183、记事二：
我在东部地区发现一片排列成螺旋形的棕榈树和月桂树的树林，便走了进去，沿着几条弯弯曲曲的小径行走。在这些小径的尽头，我看见一个花园，占据了小树林的核心。有一座小桥将这二者分开，桥上树林这一侧和花园那一侧各有一扇门。我走近后，守卫打开大门。我问他这花园叫什么，他回答说：“叫安德拉曼多尼（音译Adramandoni），意思是婚姻之爱的快乐。”我便进去，看见一片橄榄树，藤蔓在树与树之间缠连，并垂了下来。树下面和之间是开花的灌木丛。花园中间是一圈草坪，成双成对的夫妻和少男少女正坐在上面。这圈草坪中央一块凸起的地面上有一个小喷泉，由于水压向空中喷射。接近这圈草坪后，我看见两位身穿紫色和朱红色衣服的天使正和坐在草坪上的人交谈；他们谈论的是婚姻之爱的源头及其快乐。由于主题是婚姻之爱，所以他们迫不急待、全神贯注地倾听，仿佛被天使话中的爱情火焰所振奋。
我从他们的谈话总结了以下几点：他们首先谈到探究和察觉婚姻之爱源头的困难，因为这爱有一个属天的神性源头；该源头就是神性之爱、神性智慧和神性功用。这三者作为一体从主发出，因而作为一体流入人们的灵魂，并通过他们的灵魂流入他们的心智和那里的内在情感和思维；再通过这些情感和思维流入紧贴身体的欲望，并从这些欲望经由胸腔流入生殖区。在此，源于最初源头的一切事物同时存在，并连同它们的连续元素一起构成婚姻之爱。之后，天使又说：“我们以问答的形式来交流；因为当唯独靠倾听取得一个主题时，对该主题的领悟的确会流入进来，但若听者不凭自己思考它，并提出问题，它就不会存留下来。”
于是，一些夫妇就对天使说：“我们听到说，婚姻之爱有一个属天的神性源头，因为它出自主向人灵魂的流注；其源头因来自主，故是爱、智慧和功用，这些就是一起构成一个神性本质的三个本质属性。我们还听到说，除了属于神性本质的事物外，没有什么东西能从主发出并流入人的至内层，也就是所谓的灵魂；而且，这三个本质属性在降至身体的过程中，会转变为类似和相对应的事物。所以，我们现在问的第一个问题是：从神性发出的第三个本质属性，就是所谓的功用是指什么？”这位天使回答说：“若没有功用，爱和智慧纯粹是抽象的思想观念，在脑海里稍作停留后，便像风一样逝去了；而在功用中，这二者被聚集起来，变成一个所谓实际的实体。爱若不在行为中，就无法安歇，因为爱是生命的活力；智慧若非出于爱并与爱一起行动，也无法存在并持续存在。行为就是功用。所以，我们对功用的定义是，出于爱通过智慧行善。功用就是良善本身。
“由于爱、智慧和功用这三者流入人的灵魂，所以我们能明白为何说一切良善来自神。因为出于爱通过智慧所行的一切就是良善，功用也是一种行为。没有智慧的爱不就是愚蠢吗？没有功用的爱与智慧不就是一种思想状态吗？但爱和智慧，连同功用一起，不仅构成一个人，而且它们就是一个人。事实上，它们繁衍人类，这或许令你们惊讶。因为男人的种包含他的灵魂，而他的灵魂就在一个完整的人形里面，被自然界中最纯粹的物质包裹，身体由此在母亲的子宫里得以形成。这是神性之爱通过神性智慧所达成的最高和终极功用。”
最后，天使说：“我们得出一个必然结论，即：一切结实、一切繁衍和一切生殖在源头上皆出自从主所流入的爱、智慧和功用；既从主直接流入人的灵魂，又间接流入动物的灵魂，更间接地流入植物的至内在部分。所有这些过程都发生在来自最初区域的最终区域。显然，结实、繁衍和生殖的过程就是创世的继续；因为创世唯一可能的源头就是出于神性之爱通过神性智慧而在神性功用中。因此，宇宙万物出于功用、在功用中并为了功用而产生和形成。”
后来，坐在草坪上的人问天使：“那不计其数、难以形容的婚姻之爱的快乐出自哪里？”天使回答说：“它们出自爱与智慧的功用。这从以下事实可以看出来：人越为了纯正的功用而喜欢变得智慧，就越处于婚姻之爱的动力和活力；越处于这爱的动力和活力，就越处于它的快乐。正是功用产生这种效果；因为当爱通过智慧产生功用时，这二者（即爱与智慧）就以彼此为乐，像小孩子那样一起玩耍。等长大后，他们就愉快地联结起来。这一切仿佛通过订婚、举行婚礼、结婚和生育子女而实现；并且会以不同形式持续下去，直到永远。当致力于功用时，爱与智慧之间的结合就从内在产生。然而，这些快乐在它们开始的时候是不可察觉的，但随着它们逐步下降并进入身体，却变得越来越可察觉。它们逐渐从灵魂进入人心智的内层，再从心智的内层进入心智的外层，由此进入胸腔，再由胸腔进入生殖区。
“尽管人丝毫没有察觉到灵魂中的这些天上婚礼游戏，但它们的确以平安和纯真的感觉从灵魂悄悄进入心智的内层，再以祝福、幸福和快乐的感觉进入心智的外层。然而，在胸腔，它们呈现出亲密友谊的快乐感觉；在生殖区，由于来自灵魂的持续流注，加上婚姻之爱的真实感觉，它们呈现为极乐的感觉。在灵魂中，功用里面的这些爱与智慧的婚礼游戏会朝胸腔持续行进，并在胸腔内使自己被感觉为无限多样的快乐。然后，由于胸腔和生殖区之间的奇妙联系，这些快乐在生殖区变成婚姻之爱的快乐，这快乐远远胜过天堂和尘世中所知的一切快乐。因为婚姻之爱的功用是所有功用中最杰出的，是人类的繁衍，而天使天堂就出自人类。”
对此，天使补充说：“那些不喜欢为了出自主的功用而变得智慧的人，对婚姻真爱不计其数的种种快乐一无所知。因为对那些不喜欢出于纯正真理变得智慧，反而喜欢出于虚假变得疯狂，并因这种疯狂出于某种爱而行恶用的人来说，通向灵魂的路关闭了。因此，灵魂中爱与智慧的天上婚礼游戏越发被切断并终止；这对婚姻之爱及其动力、活力和快乐会造成同样的后果。”听到这里，听众声称，他们发觉婚姻之爱取决于为了出自主的功用而对变得智慧的爱。天使回答说，的确如此。这时，只见一些听众的头上戴上了小花环。他们便问：“这是为何”，天使说：“因为你们理解得更深刻了。”然后，他们与在他们中间的天使一起离开了花园。
183、第二个陈述：
在我面前东部地区出现了一丛棕榈树和月桂树，我走进去，在路的尽头是一个花园，这是这个树丛的中心，在树丛和花园间是座桥，在树丛一侧和花园一侧各有一扇门，我走上前去，看门人打开了门。我问他这个花园叫什么名字，他说叫“婚姻之乐。”
我走进去，只见橄榄树上绕着藤，树下是开花的灌木丛，花园中间是个长了草的圆圈，青年男女及夫妻成对地坐在草地上，草地中心是一块地，中心是一个喷泉。
我走近一些后，看到两个身穿紫色和红色的天使，他们在与坐在草地上的人谈论婚姻之爱，它的来源及快乐，因为他们的主题是这种爱，再加上听众们全神贯注，使人感到好象是天使的话中有着爱之火。
我归纳了他们谈话的主要内容：
天使首先说研究婚姻之爱的启源非常困难，因为它源于天国，它源于神圣的爱，神圣的智慧及起到有益目的的神圣用途。这三者做为一体而来自于主。它们做为一体从主流入到人的灵魂中，从灵魂又流到头脑中。从那里又流入到内在情感和思想中，从这儿又流入到躯体的渴望中，又从胸部流入到生殖区域中。在此处一切力量相互作用，连同其它相继而来的因素就构成了婚姻之爱。
此后，天使说：“我们来以问答方式进行交流，因为虽然通过倾听，人们能够理解所听到的，但是听者通过思考而来寻求答案会理解得更好。”
这时一些夫妇对天使说：“我们听说婚姻之爱的来源是神圣的，因为它由主而流入到人的灵魂中，因为来自于主，它的来源是爱，智慧及有益的用途——这三者共同组成一个神圣的本质。我们还听说只有这种神圣的本质发自于主并且流入到人的内心，也就是他的灵魂，这三种基本性在下降到身体中时就变为相似的互相对应的特性，现在，第一个问题是第三点即有益的用途是指什么。”
天使答道：“爱和智慧若没有一个有益的用途，那它们只是空想，是不切实的想法。而爱和智慧通过有益的用途就变得具有实际性。爱只有通过表示才能存在，因为爱是一种活跃的力量，智慧也不能存在，除非它出于爱并且与爱一起起作用，起作用即用于有益的用途。因此我们说有益的用途即通过智慧，来自于爱而做有益的事。
“因为这三种元素——爱、智慧、及有益的用途流入到人的灵魂中，我们可看到为什么说一切善都是来自于神。因为通过智慧来自于爱的行动都被称作善，这种行动也是有益用途的实现。
“没有智慧的爱只是一种愚蠢的痴迷，有智慧没有一个有益的目的爱只是头脑的一种空虚的情感。相反，有爱、智慧并且有有益用途的爱体现了人的自我，这种爱也就是这个人。因为男人的精子中蕴藏着他的灵魂，他拥有自然界中最精妙的元素，在母体中会长成一个人，这一用途就是神圣的智慧的爱的最终目的。”
天使最后说：“我们不可避免地得出这样的结论，一切繁衍、生殖都是来自于主的爱，智慧及有益用途的实现。是主直接流入人的灵魂的体现，是间接流入动物灵魂的体现，是更间接地流入植物的体现。
“繁衍、生殖的过程显然是创世的继续，创世也就是通过神圣智慧的爱应用于有益的用途。宇宙中的一切都是一种有益用途的结果，是实现有益用途，是服务于有益的用途。”
之后的坐在草上的人问天使：“婚姻之乐的源泉又是什么呢？”天使回答说，这种快乐来自于爱和智慧的应用。一个人越是因为有益的用途而希望变得有智慧，他就越能拥有婚姻之爱及其力量，越是拥有婚姻之爱及其力量，他就越会拥有其快乐。
