260、前一章已经说明，属世心智因在最低层级，故包裹和围住在层级上高于它的属灵心智和属天心智。现在要说明，属世心智反作用于更高心智或内层心智。属世心智之所以进行反作用，是因为它覆盖、包裹并容纳它们，没有反作用，这一切是不可能做到的。事实上，除非它进行反作用，否则内层或被围住的部分就会松动、涌出，从而分崩离析。这就像包裹人体的表皮对人体不起反应一样；形成身体内层的内脏器官就会爆裂，从而分崩离析。或这就像包裹肌肉运动纤维的膜对这些纤维的作用力不起反应一样。不仅动作停止，连所有内部组织也会松弛下来。高度层级的一切最外或最低层级都是这样；因此，属世心智相对更高层级来说也是如此。因为如前所述，人类心智有三个层级，即属世层、属灵层和属天层，其中属世心智在最外或最低层级。属世心智反作用于属灵心智的另一个原因是，属世心智不仅由灵界的物质构成，还由自然界的物质构成，如前所述(257节)，并且自然界的物质本质上就反作用于灵界的物质。因为自然界的物质本身是死的，被灵界的物质从外面作用；从外面被作用的死物出于自己的本性抵抗，因而出于自己的本性反作用。由此可见，属世人反作用于属灵人，结果就是争战。无论属世人和属灵人，还是说属世心智和属灵心智，意思都一样。
260. The earthly mind, being the envelope and vessel of the higher levels of the human mind, is reactive. If the higher levels are not opened, it acts against them; whereas if they are opened, it acts with them. I explained in the last section that since the earthly mind is on the last level, it surrounds and encloses the spiritual mind and the heavenly mind, which are on higher levels. Now we have reached the point where I need to show that the earthly mind reacts against the higher or inner minds. The reason it reacts is that it does surround, enclose, and contain them. This could not happen without that reaction, since if it did not react, the enclosed inner elements would start to spread and force their way out so that they dissipated. It would be as though the coverings of the human body were not reacting, in which case the viscera within the body would spill out and trickle away; or it would be as though the membranes around the motor fibers of our muscles did not react against the forces of those fibers when they were activated. Not only would the action cease, the whole inner weblike structure would unravel as well.
It is the same with any terminal vertical level. So it is the same with the earthly mind relative to the higher levels, since as I have just said, there are three levels of the human mind, earthly, spiritual, and heavenly, and the earthly mind is on the final level.
The earthly mind's reaction against the spiritual mind is also the reason the earthly mind consists of substances from the earthly world as well as substances from the spiritual world, as noted in 257 above. By their very nature, substances of the earthly world react against substances of the spiritual world, since substances of the earthly world are intrinsically dead and are activated from the outside by substances of the spiritual world. Anything that is dead and is activated from the outside resists by its very nature, and therefore reacts by its very nature.
We can tell from this that the earthly self reacts against the spiritual self, and that there is a conflict. It is all the same whether we refer to the earthly self and the spiritual self or to the earthly mind and the spiritual mind.
260. The natural mind, being the integument and containing vessel of the higher degrees of the human mind, is reactive, and if the higher degrees are not opened, it acts in opposition to them, whereas if they are opened, it acts in harmony with them. We showed under the previous heading that the natural mind, being in the lowest degree, envelops and encloses the spiritual mind and celestial mind, which are higher in degree.
We come now to the point to be demonstrated here, that the natural mind reacts in opposition to the higher or interior minds.
The reason it reacts is that it envelops, encloses and contains them, and this cannot be the case without its reacting to them. For if it did not react, the interior or enclosed elements would break loose and thrust their way out and so drift away.
It would be as if the integuments enveloping the human body were not to react to it. The organs which form the interior elements of the body would burst out and so fall apart. Or it would be as if the membrane enveloping the motor fibers of a muscle were not to react against the forces of those fibers in their actions. Not only would the action cease, but all the interior tissues would come undone.
[2] The same is the case with every lowest degree in degrees of height. Consequently it is the same with the natural mind in relation to its higher degrees. For, as we said, the human mind consists of three degrees - natural, spiritual and celestial - and the natural mind is in the lowest degree.
Another reason the natural mind reacts in opposition to the spiritual mind is that the natural mind consists not only of substances belonging to the spiritual world, but also of substances belonging to the natural world, as we said above in no. 257; and substances of the natural world by their very nature react against substances of the spiritual world. For substances of the natural world are in themselves lifeless, and are acted upon from without by substances of the spiritual world; and things which are lifeless, and are acted upon from without, by their very nature resist and so by their very nature react.
It can be seen from this that the natural self reacts in opposition to the spiritual self, and that the result is combat. (The meaning is the same whether we call them the natural and spiritual self or the natural and spiritual mind.)
