270、记事三：
一天早晨醒来之后，我的思维深深沉浸于婚姻之爱的某些秘密，最后想到这个问题：真正的婚姻之爱居于人心智的哪个区域？因而婚姻冷淡又居于哪个区域呢？我知道，人的心智有三个区域，一个在另一个之上；属世之爱居于最低区域，属灵之爱居于较高区域，属天之爱居于最高区域。我还知道，每个区域都有一个良善与真理的婚姻；并且由于良善属于爱，真理属于智慧，故也有一个爱与智慧的婚姻。该婚姻与意愿和理解之间的婚姻是一样的，因为意愿是接受爱的容器，而理解是接受智慧的容器。
当我深思这个问题时，看哪，只见两只天鹅飞向北方，然后两只天堂鸟飞向南方，又有两只鸽子在东方飞翔。我的目光追随着它们，发现两只天鹅改变路线，从北方折向东方；两只天堂鸟也从南方折向东方。它们与东方的鸽子会合后，一起飞向那里一座巍峨的宫殿。这宫殿周围有橄榄树、棕榈树和山毛榉，还有三排窗户，一排在另一排之上；我仔细观看，发现天鹅从底排敞开的窗户飞入宫殿，天堂鸟从中间那排窗户飞入，而鸽子则从顶上那排窗户飞入。
当我正在观看这一幕时，站在我旁边的天使说：“你明白这些景象吗？”“一点点，”我回答。于是天使说：“宫殿代表婚姻之爱的居所，如它们存在于人的心智里面那样。最高层，也就是鸽子飞入的那一层，代表心智的最高区域，在那里，婚姻之爱便居于对良善的爱和它自己的智慧中。中间层，也就是天堂鸟飞入的那一层，代表中间区域，在那里，婚姻之爱居于对真理的爱和它自己的聪明中。最低层，也就是天鹅飞入的那一层，代表心智的最低区域，在那里，婚姻之爱居于对公义公平的爱和它自己的知识中。
“此外，这三对鸟具有同样的含义：一对鸽子表示最高区域的婚姻之爱，一对天堂鸟表示中间区域的婚姻之爱，一对天鹅表示最低区域的婚姻之爱。宫殿周围的三种树，即橄榄树、棕榈树和山毛榉，也具有同样的含义。在天上，我们将心智的最高区域称为属天的，将中间区域称为属灵的，将最低区域称为属世的。我们发现它们就像一座房子的上中下三层，可以沿着楼梯从这一层上到另一层。而且每一层都有两个房间，一个给爱，一个给智慧；它们前面还有一个卧室，那是爱与它自己的智慧，或良善与它自己的真理，或也可说，意愿与它自己的理解在床上结合的地方。婚姻之爱的一切奥秘在这座宫殿，如在肖像中那样变得可见。”
听到这里，我心里燃起一种渴望，很想看看这座宫殿，便问天使，既是一座代表性宫殿，可否让人进去参观一下。他回答说：“只有第三层天的天使才可以进去，因为对他们来说，爱与智慧的一切代表都变成了现实。我所告诉你的，都是我从他们那里听来的。我还被告知：真正的婚姻之爱居于最高区域，在意愿的卧室或房间里居于相爱中间；在理解的卧室或房间里居于对智慧的觉知中间；它们在前面，也就是东边卧室的床上结合。”“为何有两个房间？”我问道。他说：“因为丈夫住在理解的房间，而妻子住在意愿的房间。”
我接着问：“既然婚姻之爱住在那里，那婚姻的冷淡住在哪？”他回答说：“它也住在最高区域，不过，只住在理解的房间，因为在那里，意愿的房间关上了。事实上，理解及其真理能随意通过螺旋楼梯升至它在最高区域的房间。但是，如果意愿及其爱之良善没有同时升至隔壁房间，后者就会关闭，并在另一个房间造成冷淡，这就是婚姻的冷淡。当这种冷淡朝向妻子时，理解便从最高区域俯视最低区域，而且，若不是恐惧约束它，它还会降下来，以便能在那里从非法之火中取暖。”说完这番话，天使还想根据宫殿中所发现的婚姻之爱的肖像告诉我有关它的更多详情。不过，他说：“目前这一切足够了。先得问问这些事有没有超出一般的理解力。如果超出了，讲再多也没用；如果没超出，可另找时间披露更多内容。”
270、第三点：一天早上醒来，我开始思索婚姻之爱处于人头脑的哪个部位，宗教处于哪个部位，而婚姻中的冷漠又处于哪个部位。
我知道人的头脑被分为三个区域，一个区域在另一个区域之上。自然的爱处于最低的区域，精神之爱处于其上，而神圣的爱处于最高区。另外，在每个区域都有善和真理的结合，因为善与爱有关，而真理与智慧有关。在每个区域都有爱和智慧的结合，这种结合同意愿与理解力的结合一样，因为意愿接受着爱，而理解力接受着智慧。
正在思索这个问题时，突然看到两只天鹅朝北飞去，两只天堂鸟朝南方飞，两只鸽子朝东方飞。然后，天鹅和天堂鸟都转向东方，与鸽子一起飞到上方一个围绕着橄榄树、棕榈树和毛榉树的宫殿飞去。宫殿有高中低三个窗。天鹅从最低的一个窗飞了进去，天堂鸟从中间的窗飞入，鸽子从最高的窗户飞进去。
此时天使问我是否理解所看到的一切。
我说：“一点点。”
天使说：“宫殿代表着人头脑中的婚姻之爱。鸽子所去的地方代表着思想的最高层，在这里婚姻之爱与对善和智慧的爱一起存在。天堂鸟所去的地方代表着婚姻之爱的中间层，在那里它与对真理和才智的爱一起存在。天鹅所去的地方是婚姻之爱的最低层，在那里它与对正义和知识的爱一起存在。
“这三个层次也同时被这三种鸟代表着。鸽子代表着最高层的婚姻之爱。天堂鸟代表着中间层的婚姻之爱。而天鹅代表着最低层的婚姻之爱，宫殿周围的三种树也有同样的象征意义。”
