326、对此，我补充两个记事。记事一：
在中学讨论并解决了有关灵魂的问题（参看315节）后，我看到观众鱼贯而出。校长在前头，他身后是长者，长者中间是作答的那五个年轻人，其他人则跟在后面。出来后，他们开始分流到这栋建筑的两侧，那里有灌木丛所围绕的人行道。他们在那里聚集后就分成若干小组，各组都是谈论有关智慧话题的年轻人的聚会，并且每个小组都有一位曾在旁听席就座的智者。我从旅馆看到这一切后，就进入灵里，在灵里向他们走去，靠近就在之前提出有关灵魂问题的那个校长。一看到我，他说：“你是谁？你在路上时，我就观察你，惊讶地发现你时而进入我的视线，时而又从我的视线消失；一时之间我看见你，一时之间你又突然不见了。你肯定不是处于我们的生命状态。”对此，我笑着回答说：“我不是耍花招的，也不是威耳廷努斯（罗马的四季之神，掌管自然和生命的交替变化）；但在你眼里，我时而在光中，时而在暗中，所以在此既是客旅，也是本地人。”
闻听此言，校长看着我说：“你说的这些话非同寻常，令人惊奇。请告诉我你是谁。”我说：“我在你曾经所在并已经离开的世界，就是所谓的自然界；也在你已经来到、如今所在的这个世界，就是所谓的灵界。所以，我既处于属世状态，同时又处于属灵状态。我与世人同在时，处于属世状态，与你同在时，则处于属灵状态。当我处于属世状态时，你看不见我；当我处于属灵状态时，你就会看见。像这样的能力是主恩赐给我的。身为一个受到启示的人，你很清楚，属于自然界的人无法看到属于灵界的人，反之亦然。因此，当我将我的灵融入身体时，你看不见我；而当我将它从身体中释放出来时，你就看见了。你在学校也教导说，你们都是灵魂，灵魂能看见灵魂，是因为灵魂是人的形式。你知道，当灵魂在你自然界的身体中时，你无法看到自己，也就是你的灵魂。不过，之所以发生这种事，是因为属灵物与属世物之间的区别。”
当他听见我提到属灵物与属世物之间的区别时，就说：“是什么区别？这种区别不就像较纯之物与次纯之物之间的区别吗？所以，属灵物不就是更纯粹的属世物吗？”我回答说：“它不是这种区别，而是像在先之物与在后之物之间的那种区别。在先之物与在后之物之间没有有限的比率关系，因为在先者在在后者里面，犹如原因在它的结果里面；并且在后者来源于在先者，犹如结果来源于它的原因。这就是为何这一个不为另一个所见。”
对此，校长回应说：“关于这种区别，我曾冥思苦想过，但至今不得其解。但愿我能理解它。”我说：“你不但能理解属灵物与属世物之间的这种区别，还能见证它。”我继续说：“与你们自己人在一起时，你处于属灵的状态，但与我在一起时，则处于属世的状态。和你们自己人说话时，你用的是每个灵人和天使所共享的属灵语言；但和我说话时，用的是我的母语。因为与世人说话的每个灵人或天使用的都是此人的母语。与法国人说话用法语，与英国人说话用英语，与希腊人说话用希腊语，与阿拉伯人说话则用阿拉伯语，依此类推。为叫你清楚知道属灵物与属世物之间在语言上的区别，你可以这样做：去到你们自己人中间，在那里说几句话并记住它们。回来时把这些话牢记在心，再当着我的面说出来。”他照做了，回到我这里时嘴里嘟哝着几句话。可当他说出来时，却一句也不明白。这些话对我来说如此怪异和陌生，以至于在自然界的任何语言中都找不到。反复的体验清楚表明，在灵界的所有人都使用属灵的语言，这种语言与自然界的语言毫无共同之处。死后，人人都自动掌握这种语言。同时，校长还发现，属灵语言的声音与属世语言的大不相同，以致属灵的声音哪怕再大，属世人也听不见；属世的声音对属灵人来说也是如此。
后来，我请校长和一些旁观者到他们自己人那里，在纸上写下一句话，然后带回来读给我听。他们照做了，回来时手里拿着一张纸。可当他们去读的时候，却根本不理解，因为这些文字只是由字母表中几个上面带曲线的字母组成，每一个字母都表示某种特定含义。在灵界，字母表中的每个字母都可传达一个意思；从这一事实明显可知为何主被称为“阿拉法和俄梅戛”。他们一次又一次地去、写、返回，然后发现，他们的文字牵涉并包含不计其数的事物，是属世文字所无法表达的。他们被告知，这是因为，属灵人的思维对属世人来说，是无法理解，也是无法言表的；它们无法被转换或复制成另外一种文字或语言。
然后，由于旁观者不愿去理解属灵的思维远远胜过属世的思维，以至于相对来说不可言喻，于是我就对他们说：“我们做个实验吧。你们去往自己的属灵社群，思想一个观念，并牢记在心，回来后在我面前阐述它。”他们就去了，思想了某些东西，并记在心里出来了；可当他们去阐述自己所想的东西时，却做不到。事实上，他们找不到能适合属灵思维观念的任何属世思维观念，也找不到能表达这些观念的任何词语，因为思维中的观念会变成言语中的词语。
于是，他们又回去、回来，终于确信：属灵观念远远胜过属世观念，并且对属世人来说，是无法形容，无法言表和无法理解的。由于属灵的观念远远胜过属世的观念，所以他们说，属灵的观念或思维相对属世的来说，是观念中的观念，思维中的思维，因而能表达品质中的品质，情感中的情感。由此可知，属灵思维是属世思维的开始和起源。由此还可知，属灵的智慧是智慧中的智慧，因而无法被自然界中的任何智者领悟。这时，他们从第三层天被告知，还有一种更内在或更高级的所谓属天智慧；属天智慧与属灵智慧的关系，犹如属灵智慧与属世智慧的关系。这些智慧照着与诸天堂一致的次序从主的无限神性智慧一个接一个地流入。
326、在此插两段陈述，第一：
在315节中讲到的学校中讲过关于灵魂的问题后。我看到人们按秩序往外走，校长在前面，其后是年长者，还有回答了问题的五个年轻男子，其后是剩下的人。走到外面后，他们来到旁边被树木围绕着的人行路上。在那儿，他们分成小组，他们与阳台上坐着的智者谈论与智慧相关的问题。
看着他们，我又进入了精神状态，并且加入到他们中。我走向那个提到关于灵魂的问题的校长。
看到我后他问：“你是谁？我看到你一时出现一时隐去，你显然不是处于与我们一样的生命状态中。”
我笑着说：“我不是个木偶，也不是变色龙，我处于变换的状态中，有时处于你们的世界中，有时不是，所以有时象是陌生人，有时又象熟人。”
我说：“我住在你们曾经生活过的世间，我还生活在你们现在所处的这个世界中。这个世界被称为精神世界。因此我即处于自然状态又处于精神状态。在自然状态中，我与世间的人在一起，在精神状态中，我与你们在一起。能处于精神状态中是主所赋予我的。”
“做为一个受到启示的人，你知道自然界中的人无法看到精神世界中的人。反之亦然，所以，当我处于躯体中时，你就看不到我，我处于躯体之外时，你就会看到我。”
“在学校中，你说过你们处于灵魂状态，灵魂可以看到灵魂，但是当你在世时，你看不到处于躯体中的灵魂。这是因为自然世界和精神世界间的区别。”
当他听到我说精神与自然的区别时，说道：“区别是什么？是不是更纯的事物与不纯的事物间的区别呢？”
我答道：“这不是它们的不同之处，而是一种前者和后者的区别。他们之间没有限定的关系。因为前者作为原因而存在于后者中，后者做为结果而存在于前者中，所以两者相互看不见。
此时校长说：“我曾思考过这方面的问题，但不得其解，希望能更好地了解一下。“
于是我说：“你不但要知道自然事物与精神事物的区别。你还要看到它们的不同。”我又同他讲：
“你与你们的人在一起时，你是处于精神状态，但与我在一起时，你处于自然状态。你与你们的人讲的是一种精神的语言，那是一种精灵和天使的语言，而与我所讲的却是我的自然的语言。事实上，每个天使和精灵在与死去的人讲话时，都是用的与那个人相同的语言。比如与法国人讲法语，与英国人讲英语，与希腊人讲希腊语，与阿拉伯人讲阿拉伯语等等。
“这样，要知道精神事物与自然事物的区别。你可以这样做：到你们的人那里去说些话并记住它。然后到我这重复所说的。”
他那样做了，返回后他自己也不知道自己说了些什么。那些话听起来很奇怪。是种自然界中没有的语言。
这样重复几次后，他知道了精神世界中的人说一种与自然界中的语言不同的精神性语言，人死后自然地就会用那种语言。他还发现精神语言的语调与自然语言的语调是如此不同。即使大声喊，自然人也听不到精神世界的语言，反之亦然。
之后我请校长和周围的人将一些想法写在纸上并将纸带到我这里读给我听。他们那样做了。但当他们读时，他们丝毫不知道那是什么意思。只是一些字母，上面带着弯曲的线，它们与所表达内容有关（那里的每个字母都有一定的意思，这可以从主被称为阿尔法和欧米迦看到）。他们反复了几次，发现他们的语言包含了自然语言没法表达的意思。他们得知那是因为精神的人的思想是自然人无法理解和传达的。这些也不能用别的形式的语言来传达。
