404、(6)婚礼后的第一次结合是通过对知道的情感(译注：俗称求知欲)发生的，由此产生对真理的情感。我们所说的婚礼是指人出生后的状态，即从一种无知的状态到一种聪明的状态，再从这种聪明的状态到一种智慧的状态。此处的婚礼不是指第一个状态，也就是完全无知的状态，因为这时没有出自理解力的思维，只有出自爱或意愿的一种模糊情感。这种状态是婚礼的前奏。在第二个状态，也就是一个人在童年时的状态里面有一种求知欲，如我们所知道的。正是藉着这种求知欲，幼童学会说话和阅读，然后逐渐获得属于理解力的知识。毫无疑问，正是属于意愿的爱实现这一切。因为如果爱或意愿不驱动，这一切是不会实现的。凡理性考虑经验的人都会承认，每个人出生后都拥有求知欲，并藉着这种求知欲获得知识，他的理解力通过这些知识逐渐形成、成长并完善。对真理的情感就来自这种求知欲，这也是显而易见的。因为当一个人出于求知欲而变得聪明时，与其说他被求知欲引导，不如说他被一种对在他所喜欢的问题，无论经济、社会问题，还是道德问题上进行推理并得出结论的情感引导。当这种情感被提升到属灵事物时，它就变成对属灵真理的情感。婚礼的初始状态就是求知欲，这一点可从以下事实看出来：对真理的情感是一种升华的求知欲；因为对真理的情感就是出于情感想要知道真理，并且当他发现真理时，就会出于情感的喜乐而吸收它们。
(7)第二次结合是通过对理解的情感发生的，由此产生对真理的感知。对凡愿意理性思考并研究这个问题的人来说，这一点是显而易见的。从理性思考明显可知：对真理的情感和对真理的感知是理解力的两种能力，这两种能力在有些人身上合二为一，在有些人身上则不然。它们在那些愿意用理解力感知真理的人身上合二为一，但在那些只愿意知道真理的人身上则不然。这也是显而易见的，即：每个人都照着他对理解真理的情感程度而拥有对真理的感知。如果拿走对理解真理的情感，对真理的感知就不会存在。相反，赋予对理解真理的情感，对真理的感知就会照着对真理的情感程度而存在。凡理性完好无损的人都不缺乏对理解的感知，只要他拥有对理解真理的情感。前面已经说明，每个人都拥有理解真理的官能，这种官能被称为理性。
(8)第三次结合是通过对看见真理的情感发生的，由此产生思维。对知道真理的情感是一回事，对理解真理的情感是另一回事，对看见真理的情感又是另一回事。同样，对真理的情感是一回事，对真理的感知是另一回事，思维又是另一回事。这一切在那些对心智的运作没有单独感知的人看来是模糊的；但在那些对它们有单独感知的人看来是显而易见的。这一切在那些对心智的运作没有单独感知的人看来是模糊的，因为对那些拥有对真理的情感和对真理的感知之人来说，这些运作在思维中是同步发生的，并且同步时是无法区分的。当人的灵在身体里面思考时，尤其当他与其他人在一起时，他处于明显的思维之中；但当他拥有对真理的情感，并由此进入对真理的感知时，就会处于灵的思维，也就是沉思之中。事实上，这种思维会沉入身体的思维，但会沉入静默的思维；因为它在身体思维之上，可以说视思维从记忆中所提取的元素在它之下，并利用它们要么形成结论，要么提供证明。但对真理的情感本身仅被感知为一种意愿的动力，这种动力来自存在于沉思里面作为它的生命，并且很少被注意到的某种快乐感觉。
由此可见，这三者，即对真理的情感、对真理的感知和思维，是从爱中依次产生的，它们只存在于理解力中。因为当爱进入理解力时(这种情况发生在两者实现结合之时)，它首先产生对真理的情感，然后产生对理解它所知道的东西的情感，最后产生对在身体思维中看见它所理解的东西的情感；因为思维无非是一种内在视觉。诚然，思维是首先出现的，因为思维是属世心智的一种官能。但思维照着来自对真理的情感的对真理的感知而最后出现。这后一种思维是智慧的思维，而第一种思维是从记忆通过属世心智的视觉所形成的思维。爱或意愿在理解力之外的一切运作，都与对良善的情感有关，与对真理的情感无关。
404, 6. After the "wedding," the first union is with a desire for knowing, which gives rise to a desire for what is true. "After the wedding" means our state after birth, beginning with a state of ignorance and continuing through a state of discernment all the way to a state of wisdom. The first state, that of pure ignorance, is not what I mean by the wedding, since our discernment has no thought at that point, only a faint impulse of our love or volition. This state is a prelude to the wedding. It is recognized that there is a desire for knowing in the second state, the one characteristic of our childhood. This is what enables liyttle ones to learn to talk and to read and then gradually to learn the kinds of things that constitute discernment. We cannot doubt that love--which is a matter of volition--is doing this, since unless love or volition were the driving force, it would not happen.
