201、我们在此不探讨照着广度层级或连续层级增加或减少的生命、力和形式的完美，因为世人有关于这些层级的知识。相反，我们只探讨照着高度层级或离散层级上升或下降的生命、力和形式的完美，因为这些层级不为世人所知。至于完美如何照着这些层级上升和下降，这从自然界的可见之物很难获知，但从灵界的可见之物看得一清二楚。从自然界的可见之物只会发现，越往里观察它们，所出现的奇事就越不可思议；如眼、耳、舌，肌肉、心、肺、肝、胰、肾及其它脏器；还有种子、果实和花朵，以及金属、矿物和石头。众所周知，越往里观察所有这些事物，就会在它们里面发现越来越多不可思议的奇事。然而，由此鲜为人知的是，这些东西是照着高度层级或离散层级而越往里越完美的。这一事实因着对这些层级的无知而被掩藏。但这些层级在灵界清晰可见，因为整个灵界从最高到最低，明显是照着高度层级来划分的。因此，对它们的概念可从灵界获得；然后由此可以对存在于自然界相同层级中的力和形式的完美得出结论。
201. There is no need at this point to discuss the way processes of perfection of life, events, and forms rise and fall by horizontal or gradual levels because these levels are familiar in our world. There is, however, a need to discuss the way processes of perfection of life, events, and forms rise and fall by vertical or distinct levels, because these levels are not familiar in our world. From what we can see in this physical world, it is almost impossible to understand how these processes rise and fall by distinct levels, but it is quite clear in what we can see in the spiritual world. All we discover from what we see in the physical world is that the deeper we look, the more wondrous are the things we run into--in our eyes, for example, or our ears, tongue, muscles, heart, lungs, liver, pancreas, kidneys, and the rest of our internal organs, as well as in seeds, fruits, and flowers and even in metals, minerals, and rocks. It is widely known that we run into more wondrous things in all these phenomena the deeper we probe; but little attention has been paid to the fact that the deeper perfection increases by vertical or distinct levels. Our ignorance of these levels has kept this hidden.
Since these levels are openly visible in the spiritual world, though, with that whole world clearly marked off by them from top to bottom, we can gain familiarity with these levels on that basis and then draw conclusions about the processes of perfection of events and forms that occur on comparable levels in this physical world.
201. We will not speak here of perfections of life, forces and forms as they increase or decrease in accordance with degrees of breadth or continuous degrees, since these degrees are known in the world. Instead we will speak of perfections of life, forces and forms as they ascend or descend in accordance with degrees of height or discrete degrees, because these degrees are not known in the world.
Still, how perfections ascend and descend in accordance with these degrees can be little discerned from visible phenomena in the natural world, but clearly from visible phenomena in the spiritual world. From visible phenomena in the natural world one discovers only that the more interiorly things are viewed, the more marvelous the wonders that occur - as for example, in the eyes, in the ears, in the tongue, in muscles, in the heart, lungs, liver, pancreas, kidneys, and in the rest of the organs. So, too, in seeds, fruits, and flowers. And likewise in metals, ores, and stones. People know that more and more marvelous wonders are found in all of these the more interiorly they are viewed. And yet it has become but little known from them that these wonders are more interiorly perfect in accordance with degrees of height or discrete degrees. Ignorance of these degrees has concealed the fact.
However, because these same degrees are clearly visible in the spiritual world - since that entire world from its highest point to its lowest has been divided discretely into such degrees - therefore a concept of them may be gained from it. From these one may then draw conclusions regarding the perfection of forces and forms which exist in like degrees in the natural world.
201. The perfections of life, forces and forms increasing or decreasing according to degrees of breadth, that is, continuous degrees, will not be discussed here because these degrees are known in the world, but perfections of life, forces and forms ascending or descending according to degrees of height or discrete degrees will be discussed, for those degrees are not known in the world. But how perfections ascend and descend according to those degrees can he little understood from things visible in the natural world, but clearly from things visible in the spiritual world. From things visible in the natural world, it is only discovered that the more they are looked into, the more do wonders appear, as, for example, in the eyes, ears, tongue, in muscles, heart, lung, liver, pancreas, kidneys and other viscera; also in seeds, fruits and flowers; and again in metals, minerals and stones. It is well known that in all these, wonders appear the more they are looked into. But yet from these things it has been little suspected that these objects are interiorly more perfect according to degrees of height or discrete degrees. Ignorance of those degrees has concealed the fact. But because the same degrees stand out conspicuously in the spiritual world, for the whole of that world, from highest to lowest, is distinctly discreted into these degrees, therefore from that world knowledge of these degrees can be drawn. Then conclusions can be drawn therefrom about perfection of forces and forms which are in similar degrees in the natural world.
201. The perfection of life, forces, and forms that increase or decrease according to degrees of breadth, that is, continuous degrees, will not be discussed here, because there is a knowledge of these degrees in the world; but only the perfections of life, forces, and forms that ascend or descend according to degrees of height, that is, discrete degrees; because these degrees are not known in the world. Of the mode in which perfections ascend and descend according to these degrees little can be learned from things visible in the natural world, but this can be seen clearly from things visible in the spiritual world. From things visible in the natural world it is merely found that the more interiorly they are looked into the more do wonders present themselves; as, for instance, in the eyes, ears, tongue; in muscles, heart, lungs, liver, pancreas, kidneys, and other viscera; also, in seeds, fruits and flowers; and in metals, minerals and stones. That wonders increase in all these the more interiorly they are looked into is well known; yet it has become little known thereby that the objects are interiorly more perfect according to degrees of height or discrete degrees. This has been concealed by ignorance of these degrees. But since these degrees stand out conspicuously in the spiritual world (for the whole of that world from highest to lowest is distinctly discreted into these degrees), from that world knowledge of these degrees can be drawn; and afterwards conclusions may be drawn therefrom respecting the perfection of forces and forms that are in similar degrees in the natural world.
201. Hic non dicetur de perfectionibus vitae, virium et formarum crescentibus aut decrescentibus secundum gradus latitudinis seu continuos, quia hi gradus in Mundo noti sunt; sed de perfectionibus vitae, virium et formarum ascendentibus aut descendentibus secundum gradus altitudinis seu discretos, quia hi gradus in Mundo non noti sunt. At quomodo perfectiones secundum hos gradus ascendunt ac descendunt, parum potest cognosci a visibilibus in Mundo naturali, sed clare a visibilibus in Mundo spirituali; ex visibilibus in Mundo naturali modo detegitur, quod quo interius spectantur, eo mirabiliora occurrant, ut pro exemplo, in oculis, in auribus, in lingua, in musculis, in corde, pulmone, hepate, pancreate, renibus, et in reliquis visceribus; tum in seminibus, fructibus et floribus; et quoque in metallis, mineris et lapidibus; quod in his et in illis mirabiliora, quo interius spectantur, occurrant, 1 notum est; attamen ex illis parum innotuit, quod illa interius perfectiora sint secundum gradus altitudinis seu discretos; ignorantia horum graduum id celavit. At quia iidem gradus in Mundo spirituali perspicue exstant, est enim totus ille Mundus, a supremo ad infimum, 2 in illos distincte discretus, ideo exinde potest illorum cognitio hauriri; ex quibus dein concludi potest ad perfectiones virium et formarum, quae in similibus gradibus sunt in Mundo naturali.
Footnotes:
1. Prima editio: ocburrant,
2. Prima editio: infinum,