他们说：“应用于有益的用途产生了以上结果，因为智慧的爱使其相互之间得到乐趣，会象小孩子一样相互嬉戏，他们成年后通过订婚、结婚、养育后代以及其它许多事情而形成永恒的结合。”
“爱与智慧的结合是在实现有益的用途中在内部实现的。最初时的快乐不会被觉察到，但会渐渐地被觉察到。他们通过进入人的灵魂而进入人的内在思想中，从那里再进入到外在区域，再进入到胸部，进而进入到生殖区域。尽管人感觉不到灵魂中这种神圣的反应，它会从灵魂而悄悄地以平和，纯朴的形式进入人思想深处，并且以祝福，愉悦的形式进入思想的外层。在胸部所感受到的是最深厚的友谊，在生殖区域感受到的是美好的快乐，因为它来自于灵魂并且带真正的婚姻之爱。
“这种有有益用途的爱和智慧的相互作用在进入胸部的进程中延续着并且在胸部以各种愉悦的形式而体现出来。因胸部与生殖区域奇妙的交流而使之变成婚姻之爱——一种最高的存在于天国也存在于世间的快乐。这是因为婚姻之爱所起到的作用是最完美的，它决定了人类的繁衍，而天国也是由人类而来的。”
说到这儿，天使又补充说，人们若没有来自于主的为了有益的用途的爱和智慧，那他们也就无法了解与真正婚姻之爱相连的快乐。因为若人不想根据真理而渴望变得有智慧，那么他就会因为谬误而变得没有理性。没有理性就会作恶或做坏事——这种情况下，通往灵魂的路就被关闭了。爱和智慧进而婚姻之爱及其快乐也就被切除了。
在坐的人说他们认为婚姻之爱取决于来自于主的的为了有益的用途而变得有智慧的爱。天使说是这样的，这时一些听众的头上出现了花环。
他们问道：“这是为什么？”
天使说：“因为你理解得更深刻。”之后天使就离开了花园。
183. The second experience.
In the eastern quarter there appeared to me a wood of palm-trees and laurels arranged in spiralling curves. I approached and went in, walking though several curving paths, until at the end of the paths I saw a garden, which occupied the central position in the wood. There was a small bridge which divided off the garden, with a gate on the side of the wood and another on the garden side. When I approached, the gates were opened by the guard. I asked him what the garden was called. 'Adramandoni', he said, 'which means the delights of conjugial love.'
I went in and saw olive-trees, with vines running between the trees and hanging down. Beneath and between the trees there were flowering shrubs. In the middle was a grassy circle, in which husbands and wives and young men and women were sitting in pairs. At the centre of the circle there was a rise in the ground with a fountain leaping into the air due to the force of the water. When I came close by, I saw two angels dressed in purple and red engaged in conversation with those who were sitting on the grass; they were talking about the source of conjugial love and its delights. Since this love was the subject, they were listened to eagerly and given full attention, and they were uplifted as if by the fire of love in what the angels said.
[2] What I gathered from their talk can be summarised as follows. They started by talking about the difficulty of the enquiry, saying how difficult it was to perceive the source of conjugial love, because it has a celestial Divine source; this is Divine love, Divine wisdom and Divine use, the three of which proceed as one from the Lord. They flow into men's souls as one, and through their souls into their minds. There they enter into their inner affections and thoughts, passing through these into the desires closely connected with the body, and from these through the chest into the genital region. Here everything which derives from the prime source is present at once, and together with their successive stages brings about conjugial love.
After this the angels said, 'Let us converse by question and answer, for if something is merely heard it may be perceived at the time, but the impression does not last, unless the hearer also thinks about it for himself and asks questions.'
[3] Then some from the assembly of couples said to the angels, 'We have heard that the source of conjugial love is a celestial Divine one, because it results from the Lord's influence on men's souls. Being from the Lord it is love, wisdom and use, the three essentials which together make up the one Divine essence. Nothing can proceed from the Lord except what belongs to His Divine essence, nor can anything else flow into the inmost region of a person, what we call his soul. Those three are, as they descend into the body, turned into analogous and corresponding things. Our first question then is 'What is meant by the third essential which proceeds from the Divine, what is called use?'