“在天国中我们称头脑的最高层是神圣的，中间层是精神的，最低层是自然的。我们视它们如同楼房，通过阶梯而进入各层中。另外在每层中有两套房间，一个是属于爱的，一个是属于智慧的。有一个卧室在前面，爱与智慧在此相结合，善与真理，意愿与才智也是同样。在这个宫殿中婚姻之爱被以可视的形式展现出来。”
听到这儿，我问是否可以去看一看呢？
天使说只有第三层天堂中的天使才能看。对他们来讲，一切象征都是真实的。
天使又说：“真正的婚姻之爱处于最高层，处于互爱之间，存在于意愿的房间里，同时也处于对智慧的理解之中，存在于才智的房间里，所有这些一起结合在东侧前方的卧室中。”
我问：“为什么有两个房间呢？”
天使说：“因为丈夫处于才智的房间中，妻子处于意愿的房间中。”
我又问：“婚姻之爱是这样，那么婚姻中的冷漠又存在于什么地方呢？”
天使答道：“它也存在于最高的区域，但是只在才智的房间中，而在那一层的意愿的房间关着的。理解力及其真理可以从螺旋的楼梯上升进入它在最高区域的房间，但是若意愿及其善若不同时上升到这里，后者就是关闭的。在另一方中就会产生冷漠，这也就是婚姻中的冷漠。”
“只要妻子的冷漠持续着，才智也会下降到低处而从别处得到一点温暖。”
说到这，天使想告诉我更多这方面的秘密，但是他又说，就讲到这吧，看看人们是否能理解。若不能理解了就不必再讲更多，若能理解，今后再多讲吧。
婚姻中存在的表在上的爱，友谊和恩惠
270. The third experience.
One morning after I had slept, my thoughts plunged deep into some of the secrets of conjugial love, ending up with this: In what region of the human mind does truly conjugial love reside, and hence where does conjugial coldness reside? I knew that the human mind has three regions, one above the other; in the lowest region natural love dwells, in the higher one spiritual love, and in the highest celestial love. In each region there is a marriage of good and truth; and since good relates to love and truth to wisdom, there is a marriage of love and wisdom. This marriage is the same as that between the will and the intellect, because the will is designed to receive love, the intellect wisdom.
[2] While I was deep in these thoughts, I caught sight of two swans flying towards the north, and then two birds of paradise flying towards the south, and also two doves flying in the east. As I followed their flight with my eyes, I noticed the two swans altering their course from north to east, and the birds of paradise did the same from the south, and they went to join the doves in the east. They flew together to a lofty palace there, which was surrounded by olive, palm and beech trees. The palace had three rows of windows, one above the other; and as I watched I saw the swans fly into the palace through the open windows of the bottom row, the birds of paradise through those of the middle row, and the doves through those of the top row.