Everyone who reflects rationally on experience realizes that after we are born we all have a desire for knowing and that this is the basis of our learning the kinds of things that lead gradually to the formation, development, and attainment of discernment. We can also see that this gives rise to a desire for what is true, since once we have become discerning because of our desire for knowing, we are motivated not so much by a desire for knowing as by a desire for systematic thinking and drawing conclusions about subjects that we love--economics, perhaps, or civic or moral issues. When this desire rises all the way to spiritual concerns, it becomes a desire for spiritual truth. We can see that the first step or prelude was a desire for knowing from the fact that a desire for what is true is a higher level of the desire for knowing. This is because being moved by truths comes from wanting to know them because of our desire and then absorbing them with passionate delight when we find them.
7. The second union is with a desire for discerning, which gives rise to a sense of what is true. Anyone can see this who is willing to explore the matter with some rational insight. Rational insight shows that a desire for what is true and a sense of what is true are two abilities enjoyed by our discernment, abilities that merge into one for some people but not for others. They merge into one for people who want to grasp what is true intelligently, but not for people who want only to know about what is true. We can also see that our engagement in the grasp of truth depends on our desire to understand it. If you take away the desire to understand what is true, there will be no grasp of what is true; while if you grant the desire to understand what is true, there will be a grasp of it proportional to the intensity of the desire. This is because no one of sound reason ever lacks a sense of what is true as long as the desire to understand it is present. I have already explained [162] that everyone has the ability to discern what is true that we call rationality.
8. The third union is with a desire to see what is true, which gives rise to thought. A desire for knowing is one thing; a desire for discerning is another thing; and a desire to see something is something else again. We can also say that a desire for what is true is one thing; a grasp of what is true is another thing; and thinking is something else again. If people have no clear grasp of the workings of the mind, they can see this only dimly; but it is clear for people who can grasp them clearly. The reason people see this only dimly if they cannot grasp the workings of the mind clearly is that these activities are all happening at the same time in the thinking of people who are caught up in a desire for what is true and in a grasp of what is true; and when they happen at the same time, they cannot be distinguished from each other. We are engaged in conscious thinking when our spirit is thinking in the body. This is the case especially when we are in the company of others. However, when we are engaged in a desire for discerning and come thereby into a grasp of what is true, then we are engaged in the thinking of our spirit. This is meditation, which does indeed reach down into our physical thought, but subtly. It is on a higher level and looks into thought processes based on memory as below it, since it is using them either for decision or for support. The actual desire for what is true, though, is felt only as an impulse of our volition stemming from a kind of pleasure. This resides within reflection like its life, and draws little attention.
We may conclude from all this that these three abilities--the desire for what is true, the grasp of what is true, and thought--follow in sequence from love and are nowhere manifest but in our discernment. When love enters discernment (which happens when the union is realized), then it first gives rise to the desire for what is true, then to the desire to understand what it knows, and finally to a desire to see in physical thought whatever it understands. Thinking is actually nothing but an inner sight. Thinking does happen first because it is a function of our earthly mind; but when it comes to thinking on the basis of a grasp of what is true because of a desire for what is true, that happens last. That kind of thinking is the thinking of wisdom, while the other is thinking on the basis of memory, using the sight of our earthly mind.
