42# 除此以外更当知晓：爱与智慧分有三等，生命亦随之分为三等；人的心智依此等次构筑，如同划分为层层区域。最高区域承载最高等次的生命，第二区域承载次一等的生命，最末区域承载最低等次的生命。
人内里诸区域循序开启：最末区域，也就是生命居于最低等次之处，自婴孩至孩童阶段逐步开启，依托各类知识得以成形；第二区域，承载较高等次生命，自孩童至少年阶段开启，依托由知识生发的思辨而成熟；最高区域，容纳最高等次生命，自少年至青年并往后持续开启，依托人对道德真理与属灵真理的内在感知而通达。
更有一层要义须知：生命的成全不在于单纯思辨，而在于凭借真理之光而生发的、对真理的真切感知。由此便能分辨人与人之间生命层次的悬殊。
有的人听闻真理，当下便能直辨其为真，这类人在灵性世界以鹰为象征；有的人无法直感真理，只能依托外在表象推演、佐证事理，这类人以鸣禽为象征；有的人认定某事为真理，只因权威者如此言说，这类人以喜鹊为象征。
另有一类人，既不愿、亦不能体察真理，唯独能接纳伪谬；根源在于他们身处愚昧之光，在此光景之中，伪谬看似确凿真理，真理却如同隐没在头顶厚重乌云里的微光，或是转瞬即逝的流星，乃至被视作伪妄之物。这类人的思虑以猫头鹰象征，言语以夜枭象征；其中已然坚执、印证自身伪谬之人，甚至不堪听闻真理。一旦真理传入耳畔，便心生厌弃将其摒除，恰似盛满胆汁的胃腑，因反胃作呕而吐出食物一般。
42# 此外，重要的是要知道，爱与智慧有三个层级，因而生命也有三个层级；人的心智可以说照着这些层级而形成三个区域；在最高区域，生命处于最高层级，在第二个区域，生命处于次高层级，在最低或最外在的区域，生命处于最低层级。这些区域在人里面相继被打开：从婴孩直到童年时期，最低或最外在的区域，就是生命处于最低层级的地方被打开，这是通过知识实现的；从童年时期直到青少年时期，第二个区域，就是生命处于更高或更大层级的地方被打开，这是通过基于知识的思维实现的；从青年直到成年及以后，最高区域，就是生命处于最高层级的地方被打开，这是通过对道德和属灵真理的感知实现的。此外，必须知道的是，生命的完美不在于思考，而是在于从真理之光中感知真理。由此可以推断，人的生命何等不同；因为有些人一听到真理，就立刻感知到这是真理；在灵界，这些人以鹰来代表（就思维而言）。有些人对真理没有感知，而是从基于表象的确认或论据中得出结论；这些人以歌唱的鸟儿来代表。还有一些人视权威人士所宣称的为真理，这些人以喜鹊来代表。最后，有一些人没有对感知真理的渴望和能力，只有对感知虚假的渴望和能力，因为他们处于一种幻光，在这种光中，虚假看似真理，真理要么看似隐藏在头顶上密云中的某种东西，要么看似流星，甚至看似虚假。这些人的思维以夜鸟来代表，他们的言语以尖叫的猫头鹰来代表。在这类人当中，那些确认虚假的人不能忍受听到真理，真理一传到他们的耳朵里，他们就会厌恶地排斥它，就像胆汁过多的胃因恶心而呕吐食物一样。
42. It is also important to know that there are three levels of love and wisdom, and therefore there are three levels of life. The human mind is formed into areas that go with these levels. The life in the highest area of the mind is the highest level of life. The life in the middle area of the mind is a lesser level of life. The life in the lowest area of the mind is the lowest level of life.
These areas in us are opened one after the other. The lowest area of the mind, where there is the lowest level of life, is opened during childhood and adolescence, by means of factual information. The second area of the mind, where there is a greater level of life, is opened during adolescence and early adulthood, by means of thought that builds on factual information. The highest area of the mind, where there is the highest level of life, is opened during early adulthood, middle age, and beyond, by means of perceiving both moral and spiritual truths.
