Before we had our becoming here, we existed There, men other than now; we were pure souls. PLOTINUS BecomeBeforeExistHadHereMenNowOtherOurPureSoulWe
It is bad enough to be condemned to drag around this image in which nature has imprisoned me. PLOTINUS AroundBadContemedDragEnoughImageImprisonedMeNature
Knowing ourselves, we are beautiful; in self-ignorance, we are ugly. PLOTINUS BeautifulIgnoranceKnowOurselvesSelfUgly
Clearly, either in the Soul alone, or in the Soul as employing the body, or in some third entity deriving from both. And for this third entity, again, there are two possible modes: it might be either a blend or a distinct form due to the blending. PLOTINUS AloneBlendBodyBothCleanDeriveDistinctEitherEmptyEnjoyEntirelyModeSoulThirdTwo
One principle must make the universe a single complex living creature, one from all. PLOTINUS AllComplexCreatureFromaMust MakeOneOurPrincipleSingleUniverse
I am striving to give back the Divine in myself to the Divine in the All. PLOTINUS AllBackDivineGiveMyselfStrive
Nature is but an image of wisdom, the last thing of the soul; nature being a thing which doth only do, but not know. PLOTINUS BeingDothImageKnowLastNatureOnlySoulThingWisdom
The sculptor cuts away here, smoothes there, makes this line lighter, this other purer, until he or she has shown a beautiful face upon the statue. PLOTINUS AwayBeautifulCutHereLighterLineMakeOtherPureSculptorShem ShownSmoothiesStatusUpon
All things are filled full of signs, and it is a wise man who can learn about one thing from another. PLOTINUS All ThingAnotherFillFullLearnManSignThingWise