All the workings of love or volition outside our discernment are based not on desires for what is true but on desires for what is good.
404. (6) When the wedding has taken place, the first conjunction occurs through an affection for knowing, from which springs an affection for truth. By the wedding we mean the state of a person after birth following his state of ignorance and continuing to a state of intelligence, and from this to a state of wisdom. We do not by the wedding mean here the first state, which is one of sheer ignorance, because there is then no thought in the intellect, but only a vague affection belonging to love or the will. This state is a prelude to the wedding.
Present in the second state, which is a person's state in childhood, is, as is recognized, an affection for knowing. It is in consequence of this affection that a young child learns to speak, learns to read, and afterward progressively learns such things as are matters of the intellect.
That it is love residing in the will which occasions this cannot be called into question; for unless love or the will prompted it, it would not come about.
The fact that every person after birth has an affection for knowing, and that it is in consequence of this affection that he learns those things by which the intellect is gradually formed, grows, and is perfected, everyone acknowledges when he considers in the light of reason the evidence of experience.
It is also apparent that from this affection springs an affection for truth. For when a person from an affection for knowing has become intelligent, he is motivated not so much by an affection for knowing as by an affection for reasoning and for reaching conclusions regarding such concerns as are matters of his love, whether these concerns be economic, civil, or moral. When this affection is elevated to encompass spiritual concerns, it becomes an affection for spiritual truth.
The fact that the first or initial form of this last love was an affection for knowing can be seen from considering that an affection for truth is an elevated affection for knowing. For to be affected by truths is to have in consequence of the affection a wish to know them, and when one discovers them, to be moved by the delight of the affection to take them in.
[2] (7) The second conjunction occurs through an affection for understanding, from which springs a perception of truth. This is apparent to everyone who is willing to rationally consider and examine it. It is apparent from a rational consideration that an affection for truth and a perception of truth are both faculties of the intellect, which in some people come together into a union of the two, and in others do not. They come together into a union of the two in people who wish to employ their intellect to perceive truths, and not in those who wish only to know truths.
It is apparent also that everyone possesses a perception of truth to the degree of his affection for understanding it. For take away any affection for understanding truth, and no perception of truth will exist. Conversely, grant an affection for understanding truth, and there will be a perception of it to the degree of the affection for it. For no one who has his reason intact ever lacks a perception of truth as long as he has an affection for understanding truth. As we showed above, everyone possesses the faculty for understanding truth called rationality.
[3] (8) The third conjunction occurs through an affection for seeing that truth, from which springs thought. An affection for knowing truth is one thing, an affection for understanding it another, and an affection for seeing it still another. So likewise, an affection for truth is one thing, a perception of truth another, and thought still another. Neither of these observations is but vaguely apparent to people who do not perceive the processes of the mind distinctly, but they are clearly apparent to people who do perceive them distinctly.
The distinctions are but vaguely apparent to people who do not perceive the processes of the mind distinctly, because the processes occur simultaneously in the thought in people who have an affection for truth and a perception of truth; and when they are simultaneous, they cannot be distinguished.
A person is engaged in obvious thought when his spirit thinks in the body, which is especially the case when he is in the company of others. But when he is moved by an affection for understanding, and in consequence of it comes into a perception of truth, he is then engaged in the thought of his spirit, which is meditation. This descends, indeed, into the thought of the body, but tacitly so, for it exists above the thought of the body and views as below it the elements of thought that are drawn from the memory, using them either to form conclusions or to provide confirmations. Still, the affection for truth is itself not apprehended except as an impetus of the will from some feeling of pleasure which exists within the meditation as its life, to which little attention is paid.
[4] It can now be seen from this that these three elements - an affection for truth, a perception of truth, and thought - follow in succession from love, and that they take form nowhere else than in the intellect. For when love enters the intellect, which happens when a conjunction of the two has taken place, it then produces first an affection for truth, then an affection for understanding what it knows, and finally an affection for seeing what in the thought of the body it understands - thought being nothing other than an internal sight.
Thought, indeed, occurs first, because it is a faculty of the natural mind. But thought from a perception of truth springing from an affection for truth occurs last. This latter thought is the thought of wisdom, while the first is a thought from memory formed in consequence of the sight of the natural mind.
