21、在灵界，对社群的一切排列皆取决于爱的不同。原因在于，爱是人的生命，主是神性之爱本身，故照着对这爱的接受而排列社群。爱千差万别，但没有人知道这些差别，唯独主知道。主将这些社群联结起来，以至于可以说，它们都过着一个人的生活。天堂社群过着一种属天和属灵之爱的生活，地狱社群则一种属魔鬼和地狱之爱的生活；主通过相应的对立面将天堂与地狱联结起来。由于这种排列，每个人死后都去往自己的爱之社群，他也不可能到其它任何地方，因为他的爱会反对。这就是为何那些拥有属灵之爱的人在天堂，而那些只有属世之爱的人却在地狱。属灵之爱唯独通过仁爱的生活获得，如果忽视了仁爱的生活，属世之爱仍是属世的。属世之爱若不服从于属灵之爱，就是它的对立面。
21. The whole arrangement of communities in that world is an arrangement based on differences among various kinds of love. This is because love is our very life; and the Lord, who is divine love itself, arranges these differences according to the way that that love is received. Further, the various kinds of love are beyond counting and are known to the Lord alone.
The Lord joins the communities together in such a way that they all, in effect, lead one human life—the communities of the heavens leading one life of heavenly and spiritual love, and the communities of the hells, one life of demonic and hellish love. He also joins the heavens and the hells in mutual opposition.
Because there is this kind of arrangement, after death we all go to the community of our own love. We cannot go anywhere else, because our love strongly resists our doing so.
This is why people who are devoted to spiritual love are in heaven and people who are devoted only to earthly love are in hell. Spiritual love is given us solely through a life of caring. If we neglect a life of caring, our earthly love remains earthly; and earthly love that is not subservient to spiritual love actually opposes it.
21. The arrangement of communities in that world depends on their differences in love. The reason is that love is a person's life, and the Lord, being Divine love itself, arranges the communities in accordance with the way they receive that love. The differences between loves, which none but the Lord alone knows, are countless. The Lord links communities so that they all live as it were the life of a single individual. In the communities in the heavens this is a life of celestial and spiritual love; in those of the hells a life of devilish and hellish love, and He links the heavens and the hells by corresponding opposites. Because of this arrangement each person after death goes to join the community answering to his love, and he is unable to go anywhere else because of the opposing force of his love. This is why those having spiritual love are in heaven, and those with only natural love in hell. The only way to acquire spiritual love is by a life of charity, and natural love remains natural if a life of charity is neglected. Natural love, if not subordinated to spiritual love, is its opposite.
21. Every arrangement of the societies in that world, is an arrangement according to the differences of love; the reason of which is, that love is the life of man, and the Lord, who is Divine love itself, arranges them according to its reception; and the differences of loves are innumerable, which no one knows but the Lord alone. He so conjoins the societies, that they all lead as it were one life of man; the societies of the heavens one life of celestial and spiritual love; the societies of the hells, one life of diabolical and infernal love; He conjoins the heavens and the hells by oppositions. Because there is such an arrangement, every man after death goes into the society of his own love, nor can he go into any other, for his love opposes it. Hence it is that they who are in spiritual love are in heaven, but they who are in natural love only, are in hell. Spiritual love is implanted solely by the life of charity, and natural love remains natural, if the life of charity is omitted; and natural love, if it is not subjected to spiritual love, is opposed to it.
21. Omnis ordinatio societatum in illo mundo est ordinatio secundum differentias amoris; causa est, quia amor est vita hominis, et Dominus, qui est ipse Divinus Amor, ordinat illas secundum receptiones ejus ac differentiae amorum sunt innumerabiles, quas nemo scit nisi solus Dominus. Conjungit societates ita, ut omnes quasi unam vitam hominis agant; societates caelorum ut unam vitam amoris caelestis et spiritualis; societates infernorum ut unam vitam amoris diabolici et infernalis; conjungit caelos et inferna per oppositiones. Quia talis ordinatio est, ideo unusquisque homo post mortem abit in societatem amoris sui, nec potest alio abire, amor enim ejus contranititur. Inde est, quod in caelo sint qui in amore spirituali sunt, in inferno autem qui in solo amore naturali. Amor spiritualis unice per vitam charitatis inditur, et amor naturalis manet naturalis, si vita charitatis omittitur; et amor naturalis, si non subjectus est amori spirituali, est ei oppositus.