The angels replied that love and wisdom without use are merely abstract ways of thinking, which also after a brief stay in the mind, pass away like winds. 'But,' they said, 'these two are gathered together in use, there becoming one, what is called reality. Love cannot rest except in action, for love is the very principle which gives activity to life. Nor can wisdom come into and remain in being, except as the result of love and by acting together with it. Action is use. So we arrive at the definition of use: doing good out of love through wisdom. Use is goodness itself.
[4] 'Since the trio of love, wisdom and use flow into men's souls, it can be established why it is said that all good is from God. For all that is done out of love through wisdom is good, and use is also something done. What is love without wisdom but folly? And what is love together with wisdom without use but a state of mind? 1But love and wisdom together with use not only make a person, they are a person. In fact, surprising as you may find it, they cause human reproduction. For the man's seed contains his soul in a complete human form, enveloped by the purest substances in nature, and from this the body develops in the mother's womb. This is the highest and ultimate use served by Divine love through Divine wisdom.'
[5] 'The conclusion to be drawn,' the angels finally remarked, 'is that all fruitfulness, all propagation and all reproduction come in origin from the love, wisdom and use flowing in from the Lord. It flows directly from the Lord into men's souls, indirectly into the souls of animals, and even less directly into the inmost regions of plants. All these processes arise in the final region from the first. It is plain that fruitfulness, propagation and reproduction are the means of continuing creation; and the only possible source of creation is out of Divine love through Divine wisdom in Divine use. Everything therefore in the universe is procreated and formed out of use, in use and to serve a use.'
[6] Later those who were sitting on the grassy banks asked the angels, 'Where do the delights of conjugial love, which are beyond counting and telling, come from?'
The angels replied that they come from the uses of love and wisdom. This could be seen from the fact that the more anyone loves to be wise for the sake of a proper use, so much the more does the drive and potency of his conjugial love increase. These two together are the measure of his delight. It is the result of use, because love by means of wisdom [brings about use, and then love and wisdom] 2take pleasure in each other and as it were play like children; and as they grow up, they become linked in cheerfulness. This takes place as it were through engagements, weddings, marriages and having children; and this continues in different forms for ever. These are the relations between love and wisdom when they underlie the use made of them; but these delights are in their beginnings impossible to perceive, but become more and more perceptible, as they come down by stages and enter the body. The stages by which they enter are from the soul into the inner regions of a person's mind, from there into the outer regions, from these into the cavity of the chest, and from there into the genital region.
[7] 'These heavenly nuptial games in the soul pass quite unnoticed by the person, but from there they slip into the inner regions of the mind as a feeling of peace and innocence, and into the outer regions of the mind as a feeling of blessedness, cheerfulness and pleasure. In the chest cavity, however, they take on a feeling of the delights of intimate friendship, and in the genital region as the result of the influence constantly coming from the soul together with the real sense of conjugial love, the feeling of utmost delight. As these nuptial games of love and wisdom in use in the soul proceed towards the chest cavity, they last, and in that cavity they make themselves felt as a boundless variety of delights. On account of the remarkable connexion that exists between the chest cavity and the genital region, the delights of one become in the other the delights of conjugial love. These exceed all the delights known in heaven and in the world, because the use of conjugial love is the most exalted of all uses, being the procreation of the human race, and from that the heaven of angels.'
[8] The angels went on to say that those who do not love being wise for the sake of use coming from the Lord know nothing of the countless varieties of delights arising from truly conjugial love. 'For,' they said, 'in the case of those who do not love being wise with real truths, but love to be crazed with falsities, a madness which leads them out of some love to perform evil uses, the route to the soul is blocked. Hence it is that the heavenly nuptial games of love and wisdom in the soul are more and more cut off and cease; and this produces the same results on conjugial love, its drive, potency and delights.'
On hearing this the audience declared that they perceived that conjugial love is in proportion to the love of being wise for the sake of uses coming from the Lord. The angels replied that it was so. Then some of them were seen to have garlands of flowers on their heads; when they asked why, the angels said, 'Because their understanding of the subject is deeper.' Then they left the garden with the angels in their midst.
Footnotes:
1. Reading status mentis for flatus mentis (A.W. Acton).
183. The second account:
A grove of palms and laurels appeared to me in the eastern zone, with the trees planted in rings in the form of spirals. Going over, I entered and walked along paths that curved around through several of the rings, and at the end of the paths I saw a garden, which formed the heart of the grove. Between the grove and the garden stood a small bridge, having a gate on the grove side and another gate on the garden side. I approached, and a keeper opened the gates. When I asked him what the name of the garden was, he said, "Adramandoni, which means the delight of conjugial love."
I went in, and behold, I found olive trees, with vines running and hanging down from one tree to another, and with bushes in flower beneath the trees and between them. In the middle of the garden there was a grassy circle, on which husbands and wives and young men and women were sitting, paired off in couples; and at the center of the circle was an elevated piece of ground, where a little fountain of water spurted up into the air owing to the force of its stream.
When I moved closer to the circle, I saw two angels in purple and scarlet, who were speaking with the people sitting on the grass and talking about conjugial love, its origin and its delights. And because this love was the subject of their conversation, the people were listening with eager attention and full receptivity, producing in them a feeling of exaltation as though from the fire of love in the speech of the angels.
[2] I have condensed into summary form the following excerpts from their conversation:
The angels began by remarking how difficult it is to investigate and discern the origin of conjugial love, since it has a Divine origin in heaven; for the origin is Divine love, Divine wisdom, and Divine application to useful purpose. These three emanate as one from the Lord, and they flow as one from Him into people's souls, and through their souls into their minds; and there they flow into the inner affections and thoughts, through these into desires nearer the body, and from these through the breast into the reproductive region. Here all the forces derived from the first origin exist concurrently, and together with successive elements, result in conjugial love.
After this the angels said, "Let the interchange in our discussion be by questions and answers, because although a perception of something does indeed flow in when gained solely from listening, still it does not remain unless the listener also thinks about it for himself and asks questions regarding it."
[3] Then some of the married group said to the angels, "We have heard that conjugial love has a Divine origin in heaven, because it comes from an influx from the Lord into people's souls; and that being from the Lord, its origin is love, wisdom, and application to useful purpose - these being the three essential attributes which together make up the one Divine essence. We have also heard that nothing but what is of the Divine essence can emanate from the Lord and flow into the inmost being of a person, which is called his soul; and that these three essential attributes of it are transformed into analogous and corresponding qualities as they descend into the body. So now, the first question we ask is what is meant by the third essential Divine emanation, which is called application to useful purpose."
The angels replied that love and wisdom without application to useful purpose are only abstract and theoretical ideas, which, even after being entertained for a time in the mind, eventually pass away like the winds. "But love and wisdom are brought together in application to useful purpose," they said, "and in this they become a single entity which is called actual. Love cannot rest unless it acts, for love is the active force in life; nor can wisdom exist and endure unless it does so from love and together with love whenever love acts, and to act is application to useful purpose. Therefore we define application to useful purpose as the doing of good from love through wisdom. Application to useful purpose is what good is.
[4] "Since these three elements - love, wisdom, and application to useful purpose - flow into people's souls, we can see why it is said that all good is from God. For all action from love through wisdom is called good, and action includes also application to useful purpose.
