Parmenides Fragment 4

By Ryan Smith

4.1 Gaze upon things which, though far off, are still firmly present to the mind
4.2 For you shall not sever being from holding fast to being
4.3 For it neither scatters itself everywhere, in every way throughout the cosmos,
4.4 Nor gathers itself together.

This fragment asserts that the primordial One is all-permeating, indivisible, and beyond all dualisms. The fragment finds a parallel in the Isha Upanishad, which likewise asserts that the true form of reality is a continuous stretch of absolute being, standing “far, yet near.”[1] ...

  • This article requires site membership. If you are already a member, click here to log in. If you are not a member, go here to create your account and become a member of the IDR Labs community today.