Select Works of Plotinus · 377 of 752 · tr. Thomas Taylor
Select Works, Section 356
Section 36 36. The Universe is immensely varied, the container of all the Reason-Principles and of infinite and diverse efficacies. In man, we are told, the eye has its power, and the bones have their varied powers, and so with each separate part of hand and of foot; and there is no member or organ without its own definite function, some separate power of its own- a diversity of which we can have no notion unless our studies take that direction. What is true of man must be true of the universe, and much more, since all this order is but a representation of the higher: it must contain an untellably wonderful variety of powers, with which, of course, the bodies moving through the heavens will be most richly endowed. We cannot think of the universe as a soulless habitation, however vast and varied, a thing of materials easily told off, kind by kind- wood and stone and whatever else there be, all blending into a kosmos: it must be alert throughout, every member living by its own life, nothing that can have existence failing to exist within it. And here we have the solution of the problem, "How an ensouled living form can include the soulless": for this account allows grades of living within the whole, grades to some of which we deny life only because they are not perceptibly self-moved: in the truth, all of these have a hidden life; and the thing whose life is patent to sense is made up of things which do not live to sense, but, none the less, confer upon their resultant total wonderful powers towards living. Man would never have reached to his actual height if the powers by which he acts were the completely soulless elements of his being; similarly the All could not have its huge life unless its every member had a life of its own; this however does not necessarily imply a deliberate intention; the All has no need of intention to bring about its acts: it is older than intention, and therefore its powers have many servitors.
Themes
◆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 details how major and minor members are coordinated by relations established within the system, reflecting a structured order at every level.
All passages →◆Living Godtheology
The divine conceived as active, present, and dynamic—not an abstract principle but a personal responsive reality.
The phrase 'Reason-Principle of the living whole' suggests a dynamic, active divine reality rather than an abstract static principle.
All passages →◇Cosmic Sympathycosmology
The Stoic and Plotinian doctrine that all parts of the cosmos are bound by hidden affinities, so that a movement in one part resonates through the whole; the metaphysical basis for astrology, magic, and divination.
[auto] The passage explicitly describes how every configuration within the Circuit causes changes in subordinate things, creating a unified rhythmic movement where parts resonate with the whole.
All passages →◇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 text states the Circuit does not go by chance but under the Reason-Principle, indicating an active divine ordering of the cosmos toward intelligible ends.
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.
[auto] References to 'cause and caused' and things being 'subordinate' to the Reason-Principle imply a hierarchical structure of existence.
All passages →◇Logoscosmology
The divine reason, word, or ordering principle through which the universe was created; mediates between the transcendent God and the material world.
[auto] The passage explicitly identifies the 'Reason-Principle' as the governing force of the living whole and the source of cosmic order.
All passages →◇Unity Of Beingtheology
The doctrine that all existence is ultimately one substance or one divine reality; non-duality as a theological claim.
[auto] The text describes varied movements and configurations making up 'one total dance-play', emphasizing the interconnected unity of the cosmos.
All passages →Related passages · 24 parallels
◆christian_mysticism|Pseudo-Dionysius: The Divine Names|Chapter 13, Section 1b
“abundant and inexhaustible supple, whereby It perfects all perfect 498 498 “Perfect,” a term taken from the Mysteries expressing the final state of the initiated.
things and fills them with Its own Perfection.
2.
And the title “One” impl…”
Both passages explore the unity and multiplicity within the universe, emphasizing the underlying oneness that permeates all things. Pseudo-Dionysius discusses the One as the cause of all things, while Plotinus describes the universe as a living, ensouled entity with diverse powers, both highlighting the interconnectedness of all existence.
◆christian_mysticism|Pseudo-Dionysius: The Divine Names|Chapter 2, Section 1g
“Their ultimate nature, which they possess in their own original being, is beyond Mind and beyond all Being and Knowledge.