"Love without wisdom - what is it but a kind of foolish infatuation? And love accompanied by wisdom, but without application to a useful end - what is it but an airy affectation of the mind? On the other hand, love and wisdom together with application to a useful end - these not only make a person what he is, but they also are the person. Indeed, what may perhaps surprise you, they produce the person. For a man's seed contains his soul in perfect human form, clothed with substances from the finest elements of nature, out of which the body is formed in the womb of the mother. This useful end is the supreme and final end of Divine love acting through Divine wisdom."
[5] Finally the angels said, "We reach the inevitable conclusion that all reproduction, all propagation, and all procreation stem in origin from an influx of love, wisdom, and application to useful purpose flowing in from the Lord - from a direct influx from the Lord into the souls of human beings, from an indirect influx into the souls of animals, and from a still more indirect influx into the inmost elements in plants. All these processes, moreover, take place in things that are last in order as a result of things that are first in order.
"Processes of reproduction, propagation and procreation are clearly continuations of creation; for creation can have no other source than Divine love acting through Divine wisdom in Divine application to useful purpose. Everything in the universe is therefore generated and formed as a result of useful purpose, in fulfillment of useful purpose, and to serve a useful purpose."
[6] Afterwards the people sitting on the banks of grass asked the angels, "What is the source of the delights of conjugial love, delights which are beyond number and description?"
The angels replied that these delights arise from the useful applications of love and wisdom, and that this could be seen from considering that to the extent anyone loves to become wise for the sake of some genuinely useful purpose, to the same extent he is in the stream and vigor of conjugial love, and to the extent he is in this stream and vigor, to the same extent he enjoys their delights.
"Application to useful purpose produces this result," they said, "because love [finds expression in useful purpose] through wisdom [and they] take delight in each other, and play with each other, so to speak, like little children. And as they mature, they congenially unite together, which is accomplished as though through stages of betrothal, wedding, marriage and the bearing of offspring, and this continually and with variety to eternity.
"These conjunctions between love and wisdom take place inwardly in application to useful purpose. In their beginnings, however, the delights are imperceptible, but they become more and more perceptible as they descend by degrees from their beginnings and enter the body. They enter by degrees from the soul into the interior regions of a person's mind, and from there into its outer regions, and from there to within the breast, and from there into the reproductive region.
[7] And though a person does not perceive anything of these conjugal and heavenly interplays in the soul, from the soul they insinuate themselves into the inner regions of the mind in the form of peace and innocence, and into the outer regions of the mind in the form of bliss, felicity and delight, while within the breast they appear in the form of the delights of inmost friendship, and in the reproductive region as the delight of delights owing to the continual influx all the way from the soul, bringing with it an actual sensation of conjugial love.
"Such conjugal interplays of love and wisdom in application to useful purpose in the soul become lasting as they proceed towards their place within the breast, and there within the breast they manifest themselves perceptibly in an infinite variety of delights. And because of the marvelous communication of the interior of the breast with the reproductive region, in that region the delights become the delights of conjugial love - delights which are heightened over all other delights that exist in heaven and in the world, because the use served by conjugial love is the most excellent use of all; for it results in the propagation of the human race, and from the human race comes the angelic heaven."
[8] To this the angels added that people know nothing about the variety of the countless delights connected with truly conjugial love if they do not have from the Lord a love of growing wise for the sake of some useful purpose. "For," they said, "people who do not love to become wise in accord with genuine truths, but prefer to be irrational in accord with falsities, and who through this irrationality of theirs are motivated by some love to serve evil purposes - in their case the way to the soul is closed. As a result the conjugal and heavenly interplays of love and wisdom in the soul become more and more cut off, and together with them, conjugial love with its flow, vigor, and delights."
The people who were listening said in response that they perceived that conjugial love depends on a love from the Lord of growing wise for the sake of useful purposes. The angels replied that this was so. And then on the heads of some of the listeners appeared little wreaths of flowers.
So they asked, "Why is this?"
The angels said, "Because you understood more deeply." And then the angels departed from the garden, with these people in the midst of them.
183. The second story: In the east I saw a grove of palms and laurels placed in spiral curves. I went to it, entered, and walked a few times around on the curved paths, and at the end of the paths I saw a garden, forming the center of the grove. A little bridge separated it, with a gate at the grove end and a gate at the garden end. I approached, and a keeper opened the gates.
"What is the name of the garden?" I asked him.
He said, "Adramandoni," which means married love's delight.
I went in, and there were olive trees, with trailing vines hanging from tree to tree, and flowering shrubs under and among them. In the middle of the garden was a grassy circle, where husbands and wives and young men and women were sitting two by two, and in the middle of the circle, where the ground rose, was a little spring leaping high from the force of its stream.
When I came closer I saw two angels in purple and scarlet talking with the people sitting on the grass. They were talking about the source of married love and its delights. And since the conversation was about that love there was eager attention and complete reception, which put an excitement like the fire of love in the angels' speech.
From the conversation I gathered this, in summary. They started with the difficulty of investigating and finding out the sources of married love, since its source is the Divinity of heaven, for it is Divine Love, Divine Wisdom, and Divine Activity. The three things go out from the Lord as one thing, so they pour into the souls of people as one thing, and through their souls into their minds and into their inner feelings and thoughts there. Through these they go on to people's bodily desires, and from these, through their chests, into the genital region. All the things that came from the original source are together there, and, together with the things that follow, they make married love.
After saying these things, the angels said, "Let's have fellowship in our talk, through questions and answers, because something learned only from hearing may sink in, but it doesn't stay unless the listener thinks about it on his own, too, and asks questions."
Then some in the married group said to the angels, "We have heard that the source of married love is the Divinity in heaven, because it comes flowing into people's souls from the Lord. And because it is from the Lord it is love, wisdom, and activity, the three essentials that together make one Divine Essence.
And nothing that is not Divine Essence can radiate from Him and flow into a person's inmost part, called his soul. And in working down into the person's body these three are turned into their analogue or their correspondence.
"So now we want to ask, first, what is meant by the third essential that goes out from Divinity - called activity?"
The angels answered, "Love and wisdom without activity are only abstract notions in thought, and, moreover, they drift away like the wind after staying a while in your mind. But in activity the two join together and become one thing, called a reality.
Love cannot hold still and do nothing, because love is precisely the action of life. Nor can wisdom exist and be sustained except due to love, and with love when it is doing. And doing is activity.
So we define 'activity' as doing good on account of love, through wisdom. Activity is good itself.
"These three, Love, Wisdom, and Activity, flow into people's minds, so that shows where we get the expression that all good is from God. For everything done from love by wisdom is called good, and activity also takes place. What is love without wisdom but some kind of foolishness? And what is love with wisdom without activity but a wind in the mind? Love and wisdom with activity, though, do not just make the person, they also are the person. In fact (this may surprise you) they perpetuate the person!
For a man's soul is in a perfect human form in his semen, enveloped in substance made of the purest things in nature, which form a body in the mother's womb. This activity is the supreme activity, and the final one, of Divine Love through Divine Wisdom."
Finally the angels said, "The point must be this - that every fertilization, all propagation, and all prolification originate in the stream of love, wisdom, and activity from the Lord. They are from the direct flow from the Lord into people's souls, from the indirect flow into the souls of animals, and from a still less direct flow into what is deep within plants. In all cases this happens on the lowest plane, coming from the highest.