[3] When I had seen this, an angel stood beside me and said, 'Do you understand what you have seen?' 'A little,' I answered. He told me that the palace represented the dwellings of conjugial love, as they exist in people's minds. The top floor, to which the doves took themselves, represented the highest region of the mind, where conjugial love dwells in the love for good together with its own wisdom. The middle floor, to which the birds of paradise took themselves, represented the middle region, where conjugial love dwells in the love for truth together with its own intelligence. The lowest floor, to which the swans took themselves, represented the lowest region, where conjugial love dwells in the love for justice and equity with its own knowledge.
[4] 'The three pairs of birds,' he said, 'also have the same meaning: the pair of doves mean conjugial love of the highest region, the pair of birds of paradise conjugial love of the middle region, the pair of swans conjugial love of the lowest region. The three kinds of trees surrounding the palace, olive, palm and beech, have the same meaning. We in heaven call the highest region of the mind celestial, the middle spiritual, the lowest natural. We see these like apartments in a house one above the other, with a staircase leading up from one to the next. On each floor there are two rooms, one for love, the other for wisdom, and in front of them a kind of bedroom, where love associates in bed with its own kind of wisdom, or good with its own truth, or, what is the same thing, the will with its own intellect. This palace contains pictorial representations of all the secrets of conjugial love.'
[5] On hearing this I was fired with longing to see it, and I asked whether anyone was allowed to go inside and view it, seeing that it is a representational palace. The reply was that only those who are in the third heaven are allowed to do so, because for them every representation of love and wisdom is realised. 'What I have told you,' he said, 'I have heard from them. I was also told that truly conjugial love dwells in the highest region, in the midst of mutual love in the chamber or room of the will, in the midst of perceptions of wisdom in the chamber or room of the intellect; and they associate in bed in the bedroom at the front, that is, in the east.' 'Why are there two chambers?' I asked. He said it was because the husband is in the chamber of the intellect, and the wife is in the chamber of the will.
[6] 'Since conjugial love dwells there,' I asked, ' where does conjugial coldness dwell?' He replied that it too was in the highest region, but only in the chamber of the intellect, and the chamber of the will there was closed. 'For the intellect accompanied by its truths,' he said, 'can go up as often as it wishes by the spiral staircase to its chamber in the highest region; but if the will accompanied by the good of its love does not at the same time go up to the matching chamber, this is shut off, causing coldness in the other one. This is conjugial coldness. When such coldness is felt towards a wife, the intellect looks down from the highest region to the lowest, and also, if not held back by fear, goes down there and warms itself with illicit fire there.'
After saying this he wanted to relate more about conjugial love based on the representations of it to be found in that palace; but he said, 'This is enough for now. Ask first whether these facts are beyond the grasp of the average intellect. If they are, what is the point of saying more? But if not, more will be revealed.'
270. The third account:
Awakening one morning, I fell to thinking about some questions having to do with conjugial love, coming finally to this one:
In what region of the human mind is truly conjugial love seated, and in what region, therefore, coldness in marriage?
I knew that the human mind is divided into three regions, one above the other, and that natural love resides in the lowest region, spiritual love in the next higher one, and celestial love in the highest. I knew also that in each region there is a marriage of good and truth, and because good has to do with love, and truth with wisdom, that in each region there is a marriage of love and wisdom; moreover, that this marriage is the same as a marriage of the will and understanding, since the will is the recipient vessel of love, and the understanding the recipient vessel of wisdom.
[2] While I was deep in thought on this question, I suddenly saw two swans flying towards the north, and presently two birds of paradise flying towards the south, and then two turtledoves flying in the east. Following their flight with my eyes, I next saw the two swans veer their course from the north to the east, likewise the two birds of paradise from the south, until they met up with the pair of turtledoves in the east. Then together they flew towards a certain lofty palace there, rising in the midst of olive trees, palms and beeches. The palace had three rows of windows, one above another; and as I watched, I saw the birds fly into the palace - the swans through windows standing open in the lowest row, the birds of paradise through windows open in the middle row, and the turtledoves through windows open in the highest row.
[3] After I witnessed this event, an angel stood beside me and said, "Do you understand the things you have seen?"
"A little," I replied.
"The palace," said the angel, "represents the abodes of conjugial love as these exist in human minds. Its highest level - into which the turtledoves disappeared - represents the highest region of the mind, where conjugial love resides in the goodness of love together with its wisdom. The middle level - into which the birds of paradise disappeared - represents the intermediate region, where conjugial love resides in a love of truth together with its intelligence. And the lowest level - into which the swans disappeared - represents the lowest region of the mind, where conjugial love resides in a love of what is just and right together with its knowledge.
