Plotinus Quotes

Never did eye see the sun unless it had first become sun-like, and never can the soul have vision of the First Beauty unless itself be beautiful.
PLOTINUS

Beautiful Beauty Become Did Eyes First Itself never See Soul Sun Unless
Being is desirable because it is identical with Beauty, and Beauty is loved because it is Being.
PLOTINUS

Beauty Because Being Desirable Identical Love
We must not run after it, but we must fit ourselves for the vision and then wait tranquilly for it.
PLOTINUS

After Fit For IT Must Ourselves Run Transquilty Wait
We are not separated from spirit, we are in it.
PLOTINUS

Are Drom In IT Separte Spirit
Now we are become a dual thing, no longer that which we were at first, dormant, and in a sense no longer present.
PLOTINUS

Become Dormant Dual Longer No Now Present Sense Thing
Withdraw into yourself and look.
PLOTINUS

And Look Into Withdraw Yourself
Each one of us is part of the soul of the universe
PLOTINUS

Each Of One Part Soul Universe Us
Cut away all that is excessive, straighten all that is crooked, bring light to all that is overcast, labour to make all one glow of beauty and never cease chiselling your statue.
PLOTINUS

All Away Beauty Bring Cease Chiselling Crook Cut Excessive Form Glow Labour Light Make Overcast Straighten
Knowing demands the organ fitted to the object.
PLOTINUS

Demand Fit Know Object Organ
From the Soul using the body as an instrument, it does not follow that the Soul must share the body’s experiences: a man does not himself feel all the experiences of the tools with which he is working.
PLOTINUS

Body Experience Feel Himself Instrument Must Share Soul Took Work
We may treat of the Soul as in the body – whether it be set above it or actually within it – since the association of the two constitutes the one thing called the living organism, the Animate.Now from this relation.
PLOTINUS

Above Actual Association Body Constitute IT May One Set Since Soul Thing Treat Two Whether Within
We ourselves possess Beauty when we are true to our own being; ugliness is in going over to another order.
PLOTINUS

Another Beauty Being Order Our Ourselves Over Own Possess True Ugliness W
We ourselves possess Beauty when we are true to our own being; ugliness is in going over to another order; knowing ourselves, we are beautiful; in self-ignorance, we are ugly.
PLOTINUS

Another Beauty Being Ignorance Order Ourselves Over Own Posses Self True Ugly
The world is knowable, harmonious, and good.
PLOTINUS

Good Harmonious Knowable World
As in certain combinations so words and in all kinds of music; for melodies and cadences are beautiful; and minds that lift themselves above the realm of sense to a higher order are aware of beauty in the conduct of life.
PLOTINUS

Above All Beautiful Beauty Cadence Combination Conduct Higher Kind Life Melodies Mind Sense The Themselves Word
In actions, in character, in the pursuits of the intellect; and there is the beauty of the virtues.
PLOTINUS

Action Beauty Character Imnteelct Pursuit Virtue
Become vision itself.
PLOTINUS

Become Itself Vison
As the eye waits on the rising of the Sun which in its own time appears above the horizon and gives itself to our sight.
PLOTINUS

Appear Eye Give Horizon Itself Our Own Rise Sight Sun Time Wait
The stars are like letters that inscribe themselves at every moment in the sky.
PLOTINUS

Every Inscribe Letter Like Moemmet Sky Star Themselves
And this is the life of the Gods, and of Godlike men, a life without love of the world, a flight of the Alone to the Alone.
PLOTINUS

Alone Flight God Godlike Life Love Men Without World
Mankind is poised midway between the gods and the beasts.
PLOTINUS

Beast Between God Mankind Midway Poison
In this state of absorbed contemplation, there is no longer any question of holding an object in view.
PLOTINUS

Absorb Contemplanation Hold Longer Object Question State View
Beauty addresses itself chiefly to sight, but there is a beauty for the hearing too.
PLOTINUS

Address Beauty Chiefly Hearing Itself Slight Too
There is one and the same soul in many bodies.
PLOTINUS

Body Many One Same Soul There
If someone with the right conduct tries to attain to something that lies outside of it, is his goal not the right conduct.
PLOTINUS

Attain Conduct Goal Lie Outside Right Someone Something
Life here with the things of the earth is a sinking, a defeat, a failing of the wing.
PLOTINUS

Defeat Earth Fall Here Life Sink Thing Wing
One word was uttered and from every side an ear attended and received and there was an effective hearing.
PLOTINUS

Attended Drom Effective Every Hear One Receive Side Utter Word

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