因为周围的人不相信精神界的思想是超越自然语言而无法表达。我说：“做个实验。到你们精神界中的人中去，思考一个问题并将这一想法带回来传达给我。”
他们去了，并返回来。但他们却无法传达从前的思想。因为他们找不到与精神的观念相对应的自然的观念。他们也没找到可以表达的词语。因为头脑的思想是以言语而表现出来的。此时他们接受了精神的思想是高于自然的思想的，是无法向自然人传达的，是不为自然人所理解的。他们将精神上的思想和想法比做是思想和想法的精髓。它所传达的是品质和情感的精髓，因而精神上的想法是自然想法的瑰宝。很显然精神上的智慧是智慧的精髓，因而不会被自然界中的人所看到。
他们还得知第三层天堂中有更内在，更高的智慧，被称为神圣的智慧，它与精神的智慧与自然的智慧的关系类似，这些智慧的水平因为主而依次存在。
326. At this point I shall add two accounts of experiences, of which this is the first.
When the problem about the soul had been debated in the high-school and solved, I saw them leaving in due order. The headmaster came first, after him the elders with in their midst the five juniors who had given answers, and then the rest. When they had emerged, they began to go apart to the sides around the building, where there were walks surrounded by shrubs. When gathered there they split up into small groups, each being a party of juniors talking about matters to do with wisdom, and in each group there was one wise man who had been in the gallery.
When I saw all this from my inn, I passed into the spirit, and in that I went out to meet them, approaching the headmaster who just before had set the problem about the soul. On seeing me he said, 'Who are you? I was surprised when I watched you on your way here and saw you at one time becoming visible to me, at another dropping out of sight; now I saw you, now you suddenly vanished. You must surely not be in the same state of life as the people in our country.'
I replied to this with a smile, 'I am no actor, or Vertumnus, 1but I am by turns sometimes in light and sometimes in shade to your eyes. So here I am both a stranger and a native.'
[2] At this the headmaster looked at me and said, 'What you say is unusual and strange. Tell me who you are.' 'I am,' I said, 'in the world in which you once were and which you have left, what is called the natural world. I am also in the world to which you have come and where you now are, what is called the spiritual world. Consequently I am in the natural state and at the same time in the spiritual state; in the natural state when with people on earth, in the spiritual state when with you. When I am in the natural state, I am invisible to you, but when in the spiritual state visible. I have been granted by the Lord the ability to be like this. You as an enlightened man are well aware that a person who belongs to the natural world cannot see one who belongs to the spiritual world, and vice versa. Therefore when I plunge my spirit into the body, you do not see me, but when I release it from the body, you do. You also taught in the school that you are all souls, and souls can see souls, because they are human forms. You know that you could not see yourselves, that is, your souls, when they were in your bodies in the natural world. But this happens because of the difference between the spiritual and the natural.'
[3] When he heard me mention the difference between the spiritual and the natural, he said, 'What difference is that? Is it not like that between what is purer and what is less pure? So what is the spiritual but a purer kind of natural?'
'It is not that sort of distinction,' I replied, 'but rather the sort of distinction there is between what is prior and what is posterior, which can have no finite relationship. For the prior is in the posterior, as the cause is in its effect; and the posterior derives from the prior, as the effect derives from its cause. That is why one is not visible to the other.'
[4] To this the headmaster said, 'I have pondered this distinction and chewed it over, but up to now in vain. I only wish I could grasp it.' 'You will,' I said, 'not only grasp the distinction between the spiritual and the natural, but actually see it.' Then I went on, 'You are in the spiritual state when you are with your people, but in the natural state with me. For you talk with your people in the spiritual language, which is shared by every spirit and angel, but you talk with me in my native language. For every spirit or angel who talks with a man speaks his own language, French with a Frenchman, English with an Englishman, Greek with a Greek, Arabic with an Arab, and so on. So in order to be aware of the distinction between the spiritual and the natural as it applies to languages, do this: go inside to your people, say something there, and memorise the words. Then come back keeping them in mind, and pronounce them in my presence.'
He did so, and came back to me with those words on his tongue, and uttered them, and did not understand any. 2They were completely strange and foreign words, not to be found in any language of the natural world. Repeating the experiment several times showed clearly that all in the spiritual world have a spiritual language, which has nothing in common with any language of the natural world. Everyone automatically comes into possession of that language after his death. At the same time he discovered that the actual sound of the spiritual language is so different from that of natural language, that even a loud spiritual sound is inaudible to a natural person, and so is a natural sound to a spiritual person.
[5] Later I asked the headmaster and the bystanders to go inside to their own people, and write a sentence on a piece of paper, and then to bring the paper out and read it to me. They did so, and came back with the paper in their hands, but when they went to read it, they could not understand it at all, since the script was merely composed of a few letters of the alphabet with curly lines over them, and every single letter stood for some particular meaning. Since each letter of the alphabet there conveys a meaning, it is obvious why the Lord is called 'alpha and omega.' When they went in again and again, wrote and came back, they discovered that the script entailed and comprehended countless things, which no natural script can ever express. They were told that this was because the thoughts of the spiritual man were incomprehensible and inexpressible to the natural man, and they cannot be transferred or copied into another script or another language.
[6] Then, since the bystanders were unwilling to grasp that spiritual thought is so far beyond natural thought that it is relatively inexpressible, I said to them, 'Carry out an experiment. Go inside to your spiritual community, think of an idea, keep it in mind, and come back and expound it in my presence.'
They went inside and thought, and, keeping the thought in mind, came out; but when they went to expound what they had thought, they were unable to do so. For they could not find any idea of natural thought capable of matching an idea of spiritual thought; neither could they find any words to express those ideas, for what is an idea in thought becomes words in speech.
[7] Thereupon they went back inside, came back and convinced themselves that spiritual ideas were far above natural ones, inexpressible, unutterable and incomprehensible to the natural man. Because spiritual ideas so far excelled natural ones, they said that spiritual ideas or thoughts, as compared to natural ones, were ideas of ideas and thoughts of thoughts, and could therefore express qualities of qualities and affections of affections. It followed that spiritual thoughts were the beginnings and origins of natural thoughts. They also showed that spiritual wisdom is the wisdom of wisdom, and so incapable of being perceived by any wise men in the natural world. Then they were told from the third heaven that there is a still more inward or higher wisdom, called celestial, which stands in the same relationship to spiritual wisdom as this does to natural wisdom. These forms of wisdom flow in, one after the other, depending upon which heaven is concerned, from the Lord's Divine wisdom, which is infinite.
326. To this I will append two narrative accounts. Here is the first:
After the question concerning the soul had been discussed in the school and answered, 1I saw the people going out in order, the headmaster in front, after him the older men, with the five young men who had responded to the question in the midst of them, and after them the rest. As they left the building, they went around to the sides, where there were walkways surrounded by bushes. And gathering there, they broke up into small groups, all of them circles of young men conversing on matters of wisdom, with one of the wiser men from the balcony in each.
Seeing them from my place of lodging, I entered a state of the spirit and in the spirit went out to them. And there I went over to the headmaster, who a little before had posed the question concerning the soul.
When he saw me he said, "Who are you? As I watched you approaching on the way here, I was astonished to see that one minute you would pop into view, the next minute drop out of sight, so that one moment I would see you and suddenly then not. Surely you are not in the same life-state as our people."
Gently laughing at this I replied, "I am not a marionette, nor a chameleon, but I am one who alternates, being sometimes in your light and sometimes not, so that I am an alien and at the same time a native."
[2] At this the headmaster looked at me and said, "These are strange and extraordinary things you are saying. Tell me who you are."
So I said, "I live in the world in which you once lived and from which you have departed, which is called the natural world; and I live as well in the world into which you have come and in which you are now living, which is called the spiritual world. I am as a result in a natural state and at the same time a spiritual one - in a natural state when I am with people on earth, and in a spiritual state when I am with you. Moreover, when I am in a natural state, I am not visible to you; but when I am in a spiritual state, I am. To be as I am is something I have been given by the Lord.
"Being an enlightened man, you know that an inhabitant of the natural world does not see an inhabitant of the spiritual world, or vice versa. Therefore when I conveyed my spirit into my body, you did not see me; but when I conveyed it out of my body, you did.
"You also taught in your school exercise that you are souls, and that souls see souls because they are human forms. But you know that you did not see yourselves or your souls within your bodies when you were in the natural world. This fact is due to the difference that exists between something spiritual and something natural."
[3] When he heard me mention a difference between something spiritual and something natural, he said, "What is the difference? It is not like the difference between something more pure and something less so? So what is something spiritual but a purer form of something natural."
But I replied, "That is not what the difference is, but it is as the difference between something prior and something subsequent, between which there is no finite relationship. For the prior is in the subsequent, as a cause in its effect, and the subsequent exists from the prior, as an effect from its cause. That is why the one is not visible to the other."
To this the headmaster said, "I have reflected and ruminated on the difference, but so far in vain. I would like to have some concept of it."
[4] So I said, "You shall not only have a concept of the difference between something spiritual and something natural, but you will even witness the difference." Whereupon I spoke to him as follows:
"You are in a spiritual state when you are with your own people, but in a natural state with me; for you speak with your associates in spiritual language, the common language of every spirit and angel, whereas with me you speak in my native tongue. Indeed, every spirit or angel in speaking with a mortal person uses the person's customary language, thus speaking French with a Frenchman, English with an Englishman, Greek with a Greek, Arabic with an Arab, and so on.
"So then, to learn the difference between something spiritual and something natural in terms of languages, do the following: Go over to your associates, say something there and remember the words. Then with these memorized, come back and repeat them to me."
So he did as I said, and returned to me with the words in his mouth, but when he uttered them he did not know what any of them meant. The words were altogether strange and unfamiliar, being words not found in any language of the natural world.
After he repeated this experiment several times, it became clearly apparent to him that people in the spiritual world all speak a spiritual language which has nothing in common with any language of the natural world, and that every person comes automatically into use of that language after death. At the same time he also then discovered that the very intonation of spiritual language is so different from the intonation of natural language that the intonation of spiritual language, even when loud, is not at all audible to a natural person, nor the intonation of natural language to a spiritual person.
[5] After that I asked the headmaster and some others standing by to go over to their associates and write down some thought on a piece of paper, and with that piece of paper come back to me and read it. They did as I said, and they returned with the piece of paper in hand; but when they went to read it, they were unable to make out what any of it meant, since the writing consisted only of some alphabetic letters with curly lines over them, each of which carried some meaning connected with the subject. (Because every letter of the alphabet carries some meaning there, it is apparent from what origin the Lord is called the Alpha and the Omega.) 2As they again and again withdrew, wrote and returned, they discovered that their writing included and contained a countless number of elements which no natural writing could ever express. But they were told that this is because a spiritual person thinks thoughts incomprehensible and inexpressible to a natural person, and these cannot descend or be put into any other form of writing or language.
[6] Then, because the others standing by were unwilling to believe that spiritual thought so far surpasses natural thought as to be inexpressible in comparison, I said to them, "Try an experiment. Go over into your spiritual association, think on some subject, and holding the thought come back and express it to me."
So they went, thought, held the thought, and came back; but when they went to express what they had thought, they could not. For they did not find any natural mental concept equivalent to any spiritual concept. So neither did they find any word to express their thoughts, since ideas of the mind take form as words in speech. At that they then began to withdraw and return, to prove to themselves that spiritual ideas were higher than natural ones, being inexpressible, ineffable and incomprehensible to the natural man. And because spiritual ideas are so transcendent, they began to say that spiritual ideas or thoughts compared to natural ones were the essences of ideas and the essences of thoughts, and that they therefore expressed the essences of qualities and the essences of affections; consequently that spiritual thoughts were the germs and origins of natural thoughts. It also became evident from this that spiritual wisdom was the essence of wisdom, thus unintelligible to any person of wisdom in the natural world.
They were then told from the third heaven that there is a still more interior or higher wisdom, called celestial, which has a similar relationship to spiritual wisdom as spiritual wisdom does to natural wisdom; and that these levels of wisdom flow in succession in accordance with the heavens from the Lord's Divine wisdom, which is infinite.
Footnotes:
1. This account follows on the one related in no. 315 above.
2. In Revelation 1:8,11, 21:6, 22:13. Alpha and omega are the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet, in the language in which Revelation was written.
326. I add to these observations two stories. This is the first:
After the problem about the soul was aired and solved in the school, I saw them filing out, the master teacher in front, after him the elders, with the five young men who had answered among them, and then the others. And as they came out they scattered aside around the building, where there were walks bordered by shrubs. Gathering there, they divided into small groups, each one a gathering of young men chatting about things having to do with wisdom. A wise man from the balcony was in each of the groups.
Seeing them from my lodgings I became in spirit and went out to them in my spirit and approached the master teacher who had recently proposed the problem about the soul.
When he saw me he said, "Who are you? I was surprised when I saw you coming this way on the road. Sometimes you came into my sight, and sometimes you faded out of my sight. In other words, at one point I could see you, and suddenly I couldn't.
You're certainly not in our state of life!"
Smiling at that, I answered, "I'm neither a magician nor a Vertumnus [Roman god of the changing seasons], but I am by turns sometimes in your light and sometimes in your shade, so I'm an alien and also a native."
At that the master teacher looked at me and said, "You're saying strange and remarkable things. Tell me who you are."
I said, "I'm in the world you were in and have left, called the natural world. And I'm also in the world you came into and are in, called the spiritual world. This makes it possible for me to be in a state of nature and a spiritual state at the same time - in an earthly state with people of earth and in a spiritual state with you. And when I'm in an earthly state I don't see you, but when in a spiritual state I do. It's a gift of God that I'm like this.
"You, an enlightened man, know that a person in the natural world doesn't see a person in the spiritual world, nor vice versa, so when I put my spirit into my body you didn't see me, but when I put my spirit out of my body you saw me. In the scholarly contests, you taught that you are souls and that souls see souls, because they are human forms. And you know that you didn't see yourselves - that is, your souls - in your bodies when you were in the natural world. This comes from the difference there is between spiritual and natural."
When he heard "difference between spiritual and natural," he said, "What difference? Isn't it like the difference between more and less pure? So what is spiritual but a purer natural?"
I answered, "The difference isn't like that but is like the difference between earlier and later, between which there's no finite ratio. Actually, the earlier is in the later the way a cause is in its effect, and the later is from the earlier as the effect comes from the cause. This is why the one doesn't appear to the other."
To these ideas the master teacher said, "I've studied and ruminated about this difference, but in vain, so far. If only I could fully grasp it!"
"You're not only going to grasp the difference between spiritual and natural," I said, "but you're going to see it, too."
Then I told him this. "You are in a spiritual state when among your associates but in an earthly state with me. For with them you speak a spiritual language that is common among all spirits and angels, but with me you speak my native language. For all spirits and angels speaking with a person speak the person's own language - as, French with a Frenchman, English with an Englishman, Greek with a Greek, Arabic with an Arab, and so on. And so to recognize the difference between spiritual and earthly as far as language goes, do this. Go to your associates, say something there and remember the sounds, and come back with them in your memory, and pronounce them in front of me."
He did it, and he came back to me with his words to them on his lips, and he spoke them and did not understand one of them.
They were thoroughly foreign and alien sounds not found in any language in the natural world. This experiment, repeated a few times, clearly showed that everyone in the spiritual world has a spiritual language that has nothing in common with any language in the natural world, and that after death every person picks up that language by himself.
At the same time, he also learned by the experiment that the very sound of spiritual language is so different from the sound of earthly language that a person in nature cannot hear a spiritual sound at all - not even a loud one - - - nor a spiritual person an earthly sound.
Then I asked the master teacher and the bystanders to go off by themselves and write some sentence on paper and come back out to me with the paper and read it. They did it and came back with the paper in hand. But when they read it they could not understand it at all, since the writing consisted merely of certain letters of the alphabet with strokes above them, each of which stood for some idea on the subject. Since every letter in the alphabet there stands for some idea, it is clear why the Lord is called Alpha and Omega.
When they had gone off again and again, written and returned, they found out that that writing involved and expressed innumerable things that no natural writing can ever express. And someone said that this is because a spiritual person thinks things that are not understandable, and cannot be expressed, to an earthly person, and that these things cannot flow or carryover into any other form of writing or language.
Then, because the bystanders were unwilling to believe that spiritual thought is so far beyond natural thought that it cannot be expressed in worldly terms, I said to them, "Do an experiment.
Go into your spiritual community and think about something, and remember it and come back and express it in front of me."
They went in, thought, remembered it, and came out. And when they wanted to express the thing they thought about, they could not. For they found no idea in earthly thought adequate to any idea of spiritual thought, and thus no word to express it. For ideas of thought make the words of speech. Then they went in again and came back again and convinced themselves that spiritual ideas are above the natural level - inexpressible, not to be spoken and incomprehensible to an earthly person. And they said that because spiritual ideas tower so far above worldly ones, spiritual ideas or thoughts, compared to worldly ones, are ideas of ideas, and thoughts of thoughts, and so they express characteristics of characteristics and feelings of feelings. So spiritual thoughts are the elements or beginnings of earthly thoughts. So it was clear from that that spiritual wisdom is wisdom of wisdom, thus it is not to be fully grasped by any wise person in the natural world.
Then they were told from the third heaven that there is a still more inward, or higher, wisdom, called heavenly. Relative to spiritual wisdom it is like spiritual wisdom relative to worldly.
And these wisdoms flow down from the Lord's divine wisdom, which is infinite, in the order of the heavens.
326. To the above I will add two Memorable Relations. First: After the problem concerning the soul had been discussed and solved in the gymnasium [no. 315], I saw the audience going out in procession, the Chief Teacher in front, after him the elders in whose midst were the five young men who had given the answers and then the rest. Coming out, they withdrew to the sides of the house where were walks bordered by shrubs. Gathering there, they separated into small groups which were so many companies of young men conversing together on matters of wisdom. In each group was one of the wise men from the balcony. Seeing them from my lodging, I became in the spirit, and going to them in the spirit, approached the Chief Teacher who lately had proposed the question concerning the soul. When he saw me, he said: "Who are you? When I saw you coming on the road, it surprised me that you now came into my sight and now passed out of it; that is, at one moment you were visible to me and suddenly became invisible. You certainly are not in our state of life." To this I answered, smiling, "I am not a player of tricks, or a Vertumnus, but am by turns, now in your light, now in your shade, and thus a sojourner and also a native."
[2] At this, the Chief Teacher looked at me and said, "You speak things strange and wonderful. Tell me who you are." I then said: "I am in the world called the natural world, in which you were and from which you have departed; and I am also in the world into which you came and in which you now are, which is called the spiritual world. Thus it is, that I am in a natural state and at the same time in a spiritual, being in a natural state with men on earth, and in a spiritual state with you. When in a natural state, I am not visible to you, but when in a spiritual state I am visible. My being of this nature has been granted me by the Lord. To you, enlightened man, it is known that a man of the natural world does not see a man of the spiritual world, or the reverse. Therefore, when I let my spirit down into the body I was not visible to you, but when I sent it out of the body I was visible. In your gymnastic sport you taught that you are souls, and that souls see souls because they are human forms; and you know that when you were in the natural world you did not see yourselves or your souls within your bodies, and this because of the distinction between the spiritual and the natural."
[3] When the Chief Teacher heard of a distinction between the spiritual and the natural, he said, "What is the distinction? is it not as between the purer and the less pure? What then is the spiritual but a purer natural?" I replied: "The distinction is not that, but is like the distinction between the prior and the posterior. Between these there is no finite ratio, for the prior is within the posterior as a cause within its effect, and the posterior is from the prior as an effect from its cause. Hence it is that the one does not appear to the other."
[4] To this the Chief Teacher responded: "I have meditated and pondered upon this distinction, but hitherto in vain. Would that I could perceive it!" I then said, "You shall not only perceive the distinction between the spiritual and the natural but you shall also witness it." I continued as follows: "You are in the spiritual state when with your associates, but in the natural state when with me. With them you speak in the spiritual language which is common to all spirits and angels, but with me, in my native tongue; for every angel and spirit when speaking with a man speaks the man's language, thus French with a Frenchman, English with an Englishman, Greek with a Greek, Arabic with an Arabian, and so on. That you may know the distinction between the spiritual and the natural as to language, do this: Go to your associates and say something there and retain the words; then, with these in your memory, return and utter them before me."
He did so, and with the words on his lips, he returned to me and spoke them; and he did not understand a single one. [To me] his words were entirely strange and foreign such as are not found in any language of the natural world. By this experience, several times repeated, it was made clearly evident that all in the spiritual world have a spiritual language which has nothing in common with any language of the natural world; and that after death every man comes into that language of himself. At the same time, the Chief Teacher also found that the sound of the spiritual language so greatly differs from the sound of natural language that spiritual sound, even though loud, could not be heard by a natural man, or natural sound by a spiritual man.
[5] I then requested the Chief Teacher and the bystanders to go to their associates and write some sentence on a piece of paper, and then come to me with the paper and read it. They did so and returned with the paper in hand; but when they read it, they could not understand anything, since the writing consisted merely of alphabetical letters with curved strokes above them, each letter signifying some aspect of the subject treated of. From the fact that in the spiritual world each letter in the alphabet has some signification, it is evident whence it is that the Lord is said to be the Alpha and the Omega. After again and again going, writing, and returning, they found that their writing involved and comprehended innumerable things which no natural writing could ever express; and it was said that this is because the thoughts of the spiritual man concern things which to the natural man are incomprehensible and ineffable, and that such thoughts cannot flow into any other writing or any other language and be there presented.
[6] Then, because the bystanders were unwilling to comprehend that spiritual thought so greatly excels natural thought as to be relatively ineffable, I said to them: "Make this experiment. Enter into your spiritual society and think of something; then, retaining the thought, return and express it before me." And they entered, thought of something, and retaining the thought went out; but when they would express the thing thought of, they could not, for they found no idea of natural thought adequate to any idea of spiritual thought, and therefore no word to express it; for ideas of thought become the words of speech.
[7] Then, again entering and again returning, they convinced themselves, that to the natural man, spiritual ideas are supernatural, inexpressible, ineffable, and incomprehensible; and they said that, being thus supereminent, spiritual ideas or thoughts, relatively to natural, are ideas of ideas and thoughts of thoughts; that by them, therefore, are expressed qualities of qualities and affections of affections; and, consequently, that spiritual thoughts are the beginnings and origins of natural thoughts. From this moreover, it became clear that spiritual wisdom is the wisdom of wisdom, and thus is imperceptible in the natural world even to a wise man. It was then told them from the third heaven that there is a wisdom still more interior or higher, called celestial, the relation of which to spiritual wisdom is like the relation of the latter to natural wisdom, and that these wisdoms flow from the Lord's Divine wisdom which is infinite, in an order accordant with the heavens.
326. I append two Memorabilia.
I. When. 1the problem of the soul had been discussed and solved in the school, I saw the people filing out, the head teacher leading the way, behind him the elders, with the five youths in the midst of them who had made answer, and behind these, the rest. Once outside, they withdrew to the sides of the house, where were walks lined with shrubs. Arrived there, they broke up into small groups, so many companies of youths talking about the things of wisdom. In each group was one of the wise men from the balcony.
Seeing them from my lodging I came into the spirit, and in the spirit went out to them. I approached the head teacher, who a little while ago had proposed the question about the soul.
When he saw me he said, "Who are you? I have been puzzled, watching you approach, that one moment you came into my sight and the next moment passed out of it. At one moment you were visible to me and the next became invisible. You certainly cannot be in the state of life native to us."
To this I answered, smiling, "I am not a juggler or tumbler! I am alternately now in your light, now in your shade; thus both an alien and a native."
[2] At this the head teacher stared at me and said, "You speak strange and amazing things. Tell me, who are you?"
I said, "I am in the world in which you once were and from which you departed, called the natural world; and I am also in the world into which you have come and in which you now are, called the spiritual world. I am therefore in a natural state and in a spiritual state at the same time; in the natural state with men on earth, and in the spiritual state with you. In the natural state I am not visible to you, but in the spiritual state I am. My state is a privilege I enjoy from the Lord. You, O enlightened man, are aware that the man of the natural world does not see the man of the spiritual world, nor the reverse. When therefore I lowered my spirit into the body I was not visible to you, and when I raised it out of the body I became visible. In the instruction you gave in the school you said that you are souls, and that souls see souls, because they are human forms. You know that you did not see yourselves, that is, your souls within your bodies, when you were in the natural world; and this comes from the distinction between spiritual and natural."
[3] When he heard of a distinction between the spiritual and the natural, he said, "What is the distinction? Is it not one of purer and less pure? Is the spiritual anything but a purer natural?"
I replied, "The distinction is not of that kind, but is like that between prior and posterior, between which there is no finite ratio, for the prior is within the posterior like a cause within its effect; and the posterior is from the prior like an effect from its cause. Hence the one does not appear to the other."
To this the head teacher responded, "I have thought and pondered upon this distinction, but in vain so far. Would that I could perceive it!"
I said, "You shall not only perceive it, but even look on it." And I continued, "You are yourself in a spiritual state when with your associates, but in a natural state when with me. For with your associates you speak in the spiritual language which is common to spirits and angels; but with me you speak in my mother tongue. For every angel and spirit talking with a man speaks his language - French, for instance, with a Frenchman, English with an Englishman, Greek with a Greek, Arabic with an Arab, and so on. To realize, then, the distinction between the spiritual and the natural with respect to language, do this: Join your associates and say something to them, keep the words in mind, and come back and say them to me."
[4] He did so and returned to me with the words on his tongue, and spoke them, but did not himself understand a single one (the words were wholly strange and foreign, occurring in no language of the natural world). This experiment, several times repeated, made it very evident that all in the spiritual world have a spiritual language, which has nothing in common with any language of the natural world, and that every one comes into that language instinctively after death. He also discovered at the same time that the very sound of spiritual language is so different from the sound of natural language that spiritual sound, though loud, cannot be heard at all by the natural man; nor natural sound by the spiritual man.
[5] Then I asked the head teacher and the bystanders to go in among their own and write some sentence on a piece of paper, and to come out and read the paper to me. They did so and returned holding a paper; but when they read it, they could not understand a thing, for the writing consisted merely of certain letters of the alphabet with marks over them, each letter signifying some conception of the subject. (Because every letter of the alphabet has its significance in the spiritual world, it is evident whence it is that the Lord is said to be "the Alpha and the Omega." 2) When repeatedly they had retired, written something, and returned, they appreciated that their writing involved and comprehended things without number which no natural writing can ever express. They were told that this is because the spiritual man thinks thoughts which are incomprehensible and ineffable to the natural man; and that these cannot flow into or be rendered by any other writing or language.
[6] Then, as the bystanders were unwilling to comprehend that spiritual thought so greatly excels natural thought as to be relatively ineffable, I said to them, "Try an experiment. Enter your spiritual society and think something, retain it, and return and utter it before me." They went in, thought, kept it in mind, came out, but when they tried to utter what they had thought they could not, for they found no idea of natural thought adequate to any idea of spiritual thought, and thus no word to elicit it; for the ideas of thought become the words of speech.
[7] Once more they retired and returned, and assured themselves that spiritual ideas are supernatural, inexpressible, ineffable, and incomprehensible to the natural man. They said that spiritual ideas or thoughts, being so super-eminent, are relatively to the natural the ideas of ideas, and the thoughts of thoughts. They therefore express qualities of qualities and affections of affections. Spiritual thoughts are consequently the beginnings and origins of natural thoughts. It is plain thence that spiritual wisdom is the wisdom of wisdom and thus is imperceptible to any wise man in the natural world. They were told then from the third heaven that there is a still more interior or higher wisdom, called celestial, related to spiritual wisdom as this is to natural; and that these inflow in order through each heaven from the Lord's Divine wisdom, which is infinite.
Footnotes:
1. These Memorabilia, as far as through328. are repeated in True Christian Religion 280.
2. Revelation 1:11, 22:13.
326. To these things I shall add two Relations. First:
When the problem concerning the soul had been discussed and solved in the gymnasium, I saw them passing out in order, the chief teacher before them, and after him the elders, in the midst of whom were the five young men who made answer, and following them, the rest. And as they passed out they withdrew to the sides round about the house, where there were walks surrounded by shrubbery; and assembled there, they divided themselves into small groups, which were so many gatherings of young men conversing on matters pertaining to wisdom; in each of which groups was one of the wise men from the orchestra.
Seeing them from my lodging I came into the spirit, and in the spirit went out to them; and I approached the chief teacher, who lately had proposed the question concerning the soul.
When he saw me he said, 'Who are you? I wondered, when I saw you approaching in the way, that now you came into my sight and the next moment passed out of sight, or that at one moment you were visible to me and suddenly became invisible. You certainly are not in our state of life.'
To this I answered, smiling, ‘I am not a player of tricks, nor a Vertumnus; but am an alternate, now in your light, now in your shade, and thus foreign and also native.'
At this the chief teacher looked at me and said, 'You say strange and amazing things. Tell me who you are.' I said, ‘I am in the world in which you were, and from which you departed, which is called the natural world; and I also am in the world to which you came and in which you are which is called the spiritual world. I am therefore, in a natural state, and at the same time in a spiritual state; in the natural state with men on earth, and in the spiritual state with you; and when I am in the natural state I am not visible to you, but when in the spiritual state I am visible. That I am so has been given by the Lord. To you, O enlightened man, it is known that the man of the natural world does not see the man of the spiritual world, nor the reverse; therefore, when I let my spirit down into the body, I was not visible to you, and when I raised it out of the body I became visible. You also taught in your instruction in the gymnasium that you are souls, and that souls see souls, because they are human forms; and you know that you did not see yourselves, or your souls within your bodies, when you were in the natural world; and this comes from the difference that there is between the spiritual and the natural.'
When he heard of a difference between the spiritual and the natural he said, 'What is the difference? Is it not as between the purer and the less pure? What then is the spiritual but a purer natural?' I replied, 'The difference is not of that kind, but is as between prior and posterior, between which there is no finite ratio, for the prior is within the posterior as the cause is within its effect; and the posterior is from the prior as the effect from its cause. Hence it is that the one does not appear to the other.'
To this the chief teacher responded, ‘I have thought and pondered upon this distinction, but hitherto in vain. Would that I could perceive it.' I said, 'You shall not only perceive, but shall also see the difference between the spiritual and the natural.' And then I added, 'You are in the spiritual state when with your own, but in the natural state when with me. For with them you converse in spiritual language, which is common to all spirits and angels; but with me you talk in my vernacular tongue. For every angel and spirit talking with a man speaks his language, thus French with the French, English with the English, Greek with the Greek, Arabic with an Arabian, and so on. That you may know, then, the difference between the spiritual and the natural as to language, do this: Go among your own and say something there, and keep the words in mind, and with them in memory return and utter them before me.'
He did so and returned to me with the words to them in his mouth, and spoke them, and he did not understand one; the words were entirely strange and foreign, such as are not in any language of the natural world. By this experience, several times repeated, it was made clearly evident that all in the spiritual world have a spiritual language, which has nothing in common with any language of the natural world, and that every man comes into that language after death, of himself. He then also found by experience, at the same time, that the sound itself of spiritual language differs so much from the sound of natural language that spiritual sound, though loud, could not in the least be heard by the natural man; nor natural sound by the spiritual man.
Afterwards I requested the chief teacher and those standing about to go in among their own and write some sentence upon paper, and to come out with the paper to me and to read it. They did so and returned with the paper in the hand; but when they read it they could not understand anything, since the writing consisted merely of certain alphabetic letters with flexions above, each one of which signified some sense of the subject. From the fact that, there, some sense is signified by each letter in the alphabet, it is evident whence it is that the Lord is said to be 'the Alpha and the Omega.' When again and again they had gone in, had written, and returned, they came to know that their writing involved and comprehended things without number which no natural writing can ever express; and it was said that this is because the spiritual man thinks thoughts that are incomprehensible and ineffable to the natural man; and that these cannot flow into and be conveyed in any other writing and other language.
Then, as the bystanders were unwilling to comprehend that spiritual thought so greatly excels natural thought as to be relatively ineffable, I said to them, 'Make the trial. Go into your spiritual society and think something, and retain it, and return and utter it before me.' And they went in, thought, kept it in mind, came out, but when they would utter the thing they thought they could not, for they found no idea of natural thought adequate to any idea of spiritual thought, and thus no word to express it; for the ideas of thought become the words of speech. And they went in again and returned, and convinced themselves that spiritual ideas are supernatural, inexpressible, ineffable, and incomprehensible to the natural man. And because they are so super-eminent, they said that spiritual ideas or thoughts relatively to natural are the ideas of ideas, and the thoughts of thoughts; and that therefore, qualities of qualities and affections of affections are expressed by them; consequently that spiritual thoughts are the beginnings and origins of natural thoughts. And from this it is plain that spiritual wisdom is the wisdom of wisdom, and thus is imperceptible to any wise man in the natural world. It was then told them, from the third heaven, that there is wisdom still more interior or higher, called celestial, the relation of which to spiritual wisdom is like the relation of this to natural; and that these flow in in order, according to the heavens, from the Lord's Divine wisdom which is infinite.
326. His Adjiciam duo Memorabilia; Primum hoc. Postquam problema de Anima in Gymnasio ventilatum et solutum est, vidi exeuntes in ordine, et ante illos Archididascalum, post illum Seniores, in quorum medio erant quinque Juvenes qui responderunt, et post hos, reliquos; 1et cum egressi sunt, secedebant ad latera circum domum, ubi erant Ambulacra circumcincta arbustis; et ibi congregati dividebant se in exiguas turmas, totidem consortia juvenum de rebus sapientiae confabulantium, in quorum unoquovis erat unus Sapiens ex Orchestra. His e diversorio a me visis, factus sum in spiritu, ac in spiritu exivi ad illos, et accessi ad Archididascalum, qui nuper problema de Anima proposuerat: hic cum me vidit, dixit, "quis es; miratus sum cum vidi te in via accedentem, quod nunc incideris in conspectum meum, nunc excideris ex illo, seu quod nunc mihi visus sis, et subito non visus; certe non es in statu vitae nostratium;" ad haec subridens respondi, "non sum ludio, nec vertumnus, sed sum alternus, nunc in luce vestra, et nunc in umbra vestra, ita peregrinus et quoque indigena:"
[2] ad haec Archididascalus aspexit me, et dixit, "loqueris aliena et mira; dic mihi quis es;" et dixi, "sum in Mundo, in quo vos fuistis, et e quo vos exivistis, qui vocatur Mundus naturalis, et quoque sum in Mundo, in quem vos venistis, et in quo estis, qui vocatur Mundus Spiritualis; inde est, quod sim in statu naturali, et simul in statu spirituali; in statu naturali cum hominibus telluris, et in statu spirituali cum vobis; et quando in statu naturali sum, non videor vobis, at quando in statu spirituali, videor; quod talis sim, datum est a Domino: tibi, vir illustrate, notum est, quod homo Mundi naturalis non videat hominem Mundi spiritualis, nec vicissim; quare cum immisi spiritum meum in corpus, non tibi visus sum, sed cum emisi illum e corpore, visus sum: docuisti etiam in Ludo Gymnasiaco, quod 2vos sitis animae, et quod animae videant animas, quia sunt formae humanae; et nosti, quod non videritis vos seu animas vestras in vestris corporibus, cum fuistis in Mundo naturali; at hoc existit propter discrimen, quod est inter Spirituale et Naturale."
[3] Ille cum audivit discrimen inter Spirituale et Naturale, dixit, "quid discrimen; estne id sicut inter purum magis et minus; ita quid Spirituale nisi purius naturale;" et respondi, "discrimen non tale est, sed est quale inter prius et posterius, inter quae ratio finita non datur; est enim prius in posteriori, ut causa in suo effectu, ac posterius est ex priori, ut effectus ex sua causa; inde est quod unum non appareat alteri." Ad haec dixit Archididascalus, "meditatus et ruminatus sum de hoc discrimine, sed huc usque in vanum; utinam id percepero;"
[4] et dixi, "non modo discrimen inter Spirituale et Naturale percipies, sed etiam videbis;" et tunc dixi haec, "Tu es in statu spirituali dum apud tuos, at in statu naturali apud me, loqueris enim cum tuis Lingua Spirituali, quae est communis omni spiritui et angelo, at cum me loqueris Lingua mea vernacula; nam omnis spiritus et angelus loquens cum homine loquitur ejus linguam propriam, ita cum Gallo gallicam, cum Anglo anglicam, cum Graeco graecam, cum Arabe arabicam, et sic porro: ut itaque scias discrimen inter Spirituale et Naturale quoad Linguas, fac ita; intra ad tuos, et loquere aliquid ibi, ac retine voces, et cum his in memoria redi, et coram me enuntia illas;" ac fecit ita, et rediit ad me cum vocibus illis in ore, et effatus est illas, et non intellexit ullam; erant voces prorsus alienae et peregrinae, quae non dantur in aliqua Lingua Mundi naturalis; per hanc experientiam aliquoties iteratam clare patuit, quod omnibus in Mundo spirituali sit Lingua Spiritualis, quae nihil commune cum aliqua Lingua Mundi naturalis obtinet, et quod omnis homo in illam Linguam post obitum ex se veniat: simul etiam tunc expertus est, quod ipse sonus Linguae spiritualis a sono Linguae naturalis differret in tantum, ut sonus spiritualis etiam altus ne hilum audiretur ab homine naturali, nec sonus naturalis ab homine spirituali.
[5] Postea, rogavi Archididascalum et circumstantes, ut intrarent ad suos, et scriberent aliquam sententiam super charta, ac cum charta illa exirent ad me, et legerent; fecerunt ita, et redierunt cum Charta in manu, at cum legerent, non potuerunt quicquam intelligere, quoniam Scriptura constabat modo ex aliquibus literis alphabeticis cum strophis supra, quarum unaquaevis aliquem sensum rei significabat: quia unaquaevis litera in Alphabeto significat ibi aliquem sensum, patet unde est, quod Dominus dicatur Alpha et Omega: cum illi iterum et iterum intrarent, scriberent, et redirent, comperti sunt, quod Scriptura illa involveret et comprehenderet innumera, quae nusquam aliqua Scriptura naturalis posset exprimere; at dictum est, quod hoc sit, quia spiritualis homo cogitat incomprehensibilia et ineffabilia Naturali homini, et quod haec in aliam Scripturam et in aliam Linguam influere et inferri nequeant.
[6] Tunc quia adstantes non voluerunt comprehendere, quod spiritualis cogitatio in tantum excederet naturalem, ut sit respective ineffabilis, dixi illis, "facite experientiam; intrate in Societatem vestram spiritualem, et cogitate aliquam rem, ac retinete illam, et redite, et coram me expromite illam;" ac intraverunt, cogitaverunt, retinuerunt, exiverunt, at cum expromerent rem cogitatam, non potuerunt; non enim invenerunt ullam ideam cogitationis naturalis adaequatam alicui ideae cogitationis spiritualis; ita nec aliquam vocem exprimentem illas, nam ideae cogitationis fiunt voces loquelae;
[7] et tunc reintrabant et redibant et confirmabant se, quod ideae spirituales essent supranaturales, inexpressibiles, ineffabiles, et incomprehensibiles Naturali homini; et quia tam supereminentes sunt, dicebant, quod spirituales ideae seu cogitationes respective ad naturales, essent ideae idearum, et cogitationes cogitationum, et quod ideo per illas exprimerentur qualitates qualitatum, et affectiones affectionum, consequenter quod cogitationes spirituales essent initia ac origines cogitationum naturalium; inde etiam patuit, quod sapientia spiritualis esset sapientia sapientiae, ita imperceptibilis alicui sapienti in Naturali Mundo. Tunc dictum est illis e Coelo Tertio, quod adhuc sit sapientia interior seu superior, quae vocatur coelestis, cujus respectus ad sapientiam spiritualem, similis est respectui hujus ad naturalem; et quod hae in ordine secundum Coelos influant ex Divina Domini Sapientia, quae est infinita.
Footnotes:
1. Prima editio: reliqui;
2. Prima editio: quos