[4] "These degrees are also symbolized by the three pairs of birds - the two turtledoves symbolizing conjugial love in the highest region, the two birds of paradise conjugial love in the intermediate region, and the two swans conjugial love in the lowest region. The three kinds of trees surrounding the palace - the olive trees, palms and beeches - symbolize the same.
"In heaven we call the highest region of the mind celestial, the intermediate one spiritual, and the lowest one natural. And we conceive of them as being like apartments in a house, one above another, with steps going up from one to the next, like stairs. Moreover, on each level there are as it were two sets of rooms, one for love, one for wisdom, with a bedroom, so to speak, in front, where they come together in bed - love with its wisdom, or good with its truth, or to say the same thing, the will with its intellect. In such a palace, all the mysteries of conjugial love become visible as though in effigy."
[5] Hearing this, being fired with a desire to see one, I asked whether a person might go in and look at the palace there, since it was a representational one.
The angel replied that only angels in the third heaven could, because for them every representation of love and wisdom becomes real.
"What I have related to you I have heard from them," he said, "including as well the following, that truly conjugial love resides in the highest region, in the midst of mutual love in the chamber or apartment of the will, and at the same time in the midst of perceptions of wisdom in the chamber or apartment of the intellect; and these come together in bed in a bedroom that is located in front on the east side."
"Why," I asked, "are there two chambers?"
"Because," he said, "a husband lives in the chamber of the intellect, and a wife lives in the chamber of the will."
[6] At that I inquired, "If that is where conjugial love resides, where then does coldness in marriage reside?"
"It, too, resides in the highest region," he replied, "but only in the chamber of the intellect, with the chamber of the will on that level being closed off. For as often as it pleases, the understanding with its truths can ascend by a spiral stairway to its chamber in the highest region; but if the will with the goodness of its love does not ascend at the same time to its companion chamber, the latter remains closed, and coldness develops in the other, which is the coldness one finds in marriage.
"As long as such coldness to one's wife continues, the intellect looks down from the highest region to the lowest; and if fear does not hold it back, it also descends in order to warm itself there with an illicit fire."
Having said this, the angel wished to tell me still more about conjugial love from the depictions of it in that palace; but he said, "Enough for now. First investigate whether these concepts are beyond people's general comprehension. If they are, what is the use of saying more? On the other hand, if they are not, more will be disclosed another time." 1
Footnotes:
1. We find, however, no report of any further disclosures.
270. The third story: One morning I had been sleeping, and my thoughts ran to the things we don't know about the love in marriage, and eventually I came to this one: Where does the true love in marriage reside, in the human mind, and so where does marital coldness reside?
I knew that there are three levels of the human mind, one above another, and that worldly love dwells in the lowest, spiritual love in the next, and heavenly love in the highest, and I knew that On each level there is a marriage of good and truth. Now, good goes with love, and truth goes with wisdom, so there is a marriage of love and wisdom On each level. And this marriage is the same as the marriage of one's will and his faculty of understanding, because your will is what receives love, and your faculty of understanding is what receives wisdom.
In the depth of this thought, what did I see but two swans flying towards the north, and soon two birds of paradise flying towards the south, and also two turtledoves flying in the east. I was following them with my eye when I saw the two swans wheel from the north toward the east and the two birds of paradise turn from the south. They joined the two turtledoves in the east and flew together to a tall palace there, surrounded by olive trees, palms, and beeches. It was a palace with three tiers of windows, one above the other. I watched them and saw the swans fly into the palace through opened windows in the lowest tier, the birds of paradise through windows opened in the middle tier, and the turtledoves through ones in the highest tier.
As I was watching this, an angel stood beside me and said, "Do you understand the things you have seen?"
I said, "Partly."
He said, "This palace represents the way the dwelling places of married love are arranged in the human mind. The highest part of it, where the turtledoves entered, represents the highest level of the mind, where married love resides in the love of good and its wisdom. The middle part, where the birds of paradise entered, represents the middle level, where married love resides in love of truth with its intelligence. And the lowest part, where the swans entered, represents the lowest level of the mind, where married love resides in the love of what is just and right with its knowledge.
"The three pairs of birds also stand for the same things - the pair of turtledoves stands for married love in the highest level, the pair of birds of paradise married love in the middle level, and the pair of swans married love in the lowest level. The three kinds of trees around the palace - the olives, the palms, and the beeches stand for the same things.
"In heaven we call the highest level of the mind heavenly, the middle level spiritual, and the lowest natural, and we think of them as the stories of a house, one above another, with steps going up from one to another like a staircase. Each level, you might say, has two rooms - one for love, the other for wisdom and in front a bedchamber, so to speak, where love with its wisdom, or good with its truth, which is to say the will with its intellect, lie with each other in bed. That palace depicts all the secrets of married love in a metaphor."