"It is clear that every fertilization, propagation, and prolification is a continuation of creation. For creation can only come from Divine Love, through Divine Wisdom, in Divine Activity. Therefore, everything in the universe is generated and formed from activity, in activity, and for activity."
Afterwards the people sitting on their grassy couch asked the angels where the innumerable and indescribable delights of married love come from.
"They come from the activities of love and wisdom," the angels answered. "You can see this from the fact that a person enjoys the stream and potency of married love to the extent that he loves to have the wisdom of some real activity, and he has the delights to the extent that he has this stream and potency.
"Useful activity does this because when love acts in wisdom, love and wisdom enjoy each other and play almost like children, and they happily join together growing up. It's as if they become engaged, have a wedding, are married, and have children. And this goes on steadily, with variations, forever. This goes on between love and wisdom inwardly during an activity. The joys of this at their sources are unnoticed, but they become more and more evident as they gradually work down from there and enter your body. They go step by step from the soul into the deeper parts of a person's mind and from there to its outer parts and from there into the depths of his heart and from there into his genital region.
"But a person doesn't notice a trace of these heavenly wedding games in his soul, though they do steal into his inner mind in the guise of peace and innocence, and into the outer parts of his mind in the guise of blessedness, happiness, and joy, into the depths of his heart as the joys of inner friendship, and into his genital region - thanks to the steady flow all the way from his soul with its own sensation of married love - as the delight of all delights.
"These wedding games of love and wisdom in action in your soul continue as they go on toward your chest cavity and stay there, and there they stand out perceptibly in an infinite variety of delights. And on account of the chest's marvelous communication with the genital region, the delights there become the delights of married love, which rise above all the delights that there are in heaven and earth. They rise above them because the activity of married love is much higher than all other activities, since it is where the continuation of the human race comes from, and from the human race the angelic heaven."
The angels added to these ideas, "Those who do not enjoy the love - which comes from the Lord - of being wise for the sake of usefulness, know nothing about the innumerable variety of delights that are involved in real married love. For the way to the soul is closed for people who do not love to get wisdom from genuine truths but love to get unsound minds from untruths, and who, because of their unsound minds, do bad acts on account of some love. This makes the heavenly wedding games of love and wisdom in their souls cease, after being more and more interrupted, and along with them the love in marriage, its flow, its potency, and its delights also cease."
To these things the listeners said, "We can see that the love in marriage is according to love, from the Lord, of being wise for the sake of usefulness."
The angels responded, "Just so."
Then garlands of flowers appeared on the heads of some, and they asked why.
"Because they have understood more deeply," the angels said.
Then they all left the garden, and the ones with garlands were in the middle of the group.
183. The second Memorable Relation:
Seen by me in the eastern quarter was a grove of palm trees and laurels arranged in spiral gyres. I approached it, and entering, walked on its paths which wound around in several spirals. At the end of the windings, I saw a garden which formed the center of the grove. Separating the two was a small bridge, and on it, a gate on the grove side and another on the garden side. I drew near, and the gates were opened by a guard. To my question, "What is the name of this garden?" he answered, "Adramandoni," which means the delight of conjugial love. I entered in, and lo, I saw olive trees, and from tree to tree vines hanging in festoons, while under the trees and between them were bushes in flower-beds. 1In the middle of the garden was a grassy circle on which husbands and wives and young men and maidens were sitting in pairs; and on a raised ground in the center of the circle was a small fountain leaping high by reason of the force of its stream. When close to the circle, I saw two angels in purple and scarlet speaking with those who were sitting on the grass. They were speaking about the origin of conjugial love and about its delights. Because their speech concerned this love, there was eager attention and complete acceptance, and this produced an exaltation in the discourse of the angels as from the fire of love.
[2] From their speech, I gathered the following summary: They spoke first of the difficulty in investigating and perceiving the origin of conjugial love, inasmuch as its origin is Divine-celestial, being Divine Love, Divine Wisdom, and Divine Use. These three proceed from the Lord as one, and hence inflow as one into the souls of men and through their souls into their minds and into the interior affections and thoughts there. Through these they flow into the desires next to the body, and from these through the breast into the genital region. There all the derivatives from the first origin are present simultaneously, and, together with the successives, make conjugial love.
After this, the angels said, "Let us have an exchange of speech by questions and answers; for when a subject is taken in solely from hearing, the perception of that subject does indeed flow in, but unless the hearer think of it from himself and ask questions, it does not remain."
[3] Some among that conjugial gathering then said to the angels, "We have heard that the origin of conjugial love is Divine-celestial because it is from influx from the Lord into men's souls; and that, being from the Lord, it is love, wisdom, and use, these being the three essentials which together make the one Divine essence, and nothing can proceed from Him and flow into man's inmost which is called his soul save what is of the Divine essence; also that, in their descent into the body, these three essentials are changed into things analogous and correspondential. Therefore, we now ask you first, What is meant by the third essential--the proceeding Divine which is called use?"
The angels replied: "Without use, love and wisdom are merely abstract ideas of thought, and after some tarrying in the mind, these pass away like the wind; but in use, the two are brought together and become a one which is called real. Love, being the activity of life, cannot rest unless it is doing something; nor can wisdom exist and subsist except when doing something from love and with it; and doing is use. Therefore we define use as the doing of good from love by means of wisdom. Use is good itself.
[4] Since these three, love, wisdom, and use, flow into the souls of men, it can be evident whence comes the saying that all good is from God; for every deed done from love by means of wisdom is called good, and use is also a deed. What is love without wisdom but something fatuous? and, without use, what is love together with wisdom but a state of the mind? But with use, love and wisdom not only make the man, they are the man. Indeed, and this perhaps will astonish you, they propagate man; for in man's seed is his soul in perfect human form, covered over with substances from the purest things of nature, from which, in the mother's womb, is formed a body. This use is the supreme and ultimate use of Divine Love by means of Divine Wisdom."
[5] Finally the angels said: "The conclusion then must be that in its origin all fructification, all propagation, and all prolification is from the influx of love, wisdom, and use from the Lord---from immediate influx from the Lord into the souls of men, from mediate influx into the souls of animals, and from influx yet more mediate into the inmost parts of plants; and all are effected in ultimates from firsts. That fructifications, propagations, and prolifications are continuations of creation is evident; for creation can come from no other source than Divine Love by means of Divine wisdom in Divine Use. Therefore, all things in the universe are procreated and formed from use, in use, and for use."
[6] After this, those sitting on the grassy couches asked the angels, "Whence are the delights of conjugial love, which are innumerable and ineffable?" The angels answered: "They are from the uses of love and wisdom. This can be seen from the fact, that so far as one loves to be wise for the sake of genuine use he is in the vein and potency of conjugial love, and so far as he is in these two he is in its delights. It is use that does this; for when love acts by means of wisdom, 2the two are in mutual delight, and they sport together like little children, as it were. Then, as they come to adolescence, they join together productively, this being done as though by betrothals, nuptials, marriages, and propagations, and this continually and with variety, to all eternity. This is what takes place between love and wisdom, inwardly present in use. In their beginnings, however, these delights are imperceptible, but by degrees as they descend therefrom and enter the body they become more and more perceptible. From the soul they enter by degrees into the interiors of man's mind, from these into its exteriors, thence into his breast, and from this into the genital region.