All operations of love or the will apart from the intellect have to do not with affections for truth but with affections for good.
404. (vi) After the nuptials, the first conjunction comes through an affection for knowing, from which springs an affection for truth. By nuptials is to be understood man's state after birth, from a state of ignorance to a state of intelligence, and from this to a state of wisdom. The first state of mere ignorance is not here meant by nuptials, since at that stage there is no thought from the understanding, but only a dim affection of the love or will. This state is the first step towards the nuptials. But in the second state, which is of man in childhood, it is well known that there is an affection for knowing, by which the infant child learns to talk and to read, and later gradually acquires knowledge which belongs to the understanding. It cannot be doubted, that it is love, belonging to the will, that effects this. For if love or the will did not set it in motion, it would not be done. That every man has, after birth, an affection for knowing, and through it acquires the knowledge by which his understanding is gradually formed, enlarged, and perfected, everyone acknowledges if he looks to experience with the aid of reason. That from this comes affection for truth is also clear; for when man has become intelligent from an affection for knowing, it is not so much that affection by which he is led, as an affection for reasoning, and forming conclusions on matters in which he takes delight, whether they be economic, civil, or moral. When this affection is raised yet more to spiritual things, it becomes an affection for spiritual truth. That its first or introductory state was an affection for knowing may be evident from the fact that an affection for truth is an exalted affection for knowing; for to be affected by truths is to wish to know them from affection, and when he discovers them, to drink them in from the joy of affection.
(vii) The second conjunction comes through an affection for understanding from which springs perception of truth. This is clear to anyone who desires to study it from rational insight, which insight makes it plain that affection for truth and perception of truth are two faculties of the understanding, that in some persons are united and in some are not. They are united with those who love to perceive truths with the understanding, and not with those who only wish to know truths. It is clear also that everyone has as much perception of truth as he has affection for understanding. Indeed, take away affection for understanding truth and there will be no perception of truth; but grant affection for understanding truth, and its perception will correspond to the degree of affection for it. For the perception of truth is never lacking in a man of sound reason, provided he has the affection for understanding truth. It has been shown above that every man has this faculty of understanding truth, which is called rationality.
(viii) The third conjunction comes through an affection for seeing truth, from which springs thought. Affection for knowing is one thing, affection for understanding another, and affection for seeing truth another. This is but dimly seen by those who are unable to perceive the mind's workings separately, but is perfectly plain to those who can. The reason that the former see these distinctions dimly, is that the mind's workings are simultaneous in the thought with those who have both affection for truth and perception of it, and when simultaneous, they cannot be distinguished. Man is in manifest thought when his spirit thinks in the body, especially when in company with others; but when he has an affection for understanding, and thereby enters into the perception of truth, he is then in the thought of his spirit, which is meditation. This does indeed sink into bodily thought, but into silent thought; for it is above bodily thought and sees the things which belong to thought from the memory, as it were, below itself, for he draws therefrom either conclusions or confirmations. But affection itself for truth is perceived only as a striving of the will from something delightful that lies within meditation as its life, to which little attention is paid. From these things it can now be established that these three, affection of truth, perception of truth, and thought, follow in sequence from love, and exist only in the understanding. For when love enters into the understanding, which it does when their conjunction is effected, it first begets affection for truth, then affection for understanding what it knows, and finally affection for seeing in bodily thought that which it understands, for thought is nothing else than internal sight. Because it belongs to the natural mind, thought does indeed exist first, but thought, in accordance with perception of truth coming from affection for truth, exists at the last. This thought is wisdom's thought, but the other is thought by means of the natural mind from the memory. All the workings of love or the will outside the understanding relate to affections for goodness, and not to affections for truth.