When I heard this I had a burning desire to see the palace. I asked, "Since it is a representative palace, do they let anyone go in and look around?"
"because to them everything that represents love and wisdom becomes real. They were the ones that told me what I've told you.
They said something else, too - that true married love resides in the highest region surrounded by mutual love, in the marriage chamber or room of the will and, also surrounded by what wisdom perceives, in the marriage chamber or room of the intellect, and they lie together in bed in the bedroom at the front in the east."
"I asked, "Why are there the two rooms?"
He said, "The husband is in the marriage chamber of the intellect, and the wife is in the one of the will."
I asked, "Since the married love resides there, where does marital coldness reside?"
"That also is in the highest level," he said, "but only in the room of the intellect. The room of the will there is closed. Whenever it wants, intellect and its truths can go up into the highest level, into its room, by a spiral stairway. But if the will and the good of its love does not go up with it to the adjacent room, this room is shut, and coldness gets into the other room - marital coldness.
When this coldness toward a wife is there, the faculty of intellect looks down from this highest level to the lowest, and if fear does not hold it back, it goes down there to get warmed by illicit fire."
Then he would have told me still more about the love in marriage, according to the symbols of it in that palace, but he said, "Enough for now. First see if these things are over most people's heads. If they are, why say more? But if not, there is much more to be told."
270. The third Memorable Relation:
One morning after sleep, my thought was deeply engaged on certain arcana of conjugial love, and finally, on the following: In what region of the human mind does love truly conjugial reside, and hence in what, conjugial cold? I knew that there are three regions of the human mind, one above the other, and that natural love dwells in the lowest region, spiritual love in the higher, and celestial love in the highest; also that in each region there is a marriage of good and truth; and because good pertains to love and truth to wisdom, that in each region there is a marriage of love and wisdom, and that this marriage is the same as the marriage of the will and understanding, the will being the receptacle of love and the understanding the receptacle of wisdom.
[2] While in deep thought concerning this, lo, I saw two swans flying towards the north, and presently two birds of paradise flying towards the south, and also two turtle-doves flying in the east. As I followed their flight with my sight, I saw that the two swans bent their northerly course to the east, as likewise did the two birds of paradise on their southerly course; and that, joining the two turtle-doves in the east, they flew with them to a lofty palace there, around which were olive trees, palms and beeches. The palace had three tiers of windows, one above the other; and, directing my attention to them, I saw the swans fly into the palace through open windows in the lowest tier, the birds of paradise through open windows in the middle tier, and the turtle-doves through open windows in the highest tier.
[3] As I was looking at this, an angel stood by my side and said, "Do you understand these sights?" I replied, "Partly." He then said: "That palace represents the abodes of conjugial love as they are in human minds. Its highest part into which the doves betook themselves represents the highest region of the mind where conjugial love with its wisdom dwells in the love of good; its middle into which the birds of paradise betook themselves represents the middle region where conjugial love with its intelligence dwells in the love of truth; and its lowest part into which the swans betook themselves represents the lowest region of the mind where conjugial love with its knowledge dwells in the love of what is just and right.
[4] Moreover, the three pairs of birds signify these same things--the pair of turtle-doves, the conjugial love of the highest region, the pair of birds of paradise the conjugial love of the middle region, and the pair of swans the conjugial love of the lowest region. The like are signified by the three kinds of trees around the palace--the olive, the palm, and the beech. In heaven, we call the highest region of the mind celestial, the middle spiritual, and the lowest natural; and we perceive them as abiding places in a house, one above the other, and the ascent from one to the other by degrees, as being made by stairs. In each story are two rooms, as it were, one for love the other for wisdom. In front is a bedchamber, as it were, where love with its wisdom, or good with its truth, or, what is the same thing, the will with its understanding, consociate in bed. In that palace stand forth as in effigy all the arcana of conjugial love."
[5] On hearing this, being kindled with a desire to see the palace, I asked whether, being a representative palace, it was granted any one to enter in and view it. He answered: "To none save those who are in the third heaven, because to them every representative of love and wisdom becomes real. It is from them that I heard what I have reported to you, and also this, that in the highest region love truly conjugial dwells, in the chamber or room of the will, in the midst of mutual love, and in the chamber or room of the understanding, in the midst of the perceptions of wisdom; and that, in the bedchamber which is at the front and in the east, they are consociated in bed."