[7] The heavenly nuptial sports in the soul are not in the least perceived by man; but from there they insinuate themselves into the interiors of the mind, under the appearance of peace and innocence, and into the exteriors of the mind under the appearance of blessedness, happiness, and delight. In the breast, they are present under the appearance of the delights of inmost friendship, and in the genital region from continuous influx from the soul itself, together with the actual sensation of conjugial love, as the delight of delights. In the soul, these nuptial sports of love and wisdom in use are persistent in their proceeding towards the breast, and in that breast they present themselves sensibly under an infinite variety of delights. Then, by reason of the marvelous communication of the breast with the genital region, in the latter these delights become the delights of conjugial love--delights which are exalted above all delights in heaven and in the world. This is because the use of conjugial love is the most excellent of all uses, for thence is the procreation of the human race, and from the human race, the angelic heaven."
[8] To this, the angels added: "Those who are not in the love of becoming wise from the Lord for the sake of use, know nothing of the variety of the innumerable delights of love truly conjugial; for with those who do not love to become wise from genuine truths but love to be insane from falsities, and by means of this insanity do evil uses from some love, the way to the soul is closed. Hence the heavenly nuptial sports of love and wisdom in the soul, being more and more intercepted, cease, and with them conjugial love, with its vein, its potency, and its delights."
Thereupon the hearers said that they perceived that conjugial love is according to the love of becoming wise from the Lord for the sake of use. The angels replied that it was so. And then, upon the heads of some of the audience appeared wreaths of flowers, and they asked, "Why is this?" The angels said, "Because they have understood more profoundly." They then left the garden with these men in their midst.
Footnotes:
1. The Latin is floribus (in flowers). The translation is based on the assumption that this is a misprint for floretis.
2. Reading quia quando amor agit per sapientiam inter se deliantur for quia amor per sapientiam, etc.
183. II. 1In an eastern quarter I saw a grove of palms and laurels arranged in spiral coils. I approached and entered, and walked by winding ways over some of the spiral turns; and at the end of the ways saw a garden, which formed the center of the grove. A small bridge, with a gate at either end, marked the garden off from the grove.
I drew near, and a custodian opened the gates.
I asked him the name of the Garden. He replied, "Adramandoni," that is, The Delight of Marital Love. I entered and saw olive trees, and pendent vines trailing from tree to tree, and under the trees blossoming shrubs. On a grassy circle in the center of the garden sat husbands and wives, and young men and women in pairs. On a mound in the circle's center a small fountain was leaping aloft in a forceful stream. As I approached, I saw two angels in purple and scarlet, talking with those seated on the grass. They were speaking about the origin of marital love and about its delights. And because that was the topic, there was eager attention and all receptiveness and an exaltation thence in the speech of the angels as from the fire of love.
[2] To summarize what I gathered from their conversation: They first commented on the difficulty of discovering or perceiving the origin of marital love, because that origin is Divine-heavenly. For it is Divine love, wisdom and use, which three proceed from the Lord as one, and also flow as one into men's souls. From the soul they flow into the interior affections and thoughts of the mind, thence into desires near to the body, and thence through the bosom into the genital region, where all things derived from the first origin are together, and in all their successive phases constitute marital love.
Thereupon the angels said, "Let us pursue the discussion by question and answer. For while the perception of a subject derived from hearing alone, flows in, it does not remain unless the hearer also thinks about it for himself and puts questions."
[3] Then some of that marital assembly said to the angels, "We have heard that the origin of marital love is Divine-heavenly, inasmuch as it comes by influx from the Lord into men's souls. This influx from the Lord is one of love, wisdom and use - the three essentials which together constitute the one Divine essence; nothing but what is of this essence can proceed from the Lord and flow into man's inmost, which is called his soul. We have heard further that these three, in their descent into the body, are changed into what is analogous and correspondent.
"Now, then, we ask first of all, what is meant by the third essential, the proceeding Divine which is called use."
The angels replied, "Apart from use, love and wisdom are only abstract ideas, which after a brief stay in the mind vanish as the winds do. In use, however, love and wisdom are brought together and make a one which is called a reality. Love cannot rest unless it is doing, for it is the active itself of life; wisdom cannot exist and subsist unless it is doing from and with love; and doing is use. We therefore define use as doing good from love by wisdom. Use is good itself.
[4] As all three - love, wisdom and use - flow into men's souls, it is evident why all good is said to be from God. For everything done from love by wisdom is called good; and use is what is done. Is not love without wisdom something maudlin? And love along with wisdom but apart from use a pretense of the mind? On the other hand, love and wisdom with use not only fashion man; they are the man. Indeed - and this may surprise you - they propagate man. For in man's seed is his soul in perfect human form, covered with substances from the purest things of nature, out of which a body is formed in the mother's womb. This use is the highest and ultimate use of Divine love acting by Divine wisdom."
[5] Finally the angels said, "This must be the conclusion. All fructification, propagation and prolification come originally by the influx of love, wisdom and use from the Lord - into the souls of men by immediate influx from Him; into the souls of animals by mediate influx; and into the inmosts of plants by influx still further mediated - and all are accomplished in things last from things first. Fructifications, propagations and prolifications are plainly continuations of creation; for creation can have only one source, namely, Divine love acting by Divine wisdom in Divine use. All things in the universe are therefore procreated and formed from use, in use, and for use."
[6] Then those seated on the grassy banks asked the angels, "Whence are the innumerable and ineffable delights of marital love?" The angels answered, "From the uses of love and wisdom. This may be seen from the fact that as far as one loves to be wise for the sake of real use, he is in the vein and potency of marital love, and that as far as he is in these, he is in delights. Use brings this about. For love and the wisdom by which it acts, delight in each other and sport together like little children, and as they mature, enter into a productive union, as though by betrothals, nuptials, marriages and propagations, which continue with variety to eternity. This takes place between love and wisdom inwardly in use. In their beginnings these delights are imperceptible, but become more and more perceptible as they descend by degrees and enter the body. By degrees they pass from the soul into the interiors of the mind, thence into its exteriors, thence into the inmost bosom, and from this into the genital region.
[7] In the soul these heavenly nuptial sports are not in the least perceived, as we have said, but in the interiors of the mind they appear under the form of peace and innocence; in the exteriors of the mind in the form of blessedness, pleasantness and joy; in the inmost bosom, under the form of the delights of inmost friendship; and in the genital region, by influx continuous even from the soul, in the very sense of marital love, or as the delight of delights. These nuptial sports of love and wisdom in use, high in the soul, in proceeding to the inmost bosom settle and present themselves sensibly there under an infinite variety of delights; then, by virtue of the wonderful communication of the inmost bosom with the genital region, they become the delights of marital love, which are exalted above all delights in heaven and earth, because the use of marital love is the paramount use, the procreation of the human race coming thereby, and from the human race the angelic heaven."
[8] The angels added, "Those who are not in the love of becoming wise from the Lord for the sake of use, know nothing of the varied and innumerable delights which belong to true marital love. As such men do not love to become wise from genuine truths, but love rather to be insane from falsities, and through this insanity do evil uses from some love, in them the way to the soul is closed. The result is that the heavenly nuptial sports of love and wisdom in the soul, being checked more and more, cease, and along with them marital love ceases with its vein, potency and delights."