260. THE NATURAL MIND, SINCE IT IS THE COVERING AND CONTAINANT OF THE HIGHER DEGREES OF THE HUMAN MIND, IS REACTIVE, AND IF THE HIGHER DEGREES ARE NOT OPENED, IT ACTS AGAINST THEM, BUT IF THEY ARE OPENED, IT ACTS WITH THEM
It has been shown in the preceding section that the natural mind which is in the lowest degree, envelops and encloses the spiritual mind and the celestial mind, which as to degrees, are higher. It is now to be shown here that the natural mind reacts against the higher or interior minds. It reacts because it covers, includes and contains them, and this cannot he done without reaction. For unless it reacted, the interior or enclosed parts would loosen, thrust themselves out and fall to pieces, just as the viscera which are the interiors of the body would push forth and so fall apart if the coverings around the human body did not react. So, too, unless the membrane enveloping the motor fibres of a muscle, reacted against the forces of these fibres in their activities, not only would action cease, but all the inner tissues would be loosened. It is the same with every ultimate degree of the degrees of height, consequently, with the natural mind relatively to the higher degrees, for as was said above, there are three degrees of the human mind, the natural, the spiritual and the celestial, and the natural mind is in the outmost degree. Another reason that the natural mind reacts against the spiritual mind is that the natural mind consists not only of substances of the spiritual world but also of substances of the natural world, as was said above (257), and substances of the natural world from their very nature react against the substances of the spiritual world. For substances of the natural world are in themselves dead, and are acted upon from without by substances of the spiritual world. And substances which are dead, and are acted upon from without, resist from their own nature, and thus from their nature react. From these considerations it can be established that the natural man reacts against the spiritual man, and that there is a conflict. It is the same thing whether it is said the natural and spiritual man, or the natural and spiritual mind.
260. THE NATURAL MIND, SINCE IT IS THE COVERING AND CONTAINANT OF THE HIGHER DEGREES OF THE HUMAN MIND, IS REACTIVE; AND IF THE HIGHER DEGREES ARE NOT OPENED IT ACTS AGAINST THEM, BUT IF THEY ARE OPENED IT ACTS WITH THEM.
It has been shown in the preceding chapter that as the natural mind is in the outmost degree, it envelops and encloses the spiritual mind and the celestial mind, which, in respect to degrees, are above it. It is now to be shown that the natural mind reacts against the higher or interior minds. It reacts because it covers, includes, and contains them, and this cannot be done without reaction; for unless it reacted, the interior or enclosed parts would become loosened and press outward and thus fall apart, just as the viscera, which are the interiors of the body, would push forth and fall asunder if the coverings which are about the body did not react against them; so, too, unless the membrane investing the motor fibers of a muscle reacted against the force of these fibers in their activities, not only would action cease, but all the inner tissues would be let loose. It is the same with every outmost degree of the degrees of height; consequently with the natural mind with respect to higher degrees; for, as was said above, there are three degrees of the human mind, the natural, the spiritual, and the celestial, and the natural mind is in the outmost degree. Another reason why the natural mind reacts against the spiritual mind is, that the natural mind consists not only of substances of the spiritual world but also of substances of the natural world (as was said above, n. 257), and substances of the natural world of their very nature react against the substances of the spiritual world; for substances of the natural world are in themselves dead, and are acted upon from without by substances of the spiritual world; and substances which are dead, and which are acted upon from without, by their nature resist, and thus by their nature react. From all this it can be seen that the natural man reacts against the spiritual man, and that there is combat. It is the same thing whether the terms "natural and spiritual man" or "natural and spiritual mind" are used.
260. QUOD MENS NATURALIS, QUIA EST CONTEGENS ET CONTINENS GRADUUM SUPERIORUM MENTIS HUMANAE, SIT REAGENS, ET QUOD SI NON APERIUNTUR GRADUS SUPERIORES, AGAT CONTRA ILLOS, AT SI APERIUNTUR, AGAT CUM ILLIS. In praecedente Articulo ostensum est, quod Mens naturalis, quia in ultimo gradu est, circumtegat et includat Mentem spiritualem et Mentem coelestem, quae superiores sunt quoad gradus: hic nunc demonstrandum venit, quod Mens naturalis reagat contra Mentes superiores seu interiores: causa quod reagat, est quia circumtegit, includit et continet illos, et hoc absque reactione non potest fieri, nam nisi reageret, interiora seu inclusa relaxarent se, ac truderent se foras, et sic dilaberentur: foret sicut si 1 Tunicae circum Corpus humanum non in reactione essent[;] viscera, quae interiora Corporis sunt, se ejicerent, et sic diffluerent; ac foret sicut Membrana circumtegens fibras motrices Musculi, non reageret contra vires fibrarum istarum in actionibus; desineret non modo actio, sed etiam textus interiores omnes resolverentur.
[2] Simile est cum omni ultimo gradu graduum altitudinis: consequenter cum Mente naturali respective ad gradus superiores; nam, ut supra dictum est, sunt tres Gradus Mentis humanae, naturalis, spiritualis et coelestis, et Mens naturalis est in ultimo Gradu. Quod Mens naturalis reagat contra Mentem spiritualem, est quoque causa, quia Mens naturalis consistit non modo ex substantiis Mundi spiritualis, sed etiam ex substantiis Mundi naturalis, ut supra 257 2 dictum est, ac substantiae Mundi naturalis ex sua natura reagunt contra substantias Mundi spiritualis, 3 substantiae enim Mundi naturalis in se sunt mortuae, et aguntur ab extra a substantiis Mundi spiritualis, et quae mortuae sunt, et ab extra aguntur, ex sua natura resistunt, et sic ex sua natura reagunt. Ex his constare potest, quod homo naturalis reagat contra hominem spiritualem, et quod pugna sit: idem est, si dicatur homo naturalis et spiritualis, sive dicatur Mens naturalis et spiritualis.
Footnotes:
1. Prima editio: nisi
2. Prima editio: 257,
3. Prima editio: sp[upside down "i"]ritualis,