To my question, "Why are there two chambers?" he said, "The husband is in the chamber of the understanding and the wife in the chamber of the will."
[6] I then asked, "Since conjugial love dwells there, where then does conjugial cold dwell?" He answered: "This also dwells in the highest region, but only in the chamber of the understanding, the chamber of the will there being closed; for the understanding with its truths can ascend by a spiral stairway into its chamber in the highest region whenever it wills; but if the will with the good of its love does not at the same time ascend into the neighboring chamber, the latter is shut and in the other chamber it becomes cold; and this cold is conjugial cold. When there is such cold towards the wife, then from this highest region the understanding looks down to the lowest, and if fear does not restrain it, it also descends thither that it may there grow warm from an illicit fire."
After saying this, he wished to recount still further particulars concerning conjugial love on the basis of its effigies in that palace, but he said: "Enough for the present. Inquire first whether these things are above the common understanding. If they are, why more? but if not, more will be disclosed."
270. III
One morning after sleep I was plunged deep in thought about some of the arcana of marital love, finally about this: in what region of the human mind true marital love resides and hence in what region marital cold resides. I knew that there are three regions of the human mind, one above another, and that natural love inhabits the lowest region, spiritual love the higher, and celestial love the highest, and that in each region there is a marriage of good and truth; and as good is of love and truth is of wisdom, that in each region there is a marriage of love and wisdom; and that this marriage is the same as the marriage of the will and the understanding, since the will is the receptacle of love and the understanding is the receptacle of wisdom.
[2] While I was deep in the thought, I beheld two swans flying northward, and presently two birds of paradise flying southward, and also two turtledoves flying in the east. As my gaze followed their flight I saw that the two swans bent their way from the north to the east, likewise the two birds of paradise from the south; and that they joined the two turtledoves in the east and together they flew to a certain lofty palace there, surrounded by olive trees, palms and beeches. The palace had three rows of windows one above another; and as I watched I saw the swans fly into the palace through the opened windows of the lowest row, the birds of paradise through the opened windows of the middle row, and the turtledoves through the opened windows of the top row.
[3] As I looked an angel presented himself, and said:
"Do you understand what you have seen?" I replied, "In some small measure."
He said, "This palace represents the dwelling-places of marital love in the human mind. The highest part of the palace, into which the turtle-doves entered, represents the highest region of the mind, where marital love dwells in the love of good with its wisdom. The middle part to which the birds of paradise betook themselves represents the middle region, where marital love dwells in the love of truth with its intelligence. The lowest part to which the swans betook themselves represents the lowest region of the mind, where marital love dwells in the love of what is just and right with its knowledge.
[4] The three pairs of birds have a similar significance - the pair of turtledoves signify the marital love of the highest region, the pair of birds of paradise marital love of the middle region, and the pair of swans marital love of the lowest region. The three kinds of trees around the palace - the olives, palms and beeches - have the same significance. We, in heaven, call the highest region of the mind celestial, the middle spiritual, and the lowest natural. We also conceive of these regions as habitations in a house, one above another, with an ascent from one to the other by degrees as by stairs; and in each part are as it were two apartments, one for love, the other for wisdom; and in front is a bedchamber, as it were, where love with its wisdom, or good with its truth, or, what is the same, where the will with its understanding consociate in bed. All the arcana of marital love appear in that palace as in effigy."
[5] Hearing these things, and kindled with a desire to see the palace, I asked whether one could enter and view it, inasmuch as it was a representation. He answered:
"Only those in the third heaven can do so, for to them every representative of love and wisdom becomes real. I heard from them what I have related to you. Also this, that true marital love dwells in the highest region in the midst of mutual love in the marriage chamber or apartment of the will, and in the midst of perceptions of wisdom in the marriage chamber or apartment of the understanding; and that they are consociated in bed in the bedchamber which is toward the front and east."
I asked, "Why are there two marriage chambers?" He said, "The husband is in the marriage chamber of the understanding, and the wife in the marriage chamber of the will."
[6] And I asked, "Since marital love dwells there, where then does marital cold dwell?"
He answered, "That also dwells in the highest region, but only in the marriage chamber of the understanding, when the marriage chamber of the will is closed. For the understanding can ascend at will with its truths by a spiral stairway into the highest region to its marriage chamber; but if the will does not ascend at the same time with the good of its love into the allied marriage chamber, the latter is shut and cold comes in the other, and this is marital cold. When there is such cold toward the wife, the understanding looks down from this highest region to the lowest, and, if not restrained by fear, also descends to be warmed by illicit fire."