203 203 Even the Differentiations finally lead us up into the Undifferenced Godhead Where they transcend themselves.…”
Both passages explore the concept of a transcendent, ultimate reality that is beyond human comprehension and the manifestation of divine powers or principles in the created world. They discuss the hierarchy and diversity of these powers, though from different theological and philosophical perspectives.
◆christian_mysticism|Pseudo-Dionysius: The Divine Names|Chapter 4, Section 1t
“For in the case of other qualities, such as heat or cold, the things which have been warmed have their being even when they lose their warmth, and many of the creatures there are which have no life or mind; and in like manner God transcende…”
Both passages discuss the relationship between the Good (or divine principles) and existence. Pseudo-Dionysius emphasizes that all being derives from the Good, while Plotinus (Select Works) explains the hierarchy of life and soul within the universe, suggesting that all parts of the cosmos have a hidden life connected to the divine.
◆christian_mysticism|Pseudo-Dionysius: The Divine Names|Chapter 6, Section 1b
“And wherever (under the form of intelligence, reason, sensation, nutrition, growth, or any mode whatsoever) you find life or the 146 Principle of life or the Essence of life, there you find that which lives and imparts life from the Life tr…”
Both passages discuss the concept of a supreme, undifferentiated life force that permeates all living things and gives them their individual lives. They also explore the idea of a hierarchy or grades of life within the universe.
◆christian_mysticism|Pseudo-Dionysius: The Divine Names|Chapter 8, Section 1b
“From this Source come the Godlike Powers of the Angelic Orders; from this Source they immutably possess their being and all the ceaseless and immortal motions of their spiritual life; and their very stability and unfailing desire for the Go…”
Both passages discuss the pervasive power of a divine source that sustains and animates all aspects of the universe, including various forms of life and natural elements. They share a conceptual parallel in emphasizing the interconnectedness and harmony of all things within the cosmos, governed by divine principles.
◆christian_mysticism|Pseudo-Dionysius: The Divine Names|Chapter 8, Section 1e
“It thus = (1) “equality”; (2) “rightness.” D.
maintains that all things possess the latter though not the former.
421 The highest power our minds can conceive is that of the angels.
But God has the dominion over them, and hence His power…”
Both passages discuss the nature of divine power and its relationship to the created world. They explore the idea of divine energy being undifferentiated and transcendent, and the variety of powers within the universe. However, they come from different mystical traditions, Pseudo-Dionysius from Christian mysticism and Plotinus from Neoplatonism.
◆christian_mysticism|Pseudo-Dionysius: The Divine Names|Chapter 9, Section 1a
“162 CHAPTER IX Concerning ” Great ,” ” Small ,” ” Same ,” ” Different ,” ” Like ,” “ Unlike ,” ” Standing ,” ” Motion ,” ” Equality .” 1.
Now , since Greatness and Smallness are ascribed to the Universal Cause, and Sameness and Difference,…”
Both passages explore the nature of the divine and its relationship to the universe, emphasizing the transcendent and immanent aspects of the divine. They both discuss the divine's ability to be both great and small, and to penetrate all things, though from different theological perspectives.
◆christian_mysticism|Pseudo-Dionysius: The Divine Names|Chapter 9, Section 1b
“Dante passes outwards through the concentric spheres of space to the Empyrean which is beyond space and encloses it.
There he sees the Empyrean as a point and his whole journey from sphere to sphere as a journey inwards instead of outwards…”
Both passages explore the concept of a divine unity that encompasses all things and provides the underlying reality of their existence. They discuss the idea of a transcendent source that contains all potentialities and differences within a unified whole.
◆christian_mysticism|The Life and Doctrines of Jacob Boehme|Chapter 2 (part 1)
“p.
58 CHAPTER II.
THE UNITY OF THE ALL.
"We are all one body in Christ, and have all the Spirit of Christ within our reach.
If, then, we enter into the Christ, we may see and know everything by the power of His Spirit." ( Forty Question…”
Both passages explore the limitations of human understanding in comprehending the infinite and eternal nature of the divine or the universe. They both acknowledge the difficulty in describing the divine or the universe using terrestrial terms and concepts, highlighting the need for a higher perspective or spiritual insight.
