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Select Works of Plotinus · 512 of 752 · tr. Thomas Taylor

Select Works, Section 489

Section 11 11. Similarly any one, unable to see himself, but possessed by that God, has but to bring that divine- within before his consciousness and at once he sees an image of himself, himself lifted to a better beauty: now let him ignore that image, lovely though it is, and sink into a perfect self-identity, no such separation remaining; at once he forms a multiple unity with the God silently present; in the degree of his power and will, the two become one; should he turn back to the former duality, still he is pure and remains very near to the God; he has but to look again and the same presence is there. This conversion brings gain: at the first stage, that of separation, a man is aware of self; but, retreating inwards, he becomes possessor of all; he puts sense away behind him in dread of the separated life and becomes one in the Divine; if he plans to see in separation, he sets himself outside. The novice must hold himself constantly under some image of the Divine Being and seek in the light of a clear conception; knowing thus, in a deep conviction, whither he is going- into what a sublimity he penetrates- he must give himself forthwith to the inner and, radiant with the Divine Intellections [with which he is now one], be no longer the seer but, as that place has made him, the seen. Still, we will be told, one cannot be in beauty and yet fail to see it. The very contrary: to see the divine as something external is to be outside of it; to become it is to be most truly in beauty: since sight deals with the external, there can here be no vision unless in the sense of identification with the object. And this identification amounts to a self-knowing, a self-consciousness, guarded by the fear of losing the self in the desire of a too wide awareness. It must be remembered that sensations of the ugly and evil impress us more violently than those of what is agreeable and yet leave less knowledge as the residue of the shock: sickness makes the rougher mark, but health, tranquilly present, explains itself better; it takes the first place, it is the natural thing, it belongs to our being; illness is alien, unnatural and thus makes itself felt by its very incongruity, while the other conditions are native and we take no notice. Such being our nature, we are most completely aware of ourselves when we are most completely identified with the object of our knowledge. This is why in that other sphere, when we are deepest in that knowledge by intellection, we are aware of none; we are expecting some impression on sense, which has nothing to report since it has seen nothing and never could in that order see anything. The unbelieving element is sense; it is the other, the Intellectual-Principle, that sees; and if this too doubted, it could not even credit its own existence, for it can never stand away and with bodily eyes apprehend itself as a visible object.
Themes
◆Apophatic Theologytheology

Describing the divine only by negation—God transcends all positive categories and concepts; the via negativa.

The critique of knowledge as a 'mass of theorems' for the Supreme hints at the inadequacy of positive categories.

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◇Divine Simplicitytheology

The doctrine that God has no parts, divisions, or composite attributes; pure undivided being.

[auto] The assertion that 'all is one' and the essence is wisdom implies a non-composite, simple divine reality.

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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] The text notes that beings 'sprang into being with it' and 'follow it', suggesting a flow from a higher source.

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◇Gnosis Direct Knowledgesoteriology

Salvation through direct experiential knowledge of the divine nature, not through faith, ritual, or moral works alone.

[auto] The text contrasts discursive knowledge ('mass of theorems') with direct 'knowing in the Supreme', emphasizing experiential understanding over propositions.

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◇Kingdom Withinanthropology

The claim that the divine realm is present inside the individual, accessible without external mediation.

[auto] The reference to knowledge not being a stranger to itself suggests the divine realm is accessible internally without external mediation.

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◇Logoscosmology

The divine reason, word, or ordering principle through which the universe was created; mediates between the transcendent God and the material world.

[auto] Wisdom is described as having 'made all' and embracing real Beings, functioning as the divine ordering principle of creation.

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◇Monadcosmology

The absolutely simple, undivided first principle from which all multiplicity and existence flows.

[auto] The reference to the 'Supreme' where 'all is one' aligns with the concept of an undivided first principle from which existence flows.

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◇Mystical Unionsoteriology

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

[auto] It describes wisdom as being 'itself those beings', indicating an identity or merging between the divine essence and the created real Beings.

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◇Opposites Transcendedanthropology

The dissolution of binary oppositions (male/female, inner/outer, above/below) as a mark of spiritual completion.

[auto] By stating the wisdom 'is itself those beings', the passage dissolves the binary opposition between creator and creation.