Having said this, he would have recounted still more about marital love from its effigies in that palace, but said:
"Enough for the present. First inquire whether these things are above the general understanding. If they are, why say more? But if they are not, more will be disclosed."
270. The Third Relation:
One morning after sleep my thought was deeply engaged on some of the secret things of conjugial love; and finally on this: In what region of the human mind does love truly conjugial reside, and hence in what region does conjugial cold reside? I knew that there are three regions of the human mind, one above another, and that natural love dwells in the lowest region, spiritual love in the higher, and celestial love in the highest, and that in each region there is a marriage of good and truth; and as good is of love and truth is of wisdom, that in each region there is a marriage of love and wisdom; and that this marriage is the same as the marriage of the will and the understanding, since the will is the receptacle of love and the understanding is the receptacle of wisdom.
While I was in the depth of this thought, lo! I saw two swans flying towards the north, and presently two birds of paradise flying towards the south, and also two turtle doves flying in the east; and as I followed their flight with my sight I saw that the two swans bent their way from the north towards the east, likewise the two birds of paradise from the south; and that they joined the two turtle doves in the east and flew together to a certain lofty palace there, surrounded by olive trees, palms, and beeches. The palace had three tiers of windows one above another; and as I was directing my attention to them I saw the swans fly into the palace through windows opened in the lowest tier, the birds of paradise through windows opened in the middle tier, and the turtle doves through windows opened in the highest tier. As I observed this an angel stood by, and said:
'Do you understand the things you have seen?' I replied, 'In some small degree.'
He said, 'This palace represents the dwelling-places of conjugial love as they are in the human mind. The highest part of it, into which the turtle doves entered, represents the highest region of the mind, where conjugial love dwells in the love of good with its wisdom; the middle part into which the birds of paradise entered represents the middle region, where conjugial love dwells in the love of truth with its intelligence; and the lowest part into which the swans entered represents the lowest region of the mind, where conjugial love dwells in the love of what is just and right with its knowledge. These are also signified by the three pairs of birds - the pair of turtle doves signify conjugial love of the highest region, the pair of birds of paradise conjugial love of the middle region, and the pair of swans conjugial love of the lowest region. Like things are signified by the three kinds of trees around the palace, the olives, the palms, and the beeches. We, in heaven, call the highest region of the mind celestial, the middle spiritual, and the lowest natural; and we perceive them as habitations in a house, one above another, and the ascent from one to another by degrees, as by stairs; and in each part as it were two apartments, one for love, the other for wisdom; and in front as it were a bed-chamber, where love with its wisdom, or good with its truth, or, what is the same, where the will with its understanding consociate in bed. In that palace all the secrets of conjugial love stand forth as in effigy.'
Hearing these things, and kindled with a desire to see the palace, I asked whether it is granted anyone to enter in and view it, as it is a representative palace. He answered:
'To none but those in the third heaven, because to them every representative of love and wisdom becomes real. From them I heard what I have related to you. And this also, that love truly conjugial dwells in the highest region in the midst of mutual love, in the marriage chamber or apartment of the will, and also in the midst of the perceptions of wisdom, in the marriage chamber or apartment of the understanding; and that they are consociated in bed in the bed-chamber which is at the front and in the east.' I asked, 'Why are there two marriage chambers?' He said, 'The husband is in the marriage chamber of the understanding, and the wife in the marriage chamber of the will.'
And I asked, 'Since conjugial love dwells there, where then is conjugial cold?'
He answered, 'That also is in the highest region, but only in the marriage chamber of the understanding, the marriage chamber of the will there being closed. For the understanding with its truths can as often as it pleases ascend by a spiral stairway into the highest region, into its marriage chamber; but if the will with the good of its love does not at the same time ascend into the consociate marriage chamber, this is shut, and there comes cold into the other and this is conjugial cold. The understanding, when there is such cold toward the wife, looks down from this highest region to the lowest, and descends also if not restrained by fear, that it may be warmed there by illicit fire.'
Having said this, he would have told still more about conjugial love, from its effigies in that palace, but he said:
'Enough for the present. First inquire whether these things are above the common understanding. If they are, why say more? But if they are not, more will be disclosed.'
270. Tertium Memorabile. Quodam mane post somnum profundavit se cogitatio mea in aliqua arcana Amoris conjugialis, et demum in hoc, "In quanam regione Mentis humanae residet Amor vere conjugialis, et inde in quanam Frigus conjugiale:" scivi quod Regiones mentis humanae sint tres, una supra alteram, et quod in infima regione habitet naturalis amor, in superiore spiritualis amor, et in suprema coelestis amor, et quod in unaquavis regione sit Conjugium boni et veri; et quia bonum est amoris, et verum est sapientiae, quod in unaquavis regione sit conjugium amoris et sapientiae; et quod hoc conjugium sit idem cum conjugio voluntatis et intellectus, quoniam Voluntas est receptaculum amoris, ac Intellectus receptaculum sapientiae.