404. (6) After the nuptials, the first conjunction is through affection for knowing, from which springs affection for truth. By the nuptials is meant man's state after birth, from a state of ignorance to a state of intelligence, and from this to a state of wisdom. The first state which is one of pure ignorance, is not meant here by nuptials, because there is then no thought from the understanding, and only an obscure affection from the love or will. This state is initiatory to the nuptials. In the second state, which belongs to man in childhood, there is, as we know, an affection for knowing, by means of which the infant child learns to speak and to read, and afterwards gradually learns such things as belong to the understanding. That it is love, belonging to the will, that effects this, cannot be doubted; for unless it were effected by love or the will it would not be done. That every man has, after birth, an affection for knowing, and through that acquires the knowledge by which his understanding is gradually formed, enlarged, and perfected, is acknowledged by every one who thoughtfully takes counsel of experience. It is also evident that from this comes affection for truth; for when man, from affection for knowing, has become intelligent, he is led not so much by affection for knowing as by affection for reasoning and forming conclusions on subjects which he loves, whether economical or civil or moral. When this affection is raised to spiritual things, it becomes affection for spiritual truth. That its first initiatory state was affection for knowing, may be seen from the fact that affection for truth is an exalted affection for knowing; for to be affected by truths is the same as to wish from affection to know them, and when found, to drink them in from the joy of affection.
(7) The second conjunction is through affection for understanding, from which springs perception of truth. This is evident to any one who is willing by rational insight to examine the matter. From rational insight it is clear that affection for truth and perception of truth are two powers of the understanding, which in some persons harmonize as one, and in others do not. They harmonize as one in those who wish to perceive truths with the understanding, but do not in those who only wish to know truths. It is also clear that every one is in perception of truth so far as he is in an affection for understanding; for if you take away affection for understanding truth, there will be no perception of truth; but give the affection for understanding truth, and there will be perception of truth according to the degree of affection for it. No man of sound reason ever lacks perception of truth, so long as he has affection for understanding truth. That every man has a capacity to understand truth, which is called rationality, has been shown above.
(8) The third conjunction is through affection for seeing truth, from which springs thought. That affection for knowing is one thing, affection for understanding another, and affection for seeing truth another, or that affection for truth is one thing, perception of truth another, and thought another, is seen but obscurely by those who cannot perceive the operations of the mind as distinct, but is seen clearly by those who can. This is obscurely seen by those who do not perceive the operations of the mind as distinct, because with those who are in affection for truth and in perception of truth, these operations are simultaneous in the thought, and when simultaneous they cannot be distinguished. Man is in manifest thought when his spirit thinks in the body, which is especially the case when he is in company with others; but when he is in affection for understanding, and through that comes into perception of truth, he is then in the thought of his spirit, which is meditation. This passes, indeed, into the thought of the body, but into silent thought; for it is above bodily thought, and looks upon what belongs to thought from the memory as below itself, drawing therefrom either conclusions or confirmations. But real affection for truth is perceived only as a pressure of will from something pleasurable which is interiorly in meditation as its life, and is little noticed. From all this it can now be seen that these three, affection for truth, perception of truth, and thought, follow in order from love, and that they have existence only in the understanding. For when love enters into the understanding, which it does when their conjunction is accomplished, it first brings forth affection for truth, then affection for understanding that which it knows, and lastly, affection for seeing in the bodily thought that which it understands; for thought is nothing but internal sight. It is true that thought is the first to be manifest, because it is of the natural mind; but thought from perception of truth which is from affection for truth is the last to be manifest; this thought is the thought of wisdom, but the other is thought from the memory through the sight of the natural mind. All operations of love or the will not within the understanding have relation not to affections for truth, but to affections for good.
