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and they are in the midst of all things and are seen by all, but they are not seen by all in the perception of present things; they are indeed in the midst of all things, but beyond their perception they go outside of all things, and having been joined to immaterial things, they are insensible to sensible things. For eyes also see in perception, but insensibly. (186) How? tell me. - I will tell you quickly: as one seeing fire is not burned, so I see insensibly. You see the fire, what sort it is, and you certainly see the flame, but you do not feel pain, but you exist outside of it and seeing you are not burned, insensibly in perception, or how else would you say this? For you are not burned insensibly, but you nevertheless see in perception. Understand that the one who sees spiritually experiences the same thing for me: for the mind, seeing all things dispassionately, also discerns, for instance it sees a beautiful form, but without desire. The fire therefore is the beauty, the touch is desire: if you do not touch the fire, how will you feel pain? In no way! But the mind again, before it desires evilly, will certainly look upon gold just as it looks upon clay, and upon glory not as glory, but as a form of phantoms appearing in the air, and it will reckon wealth just like wood lying as a pile in a desert. Why explain all things, (187) and try to interpret them? Unless you comprehend by experience, you are not able to know these things. But being at a loss to know their natures: Alas, how do I not know these things,

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καί εἰσί τῶν πάντων μέσον καί ὁρῶνται ὑπό πάντων, οὐχ ὁρῶνται δέ τοῖς πᾶσιν ἐν αἰσθήσει τῶν παρόντων˙ μέσον μέν εἰσι τῶν πάντων, ὑπέρ αἴσθησιν δέ τούτων ἔξω γίνονται τῶν πάντων, τοῖς ἀΰλοις συναφθέντες αἰσθητῶν ἀναισθητοῦσιν. Ὀφθαλμοί καί γάρ ὁρῶσιν ἐν αἰσθήσει δ᾿ ἀναισθήτῳ. (186) Πῶς; εἰπέ μοι. - Λέξω τάχος˙ ὡς ὁρῶν τό πῦρ οὐ καίῃ, οὕτως βλέπω ἀναισθήτως. Σύ τό πῦρ ὁρᾷς, ὁποῖον, καί τήν φλόγα πάντως βλέπεις, οὐκ αἰσθάνῃ δέ ὀδύνης, ἀλλ᾿ ὑπάρχεις ἔξω τούτου καί ὁρῶν οὐ κατακαίῃ ἀναισθήτως ἐν αἰσθήσει, ἤ πῶς ἄλλως τοῦτο εἴπῃς; Οὐ γάρ καίῃ ἀναισθήτως, ἐν αἰσθήσει δ᾿ ὅμως βλέπεις. Τό αὐτό μοι νόει πάσχειν τόν πνευματικῶς ὁρῶντα˙ νοῦς γάρ καθορῶν τά πάντα ἀπαθῶς καί διακρίνει, οἷον βλέπει κάλλος ὡραῖον, ἀλλ᾿ ἐκτός ἐπιθυμίας. Τό οὖν πῦρ ἐστι τό κάλλος, ἡ ἁφή ἐπιθυμία˙ εἰ μή σύ τοῦ πυρός ἅψῃ, πῶς ὀδύνης αἰσθανθήσῃ; Οὐδαμῶς! Ὁ νοῦς δέ πάλιν, πρίν κακῶς ἐπιθυμήσει, τόν χρυσόν ὁρῶν ὡσαύτως ὡς πηλόν προσβλέψει πάντως, τήν δέ δόξαν οὐχ ὡς δόξαν, ἀλλ᾿ ὡς εἶδος φαντασμάτων εἰς ἀέρα φαινομένων, καί τόν πλοῦτον ὥσπερ ξύλα λογιεῖται ἐν ἐρήμῳ κατακείμενα στιβάδα. Τί τά πάντα ἐξηγεῖσθαι, (187) ἑρμηνεύειν τε πειρῶμαι; Εἰ μή πείρᾳ καταλάβοις, γνῶναι ταῦτα οὐκ ἰσχύεις. Ἀπορῶν δέ γνῶναι φύσεις˙ Οἴμοι, πῶς οὐκ οἶδα ταῦτα,