◆christian_mysticism|The Life and Doctrines of Jacob Boehme|Chapter 6 (part 10)
“126:1 The six "days" are the activities of the seven forms of eternal nature, the seventh is their centre or rest, or the "temperature." In the seventh, "God" appears as the "Christ." (See Grace , iii.
39.) 128:1 Three is the number of for…”
Both passages discuss the interconnectedness of all things in the universe and the presence of various principles or powers within both man and the cosmos. They share a mystical perspective that sees the universe as an organized unity with different levels of existence and consciousness.
14 more
◆christian_mysticism|The Life and Doctrines of Jacob Boehme|Chapter 8 (part 1)
“p.
164 CHAPTER VIII.
NATURE, OR THE THIRD PRINCIPLE.
"The godless seeks for God outside of his own self, and the Christless sectarians seek for a personal Christ in history; but the man of God and the true Christian know God and Christ w…”
Both passages explore the relationship between the divine and the material world, emphasizing the interconnectedness and the manifestation of divine principles in the physical realm. They share a mystical perspective on creation and the presence of divine qualities within the universe.
◆christian_mysticism|The Life and Doctrines of Jacob Boehme|Chapter 8 (part 8)
“For the internal being is continually labouring to manifest itself outwardly.
Thus everything has its own mouth for the purpose of revealing itself, and therein is based the language of nature, by means of which each thing speaks out of it…”
Both passages explore the interconnectedness of the universe and the manifestation of internal qualities outwardly. They discuss the idea that all things, including humans and cosmic bodies, have an internal essence that seeks to express itself, and that the universe is a living, interconnected whole.
◆christian_mysticism|The Life and Doctrines of Jacob Boehme|Chapter 10 (part 16)
“21.) "If there were even a thousand persons well taught by God and regenerated in the Spirit of Christ assembled together, and if each of them had his own particular gift and self-knowledge in God, nevertheless they would all be one in the…”
Both passages emphasize the unity and interconnectedness of different parts within a greater whole, whether it be the body of Christ or the universe. They also highlight the unique functions and powers of individual members or elements within that whole.
◆christian_mysticism|The Life and Doctrines of Jacob Boehme|Chapter 11 (part 11)
“421.) 239:1 It is universal and nevertheless individual, like that of a god.
239:2 This would be like imagining that the trunk of a tree was dwelling within the leaves.
240:1 The universal life and the individual life are only one princip…”
Both passages discuss the interconnectedness of the universal and individual life, emphasizing that the universe and its components are interconnected and alive with their own principles or powers. They share a mystical perspective on the unity and diversity of life.
◆greek_mystery|Orphic Hymns|Hymn XXXIII. APOLLO (part 3)
“Ζεὺς δέ τε πάντων ἐςὶ ϑεὸς, πάντων τε κεραςὴς, Πνέυμασι συζι#ων, ( ) φωναῖσι τε ἀερομικτοις· That is, "But Jupiter is the God of all, and the mingler of all things; whistling with the breathing winds and aerial voices." And this perfectly a…”
Both passages discuss the unity and diversity of the universe, with Passage A focusing on Apollo as the demiurgus containing all archetypal ideas and Passage B describing the universe as a varied, ensouled living form with diverse powers. Both emphasize the interconnectedness and the hierarchical structure of existence within their respective mystical traditions.
◆hermeticism|Corpus Hermeticum 2: The Serapeum|Section 1b
“A: How is it, then, that things down here, Thrice-greatest one, are moved with those that are [already] moved?
For thou hast said the errant spheres were moved by the inerrant one.
H: This is not, O Asclepius, a moving with, but one again…”
Both passages discuss the interconnectedness and harmony within the cosmos, emphasizing the role of a higher principle or cause that governs the movements and positions of all things. They share a mystical perspective on the unity and order of the universe.