404. VI. Quod cum nuptiae factae sunt, prima conjunctio sit per affectionem sciendi, ex qua affectio veri. Per nuptias intelligitur status hominis post partum, a statu ignorantiae usque ad statum intelligentiae et ab hoc ad statum sapientiae; primus status, qui est merae ignorantiae, hic non per nuptias intelligitur, quia tunc nulla cogitatio intellectus est, sed sola affectio obscura quae amoris seu voluntatis[;] hic status est initiamentum ad nuptias: quod in secundo statu, qui est homini in pueritia, sit affectio sciendi, notum est; per hanc puer infans discit loqui, et discit legere, et postea discit successive talia quae intellectus sunt. Quod Amor qui est voluntatis, id operetur, non potest in dubium vocari; nam nisi amor seu voluntas ageret id, non fieret. Quod affectio sciendi sit cuivis homini post nativitatem, et quod per illam discat talia, ex quibus intellectus per gradus formatur, crescit et perficitur, quisque dum ex ratione consulit experientiam, agnoscit. Quod inde sit affectio veri, etiam patet; nam cum homo ex affectione sciendi factus est intelligens, non ita fertur affectione ad sciendum, sicut affectione ad ratiocinandum, et ad concludendum talia quae ejus amoris sunt, sive sint oeconomica, sive civilia, sive moralia; cum haec affectio elevatur usque ad spiritualia, fit illa affectio veri spiritualis: quod ejus primum seu initiamentum fuerit affectio sciendi, videri potest ex eo, quod affectio veri sit exaltata affectio sciendi, nam affici veris, est ex affectione velle scire illa, et cum invenit illa, ex 1 jucundo affectionis haurire illa.
[2] VII. Quod altera conjunctio sit per affectionem intelligendi, ex qua perceptio veri, patet cuivis, qui hoc ex rationali intuitione vult lustrare; ex rationali intuitione patet, quod affectio veri et perceptio veri sint binae facultates intellectus, quae apud quosdam in unum conveniunt, et apud quosdam non[;] apud illos in unum conveniunt, qui volunt intellectu percipere vera, et non apud illos qui solum volunt scire vera; patet etiam, quod quisque tantum in perceptione veri sit, quantum in affectione intelligendi est; deme enim affectionem intelligendi verum, et nulla perceptio veri erit, at da affectionem intelligendi verum, et erit perceptio ejus secundum gradum affectionis ejus; nam homini, cui integra est ratio, nusquam deest perceptio veri, dummodo illi est affectio intelligendi verum; quod facultas intelligendi verum, quae vocatur rationalitas, sit cuivis homini, supra ostensum est.
[3] VIII. Quod tertia conjunctio sit per affectionem videndi id, ex qua cogitatio; quod aliud sit affectio sciendi, aliud affectio intelligendi, et aliud affectio videndi id, 2 seu quod aliud sit affectio veri, aliud perceptio veri, et aliud cogitatio, non patet nisi quam obscure apud illos, qui non possunt distincte percipere operationes mentis, sed patet clare apud illos qui distincte possunt: quod hoc non nisi quam obscure pateat apud illos, qui non distincte percipiunt operationes mentis, est quia simul sunt in cogitatione apud illos qui in affectione veri et in perceptione veri sunt, et cum simul sunt, non distingui possunt: homo in cogitatione manifesta est, cum spiritus ejus cogitat in corpore, quod fit imprimis dum in consortio est cum aliis; at cum est in affectione intelligendi, et per hanc venit in perceptionem veri, tunc est in cogitatione spiritus sui, quae est meditatio, quae quidem cadit in cogitationem corporis, sed tacitam, est enim supra hanc, ac intuetur illa quae cogitationis ex memoria sunt, sicut infra se, nam ex illis vel concludit, vel confirmat; at ipsa affectio veri non appercipitur aliter quam sicut voluntatis nisus ex aliquo volupi, quod intus est in meditatione sicut vita ejus, ad quod parum attenditur.
[4] Ex his nunc constare potest, quod haec tria, affectio veri, perceptio veri, et cogitatio, ordine sequantur ex amore, et quod non alibi existant quam in Intellectu; cum enim amor intrat intellectum, quod fit cum conjunctio facta est, tunc primum producit affectionem veri, dein affectionem intelligendi id quod scit, et tandem affectionem videndi id in cogitatione corporis quod intelligit, cogitatio enim non aliud est quam visus internus: cogitatio quidem primum existit, quia est mentis naturalis, sed cogitatio ex perceptione veri quae est ex affectione veri, ultimo existit[;] haec cogitatio est cogitatio sapientiae, illa autem est cogitatio ex memoria per visum mentis naturalis. Omnes operationes amoris seu voluntatis extra intellectum non se referunt ad affectiones veri, sed ad affectiones boni.
Footnotes:
1. Prima editio: en
2. Prima editio: id;