Another important thing to know is that life in its greatest perfection is not thinking; it is perceiving truth in the light of truth. The level of this perception in people can be used to determine what level of life they have. For example, there are people who, immediately upon hearing something true, perceive the truth of it. In the spiritual world they are represented as eagles. Then there are people who do not perceive what is true, but they do arrive at truth from argumentation based on other things that are apparent. They are represented as songbirds. There are people who believe something to be true because it was decreed by a man in authority. They are represented as jays or magpies.
There are also some who are unwilling and others who are unable to perceive what is true; they can perceive only what is false. The reason is that the light they are in is faint and deceptive. In that light what is false seems true, and what is true seems like something hidden in a thick cloud overhead or like a shooting star; or else it just seems false. Such people's thoughts are represented as night birds, and their speaking as screech owls. Those among them who have become adamant in their own false impressions cannot stand to hear things that are true. As soon as anything true reaches the outermost part of their ear, they reject it in disgust much the way a nauseous stomach distended with bile will regurgitate food.
42. It should also be known that there are three degrees of love and wisdom, and so three degrees of life; and the human mind is formed into three regions corresponding to these degrees. Life in the highest region is in its highest degree, in the second in a lesser degree, and in the last in the lowest degree. These regions are opened up successively as a person grows up. The last region, where life is in its lowest degree, is opened up from infancy to childhood, as different kinds of knowledge are acquired. The second degree, where life is in a greater degree, is opened up, from childhood to adolescence, as the result of thinking based on knowledge. The highest degree, where life is in its highest degree, is opened up from adolescence to early manhood and beyond; and this is brought about by grasping both moral and spiritual truths.
[2] It should further be known that perfection of life consists not in thought but in perceiving truth in the light of truth. From this one can deduce how different people's lives are. There are those who at once on hearing a truth perceive that it is true; these are represented in the spiritual world by eagles. There are those who do not perceive a truth, but deduce it as the result of arguments based upon appearances; these are represented by song-birds. There are those who believe a truth at the behest of an authoritative speaker; these are represented by magpies. There are also those who do not wish to and those who cannot perceive a truth, but only falsity. The reason is that they live in a deceptive light, and this makes a falsity look like truth, and a truth either as something overhead wrapped in thick cloud, or as a meteor, or even as falsity. Their thinking is represented by little owls and their speaking by screech-owls. Those of them who have convinced themselves of their false beliefs cannot bear to hear truths, and as soon as any truth knocks at the door of their ears, they turn away and reject it, very much as a stomach crammed with bilious matter is nauseated by food and vomits it up.
42. Furthermore, it must be understood that there are three degrees of love and wisdom, and consequently three degrees of life, and that the human mind is formed into regions, as it were, in accordance with these degrees; and that in the highest region life is in its highest degree, in the second region in a less degree, and in the outmost region in the lowest degree. These regions are opened in men successively-the outmost region, where there is life in the lowest degree, from infancy to childhood; and this is done by means of knowledges: the second region, where there is life in a larger degree, from childhood to youth; and this is done by means of thought from knowledges: and the highest region, where there is life in the highest degree, from youth to early manhood and onward; and this is done by means of perceptions of moral and spiritual truths. It must be further understood that it is not in thought that the perfection of life consists, but in the perception of truth from the light of truth. From this it may be inferred what the differences of life are in men; for there are some who the moment they hear a truth perceive that it is true; and these in the spiritual world are represented by eagles. There are others who have no perception of truth, but reach conclusions by means of confirmations from appearances; and these are represented by singing birds. Others believe a thing to be true because it has been asserted by a man of authority; these are represented by magpies. Finally, there are some who have no desire and no ability to perceive what is true, but only what is false, for the reason that they are in a delusive light, in which falsity appears to be true, and what is true seems either like something overhead concealed in a dense cloud, or like a meteor, or like something false. The thoughts of these are represented by birds of night, and their speech by screech owls. Of this class those that have confirmed their falsities cannot bear to hear truths, and the moment any truth strikes the ear they repel it with aversion, as a stomach overcharged with bile from nausea vomits its food.