[2] Cum in profundo hujus cogitationis eram, ecce vidi duos Cygnos volantes versus septentrionem, et mox duas Aves paradisiacas volantes versus meridiem, et quoque duos Turtures volantes in Oriente; et cum sequutus aspectu volatus, vidi quod bini Cygni flecterent suam viam a Septentrione ad Orientem, similiter binae Aves Paradisiacae a Meridie, et quod congregarent se cum binis Turturibus in Oriente; et simul volarent ad quoddam eminens Palatium ibi, circum quod erant oleae, palmae et fagi; in Palatio erant tres series fenestrarum, una supra alteram; et cum adverti, vidi Cygnos involare in palatium per fenestras apertas in infima serie, Aves paradisiacas per fenestras apertas in media serie, et Turtures per fenestras apertas in suprema serie.
[3] Hoc viso, adstitit Angelus, et dixit, "intelligis visa illa;" et respondi, aliquid parum; dixit, quod Palatium illud repraesentet habitationes Amoris conjugialis, quales sunt in Mentibus humanis; quod suprema pars ejus, in quam se receperunt Turtures, repraesentet supremam regionem mentis, ubi habitat amor conjugialis in amore boni cum sua sapientia; media pars, in quam se receperunt Aves paradisiacae, mediam regionem, ubi habitat amor conjugialis in amore veri cum sua intelligentia; ac infima pars, in quam se receperunt Cygni, infimam regionem mentis, ubi habitat amor conjugialis in amore justi et recti cum sua scientia;
[4] "tria Paria alitum etiam significant illa, Par turturum amorem conjugialem supremae regionis, Par avium paradisiacarum amorem conjugialem mediae regionis, et Par cygnorum amorem conjugialem infimae regionis; similia significant tria genera arborum circum circa Palatium, oleae, palmae, et fagi: nos in Coelo supremam regionem mentis vocamus Coelestem, mediam Spiritualem, ac infimam Naturalem; ac percipimus illas sicut habitationes in domo, unam supra alteram, et ascensus ab una in alteram per gradus sicut per scalas; et in unaquavis parte sicut duo conclavia, unum pro amore, alterum pro sapientia, et anterius sicut Cubiculum, ubi Amor cum sua sapientia, aut bonum cum suo vero, aut quod idem, ubi voluntas cum suo intellectu, in toro se consociant; in illo Palatio exstant sicut effigiata omnia arcana amoris conjugialis."
[5] His auditis, accensus desiderio videndi illud, quaesivi num alicui detur intrare et videre illud, quia est Palatium repraesentativum; respondit, quod non aliis quam qui in Coelo tertio sunt, quia illis omne repraesentativum amoris et sapientiae fit reale; "ab illis audivi quae tibi retuli, et quoque hoc, quod Amor vere conjugialis habitet in suprema regione in medio amoris mutui, in thalamo seu conclavi voluntatis, et quoque in medio perceptionum sapientiae in thalamo seu conclavi intellectus, et quod consocientur toro in Cubiculo quod antrorsum est, et in Oriente;" et quaesivi, cur duo Thalami; dixit, quod Maritus sit in Thalamo intellectus, et quod Uxor sit in Thalamo voluntatis;
[6] et quaesivi, "cum Amor conjugialis ibi habitat, ubi tunc frigus conjugiale;" respondit, quod etiam in suprema regione, sed solum in Thalamo intellectus, clauso Thalamo voluntatis ibi; "Intellectus enim cum suis veris, potest, quoties lubet, ascendere per scalam cochlearem in supremam regionem in suum thalamum, sed si voluntas cum sui amoris bono non simul in consocium thalamum ascendit, clauditur hic, et fit frigus in altero, et hoc est Frigus conjugiale. Intellectus, dum tale frigus ad uxorem est, e suprema regione spectat deorsum ad infimam, et quoque, si non timor illum retrahit, descendit, ut ibi ex igne illicito calescat." His dictis, voluit adhuc plura de Amore conjugiali ex effigiebus ejus in illo Palatio recensere; sed dixit, "satis hac vice; inquire primum num haec sint supra communem intellectum; si sunt, quid plura; at si non sunt, detegentur plura."