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◇Self Knowledgesoteriology

The recognition of one's own true divine nature as the primary path to liberation; 'know thyself' as soteriology.

[auto] The citation of Plato regarding knowledge 'not a stranger in something strange to it' points to the recognition of one's own divine nature.

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◇Spiritual Ascentpraxis

A staged journey of the soul upward through heavenly realms or levels of being toward the divine source.

[auto] The author advises leaving 'sciences of the sense-realm' to deal with the 'knowing in the Supreme', indicating an upward movement of thought.

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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 explicitly states 'so that all is one', asserting the fundamental non-duality of existence in the Supreme.

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Related passages · 8 parallels
◆buddhism|Vajrakkhedika (Diamond Cutter)|Section 1q
“Free from self, free from being, free from life, free from personality, that highest perfect knowledge is always the same, and thus known with all good things. And why? Because, what were preached as good things, good things indeed, O Sub…”
Both passages discuss the nature of ultimate reality and knowledge, emphasizing the unity and non-duality of existence. Plotinus speaks of the One as encompassing all beings and being wisdom itself, while the Buddhist text discusses the highest perfect knowledge as being free from self, being, and personality, highlighting the non-dual nature of reality.
◆christian_mysticism|The Life and Doctrines of Jacob Boehme|Chapter 1 (part 1)
“p. 33 THE DOCTRINES OF JACOB BOEHME. "Our whole doctrine is nothing else but an instruction to show how man may create a kingdom of light within himself. . . . He in whom this spring of divine power flows, carries within himself the d…”
Both passages discuss the concept of union with the divine and the transformation of self through this union. They emphasize the idea of moving beyond the physical and intellectual to achieve a higher state of being and knowledge.
◆christian_mysticism|The Life and Doctrines of Jacob Boehme|Chapter 1 (part 4)
“Let them, therefore, again go out with their will from their wilful ignorance or malignity and enter again into the will of God." ( Menschwerdung , 3, 5.) All this goes to show that it is useless and vain to seek for divine wisdom, meaning…”
Both passages emphasize the importance of inner knowledge and the unity of wisdom with the divine. Plotinus discusses the unity of wisdom and being in the Supreme, while Boehme focuses on recognizing the divine within oneself, highlighting the need to transcend personal will and desires to attain divine wisdom.
◆christian_mysticism|The Life and Doctrines of Jacob Boehme|Chapter 1 (part 10)
“It is itself the most secret thing, which can be known by no one except by him who has experienced it; neither do those that live entirely within the realm of animality, or within that of the speculating intellect, believe that such a state…”
Both passages discuss the nature of divine wisdom or knowledge that transcends ordinary human understanding. They emphasize that this wisdom is not acquired through conventional means like study or intellectual pursuit but is rather a direct experience or gift from a higher power.
◆christian_mysticism|The Life and Doctrines of Jacob Boehme|Chapter 5 (part 10)
“119 The evil spirits are especially inimical to man; but they cannot injure him if his will is directed towards the divine, and if he does not permit himself to be captured by evil desire. No man, except he who is regenerated in the spirit…”
Both passages discuss the concept of union with the divine and the transformation of the self through this union. They emphasize the importance of inner focus and the rejection of external, sensory perceptions to achieve a higher state of being.
◆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 discuss the concept of unity with the divine or the universal. Passage A describes the process of becoming one with the divine through intellection and self-identification, while Passage B discusses the manifestation of the internal being and the identification with the All. Both emphasize the transformation and unity achieved through inner awareness and identification with a higher reality.
◆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 concept of ascending to a higher state of being or knowledge, where the soul or self becomes united with the divine or the form of the good. They also explore the difficulty of returning to the ordinary world after such an experience.
◆renaissance_hermeticism|The Heroic Enthusiasts, Part I (Gli Eroici Furori)|Third Dialoguee
“Others esteem him unhappy through this appearance of an evil destiny, as being condemned to these pangs, for he will never cease from acknowledging the obligation he is under to love, nor cease from rendering thanks to him because he has pr…”
Both passages discuss the mystical experience of union with the divine, emphasizing the transcendence of sensory perception and the identification of the self with the divine. They share the theme of moving beyond duality to achieve a state of unity and self-knowledge through divine contemplation.