◆hermeticism|Corpus Hermeticum 10: The Sermon on the Mount|Section 1f
“But God is o'er them all, and God contains them all.
God's rays, to use a figure, are His energies; the Cosmos's are natures, the arts and sciences are man's.
The energies act through the Cosmos, thence through the nature-rays of Cosmos u…”
Both passages discuss the hierarchical structure of the universe and the role of the divine mind or reason-principles in governing both the cosmos and humanity. They emphasize the interconnectedness and the varying degrees of life and consciousness within the universe.
◆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 discuss the unity and diversity of creation, the role of a single divine principle in animating all things, and the hierarchical nature of existence. They share a monistic view of the universe, where all things are interconnected and derived from a single source.
◆hermeticism|Corpus Hermeticum 11: The Hymn|Section 1e
“And, thus, think from thyself, and bid thy soul go unto any land, and there more quickly than thy bidding will it be.
And bid it journey oceanwards; and there, again, immediately 'twill be, not as if passing on from place to place, but as…”
Both passages explore the nature of the divine and the human soul's relationship to it. They emphasize the omnipresence and omnipotence of the divine, and the potential for the human soul to transcend physical limitations to understand the divine. However, they come from different mystical traditions, Hermeticism and Neoplatonism, respectively.
◆western_esoteric|Tertium Organum (P.D. Ouspensky)|Chapter XIII (part 8)
“They may vary infinitely, i.e., may seem various, ever new from some new standpoint, but they cannot utterly vanish, any more than they can cease, come to an end.
All that is highest to which we shall come in the understanding of the meani…”
Both passages explore the idea of infinite complexity and the interconnectedness of phenomena. They discuss how our understanding of the world changes with different perspectives and emphasize the idea that what appears simple or isolated may be part of a much more complex and interconnected whole.
◆western_esoteric|Tertium Organum (P.D. Ouspensky)|Chapter XVI (part 8)
“188 So writes Schopenhauer in his Counsels and Maxims , and indeed it is very effectively expressed, but we have no foundation whatsoever for regarding man as the summit of that which nature has created.
This is only THE HIGHEST THAT WE KN…”
Both passages explore the relationship between matter and spirit, or the physical and the psychic, and grapple with the limitations of language and perception in understanding the unity of the universe. They both argue for a more nuanced view that acknowledges the complexity and interdependence of different principles.
◆western_esoteric|Tertium Organum (P.D. Ouspensky)|Chapter XVII (part 4)
“"It is not the Adam of dust (of Chapter II) who is thus made in the divine image, but the Divine Androgyne (of Chapter I), or Adam Kadmon." ADAM KADMON is HUMANITY, or humankind— Homo Sapiens —the SPHYNX, i.e., "the being with the body of a…”
Both passages discuss the idea of a complex, interconnected whole composed of diverse, living parts. Plotinus describes the universe as a living entity with various grades of life, while the second passage describes the human being as a complex system of diverse 'I's' and components, each contributing to the whole.
◆western_esoteric|Tertium Organum (P.D. Ouspensky)|Chapter XVII (part 6)
“206 everything that lies usually in the remote depths of memory, in the past; all that lies at a remote distance from him; all that lies in the future.
C.
H.
Hinton very well says, in regard to beings of other sections of the world: By t…”
Both passages discuss the idea of higher beings or intelligences and the need to develop perception to understand them. They also explore the concept of unity and life in nature, suggesting that all elements are interconnected and possess some form of life or consciousness.
◆western_esoteric|Tertium Organum (P.D. Ouspensky)|Chapter XVII (part 8)
“Doesn't this show a singularly indigent imagination?
Isn't this brave universe made on a richer pattern, with room in it for a long hierarchy of beings?
Materialistic science makes it infinitely richer in terms, with its molecules, and et…”
Both passages discuss the idea of a hierarchical and interconnected universe, where different levels of consciousness and life exist. They both emphasize the importance of analogy and the interconnectedness of all beings, from the smallest to the largest, including the concept of a collective consciousness or soul for the Earth and the universe.