To this the auditors responded that they perceived that marital love is according to the love one has from the Lord of becoming wise for the sake of use. The angels replied, 'So it is." Then garlands of flowers appeared on the heads of some of them. Asked what this meant, the angels said, "They have comprehended the more profoundly." With the garlanded in the midst, all then left the garden.
Footnotes:
1. These Memorabilia occur again in True Christian Religion 693.
183. The Second Relation:
There appeared to me in the eastern quarter a grove of palms and laurels arranged in spiral convolutions. I approached and entered, and walked in the winding ways through some of the spiral turns; and at the end of the ways saw a garden, which formed the center of the grove. There was a small bridge that separated them, and a gate on the side towards the grove, a gate also on the side next the garden. I drew near, and the keeper opened the gates. I asked him, 'What is the name of this garden?' He said, 'Adramandoni,' that is, The Delight of Conjugial Love. I went in, and lo! olive trees, and from olive tree to olive tree trailing and pendent vines, and under and among them shrubs in blossom. In the midst of the garden was a grassy circle on which husbands and wives were sitting, and young men and maidens in pairs; and on elevated ground in the midst of the circle there was a small fountain leaping high by the force of its stream. As I came near the circle I saw two angels in purple and scarlet, conversing with those who were sitting on the grass. They were speaking on the origin of conjugial love and on its delights. And because the conversation was about this love there was eager attention and full reception, and thence an exaltation in the speech of the angels as from the fire of love.
From their conversation I gathered briefly this: They spoke first of the difficulty of tracing and the difficulty of perceiving the origin of conjugial love, because its origin is Divine-celestial; for it is Divine love, Divine wisdom and Divine use, which three proceed from the Lord as one, and flow thence as one into the souls of men, and through the souls into the minds, and there into the interior affections and thoughts, through these into the desires near to the body, and from these through the bosom into the genital region, where all things derived from the first origin are together, and together with the successives constitute conjugial love.
After this the angels said, 'Let the intercourse of speech be by question and answer; for the perception of a subject acquired from hearing alone, though it flows in, does not remain unless the hearer of himself also thinks from himself and questions about it.'
Then some of that conjugial assembly said to the angels, 'We have heard that the origin of conjugial love is Divine-celestial, because it is from the influx from the Lord into the souls of men; and that because from the Lord, it is love, wisdom, and use, which are the three essentials that together make the one Divine essence; and that nothing but what is of the Divine essence can proceed from Him and flow into the inmost of man, which is called his soul; and that in their descent into the body these three are changed into what is analogous and correspondent.
Now therefore, we ask, 'First, what is meant by the third essential proceeding Divine, which is called use?'
The angels replied, 'Love and wisdom without use are but ideas of abstract thought, which also after some tarrying pass away as the winds. But in use the two are brought together and there make a one which is called real. Love cannot rest unless it is doing, for love is the active itself of life; nor can wisdom exist and subsist except from love and with it, while it is doing; and doing is use. We therefore, define 'use to be doing good from love by wisdom. Use is the good itself. Since these three, love, wisdom, and use, flow in into the souls of men, it is evident why it is said that all good is from God; for everything done from love by wisdom is called good; and a use also is a thing done. What is love without wisdom but something illusory? And what is love with wisdom without use but a breath of the mind? But love and wisdom with use not only make the man, but also are the man. Yea, which will perhaps surprise you, they propagate man; for in the seed of man is his soul, in perfect human form, covered over with substances from the purest things of nature, out of which a body is formed in the womb of the mother. This use is the supreme and the ultimate use of Divine love by Divine wisdom.'
Finally, the angels said, 'Let this be the conclusion: That all fructification, all propagation, and all prolification come originally of the influx of love, wisdom; and use from the Lord; of immediate influx from the Lord into the souls of men; of mediate influx into the souls of animals; and of influx yet more mediate into the inmosts of vegetables. And all these are effected in the ultimates from the firsts. It is plain that fructifications, propagations, and prolifications are continuations of creation; for creation cannot be from any other source than from Divine Love, by Divine wisdom, in Divine use. All things in the universe therefore, are procreated and formed from use, in use, and for use.'
Afterwards those that were sitting on the grassy banks asked the angels, 'Whence are the delights of conjugial love, which are innumerable and ineffable?' The angels answered, 'They are from the uses of love and wisdom. And this may be seen from the fact that in so far as one loves to be wise for the sake of genuine use he is in the vein and potency of conjugial love, and in so far as he is in these two he is in delights. Use effects this, because love by wisdom delight each in the other, and they play as it were like little children, and as they grow up, they enter into genial conjunction. This is as if by betrothals, nuptials, marriages, and propagations; and these continue with variety to eternity. These things take place between love and wisdom inwardly in use; but these delights in their beginnings are imperceptible, but become perceptible more and more as they descend thence by degrees and enter the body. They enter through degrees, from the soul into the interiors of man's mind, from these into its exteriors, thence into the inmost bosom, and from this into the genital region. Yet these heavenly nuptial sports in the soul are not in the least perceived by man; but they insinuate themselves thence into the interiors of the mind, under the form of peace and innocence; and into the exteriors of the mind in the form. of blessedness, pleasantness, and joy; but into the inmost bosom under the form of the delights of inmost friendship; and into the genital region, by influx continuous even from the soul, with the very sense of conjugial love, as the delight of delights. These nuptial sports of love and wisdom in use in the soul, in proceeding towards the inmost bosom become enduring, and in that bosom present themselves sensibly under an infinite variety of delights; and by virtue of the wonderful communication of the inmost bosom with the genital region, these delights become there delights of conjugial love, which are exalted above all delights that are in heaven and in the world, for the reason that the use of conjugial love is the most excellent of all uses, because therefrom comes the procreation of the human race, and from the human race the angelic heaven.'
To this the angels added, 'That they who are not in the love of becoming wise from the Lord for the sake of use, know nothing of the variety of delights innumerable, which come of love truly conjugial. For with those that do not love to become wise from genuine truths, but love to be in insanity from falsities, and through this insanity do evil uses from some love, with such the way to the soul is closed; whence it results that the heavenly nuptial sports of love and wisdom in the soul, intercepted more and more, cease, and together with them conjugial love, with its vein, its potency, and its delights.'
To this the hearers responded, 'That they perceived that conjugial love is according to the love of becoming wise for the sake of use, from the Lord.' The angels replied, 'So it is.' And then upon the heads of some of them appeared garlands of flowers. They asked, 'Why is this?' The angels said, 'Because they have more profoundly understood.' All then left the garden, and these in their midst.
183. Alterum Memorabile. Apparuit mihi in plaga orientali Lucus ex palmis et lauribus in helicum gyros positis; accessi et intravi, et ambulavi vias circumductas in aliquos gyros, et in fine viarum vidi Hortum, qui faciebat meditullium Luci; erat ponticulus qui distinxit, et ibi porta a parte Luci, et porta a parte Horti; accessi, et portae aperiebantur a custode; quaesivi illum, quid nomen Horti; et dixit, "Adramandoni, quod est delitium amoris conjugialis:" intravi, et ecce oleae, ac inter oleam et oleam currentes et pensiles vites, et sub illis et inter illas arbusta in floribus; in medio ejus erat Circus gramineus, super quo sedebant Mariti et Uxores, ac Juvenes et Virgines, paria et paria, et in medio Circi humus elevata, ubi fonticulus ex fortitudine venae saliens in altum. Cum prope Circum eram, vidi duos Angelos in purpura et coccino, qui cum sedentibus super gramine loquebantur, et loquebantur de Origine Amoris conjugialis, et de ejus delitiis; et quia loquela de amore illo fuit, erat attentio avida, et receptio plena, et inde exaltatio sicut ex igne amoris in sermone Angelorum.