42. Moreover it should be known that there are three degrees of love and wisdom, and consequently three degrees of life; and that according to these degrees, the human mind is as it were formed into regions. Life in the highest region is in the highest degree, in the second region in a lower degree, and in the ultimate region in the lowest degree. These regions are opened up successively in man. The ultimate region, where life is in the lowest degree, is opened during infancy to childhood, and this is effected by means of knowledge. The second region, where life is in a higher degree, is opened from childhood to youth, and this is effected by means of thought from knowledge; and the highest region, where life is in the highest degree, is opened from youth to manhood and onwards, and this is effected by means of perception of moral and spiritual truths. Further it should be known that the perfection of life does not consist in thought, but in the perception of truth from the light of truth. From this fact the differences in the life of men may be determined; for there are some who, immediately on hearing truth, perceive that it is truth, and these in the spiritual world are represented (as to their thoughts) by eagles. 1 There are others who do not at once perceive truth, but who conclude that it is so from confirmation by appearances, and these are represented by singing birds. Others again accept as truth what is asserted on the authority, and these are represented by magpies. There are yet others who are neither willing nor indeed able to perceive truth but only falsity, because they are in that delusive light in which falsity appears as truth and truth either as something hidden above their heads in a dense cloud, or as a meteor, or even as falsity, and their thoughts are represented by birds of night, and their speech by screech-owls. Those among them who have confirmed their falsities, cannot bear to hear truths; and as soon as any truth reaches their ears they repel it with aversion, as a bilious stomach rejects food with loathing.
Footnotes:
1. This addition in parentheses is in accordance with what is said lower: horum cogitationes repraesentantur per noctuas.
42. Praeter haec sciendum est, quod tres gradus amoris et sapientiae, et inde tres gradus vitae sint, et quod Mens humana secundum hos gradus sicut in regiones formata sit, et quod vita in suprema regione in supremo gradu sit, in secunda regione in minore gradu, et quod in ultima regione in infimo gradu; hae regiones aperiuntur successive apud homines; ultima regio, ubi vita in infimo gradu est, ab infantia ad pueritiam, et hoc fit per scientias; secunda regio, ubi vita est in majore gradu, a pueritia ad adolescentiam, et hoc fit per cogitationes ex scientiis; et suprema regio, ubi vita in supremo gradu est, ab adolescentia 1 ad juventatem, et porro, et hoc 2 fit per perceptiones veritatum et moralium et spiritualium:
[2] ulterius sciendum 3 est, quod perfectio vitae non consistat in cogitatione, sed in perceptione veri ex luce veri; differentiae vitae apud homines inde possunt concludi; dantur enim qui illico dum audiunt verum, percipiunt quod verum sit, hi in Mundo spirituali repraesentantur per aquilas; dantur qui non percipiunt verum, sed concludunt illud ex confirmationibus per apparentias, hi repraesentantur per aves canoras; dantur qui credunt verum esse, quia dictatum a viro auctoritatis, hi repraesentantur per picas; et insuper dantur, qui non volunt, tum qui non possunt, percipere verum, sed modo falsum, causa est, quia in luce fatua sunt, in qua luce falsum apparet sicut verum, ac verum vel sicut aliquod supra caput in densa nube, absconditum, vel sicut meteoron, vel sicut falsum, horum cogitationes repraesentantur per noctuas, et loquelae per ululas; illi ex his, qui confirmaverunt sua falsa, non sustinent audire vera, ac ut primum aliquod verum auris eorum ostium pulsat, ex aversatione repellunt illud, vix aliter quam stomachus biliosis differtus cibum ex nausea evomit.
Footnotes: