444、对此，我补充以下记事：
默想完婚姻之爱后，我开始沉思淫乱之爱。忽然有两位天使站在我旁边，说：“我们能发觉并理解你先前的思考，但你现在思索的东西却从我们面前略过，我们也不理解它们。请抛弃它们吧，因为它们等同于无。”不过，我回答说：“我现在思考的爱不能算没有，因为它确实存在。”对此，天使说：“非出于创造的爱能存在呢？婚姻之爱不是创造而来吗？这爱不是成为一体的两个之间的一种爱吗？怎会有把人分离和隔开的爱呢？若非少女反过来爱少男，少男能爱这少女吗？一方的爱会不认识并承认对方的爱吗？当这些爱相遇时，它们岂不自动联结起来？谁会爱非爱？不是唯有婚姻之爱相互共享吗？若不是相互的，这爱岂不反弹回来，变成虚空泡影吗？”
闻听此言，我问两位天使来自哪个天堂社群。他们说：“我们来自纯真天堂。我们自婴孩时就来到这个天堂世界，在主的眷顾下被抚养长大。当我长成少年人，在此与我同在的我的妻子成长为适婚少女时，我们就订婚并立下婚约，然后在婚姻中联结。除了真正的婚姻之爱，也就是夫妻之爱外，我们不知道其它任何爱；当你对于和我们的爱完全对立的一种陌生的爱所思想的观念传给我们时，我们丝毫不能理解。所以，我们才降下来问你为何思考我们不能理解的东西。因此，请告诉我们，不仅非出于创造，而且还反对创造的爱怎么可能存在？凡与创造对立之物，我们都视之为不真实的物体。”
他说完这番话后，我非常开心能蒙恩准和纯真到完全不知淫行为何物的天使对话。于是，我开口告诉他们说：“你们不知道良善与邪恶的存在吗？并且良善来自创造，但邪恶不是？然而，就本质而言，邪恶并非什么也不是。尽管从良善的角度看，它的确什么也不是。良善来自创造，无论最高级的良善还是最低级的良善；当这最低级的良善降为
零时，邪恶就从对立面产生了。所以，良善与邪恶之间没有任何比例关系，良善也不会发展为邪恶；不过，大小良善之间存在一个比例关系，并且还存在一个向更大或更小发展的过程；同样，大小邪恶之间也存在一个比例关系，并且也存在一个向更大或更小发展的过程；这二者在每一个细节上都是对立的。良善与邪恶既是对立面，那它们之间就存在一个中间地带，其中有一个平衡区域，邪恶在此反对良善。但它不占优势，故停留在努力中。每个人都是在这种平衡中长大的。这种平衡因在良善与邪恶，或也可说，在天堂与地狱之间，故是一种属灵的平衡，并给处于其中的人带来自由。主凭这种平衡将所有人吸引到祂自己这里；凡出于自由跟随祂的人，主都会把他从邪恶引入良善，因而引入天堂。爱也一样，婚姻之爱和淫乱之爱尤其如此；因为后者是邪恶，前者是良善。凡听从主的声音，并出于自由跟随祂的人，都被主引入婚姻之爱及其一切快乐、幸福；相反，凡不听从并跟随的人，都将自己引入淫乱之爱，先引入它的快感，然后引入它的不快乐，最后引入它的痛苦。”
我说完后，两位天使问：“既然除了良善外，没有什么东西凭创造而存在，那么邪恶又是如何产生的？因为凡物要存在，必有一个源头。良善不可能是邪恶的源头，因为邪恶是良善的对立面，会夺走并毁灭良善。然而，邪恶既存在，并可感觉得到，那就不是没有，而是某种事物。那么，请告诉我们，这个从无到有的事物源自何处？”对此，我回答说：“若不知道唯独神是良善，并且唯独来自神的良善本身才是良善，就不可能揭开这个奥秘。因此，凡仰望神，愿意被神引领的人，都处于良善；凡背离神，愿意被自己引领的人，都未处于良善；因为他所行的良善要么为了自己，要么为了世界，因而或是邀功的，或是假装的，或是虚伪的。由此清楚可知，人自己是邪恶的源头，不是因为这个源头自创造时就植入人，而是因为人因着远离神而将这个源头植入自己。邪恶的源头起初并不在亚当及其妻子里面；而是他们在自己里面制造了邪恶的源头；当蛇说，你们吃善恶知识树的日子，你们便如神（创世记3:5）时，他们便背离了神，转向他们自己，仿佛他们就是神。‘吃善恶知识树’就表示相信人知道良善与邪恶，并凭自己而非神变得智慧。”
两位天使接着问：“若非靠着神，人就不能思考、意愿、因而做什么，既如此，那人又如何能背离神、转向自己呢？神为何允许这种事？”我回答说：“人如此被造是为了他所愿所思所行的一切都看似在他里面，因而出自他。没有这种表象，人将不是一个人，因为他不能接受和保留一丝良善与真理或爱与智慧，并使之成为他自己的。由此可知，若没有表象，一种活生生的表象，可以说人将无法与神联结，从而无法拥有由此而来的永生。然而，如果这种表象诱使他相信，他意愿、思考、因而行善是凭他自己，而非靠着神，尽管表面上无论怎么看似乎都是凭他自己，那么，他就将自己里面的良善转变为邪恶，从而在自己里面制造了邪恶的源头。这就是亚当的罪。
“不过，我会把这个问题讲得更清楚一些。主通过注视每个人的前额关注他，这种注视会贯穿到他的后脑勺。前额后面是大脑，后脑勺下面是小脑。小脑专注于爱及其良善，大脑专注于智慧及其真理。因此，凡面向主的人，都从祂接受智慧，并通过这智慧接受爱；但是，凡背过身去，不仰望主的人，都接受爱，却不接受智慧；没有智慧的爱是出自人而非主的爱。这爱因与虚假联结，故不承认神，却承认自己是神，还凭着自创造时就赋予他的理解和貌似凭自己变得智慧的能力而默默确认这种承认。因此，这爱就是邪恶的源头。我能给你们演示一下事实的确如此。我从此处叫一个背离神的恶灵来，在背后，也就是他的后脑勺处向他说话，你们会发现我所说的话被转到对立面。”
于是，我叫来这样一个灵人；他来了，我从后面对他说：“你知道地狱、诅咒和地狱的痛苦吗？”他立刻转向我，我问他：“你听到什么了？”他回答说：“我听到的是：你知道天堂、救赎和天堂的幸福吗？”然后，当把后一句话在他背后说给他时，他说他听到的是前一句话。后来，我又从他背后说了一句话：“难道你不知道地狱里的人因着虚假的观念而发疯了吗？”我问他听到了什么，他说：“难道你不知道天堂里的人因着真理而变得智慧吗？”当把后一句话从他背后说给他时，他说他听到的是：“难道你不知道地狱里的人因着虚假的观念而发疯了吗？”诸如此类。由此清楚可知，当心智背离主时，它会转向自己，然后觉察到一切事物的反面。我说：“这就是为何在灵界，如你们所知道的，任何人都不许站在别人后面和他说话的原因；因为这样做的话，有一种爱就被注入他；由于这爱令人愉快，所以他的自我聪明会赞成并顺从它。但这爱因出自人，而非神，故是一种对邪恶或虚假的爱。
“另外，我再告诉你们一个类似经历。我多次听说各种良善与真理从天堂降至地狱，随着它们下降，它们逐渐变为其对立面；良善变成邪恶，真理变成虚假。这是由于同样的原因，即：地狱里的所有人都背离主。”听完这番话，两位天使向我致谢说：“因为你要思考、写作与我们的婚姻之爱相对立的爱，凡与这爱对立的东西都令我们伤心，所以我们要离开了。”当他们说：“愿你平安”时，我请求他们不要把关于这爱的任何信息讲给他们天堂里的兄弟姐妹，因为这会有损他们的纯真。我可以肯定地说：那些婴孩时死去的人会在天堂长大，当他们的身量长到世上十八岁少男和十五岁少女的身量时，他们就保持在这个年龄；然后，主为他们提供婚姻；并且这二者无论婚前还是婚后，完全不知道淫行为何物，甚至不知道它有存在的可能。
444、在此做以下陈述：
在我思考过婚姻之爱并开始考虑淫荡之爱时，突然有两个天使出现在我身边并说：“ 我们能明白你从前有所想的，但你现在所想的我们却不明白，别想了，它们没什么意义。”
我回答说：“我现在所思考的这种爱确实存在。”
他们回答说：“怎么会有创世时起就不存在的爱呢？难道不是婚姻之爱从创世时起就一直存在吗？那不就是可能成为一体的两个人之间的爱吗？年青小伙除了爱同样爱着他的那女人外还会爱别的女人吗？一种爱不是只会与它一致的爱相结合吗？有谁会爱一个没那种爱的人呢？爱不是相互的吗，否则爱岂不会消失吗？”
听到这儿，我问两个天使是从哪里来。他们说：“来自于纯真的天国。” 我们还是小孩子的时候就到那里去了，并在主的带领下长大。
我长大后，我和妻子订婚并与结婚。因为我们只知道有婚姻之爱，所以当你想到那种与我们的爱相反的爱时，我们丝毫不能理解。所以我们来问你怎么会有创世时就不存在并且与其相反的爱呢？我们认为创世时相反的事物是不存在的。”
听到这我很高兴能有机会与纯真的不知道有淫荡之爱存在的天使谈话。于是我解释道：“你们知不知道善和恶，善从创世时就存在，而恶去不然？而恶却并非现在不存在，虽然它一点也称不上是善？”
“善从创世时就存在，并且有最高层和最低层。当最低层的善减退为零时，恶也就产生了。因此没有善和恶的比例关系，而却有善的程度或恶的程度。因为善和恶在任何方面都是相反的。
“因为善和恶是相反的，所有有一个中间地带，在这一平衡的状态下，恶与善相抗争。但因为恶在这种情况下不会领先，所以它只是处于那种抗争状态。每个人都从这一平衡状态中拉出，那些自由跟随主的人，就走出恶而来到善中，进而进入天国。
“爱，尤其是婚姻之爱和淫荡之爱也是这样。婚姻之爱是善的，而淫荡之爱却是恶的。每个自愿跟随主的人都被带入到婚姻之爱及其快乐之中。而不跟随主的人会落入淫荡之爱中，首先会体会到其中的愉悦，然后会感觉到沮丧，最后会进入悲惨状态。”
听到这天使说：“若创世时起就只有善存在，那么恶怎么会产生呢？每个存在的事物必须要有其来源。善不可能是恶的来源，因为恶中无善可言，而只会破坏善。但是恶还是存在着，那它一定是一种什么东西，请告诉我们，它是怎么从不存在发展出来的呢？”
我回答说：“除非知道只有神是善的，否则无法解释这一问题。没有任何事物不是出于主而是善的。因此那些跟随主被主所带领的人是被善所驱动的，而不跟随主的人却不是为善所驱动。他们是出于为自己或为尘世而行，所以或是追求名利，或是虚假的。所以人本身是罪恶的来源——并不是在创世时起这种来源被注入到人身上，而是人在离开神而转向自我时，将恶注入到自己身上。”
“这种恶的来源本不存在于亚当和夏娃身上，直到有一天蛇对他们说，吃善恶树的果子，你们就会象神一样。因为他们背离神而将自己视为神，他们就在自己身上创造了罪恶。吃树上的果子象征着人出于自己而知道善和恶，而非出于神。”
天使又问：“人怎么会背离神而转向自己。他自己若不是因为神，并不能思考或做任何事情？神怎么会允许发生这种情况呢？”
我答道：“人从创世时起就是他所思所想所做都好象是出自于他自己。没有这种表象，人就不会成为人。因为人将不可能接受任何善和真理或者智慧以及爱并保留它们。没有这点，人就不会与神有任何联系，也不会有永恒的生命。这种表象的结果是人觉得他是出于自己而思考，出于自己而行为。做善事也是出于自己而非出于神。人会将善变为恶，将自己变成恶的来源。这就是亚当的罪之所在 。
“让我再清楚地解释一下。主在看一个人时，视线会从前额开始到人的头的后部。在前额下面的是大脑，在脑后部的是小脑。大脑与智慧和真理相联，而小脑则与爱及其善相连。所以面向神的人会从主那里得到智慧，通过那一智慧而得到爱。而脸背离主的人却只能得到爱而不能得到智慧，没有智慧的爱是来自于人而非来自于主。又因为这种爱与谬误相连，它不承认神，而将自身视为神，这种爱就是罪恶的来源。
“这可以通过例子来证实。我将叫一些背离神的恶的精灵过来。我会从他们的后面同他们讲话。你们会看到我所说的都将表现为相反的内容。”
我叫了一个这样的精灵来并问他：“你是否知道地狱，诅咒以及那里的磨难？”我叫他转过脸来说说刚才听到了什么。
他说：“我听到你问是否我知道天堂，拯救以及那里的幸福。”
之后我又从他的背面重复了他所说的，这次，他说听到了我第一次时所说的内容。
之后我又从后面对他说：“你知道地狱中的人因为谬误而是疯子吗？”
我问他听到了什么，他说听到了“你是否知道天国中的人因为真理而是智慧的？”
“这就是为什么在精神世界中，不允许一个人站在另一个人背后去与他讲话。因为人会将自己的爱注入到他人身上，他人的才智会因其中的愉悦而处于屈从地位，但因为这是来自于人而非来自于神，所以它是一种对恶和谬误的爱。”
“另外，我还听过天堂的善和真理到地狱中后就被变成了反面——善变成了恶，真理变成了谬误。原因也是同样的。地狱中的人背离了主。
听到这儿，天使们谢过我并说：“因为你现在思考与婚姻之爱相反的爱，与这一爱相及\反的爱会使我们感到悲哀，所以我们要走了。”
之后我请他们不要对天国中的兄弟姐妹们说起这种爱，因为那会伤害到他们的纯真状态。
我可以断言，死后在天国中长大的男孩在长到十八岁，女孩长到十五岁后就会停在那里，主会给他们婚姻。婚前和婚后他们都将丝毫不了解什么是淫荡之爱。
444. 1At this point I shall add the following account of an experience.
After completing my reflections on conjugial love and beginning to think about scortatory love, two angels suddenly came to me and said, 'We perceived and understood your previous reflections, but the things you are now thinking about pass us by, and we do not perceive them. Abandon them, because they are of no value.'
'The love which is the subject of my present reflection,' I replied, 'is not nothing, since it certainly exists.'
'How,' they said, 'can any love exist which is not from creation? Surely conjugial love is from creation, and this is a love between two people who are able to become one. How can there be a love which divides and separates people? Can any young man love a girl unless she loves him in return? Does not the love of the one know and recognise that of the other, and so when these loves meet they join of their own accord? Can anyone love something which is not love? Is not conjugial love the only one which is mutual and reciprocal? If it is not reciprocated, does it not rebound and become nothing?'
[2] On hearing this I asked the two angels what community of heaven they came from. 'We are,' they said, 'from the heaven of innocence. We came as children into this heavenly world and were brought up under the Lord's guidance. When I grew up and my wife, who is with me here, became old enough to get married, we were engaged and betrothed, and joined for the first time 2in marriage. Since we know of no other love than the true love of marriage, conjugial love, when the ideas you thought about came across to us about a different kind of love, the exact opposite of ours, we could understand nothing. So we have come down to ask why you are reflecting on things we cannot perceive. Tell us then how a love can exist which is not only not from creation, but is opposed to creation. We regard what is opposed to creation as subjects of no validity.'
[3] When he said this, I was heartily glad to talk with angels so innocent that they were totally ignorant of sexual impropriety. So I opened my mouth to tell them. 'Are you not aware,' I said, 'that good and evil exist, and good is from creation, but evil is not? Yet evil regarded in essence is not nothing, even though it is nothing from the point of view of good. Good exists from creation, and it varies in degree from the highest to the lowest. When its lowest degree reaches zero, evil arises on the other side. So there is no relationship or progress of good to evil, but it relates and progresses to what is more or less good. Evil relates and progresses to what is more or is less evil, because these are opposites in every single detail. Since evil and good are opposites, there must be a mean point distinguished by equilibrium, where evil acts against good; but because it is not stronger, it cannot advance beyond making the effort.
'Everyone is brought up in this state of equilibrium; and since this is between good and evil, or what is the same thing, between heaven and hell, it is a spiritual equilibrium, and this confers freedom on those who enjoy it. As the result of this equilibrium the Lord draws all to Himself; and if a person freely follows Him, He leads him out of evil into good, and so to heaven. It is much the same with love, especially conjugial love and scortatory love. The latter is an evil, the former a good. Everyone who hears the Lord's voice and freely follows is brought by the Lord into conjugial love and into all its joys and happiness. But someone who does not hear and follow brings himself into scortatory love and first into its joys, and then into its unpleasantnesses, and finally into unhappiness.'
[4] When I said this, the two angels asked, 'How could evil come into being, when nothing but good had come into being from creation? For anything to come into being it must have a source; good could not be the source of evil, because evil is a negation of good, since it takes away and destroys good. Still, because evil exists and is felt, it is not nothing, but it is something. Tell us then from what source this comes from nothing into being something.'
I replied to them, 'This secret cannot be revealed without knowing that none is good save God alone, and that there is nothing good that is inherently good unless it comes from God. Anyone therefore who looks to the Lord and wants to be guided by Him is in a state of good. But anyone who turns away from God and wants to be guided by himself is not in a state of good; for the good he does is done either for his own sake or for worldly reasons, so that it is either intended to acquire merit, or pretended, or hypocritical. This makes it plain that man himself is the source of evil, not because man had that fate assigned to him from creation, but because he assigned it to himself by turning away from God. That source of evil was not in Adam and his wife; but when the serpent said:
On the day when you eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, you will be like God. Genesis 3:5.
And then they turned away from God, and turned towards themselves as if they were gods, they produced the source of evil in themselves. "Eating of that tree" means believing that one knows good and evil and is wise of oneself, and not from God.'
[5] But then the two angels asked, 'How could man turn away from God and towards himself, when it is still true that man can will nothing, think nothing and so do nothing except from God? Why did God allow this?'
'Man was created,' I replied, 'so that everything he wills, thinks and does appears to be inside him and so to come from him. Without this appearance he would not be a man, for he could not receive, retain or make as it were his own any trace of good and truth, or of love and wisdom. It follows from this that unless this were exactly the appearance, man could not be linked with God, and so he could not have everlasting life. However, if this appearance induces him to believe that he himself, and not the Lord, is the source of what he wills, thinks and does, however much it looks as if he were the source, he turns good in himself into evil and so produces a source of evil in himself. This was Adam's sin.
[6] 'But I can cast a little more light on this subject. The Lord looks on every person in the forehead, and His gaze passes through to the back of the head. Behind the forehead is the cerebrum, and beneath the rear of the head is the cerebellum. This is devoted to love and the various kinds of good it produces; the cerebrum is devoted to wisdom and the truths which compose it. Anyone therefore who looks face first towards the Lord receives wisdom from Him, and by this means he receives love. But anyone who turns his back and looks away from the Lord receives love but not wisdom, and love without wisdom is the love that comes from man and not from the Lord. Since this love links itself with false beliefs, it does not acknowledge God, but puts itself in God's place, finding silent confirmation of this through the ability to understand and to be wise with which he is endowed from creation, as if it came from himself. This love is therefore the source of evil. I can give you a visual demonstration that this is so, by calling here a wicked spirit who has turned away from God; I shall speak to his back, that is, to the back of his head, and you will see that what he is told turns into its opposite.'
[7] So I called such a spirit, and when he came, spoke to him from behind. 'Do you know,' I said, anything about hell, damnation and the torments of hell?' At once he turned towards me, and I asked him, 'What did you hear me say?'
'This,' he answered, 'is what I heard: "Do you know anything about heaven, salvation and the happiness of heaven?"' Then when he was asked this question behind his back, he said that what he heard was the first question.
Afterwards the following question was put from behind his back. 'Are you not aware that those in hell are made mad by false ideas?' When I asked him what he had heard, he said, 'Are you not aware that those in heaven are made wise by truths?' When this question was repeated to him behind his back, he said that what he heard was, 'Are you not aware that those in hell are made mad by false ideas?' and so on. These facts made it obvious that when a mind turns away from the Lord, it turns towards itself and so perceives the reverse of everything. This is the reason why, as you know, in the spiritual world no one is allowed to stand behind another's back and talk to him. For by doing so love is breathed into him, and because it is pleasant the intelligence approves and obeys it. But since it comes from man and not from God, it is a love of evil or of falsity.
[8] 'I shall in addition report to you another similar experience. I have on a number of occasions heard kinds of good and truth fall from heaven into hell, and as they fell they progressively changed to their opposites; good became evil and truth falsity. This is due to the same cause, the fact that all in hell turn away from the Lord.'
On hearing this the two angels thanked me and said, 'As you are now thinking and writing about a love which is the opposite of our conjugial love, we shall depart. Anything opposed to that love depresses our minds.'
When they said, 'Peace be with you,' I begged them not to tell their brothers and sisters in heaven anything about this love, since it would damage their innocence.
I can place it on record as a fact that those who die as children grow up in heaven. When they reach the stature of young men of eighteen years, and girls of fifteen, they stop at that point, and the Lord then provides marriages for them. These, both before and after marriage, are quite unaware what sexual impropriety is or that it can exist.
Footnotes:
1. This number was used twice in the original, here and at the beginning of the next chapter.
2. Literally 'with the first omens.' The phrase may be taken from Vergil (Aeneid 1.345).
444. To this I will append the following narrative account:
After I finished my considerations of conjugial love and began reflecting on licentious love, suddenly two angels stood beside me and said, "We perceived and understood what you were thinking about before, but the things you are now pondering escape us, and we do not comprehend them. Omit them, because they are of no consequence."
But I replied, "This love that I am considering now is not of no consequence, because it exists."
To that they responded, "How can there be any love that does not exist from creation? Is it not conjugial love that exists from creation? Is this not a love between two people who have the capability of becoming one? How can there be a love which divides and separates them? What young man can love any other woman than the one who loves him in return? Must not the love in one recognize and acknowledge the love in the other - loves which, when they meet, of their own accord unite? Who can love someone in whom that love is missing? Is it not conjugial love alone that is mutual and reciprocal? If love is not reciprocal, does it not pull back and die?"
[2] On hearing this I asked the two angels what society of heaven they were from, and they said, "We are from the heaven of innocence. 1We came into this world of heaven as little children and were raised under the Lord's guidance. Moreover, after I became an adolescent youth, and my wife here with me a marriageable girl, we were betrothed and pledged, and at the earliest opportunity married. So, because we have known nothing regarding any other love than a truly wedded and conjugial love, therefore when your ideas were communicated to us concerning an alien love altogether opposed to our love, we did not comprehend any of them. Consequently we have come down to ask you why you are pondering notions so inconceivable. Tell us, then, how a love is possible which not only does not exist from creation, but is even contrary to creation. We regard things contrary to creation as matters having no reality."
[3] When he said this, my heart rejoiced that I was given an opportunity to speak with angels of such innocence, who did not know at all what licentiousness was. I opened my mouth therefore and explained, saying, "Do you not know that there is such a thing as good and evil, and that good exists from creation, but not evil? And yet evil regarded in itself is not nothing, even though it is nothing good?
"Good exists from creation, and good moreover in the highest degree and in the least degree; and when this least good reduces to nothing, evil arises on the other side. Therefore there is no proportional relationship or progression of good to evil, but a proportional relationship and progression of good to a greater or lesser good, and of evil to a greater or lesser evil; for good and evil are opposites in every single respect.
"Now because good and evil are opposites, there is a middle ground, and in it an area of equilibrium, in which evil acts against good. But because evil does not prevail, it remains in the endeavor. Every person grows up in this equilibrium; and being an equilibrium between good and evil, or to say the same thing, between heaven and hell, it is a spiritual equilibrium, which produces a state of freedom in those who live in it. The Lord draws all people out of this equilibrium to Him, and the person who follows in freedom is led by Him out of evil into good, and thus into heaven.
"It is the same with love, especially in the case of conjugial love and licentious love. Conjugial love is good, while licentious love is evil. Every person who hears the voice of the Lord and follows Him in freedom is introduced by the Lord into conjugial love with all its delights and joys. But the person who does not hear and does not follow introduces himself into licentious love, entering at first into its delights, but afterwards into its distresses, and finally into its miseries."
[4] My having said that, the two angels asked, "How could evil come into existence when nothing but good existed from creation? For anything to exist it must have an origin. Good could not be the origin of evil, because evil is nothing good, being rather the negation and destruction of good. But still, because evil exists and is experienced, it is not nothing, but something. Tell us, therefore, from what this something, after having no existence, came into existence."
To that I replied, "This secret cannot be explained unless it is known that no one is good but God alone, 2and that nothing is good that is good in itself unless it is from God. Consequently it is the person who looks to God and wills to be led by God who is motivated by good. But the person who turns away from God and wills to be led by himself is not motivated by good; for the good that he does is either for the sake of himself or for the sake of the world; thus it is either merit-seeking, or feigned, or hypocritical. From this it is apparent that man himself is the origin of evil - not that that origin was infused into man from creation, but that by turning from God to self he infused it into himself.
"This origin of evil did not exist in Adam and his wife until the serpent said, '...in the day you eat of (the tree of the knowledge of good and evil)...you will be like God' (Genesis 3:5). And then, because they turned away from God, and turned to themselves as though to a god, they created in themselves the origin of evil. Eating of that tree symbolized their believing that a person knows good and evil and is wise on his own, and not from God."
[5] But then the two angels asked, "How could man turn away from God and turn to himself, when a person can will nothing, think nothing, and so do nothing except from God. Why did God permit it?"
However, I replied, "Man was so created that everything he wills, thinks and does appears to him as being in him and thus from him. Without this appearance a person would not be a human being, for he would be unable to receive anything of good and truth or of love and wisdom, retain it, and seemingly adopt it as his own. Consequently it follows that without this, as it were, living appearance, man would not have any conjunction with God, and so neither any eternal life. But if as a result of this appearance he persuades himself to the belief that he wills, thinks, and thus does good of himself, and not from the Lord (even though to all appearance as though of himself), he turns good into evil in him, and so creates in him the origin of evil. This was Adam's sin.
[6] "But let me explain this matter a little more clearly. The Lord views every person by looking at his forehead, and this sight passes to the back of his head. Behind the forehead is the cerebrum, and in the back of the head the cerebellum. The cerebrum is devoted to wisdom and its truths, while the cerebellum is devoted to love and its goods. Therefore a person who looks with his face to the Lord receives wisdom from him, and through that wisdom, love. But a person who looks away from the Lord receives love and not wisdom; and love without wisdom is love that originates with man and not from the Lord. Moreover, because this love allies itself with falsities, it does not acknowledge God, but embraces itself as a god; and this it tacitly defends by the person's faculty of understanding and of becoming wise as though of himself, implanted in him from creation. Thus this love is the origin of evil.
"The fact of this can be visibly demonstrated. I will call here some evil spirit who has turned away from God, and I will speak to him from behind or at the back of his head. And you will see that the things I say are turned into their opposites."
[7] So I summoned such a spirit. He came, and I spoke to him from behind, saying, "Do you know anything about hell, damnation, and the torment there?" Then, when he turned around to face me, I asked, "What did you hear?"
He replied: "I heard the following. 'Do you know anything about heaven, salvation, and the happiness there?'"
Afterwards then, when I repeated his answer to him from behind, he said that he heard what I had said at first.
After that I said to him from behind, "Do you know that people in hell are insane because of their falsities?" And on my asking him about this, as to what he had heard, he said, "I heard, 'Do you know that people in heaven are wise because of their truths?'
Again, when I repeated this answer to him from behind, he said that he heard, "Do you know that people in hell are insane because of their falsities?"
And so it went. From which it became plainly apparent that when the mind is turned away from the Lord, it turns to itself, so that it then perceives things in a contrary way.
"That is the reason," I said, "that, as you know, in this spiritual world, no one is permitted to stand behind another and speak to him; for he thus infuses into the other his love, which the other's intelligence then yields to and obeys because of the delight attached to it, but which, being from man and not from God, is a love of evil or a love of falsity.
[8] "In addition to this, I will relate to you another, similar occurrence, namely, that I have several times heard goods and truths descend from heaven into hell, and they were gradually turned there into their opposites - good into evil, and truth into falsity. The reason for this phenomenon is the same, namely, that all who are in hell turn away from the Lord."
After listening to this, the two angels thanked me and said, "Because you are now thinking and writing about a love that is contrary to our conjugial love, and because anything contrary to that love saddens our minds, we will leave you."
And as they bade me farewell, I asked them not to report anything concerning this love to their brothers and sisters in heaven, because it would injure their innocence.
I can declare for a certainty that people who die as little children grow up in heaven, and when they attain a stature like that of youths eighteen years old and of girls fifteen years old in the world, they stop there, and marriages are then provided for them by the Lord. Moreover, that both before marriage and after it, they do not know at all what licentiousness is, or that it is possible.
Footnotes:
1. I.e., the third heaven. See no. 410.
2. Matthew 19:17.
444. a. The following story is added to these remarks.
After I finished my thoughts about love in marriage and had laid out my thoughts about illicit love, two angels were suddenly standing by me, and they said, "We noticed and understood what you were thinking about before, but the things you're thinking about now go right by us and we don't grasp them. Drop them, because they are nothing."
But I answered, "This love that I'm thinking about now isn't nothing, because there is such a thing."
But they said, "How can there be such a thing as any love that doesn't come from creation? Love in marriage comes from creation, doesn't it? Isn't this the love between two who can become one? How can there be a love that divides and separates?
What young man can love a young woman other than the one who loves him in return? Doesn't one's love recognize and accept the other's love when they meet, and don't they join themselves together spontaneously? Who can love no love? Only married love is mutual and reciprocal, isn't it? If not returned, doesn't it retreat and become nothing?"
When I heard this I asked the two angels what community in heaven they were from, and they said, "We are from a heaven of innocence. We carne into this heavenly world as children and were brought up under the Lord's guidance. And when I grew up and my wife, who is here with me, was a marriageable girl, we made a commitment and promised and were joined in a virgin marriage. And the only love we have known is true wedded and married love, so when your meditations about a strange love clearly opposite to our love were communicated to us, we didn't understand it at all. So we carne down to find out why you are thinking about incomprehensible things. So tell us how there can be a love that not only doesn't come from creation but is even opposite to creation. We regard things opposite to creation as objects without reality."
When they said that, I was glad at heart that I had been allowed to talk with angels so innocent that they did not know what fornication is at all. So I opened my mouth and taught, saying, "Don't you know that there is good and bad, and that good is from creation, but not bad, and while bad per se is not nothing, still it has nothing to do with good? There is good from creation and also good in the greatest degree and in the least degree. And at the point where this least degree becomes nothing, bad emerges on the other side. So there is no relation or progression of good to bad, but a relation and progression of good to greater and less good and of bad to greater and less bad, for they are opposites in all respects. And since good and bad are opposites, there is a midpoint, and a balance there, where bad acts against good. But it does not prevail, so it continues in the effort. Every person is brought up in this balance. Since it is a balance between good and bad, or between heaven and hell, which is the same thing, it is a spiritual equilibrium that produces freedom for those who are in it. In keeping with this balance the Lord draws everyone to himself, and the person who follows in freedom He leads out of bad into good, and thus into heaven.
"It is the same with love - especially with married love, and with illicit love. The one is good, but the other is bad. Every person who hears the Lord's voice and follows in freedom the Lord leads into married love and into all its delights and blessings.
But anyone who does not hear and does not follow leads his own self into illicit love and at first into its delights - but afterwards into displeasures and finally into unhappiness."
When I had said these things, the two angels asked, "How could evil come into existence when nothing but good had existed from creation? To exist, something must have its beginning. Good could not be the source of evil, because evil has nothing to do with good, for it is the negative of good and destructive of it. Yet there is such a thing, and it is detectable, so it isn't nothing but is something. So tell what this something comes from after being nothing."
To this I answered, "This mystery can't be solved except by knowing that no one is good except God alone and that there is no good that is good in itself, except from God. So someone who looks to God and wants to be led by God participates in good, but someone who turns away from God and wants to be led by himself does not participate in good, for the good he does is either on account of himself or on account of the world, so it is either for gain or is feigned or hypocritical. These facts make it clear that man himself is the origin of evil. Not that this origin was put into man by creation, but he put it into himself by turning away from God to himself.
"The source of evil was not in Adam and his wife, but when the serpent said, 'On the day you eat from the tree of knowing good and evil ... you will be like God' (Genesis 3:5), and then, because they turned away from God and turned to themselves as to a god, they made the source of evil in themselves. To 'eat from the tree' referred to thinking that you know about good and evil and are wise by yourself and not from God."
But then the two angels asked, "How could people turn away from God and turn to themselves, when people can want, think, and therefore do nothing, except by God? Why did God permit this?"
But I answered, "People were created in such a way that everything they want, think, and do seems to them to be in themselves and therefore from themselves. A person without this appearance would not be a person, for he wouldn't be able to take anything of good and truth - or love and wisdom - to himself, keep it, and make it as if his own. Consequently, without this sort of living appearance a person would not have a way to join with God, and so he wouldn't have eternal life. However, if from this appearance he leads himself to think that he wants, thinks, and therefore does good by himself and not due to the Lord - even though it is by himself to all appearances - he turns good into bad in himself and in this way makes the source of evil in himself.
This was Adam's sin.
"But I'll place the question in a little clearer light. The Lord looks at every person in the forehead, and the look goes through to the back of his skull. Your cerebrum is in your forehead, and your cerebellum is in the back of your head. Your cerebellum is devoted to love and its good, and your cerebrum is devoted to wisdom and its truth. So someone who turns his face to the Lord receives wisdom from Him and, through this, love. But someone who looks backward, away from the Lord, receives love and not wisdom, and love without wisdom is love from man and not from the Lord. This love joins itself to untruths, so it does not accept the Lord but accepts itself as god and secretly confirms this with the ability to understand and perceive implanted in it from creation as if from itself. So this love is the source of evil.
''It can be demonstrated before your eyes that this is so. I'll call some evil spirit here who turns away from God, and I'll speak to him from behind - or to the back of his head - and you'll see that the things said will turn into their opposites."
I called one like that. He came, and I spoke behind him, saying, "Do you know anything about hell, damnation, and the torment there?" And soon, when he turned around to me I asked, "What did you hear?"
He answered, "I heard these things, 'Do you know anything about heaven, salvation, and the happiness there?'" And then when these things were said behind his back, he said he heard what I said before.
Then these things were said behind his back: "Do you know that those who are in hell are insane because of untruths?" And when I asked what he heard, he said, "I heard, 'Do you know that those who are in heaven are wise because of truths?'" And when these words were said behind his back, he said that he heard, "Do you know that those in hell are insane because of untruths?"
And so on. From these things it was clearly evident that when a mind turns itself away from the Lord, it turns toward itself and then understands things backwards.
"This is the reason why, as you know, it is not lawful in this spiritual world to stand behind another person and speak to him, for this inspires into him a love that his own intelligence favors and obeys for its own enjoyment. But this is from the person and not from God, so it is a love for evil or falsity.
"Besides this I can report something else like it to you, namely, that at different times I have heard good things and true things sink from heaven into hell, and there they were gradually turned into opposites - good into bad and truth into falsity. The reason for this is the same, without doubt - that everyone in hell turns away from the Lord."
After hearing these things the two angels thanked me and said, "Since you are thinking and writing about a love opposite to our married love, and the opposite of that love saddens our minds, we are leaving."
And as they said, "Peace to you," I asked them not to tell their brothers and sisters in heaven anything about this love, because it would hurt their innocence.
I can affirm for certain that people who die as children grow up in heaven, and when they reach the stature of eighteen year-old youths and fifteen - year - old girls in the world, they stay there, and then the Lord provides them marriages. Also that before as well as after marriage they simply do not know what illicit sex is or that there can be such a thing.
444. To the above shall be added the following Memorable Relation:
After I had finished my meditations on conjugial love and had commenced the meditations on scortatory love, suddenly two angels stood by me and said, "We perceived and understood what you were previously meditating on, but the things on which you are now meditating are beyond us and we do not perceive them. Lay them aside, for they amount to nothing." But I answered, "The love on which I am now meditating does not amount to nothing for it exists."
To this the angels said: "How can there be any love which is not from creation? Is not conjugial love thence? Is not this love a love between two who can become a one? How can there be a love which divides and separates? What young man loves any other maiden than the one who loves him in return? Will not the love of the one know and acknowledge the love of the other? and when they meet, Will they not join together of themselves? Who can love non-love? Is not conjugial love alone mutual and reciprocal? If not reciprocal, does not the love rebound and become nothing?"
[2] On hearing this, I asked the two angels from what society in heaven they were. They said: "We are from the heaven of innocence. We came into this heavenly world as infants and were brought up under the Lord's auspices; and when I became a young man and my wife who is here with me became a marriageable girl, we were betrothed and contracted and were joined in marriage. And because we have not known of any other love than love truly nuptial and conjugial, therefore, when the ideas of your thought concerning a strange love entirely opposite to our love were communicated to us, we did not comprehend anything. We have therefore descended to inquire of you why you are meditating on things imperceptible. Tell us, therefore, how can a love be possible which not only is not from creation but is also against creation. We regard things opposite to creation as objects of no reality."
[3] When he had said this, I was glad at heart that it was granted me to speak with angels of such innocence as to be entirely ignorant of what whoredom is. I therefore opened my mouth and taught them, saying: "Do you not know of the existence of good and evil? and that good is from creation, but not evil? Yet evil, regarded in itself, is not nothing although it is the nullity of good. Good is from creation, both good in its greatest degree and good in its least; and when this least becomes nothing, then from the other side arises evil. There is therefore no relation between them, nor any progression of good to evil, but only a relation and progression of good to greater and less good, and of evil to greater and less evil, the two being opposites at each and every point. And since good and evil are opposites, there is an intermediate between them wherein is an equilibrium in which evil acts against good; but because it does not prevail, it stops in the endeavor. Every man is brought up in this equilibrium. Being between good and evil or, what is the same thing, between heaven and hell, it is a spiritual equilibrium, and for those who are in it, it brings freedom. The Lord draws all men away from this equilibrium to Himself; and the man who from freedom follows Him, He leads from evil into good and so to heaven. It is the same with love, especially conjugial love and scortatory love, the latter being evil and the former good. Every man who hears the Lord's voice, and from freedom follows Him, is introduced by the Lord into conjugial love and into all its delights and bliss; but he who does not hear and follow, introduces himself into scortatory love--first into its delights, then into its undelights, and finally into its unhappiness."
[4] After I had spoken, the two angels asked: "How could evil come into existence when by creation nothing but good existed? If a thing is to exist, it must have an origin. Good could not be the origin of evil, for evil is the privation and destruction of good and therefore its nullity. Yet, since it is and is sensated, it is not nothing but something. Tell us, then, whence this something had its existence after being nothing." To this I replied: "This arcanum cannot be opened unless it be known that none is good save God alone, and that there is no good which in itself is good save from God. Therefore, he who looks to God and wills to be led by God is in good; but he who turns away from God and wills to be led by himself is not in good; for the good which he does is done either for the sake of himself or for the sake of the world, and so is meritorious or simulated or hypocritical. It is clear, therefore, that man himself is the origin of evil; not that this origin was planted in man from creation but, by turning away from God, he planted it in himself. This origin of evil was not [primitively] in Adam and his wife; but they made the origin of evil in themselves, and this because, when the serpent said, In the day that ye eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil ye shall be as God (Genesis 3:5), they turned away from God and turned to themselves as God. To eat of that tree signified to believe that one knows good and evil and is wise from himself and not from God."
[5] The two angels then asked, "How could man turn away from God and turn to himself, when yet he can think, will, and thence do nothing except from God? Why did God permit this?" I replied: "Man was so created that everything which he wills, thinks, and does appears to him as if in himself and thus from himself. Without this appearance, man would not be a man for he could not receive, retain, and, as it were, appropriate to himself anything of good and truth or of love and wisdom. From this it follows that without this appearance--a living appearance, as it were--man would have no conjunction with God, nor any eternal life therefrom. But if from this appearance he induces on himself the belief that he wills, thinks, and hence does good from himself and not from the Lord, though in all appearance as from himself, he then turns good with him into evil, and thus makes in himself the origin of evil.
[6] This was Adam's sin. But I will open up this subject somewhat more clearly. The Lord looks at every man in his forehead, and this look passes into his occiput. Under the forehead is the cerebrum, and under the occiput is the cerebellum, the latter being dedicated to love and its goods, and the former to wisdom and its truths. Therefore, he who looks with his face to the Lord receives wisdom from Him, and through wisdom, love; but he who looks backwards away from the Lord receives love and not wisdom, and love without Wisdom is love from man and not from the Lord. This love, because it conjoins itself with falsities, does not acknowledge God but acknowledges itself as God, and it tacitly confirms this acknowledgment by the faculty, implanted in man from creation, of being wise as if from himself. This love, therefore, is the origin of evil. That such is the case can be demonstrated to the sight. I will call hither some evil spirit who turns himself away from God, and will speak to him from behind, that is, into his occiput, and you will see that the words spoken will be turned into their opposites."
[7] I then called one such spirit. He was at hand, and I spoke to him from behind, saying, "Do you know anything about hell, damnation, and the torment there?" and then, when he turned round to me, I asked him, "What did you hear?" He answered, "I heard this, Do you know anything about heaven, salvation, and the happiness there." Then, When the latter words were spoken to him behind his back, he said that he had heard the former. After this, the following words were said to him behind his back, "Do you not know that those who are in hell are insane from falsities?" and when asked about them by me, as to what he had heard, he said, "I heard, Do you not know that those Who are in heaven are wise from truths?" and when these latter Words were said to him behind his back, he said that he had heard, "Do you not know that those who are in hell are insane from falsities?" And so on. "From this, it is clearly evident that when the mind turns away from the Lord, it turns to itself and then perceives things contrary. This is the reason why in this spiritual world, as you know, it is not allowed any one to stand behind another and speak to him, for then a love is inspired into him which, because of its delight, his self-intelligence favors and obeys, but which, being from man and not from God, is a love of evil or a love of falsity.
[8] Besides this, I will tell you something else of a similar nature, namely, that I have sometimes heard goods and truths let down from heaven into hell, and there they Were progressively turned into their opposites, good into evil and truth into falsity. This is due to the same cause, namely, because all who are in hell turn themselves away from the Lord."
After hearing this, the two angels thanked me and said, "Since you are now meditating and writing on a love opposite to our conjugial love, and the opposite to that love saddens our minds, we will depart;" and when they said, "Peace be to you"' I begged them not to tell anything about this love to their brother and sisters in heaven because it would hurt their innocence.
That those who die as infants grow up in heaven, and when they attain to the stature of young men in the world, of eighteen years, and of maidens of fifteen, they remain at that age; that marriages are then provided for them by the Lord; and that both before marriage and after it they are entirely ignorant of what whoredom is, or that it is possible--this I can asseverate with certainty.
444. I append some Memorabilia:
After I had finished my meditations on marital love, and had begun meditations on scortatory love, two angels suddenly presented themselves and said, "We perceived and grasped what you meditated upon previously, but the things on which you are meditating now elude us and we do not perceive them. Let them be, for they are of no account."
But I answered, "This love on which I am now meditating, is of some account, for it exists."
"How can there be a love," they protested, "which is not from creation? Is not marital love from creation? Is it not between two who can become one? How can there be a love which divides and separates? Can a young man love any other virgin than the one who returns his love? Must not the love of the one recognize and hail the love of the other, so that they unite spontaneously when they meet? Who can love the unloving? Is not marital love alone mutual and reciprocal? If not reciprocal, does it not recoil and cease?"
[2] On hearing this I asked the two angels from what society in heaven they came. "We are from the heaven of innocence," they said. "We entered this heavenly world as infants and were brought up under the Lord's auspices. When I became a young man, and my wife, here beside me, became a marriageable girl, we were betrothed and pledged, and united at the first omens. Not having known of any other love than true wedded and marital love, we did not comprehend at all when ideas about a strange love directly opposite to our love were communicated to us from your thought. We have therefore descended to ask you why you meditate on imperceptible things. Tell us, how can there be a love which is not only not from creation, but actually contrary to creation? We regard things opposite to creation as having no reality."
[3] As he spoke so, I felt glad at heart that I had the privilege of speaking with angels of such innocence that they knew not at all what whoredom is. I mustered speech and explained, therefore, saying:
"Do you not know that there is good and evil? and that good but not evil is from creation? Viewed in itself, evil is not, however, nothing, although it is nothing of good. Good is from creation, both good in the greatest degree and the minimum good; and when this least becomes none, beyond it evil springs up. There is therefore no relation or progression of good to evil; but a relation and progression of good to greater or less good, and of evil to greater or less evil; for at each and all points they are opposites. As good and evil are opposites, there is an intermediate where there is equilibrium, in which evil acts against good; not prevailing, it still persists as endeavor. Every man is brought up in this equilibrium, which is a spiritual equilibrium, obtaining as it does between good and evil or (what is the same) between heaven and hell, and gives freedom to those who are in it. In this equilibrium the Lord draws all to Himself, and leads the man who follows freely, out of evil into good and thus into heaven. So it is with love, especially with marital love and scortatory love. The latter is evil and the former good. The Lord introduces every man who hears His voice and who follows freely, into marital love and into all its delights and satisfactions; but the man who does not hear and follow introduces himself into scortatory love, into what are its delights at first, but afterwards into its undelight and finally into all its wretchedness."
[4] When I had said this the two angels asked:
"How could evil come to be when from creation nothing but good existed? For a thing to come into existence it must have an origin. Good could not be the origin of evil, because evil is nothing of good, ousting it, rather, and destroying it. Still, as it exists and is felt, evil is not nothing but something. Tell us, then, whence comes this something after nothing."
To this I replied, "This arcanum cannot be explained unless it is known that no one is good but God only, and that there is nothing good which is good in itself except from God. He who looks to God, therefore, and wills to be led by God, is in good; but he who averts himself from God and wills to be led of himself is not in good, for the good which he does is either for himself or for the sake of the world; thus is either self-righteous or simulated or hypocritical. Plainly, then, man himself is the origin of evil. Not that this origin was implanted in him from creation, but that he brought it on himself by turning away from God to himself. This origin of evil was not in Adam and his wife, but when the serpent said:
In the day that you eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, you shall be as God (Genesis 3:5);
And they turned away from God and turned to themselves as to a god, they made in themselves the origin of evil. 'To eat of that tree' signifies to believe that one knows good and evil and is wise of oneself and not from God."
[5] Thereupon the two angels asked, "How could man avert himself from God and turn to himself, when yet he cannot will, think and therefore cannot do anything except from God? Why did God permit this?"
"Man was so created," I replied, "that all he wills, thinks, and does appears to him as if it were in himself and thus of himself. Without this appearance man would not be man, for he could not receive, retain and as it were appropriate to himself anything of good and truth or of love and wisdom. It follows that without this living appearance, to call it so, man would have no conjunction with God, and therefore no eternal life. But if, as a result of this appearance he induces on himself the belief that he wills, thinks, and therefore does good of himself, and not from the Lord with all the appearance of doing so of himself, he then turns good into evil in him, and thus makes in himself the origin of evil. This was the sin of Adam.
[6] "But let me put the matter a little more clearly. The Lord looks at every one in the forehead, and this regard passes through to the back of the head; beneath the forehead is the cerebrum and at the back is the cerebellum. The cerebellum is dedicated to love and its goods, and the cerebrum to wisdom and its truths. He who turns his face to the Lord, therefore, receives wisdom from Him, and through wisdom love; but he who looks backward from the Lord receives love but not wisdom, and love without wisdom is love from man and not from the Lord. This love, conjoining itself with falsities, does not acknowledge God but itself as a god; and this it tacitly confirms by that faculty of understanding and of becoming wise as if of oneself which is implanted in man from creation. It is this love, then, which is the origin of evil. The fact can be demonstrated to the eye. I will call hither some evil spirit who averts himself from God, and will speak to him from behind or into the back part of his head, and you will see that what I say will be turned into its opposite."
[7] I called such a spirit. He presented himself, and I spoke to him from behind, saying:
"Do you know anything about hell, damnation and the torment there?"
Then, after he had turned toward me, I asked, "What did you hear?" He replied, "This: 'Do you know anything about heaven, salvation and the happiness there?' " Again, when the latter words were spoken to him behind his back he said that he had heard the former. Thereupon he was asked from behind his back, "Do you know that those who are in hell are insane from falsities?" When I asked him what he had heard this time, he said, "I heard 'Do you know that those who are in heaven are wise from truths?'" Again, when the latter words were spoken from behind his back he said that he heard, "Do you know that those who are in hell are insane from falsities?" And so on. Is it not therefore manifest that when the mind turns away from the Lord, it turns to itself and perceives things opposite? This is the reason why in this spiritual world, as you know, no one is allowed to stand behind another and speak to him. For thus a love is inspired in him which his own intelligence favors and obeys from delight, but which, because it is from man and not from God, is a love of evil or of falsity. Let me tell you also of another similar thing.
[8] Several times I have heard goods and truths let down from heaven into hell; in the descent they were gradually turned into their opposites, good into evil, and truth into falsity. The cause of this phenomenon is undoubtedly the same, that all who are in hell avert themselves from the Lord."
Having heard these things the two angels thanked me, and said, "As you are now meditating and writing upon a love which is the opposite of our marital love, and the opposite to this love saddens our minds, we will take our leave."
And when they said, "Peace to you," I begged them not to tell their brothers and sisters in heaven anything about that love, because it would hurt their innocence.
I can affirm for a certainty that those who die in infancy grow up in heaven; when they attain the stature of youths of eighteen in the world and of girls of fifteen years of age, they remain of that stature; marriages are then provided for them by the Lord; and further, both before and after marriage, they are entirely ignorant of what whoredom is or that such a thing can be.
444. To this shall be added the following Relation:
After I had brought to a close my meditations on conjugial love, and had begun the meditations on scortatory love, two angels suddenly stood by me and said, 'We perceived and understood what you meditated before, but the things on which you are now meditating pass away and we do not perceive them. Let these alone, for they are of no account.'
But I answered, 'This love on which I am now meditating is not of no account, for it exists.'
And they said, 'How can there be a love that is not from creation? Is not conjugial love from creation? Is not this love between two who can become one? How can there be a love which divides and separates? Can any young man love any other virgin than one who loves in return? Must not the love of one cognize and acknowledge the love of the other, and conjoin themselves of themselves when they meet? Who can love a non-love? Is not conjugial love alone mutual and reciprocal? If not reciprocal does it not rebound and become nothing?'
On hearing this I asked the two angels from what society in heaven they came. They said, 'We are from the heaven of innocence. We came as infants into this heavenly world and were reared under the auspices of the Lord. And when I became a young man, and my wife who is with me here became a marriageable girl, we were affianced and bethrothed, and joined at the first omens. 1And because we have not known of any other love than true nuptial and conjugial love, when the ideas of your thought about a strange love entirely opposite to our love were communicated to us we did not comprehend it at all. We have therefore, come down to ask of you the reason why you are meditating upon things that cannot be perceived. Tell us then how there can be a love which is not only not from creation, but is actually against creation. We regard opposites to creation as objects that have no reality.'
As he said this I was gladdened in heart that it was granted me to speak with angels of such innocence that they did not know in the least what scortation is. I therefore, opened my mouth and taught them, saying:
'Do you not know that there is good and evil? and that good and not evil is from creation? And yet evil viewed in itself is not nothing, although it is nothing of good. Good is from creation, and also good in the greatest degree and in the least degree; and when this least becomes none on the other side evil springs up. There is therefore, no relation nor progression of good to evil; but a relation and progression of good to greater and less good, and of evil to greater and to less evil; for in every and in all things they are opposites. And good and evil being opposites, there is an intermediate, and in that is equilibrium, in which evil acts against good; but because it does not prevail it abides in the endeavor. Every man is brought up in this equilibrium, which, as it is between good and evil, or what is the same between heaven and hell, is a spiritual equilibrium, which produces freedom with those who are in it. From this equilibrium the Lord draws all to Himself, and the man who from freedom follows, is led out from evil into good and thus into heaven. So it is with love, especially with conjugial love and with scortatory love. This love is evil and that is good. Every man who hears the Lord's voice and from freedom follows is introduced by the Lord into conjugial love, and into all its delights and satisfactions; but he who does not hear and does not follow introduces himself into scortatory love, and at first into its delights, but afterwards into what is undelightful and finally into its miseries.'
When I had said this the two angels asked:
'How could evil come into existence when from creation nothing but good had existed? That anything may come into existence it must have its origin. Good could not be the origin of evil, because evil is nothing of good for it is privative and destructive of good. And yet as it exists and is felt it is not nothing but is something. Say, then, whence comes this something after nothing.'
To this I replied, 'This arcanum cannot be unfolded unless it be known that no one is good but God only, and that there is not anything good which in itself is good except from God. He therefore, who looks to God, and wills to be led by God, is in good; but he who turns himself away from God and wills to be led of himself is not in good, for the good that he does is either for himself or for the sake of the world; thus it is either meritorious, or is simulated, or hypocritical. Whence it is plain that man himself is the origin of evil. Not that this origin was inherent in man from creation, but that by turning away from God he imposed it upon himself. That origin of evil was not in Adam and his wife, but when the serpent said:
In the day that ye eat of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, ye shall be as God (Genesis 3:5);
and because they then turned away from God and turned to themselves as to a god, they made in themselves the origin of evil. 'To eat of that tree' signified to believe that he knows good and evil and has wisdom of himself, and not from God.'
But the two angels then asked, 'How could man turn himself away from God and turn to himself, when yet man can will, think, and therefore, do nothing except from God? Why did God permit this?' I replied, 'Man was so created that all that he wills, thinks, and does appears to him just as if in himself and thus of himself. Without this appearance man would not be man, for he could not receive, retain, and as it were appropriate to himself anything of good and truth, or of love and wisdom. Whence it follows that without this, as it were living appearance, man would have no conjunction with God, and therefore, no eternal life. But if from this appearance he induces on himself the belief that he does will, think, and therefore, do good of himself, and not from the Lord, although it is in all appearance as if of himself, he then turns good into evil within him, and thus makes in himself the origin of evil. This was the sin of Adam. But I will open this subject somewhat more clearly. The Lord looks at everyone in the frontal part of his head, and this look passes through into the hinder part of his head; beneath the frontal part is the cerebrum and beneath the hinder part is the cerebellum. This is dedicated to love and its goods and that to wisdom and its truths. He therefore, who looks with the face to the Lord receives wisdom from Him, and through wisdom love; but he who looks backwards from the Lord receives love and not wisdom, and love without wisdom is love from man and not from the Lord. And this love, because it conjoins itself with falsities, does not acknowledge God, but itself as a god; and this it tacitly confirms by the faculty of understanding and of becoming wise, as if of himself which is implanted in him from creation. This love therefore, is the origin of evil. That this is so can be shown to the eye. I will call thither some evil spirit who turns himself away from God, and will speak to him from behind, or into the back part of his head, and you will see that the things said will be turned into their opposites.' And I called such a one. He presented himself and I spoke to him from behind, saying:
'Do you know anything about hell, about damnation, and about the torment there?' And presently when he had turned towards me I asked, 'What did you hear?' He answered, ‘I heard this: 'Do you know anything about heaven, about salvation, and the happiness there?' And afterwards when these words were spoken to him behind his back he said that he heard the former. Then it was said to him from behind his back, 'Do you know that they who are in hell are insane from falsities?' And being asked by me concerning this, what he heard, he said, ‘I heard 'Do you know that they who are in heaven are wise from truths?'' And when these words were spoken from behind his back he said that he heard, 'Do you know that they who are in hell are insane from falsities?' And so on. 'From which it was very manifest that when the mind turns itself away from the Lord it turns to itself, and then perceives opposites. This is the reason why in this spiritual world, as you know, one may not stand behind another and speak to him; for thus a love is inspired into him which his own intelligence favors and obeys, on account of its delight, but which, because it is from man and not from God, is a love of evil or a love of falsity. Besides this I will tell you of another similar thing, namely, that several times I have heard goods and truths let down from heaven into hell, and that in the descent they were gradually turned into their opposites, the good into evil, and the truth into falsity. The cause of this fact is undoubtedly the same, that all who are in hell turn themselves away from the Lord.'
Having heard these things the two angels thanked me, and said, 'As you are now meditating and writing upon a love which is opposite to our conjugial love, and the opposite to that love saddens our minds, we will take our leave.'
And when they said, 'Peace be to you,' I begged them not to tell anything about this love to their brethren and sisters in heaven, because it would hurt their innocence. I can affirm for a certainty that those who die in infancy grow up in heaven, and when they attain the stature of young men in the world at eighteen, and girls at fifteen years, they remain at that age; and that then marriages are provided for them by the Lord. Also that, both before marriage and after it, they are entirely ignorant of what scortation is, or that it is possible.
Footnotes:
1. The first desire of marriage. See note to passage number 502.
444. His adjicietur hoc Memorabile. Postquam meditationes de Amore conjugiali absolvi, et exorsus sum meditationes de Amore scortatorio, subito adstiterunt duo Angeli, et dixerunt, "percepimus ac intelleximus quae prius meditatus es, at illa quae nunc meditaris, transeunt, et non percipimus; omitte haec quia sunt nihili;" sed respondi, 1"hic amor de quo nunc meditor, non est nihili, quia datur:" at dixerunt, "quomodo potest aliquis Amor dari, qui non est ex creatione; estne inde amor conjugialis; estne hic amor inter duos qui possunt fieri unum; quomodo potest dari amor, qui dividit et separat; quis juvenis potest amare virginem aliam quam quae redamat; annon unius amor cognoscet et agnoscet alterius amorem, qui dum sibi obviant, se ex se conjungunt; quis potest amare non amorem; estne solus amor conjugialis mutuus et reciprocus; si non est reciprocus, numne resilit, et fit nihil."
[2] His auditis, quaesivi binos illos Angelos, e qua Societate Coeli essent, et dixerunt, "sumus e Coelo Innocentiae; in coelestem hunc Mundum venimus infantes, ac educati sub auspicio Domini, et postquam ego adolescens factus sum, et uxor mea, quae hic mecum est, puella nubilis, desponsati et pacti sumus, et juncti primis ominibus; et quia non de alio amore, quam de vere nuptiali et conjugiali, scivimus, ideo cum communicatae sunt nobis cogitationis tuae ideae de amore alieno, nostro amori plane opposito, non comprehendimus quicquam, quare descendimus te sciscitandi causa, cur imperceptibilia meditaris; dic ergo nobis, quomodo amor, qui non modo non ex creatione est, sed etiam contra creationem, est dabilis; nos spectamus opposita creationi ut objecta nullius rei."
[3] His dictis, laetatus sum corde, quod datum sit loqui cum Angelis talis innocentiae, qui prorsus nesciebant quid scortatio; quare solvi os et docui, dicens, "nonne scitis quod detur bonum et malum, et quod bonum sit a creatione, non autem malum, et usque malum in se spectatum non est nihil, tametsi est nihil boni; a creatione datur bonum, et quoque bonum in gradu maximo et in gradu minimo, et cum hoc minimum fit nihil, exsurgit ab altera parte malum; quare non datur relatio nec progressio boni ad malum, sed relatio et progressio boni ad majus et minus bonum, ac mali ad majus et minus malum, sunt enim opposita in omnibus et singulis: et quia bonum et malum sunt opposita, datur intermedium, et ibi aequilibrium, in quo malum agit contra bonum; sed quia non praevalet, subsistit in conatu; omnis homo in hoc aequilibrio educatur, quod quia est inter bonum et malum, seu quod idem, inter Coelum et Infernum, est aequilibrium spirituale, quod apud illos qui in illo sunt, producit Liberum; Dominus ex hoc aequilibrio omnes trahit ad Se, 2et hominem, qui ex libero sequitur, educit e malo in bonum, et sic in Coelum: simile est cum amore, imprimis cum amore conjugiali, et cum amore scortatorio; hic amor est malum, ille autem bonum; omnis homo qui vocem Domini audit, et ex libero sequitur, ille a Domino introducitur in amorem conjugialem, et in omnia jucunda et fausta ejus; at qui non audit et non sequitur, ille semet introducit in amorem scortatorium, et primum in ejus jucunda, at postea in injucunda, et demum in infausta."
[4] His dictis, bini illi Angeli quaesiverunt, "quomodo potuit malum existere, quando non nisi quam bonum a creatione exstiterat; ut aliquid existat, erit origo ejus; bonum non potuit origo mali esse, quia malum est nihil boni, est enim privativum et destructivum boni; at usque quia datur et sentitur, non est nihil, sed est aliquid; dic ergo unde hoc aliquid exstitit post nihilum:" ad haec respondi, "hoc arcanum non aperiri potest nisi sciatur, quod nullus bonus sit, quam Solus Deus, et quod non aliquid bonum sit quod in se bonum est, nisi a Deo; quare qui spectat ad Deum, et vult duci a Deo, ille in bono est; at qui avertit se a Deo, et vult duci a semet, ille non in bono est, nam bonum quod facit, est vel propter se, vel propter mundum, sic est vel meritorium, vel simulatorium, vel hypocriticum; ex quibus patet quod ipse homo sit origo mali, non quod origo illa ex creatione homini indita fuerit, sed quod ipse per conversionem a Deo ad semet sibi indiderit illam: Origo illa mali non fuit in Adamo et ejus Uxore, sed quando serpens dixit, 'quo die comederitis de arbore scientiae boni et mali, eritis sicut Deus,' Gen. 3:5; et tunc quia averterunt se a Deo, et converterunt se ad semet, ut ad deum, fecerunt in se originem mali; 'Edere ex illa Arbore' significabat credere quod sciat bonum et malum ac sapiat ex se, et non ex Deo."
[5] Sed tunc quaesiverunt duo Angeli, "quomodo potuit homo se avertere a Deo, et convertere ad semet, cum tamen homo nihil potest velle, cogitare et inde facere nisi a Deo; cur Deus hoc permisit;" sed respondi, "homo creatus est, ut omne quod vult, cogitat et facit, appareat ei sicut in se, et sic a se; homo absque hac apparentia, non foret homo, non enim aliquid boni et veri, seu amoris et sapientiae, posset recipere, retinere, et sibi quasi appropriare; unde sequitur, quod absque illa apparentia sicut viva, non foret homini conjunctio cum Deo, et inde nec vita aeterna: verum si ex hac apparentia inducit sibi fidem, quod velit, cogitet, et inde faciat bonum ex se, et non ex Domino, tametsi in omni apparentia sicut ex se, vertit bonum in malum apud se, et sic in se facit originem mali: hoc fuit Adami peccatum.
[6] Sed hanc rem aliquantum lucidius aperiam; Dominus aspicit omnem hominem in frontispicio ejus, et hic aspectus transit in occipitium ejus; sub frontispicio est Cerebrum, et sub occipitio est Cerebellum; hoc dicatum est amori et ejus bonis, et illud dicatum est sapientiae et ejus veris; quare qui spectat facie ad Dominum, recipit ab Ipso sapientiam et per hanc amorem; at qui retro spectat a Domino, recipit amorem et non sapientiam, et amor absque sapientia est amor ab homine et non a Domino, et hic amor quia se conjungit cum falsis, non agnoscit Deum, sed agnoscit se pro deo, et hoc tacite confirmat per facultatem intelligendi et sapiendi sibi a creatione inditam sicut a se; quare hic amor est origo mali. Quod ita sit, demonstrari potest ad oculum; vocabo huc aliquem malum Spiritum, qui se avertit a Deo, et loquar ad illum a tergo seu in occipitium, et videbis, quod illa quae dicuntur vertantur in contraria;"
[7] et vocavi unum talem; aderat, et loquutus sum ad illum a tergo, dicens, "nostine aliquid de Inferno, de damnatione, et de cruciatu ibi;" et mox cum conversus est ad me, quaesivi, "quid audivisti;" respondit, "audivi haec, 'nostine aliquid de Coelo, de Salvatione, et de Felicitate ibi;" et dein cum haec illi post tergum dicta sunt, dixit quod audiverit priora: postea dicta sunt a tergo ejus haec, "numne scis quod illi qui in inferno sunt, insaniant ex falsis;" et de his quaesitus a me, quid audivit, dixit, "audivi, 'numne scis, quod illi qui in Coelo sunt sapiant ex veris;" et cum haec illi post tergum dicta sunt, dixit quod audiverit, "numne scis quod illi qui in Inferno sunt, insaniant ex falsis;" et sic porro; e quibus evidenter patet, quod dum mens se avertit a Domino, convertat se ad semet, et tunc percipiat contraria: "haec causa est, quod, ut nostis, in Mundo hoc Spirituali non liceat stare a tergo alterius, et ad illum loqui, sic enim ei inspiratur Amor, cui intelligentia propria propter ejus jucundum favet et obedit, sed quia ab homine est, et non a Deo, est amor mali, aut amor falsi.
[8] Praeter hoc referam vobis simile aliud, nempe, quod aliquoties audiverim bona et vera delapsa e Coelo in Infernum, et quod illa ibi progressive versa fuerint in opposita, bonum in malum, et verum in falsum; hujus rei eadem est causa, nimirum, quia omnes qui in Inferno sunt, avertunt se a Domino." His auditis, duo illi Angeli gratias egerunt, et dixerunt, "quia nunc meditaris et scribis de amore Amori nostro conjugiali opposito, ac oppositum illi amori contristat mentes nostras, abibimus;" et cum dixerunt, "pax tibi," petii ne aliquid de hoc Amore narrent fratribus et sororibus suis in Coelo, "quia laedet Innocentiam illorum." Quod illi, qui moriuntur infantes, adolescant in Coelo, et cum attingunt ad staturam, in qua in Mundo sunt juvenes octodecim annorum, ac virgines quindecim annorum, in illa subsistant, et quod a Domino tunc illis prospiciantur conjugia; tum quod illi, tam ante conjugium, quam post illud, plane 3nesciant quid Scortatio, et quod dabilis sit, pro certo asseverare possum.
Footnotes:
1. Prima editio: respondi;
2. Prima editio: se,
3. Prima editio: plan