a higher, more virtuous life over worldly pleasures and desires. They share a common theme of moral and ethical elevation, though they come from different mystical traditions.
◆greek_mystery|The Golden Verses of Pythagoras|Section 12 (part 5)
“Explanation .--The Symbol may be considered more Pythagorically, beginning from the same principles with those above.
For since nutriment is to be measured by the corporeal and animal nature, and not by a bushel, do not pass your life in i…”
Both passages emphasize the importance of philosophical pursuit and the rejection of material or corporeal desires. They advocate for a higher, intellectual, and spiritual understanding, encouraging the pursuit of wisdom and virtue over worldly pleasures.
◆greek_mystery|The Golden Verses of Pythagoras|Section 13 (part 5)
“Δεύτερον αὖτε Ζῆνα, θεῶν πατέρ᾽ ἠδὲ καὶ ἀνδρῶν, ἀρχόμεναί θ᾽ ὑμνεῦσι θεαὶ λήγουσαί τ' ἀοιδῆς, ὅσσον φέρτατός ἐστι θεῶν κράτεΐ τε μέγιστος.
Αὖτις δ᾽ ἀνθρώπων τε γένος κρατερῶν τε Γιγάντων 50 ὑμνεῦσαι τέρπουσι Διὸς νόον ἐντὸς Ὀλύμπου Μοῦσαι…”
Both passages emphasize the importance of philosophical and spiritual pursuits over worldly and corporeal concerns. They advocate for a higher understanding and virtue, urging individuals to rise above mere animalistic or pleasure-seeking behaviors.
◆platonism|Plato: Phaedrus|Section 1q
“Thus far I have been speaking of the fourth and last kind of madness, which is imputed to him who, when he sees the beauty of earth, is transported with the recollection of the true beauty; he would like to fly away, but he cannot; he is li…”
Both passages discuss the concept of recollecting higher beauty and truth through the observation of earthly beauty, drawing from Platonic thought. They share the idea that the perception of beauty in the physical world can evoke a remembrance of a higher, more perfect beauty.
◆platonism|Plato: Republic|Section 1c
“Moreover, I said, you must not wonder that those who attain to this beatific vision are unwilling to descend to human affairs; for their souls are ever hastening into the upper world where they desire to dwell; which desire of theirs is ver…”
Both passages discuss the ascent of the soul or mind to a higher realm of beauty or truth, and the difficulty of returning to the mundane world. They share a mystical perspective on the nature of reality and the soul's journey.
◆renaissance_hermeticism|The Heroic Enthusiasts, Part I (Gli Eroici Furori)|Fourth Dialoguef
“Hence it follows that not less do we desire to see things unknown and unseen than those known and seen.
And from this it does not follow that the desire does not proceed from cognition, and that we desire something that is not known; but I…”
Both passages discuss the concept of perceiving beauty and how it leads the soul to a higher understanding or recollection of a greater reality. They share a mystical perspective on the relationship between sensory experience and spiritual insight.