[2] Collegi in summam haec e loquela illorum; praefati sunt de difficili investigatione, et de difficili perceptione originis amoris conjugialis, quia Origo ejus est Divina coelestis, est enim Divinus Amor, Divina Sapientia, et Divinus Usus, quae Tria ut unum a Domino procedunt, et inde ut unum influunt in animas hominum, et per animas in mentes illorum, et ibi in interiores affectiones et cogitationes, 1per has in desideria propinqua corpori, et ex his per Pectus in Regionem genitalem, ubi omnia derivata a prima origine, simul sunt, et una cum successivis faciunt amorem conjugialem. Post haec Angeli dixerunt, "sit commercium sermonis per interrogationes et responsa, quoniam perceptio rei hausta ex sola auditione quidem influit, sed non manet, nisi audiens etiam cogitet de illa ex se, ac interroget."
[3] Tunc quidam ex Conjugiali illo Caetu dixerunt ad Angelos, "audivimus, quod Origo amoris conjugialis sit Divina coelestis, quia est ex influxu in animas hominum a Domino; et quia a Domino, quod sit 2Amor, Sapientia, et Usus, quae sunt tria Essentialia, quae simul faciunt unam Essentiam Divinam, et quod non aliud possit quam id quod est Essentiae Divinae ab Ipso procedere, ac in intimum hominis, quod vocatur ejus Anima, influere; et quod illa tria vertantur in analoga et correspondentia in descensu in corpus; interrogamus itaque nunc primum, quid intelligitur per tertium Essentiale procedens Divinum, quod dictum est Usus;" responderunt Angeli, quod Amor et Sapientia absque Usu sint modo ideae cogitationis abstractae, quae etiam post aliquam moram in mente transeunt sicut venti; "at illa duo colliguntur in Usu, et ibi fiunt unum, quod vocatur reale; non potest amor quiescere nisi faciat, est enim Amor ipsum vitae activum, nec potest sapientia existere et subsistere, nisi ex amore et cum illo quando facit, ac facere est usus; quare definimus usum, quod sit facere bonum ex amore per sapientiam; Usus est ipsum Bonum.
[4] Quoniam illa tria, Amor, Sapientia, et Usus, influunt in animas hominum, constare potest, unde est quod dicatur, quod omne bonum sit a Deo, omne enim factum ex amore per sapientiam vocatur bonum, et usus est quoque factum: quid amor absque sapientia, nisi quoddam fatuum, et quid amor cum sapientia absque usu, nisi flatus mentis; at vero amor et sapientia cum usu non modo faciunt hominem, sed etiam sunt homo; imo, quod forte mirabimini, propagant hominem, nam in semine viri est ejus anima in perfecta forma humana, obvelata substantiis ex purissimis naturae, ex quibus formatur corpus in utero matris; hic Usus est Usus supremus ac ultimus Divini Amoris per Divinam Sapientiam."
[5] Tandem dixerunt Angeli, "hoc erit Conclusum, quod omnis fructificatio, omnis propagatio, et omnis prolificatio sit originitus ex influxu amoris, sapientiae et usus a Domino, ex influxu immediato a Domino in Animas hominum, ex influxu mediato in animas animalium, et ex influxu adhuc mediato in intima vegetabilium; et omnia haec fiunt in ultimis a primis. Quod fructificationes, propagationes, et prolificationes sint continuationes creationis, patet; creatio enim non potest aliunde esse, quam ex Divino Amore per Divinam Sapientiam in Divino Usu, quare omnia in universo ex usu, in usu, et ad usum, procreantur et formantur."
[6] Postea sedentes super toris gramineis interrogaverunt Angelos, "unde sunt Delitiae amoris conjugialis, quae sunt innumerabiles et ineffabiles;" responderunt Angeli, quod sint ex Usibus amoris et sapientiae; et quod hoc videri possit ex eo, quod quantum quis amat sapere propter genuinum usum, tantum in amoris conjugialis vena et potentia sit, et quantum in his duabus est, tantum in delitiis sit; "usus hoc facit, quia amor per sapientiam [in usu existit, et] inter se delitiantur, et quasi ludunt sicut infantes; et prout adolescunt, genialiter conjungunt se; quod fit quasi per desponsationes, nuptias, conjugia, et propagationes; et haec continue cum varietate in aeternum: haec fiunt inter amorem et sapientiam intus in usu; at delitiae illae in principiis suis sunt imperceptibiles, sed fiunt perceptibiles plus et plus, sicut inde per gradus descendunt et intrant corpus; intrant per gradus ab anima in interiora mentis hominis, et ab his in exteriora ejus, et ex his in sinum pectoralem, et ex hoc in regionem genitalem;
[7] ac coelestes illi ludi nuptiales in Anima ne hilum ab homine percipiuntur, at inde in interiora mentis sub specie pacis et innocentiae se insinuant, et in exteriora mentis sub specie beatitudinis, faustitatis et jucunditatis, in sinu autem pectorali sub specie delitiarum amicitiae intimae, et in regione genitali ex influxu continuo usque ab anima cum ipso sensu amoris conjugialis, ut delitium delitiarum; illi ludi nuptiales amoris et sapientiae in usu in Anima in procedendo versus sinum pectoralem 3permanent, et 4in sinu illo sub infinita varietate delitiarum se sensibiles sistunt, et propter 5sinus pectoralis mirabilem communicationem cum regione genitali, fiunt delitiae ibi delitiae amoris conjugialis, quae super omnes delitias, quae in Coelo et in Mundo dantur, exaltatae sunt, ex causa, quia Usus amoris conjugialis est omnium usuum praestantissimus, est enim inde procreatio Generis humani, et ex Genere humano Coelum angelicum."
[8] His addiderunt Angeli, quod illi qui non in amore sapiendi propter Usum a Domino sunt, non sciant aliquid de varietate delitiarum innumerabilium, quae sunt amoris vere conjugialis; "apud illos enim, qui non amant sapere ex genuinis veris, sed amant insanire ex falsis, et per hanc insaniam ex aliquo amore faciunt usus malos, via ad animam clausa est; inde est, quod coelestes nuptiales ludi amoris et sapientiae in anima plus et plus intercepti cessent; et una cum illis amor conjugialis cum ejus vena, potentia, et delitiis." Ad haec dixerunt audientes, quod percipiant, quod Amor conjugialis sit secundum amorem sapiendi propter usus a Domino; responderunt Angeli quod ita: et tunc super quorundam capitibus apparebant corollae ex floribus; et quaesiverunt, cur hoc; dixerunt Angeli, "quia profundius intellexerunt;" et tunc ex horto abiverunt, et hi in medio illorum.
Footnotes:
1. Prima editio: cogitationis,
2. Prima editio: sint
3. Prima editio: perctoralem
4. Prima editio:
5. Prima editio: prop er & se