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Select Works of Plotinus · 310 of 752 · tr. Thomas Taylor

Select Works, Section 296 (part 2)

The universe spreads as broad as the presence of soul; the bound of its expansion is the point at which, in its downward egression from the Supreme, it still has soul to bind it in one: it is a shadow as broad as the Reason-Principle proceeding from soul; and that Reason-Principle is of scope to generate a kosmic bulk as vast as lay in the purposes of the Idea [the Divine forming power] which it conveys.
Themes
◆Body As Obstacleanthropology

The material body viewed as a prison, tomb, or source of error that hinders spiritual knowledge and return.

Differences in souls are said to be induced by the bodies with which they have to do, implying material limitation.

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◆Divine Sparkscosmology

Fragments of divine light or spirit trapped inside material bodies, awaiting liberation and return to their source.

Souls are described as springing from a higher, self-same soul, implying a fragmentary origin from a divine source.

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◇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.

[auto] It describes souls springing from a self-same soul which is next to the Divine Mind, indicating a hierarchical flow.

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◇Mystical Unionsoteriology

The merging of the individual soul or self with the divine, transcending personal identity.

[auto] It mentions souls becoming 'Uniate in the achieved fact,' indicating a state of union with the divine.

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◇Paradox As Teachingethics

Using apparent contradiction, reversal, or riddle to destabilise ordinary understanding and induce insight.

[auto] The statement that 'the one soul is also multiple' presents a paradoxical truth typical of mystical teaching.

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◇Soul Migrationcosmology

The transmigration of the soul across lives.

[auto] The passage explicitly references 'previous lives' and states that a soul's life-choice corresponds with its former lives.

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◇Unity Of Beingtheology

The doctrine that all existence is ultimately one substance or one divine reality; non-duality as a theological claim.

[auto] The passage asserts that all souls spring from the same source and that the one soul is also multiple.

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Related passages · 5 parallels
◆christian_mysticism|The Life and Doctrines of Jacob Boehme|Chapter 9 (part 11)
“Unless this distinction of the various aspects of man is kept in mind, we are always exposed to mistaking the leaves of the tree of life for the branches, and the branches for the trunk, and the trunk for the roots. 197:1 Each soul constit…”
Both passages discuss the nature of the soul, its relationship to a higher divine principle, and the concept of individuality within a collective spiritual framework. They also touch on the idea of reincarnation and the influence of past lives on the present state of the soul.
◆christian_mysticism|The Life and Doctrines of Jacob Boehme|Chapter 11 (part 7)
“48.) "The soul and the Word are not one or one being. The soul is born from the centre of nature, from the essences, and belongs to the body, for she issues from the essences of the body, and attracts to herself the body; but the Word is f…”
Both passages discuss the relationship between the soul and a higher divine principle, exploring the nature of their connection and the distinct yet interconnected existence of the soul within a broader cosmic framework. They share a mystical perspective on the soul's relationship with the divine, though they come from different traditions.
◆christian_mysticism|The Life and Doctrines of Jacob Boehme|Chapter 14 (part 8)
“, in the heavenly essentiality (Devachan)—cannot be disturbed by anybody, unless they should wish it themselves, in case that they were very favourably inclined towards some particular soul in harmony with their own. They do not trouble th…”
Both passages discuss the nature of the soul and its relationship to a higher reality. They explore the individuality and infinity of the soul, as well as its connection to other souls and the divine, showing a conceptual parallel in their mystical perspectives.
◆greek_mystery|Orphic Hymns|Front Matter, p. 4 (part 4)
“Hence according to his theology there are two worlds, the intelligible and the sensible. Hence too his three demiurgic principles: Jovial, Dionysiacal, and Adonical, Δΐι#, ( ) Διονυσιακὴ, Αδωναϊκὴ, from whence many orders and differences o…”
Both passages discuss the hierarchical structure of reality, with a emphasis on the role of the soul and intellect. They share the idea of a unified, divine principle that permeates and animates the universe, and the concept of participation in higher realities.
◆hermeticism|Corpus Hermeticum 10: The Sermon on the Mount|Section 1c
“For that the soul who hath no knowledge of the things that are, or knowledge of their nature, or of Good, is blinded by the body's passions and tossed about. This wretched soul, not knowing what she is, becomes the slave of bodies of stran…”
Both passages discuss the nature of the soul, its relationship to the divine, and the concept of virtue and vice. They explore the idea of the soul's connection to the divine and the implications of its choices and knowledge.