166、然而，人通过光照被教导，因为教导和光照关系到理解力；事实上，理解力，也就是人的内在视觉，被属灵之光光照，就像肉眼，也就是人的外在视觉被属世之光光照一样。此外，这二者同样被教导；但内在视觉，也就是理解力的视觉，被属灵物体教导；而外在视觉，也就是肉眼的视觉，则被属世物体教导。既有属灵之光，也有属世之光；它们表面上很相似，但内里却不同。因为属世之光来自自然界的太阳，因而本身是死的；而属灵之光来自灵界的太阳，因而本身是活的。正是属灵之光，而非属世之光光照人类的理解力。属世和理性的光照不是来自属世之光，而是来自属灵之光。它被称为属世和理性的光照，是因为它是属灵-属世的。
灵界有三个层级的光，即：属天之光，属灵之光和属灵-属世之光。属天之光是一种火红的光，是第三层天堂里的人所享有的光。属灵之光是一种闪亮的白光，是中间天堂里的人所享有的光，而属灵-属世之光就像世上的日光。这是最低层天堂里的人所享有的光，也是天堂与地狱之间的灵人界里的灵人所享有的光；但在灵人界，这光对善灵来说，就像世上的夏日之光，而对恶灵来说，则像冬日之光。
然而，要知道，灵界的一切光都与自然界的光毫无共同之处；它们就像活物与死物那样不同。由此清楚可知，光照理解力的，不是像我们肉眼面前的那种属世之光，而是属灵之光。人不知道这一点，因为迄今为止，他对属灵之光一无所知。属灵之光起源于神性智慧或神性真理，这在《天堂与地狱》一书（126-140节）已经说明。
166. A person is taught, however, by enlightenment, because to be taught and also to be enlightened are expressions applied to the intellect. For the intellect, which is a person's internal sight, is enlightened by spiritual light in the same way that the eye or a person's external sight is by natural light. Both sights are also similarly taught, but the internal sight, which is that of the intellect, by spiritual objects, and the external sight, which is that of the eye, by natural objects.
As regards spiritual light and natural light, in external appearance the two are alike, but viewed internally they are different. For natural light comes from the sun of the natural world and so in itself is lifeless, while spiritual light comes from the sun of the spiritual world and so in itself is alive. It is this latter light that enlightens the human intellect, and not natural light.
Natural and rational sight is the result not of natural light but of spiritual light. We call it natural and rational sight, because it is spiritually natural.
[2] For the spiritual world has in it three degrees of light: celestial light, spiritual light, and spiritually natural light. Celestial light is a glowing flamy light. It is the light possessed by angels who are in the third heaven. Spiritual light is a brilliant white light. It is the light possessed by those who are in the middle heaven. And spiritually natural light is like daylight in our world. It is the light possessed by those who are in the lowest heaven, and also by those who are in the world of spirits, which is midway between heaven and hell. Among good spirits in that latter world, however, this light is like the light of summer on earth, while among evil ones it is like the light of winter.
[3] It should be known, however, that no light in the spiritual world has anything in common with the light of the natural world. The two differ as something alive and something lifeless.
From this it is apparent that it is not natural light, such as exists before our eyes, that enlightens the intellect, but spiritual light. This no mortal knows, because no one previously has known anything about spiritual light.
The fact that spiritual light in its origin is Divine wisdom or Divine truth is something we showed in the book Heaven and Hell 126-140.
166. The reason we are taught by being enlightened is that enlightenment is an attribute of both our learning and our discernment, since our discernment, the sight of our inner self, is enlightened by spiritual light exactly the way our eyes, the sight of our outer self, are enlightened by physical light. There is the same kind of teaching in each case, but our inner sight, the sight of our discernment, is taught by spiritual objects, while our outer sight, that of our eyes, is taught by physical objects.
There is spiritual light and there is physical light. Outwardly, they seem to be alike, but inwardly they are different. Physical light comes from the sun of the physical world and is essentially dead, while spiritual light comes from the sun of the spiritual world and is essentially alive. This latter light enlightens our discernment, but physical light does not. Our earthly and rational illumination comes from spiritual and not from physical light. We speak of it as earthly and rational because it is "spiritual-earthly."
[2] There are three levels of light in the spiritual world: heavenly light, spiritual light, and spiritual-earthly light. Heavenly light, the light of people in the third heaven, is rich and flamelike; spiritual light, the light of people in the middle heaven, is brilliantly clear; and spiritual-earthly light is like daylight in our world. It is the light of people in the lowest heaven and in the world of spirits that is halfway between heaven and hell. In that world, though, it is like our summer light for good people and like winter light for evil ones.
[3] Still, we need to be aware that the light of the spiritual world has nothing in common with that of our physical world. They are as different as life and death. We can therefore see that the physical light we see with our eyes does not enlighten our discernment; only spiritual light does. People are unaware of this because they have not known anything about spiritual light before. I explained in Heaven and Hell 126-140 that in its origin spiritual light is divine wisdom or divine truth.
166. Man, however, is taught by enlightenment, because being taught and enlightened are predicated of the understanding; for the understanding, which is man's internal sight, is enlightened by spiritual light just as the eye or man's external sight is enlightened by natural light. Moreover, both are similarly taught; but the internal sight, which is that of the understanding, is taught by spiritual objects; and the external sight, which is that of the eye, is taught by natural objects. There is spiritual light and there is natural light; and both are alike in external but unlike in internal appearance; for natural light is from the sun of the natural world, and consequently in itself is dead, while spiritual light is from the Sun of the spiritual world, and consequently in itself is living. It is this spiritual light and not natural light that enlightens the human understanding. Natural and rational light 1(lumen) is not from natural light but from spiritual light; and it is called natural and rational light (lumen) because it is spiritual natural.
[2] In the spiritual world there are three degrees of light, celestial light, spiritual light, and spiritual natural light. Celestial light is a flaming light with a reddish glow, and is the light of those who are in the third heaven. Spiritual light is a gleaming white light, and is the light of those who are in the middle heaven, while spiritual natural light is like the light of day in our world. This is the light of those who are in the lowest heaven, and also of those who are in the world of spirits, which is intermediate between heaven and hell; but in the world of spirits this light with the good is like that of summer on earth, and with the wicked like that of winter.
[3] It should be known, however, that all the light of the spiritual world has nothing in common with the light of the natural world; they differ as what is living and what is dead. From these circumstances it is clear that it is not natural light, such as that before our eyes, that enlightens the understanding, but spiritual light. Man does not know this, because hitherto he has known nothing about spiritual light. It has been shown in the work HEAVEN AND HELL (n. 126-140), that spiritual light is in its origin Divine Wisdom or Divine Truth.
Footnotes:
1. The Latin word (lumen), thus in brackets, is used to refer to the natural light of man's own intelligence, as distinct from spiritual light, and the physical light of the material world, for both of which the Latin word is lux.
166. But man is taught by means of enlightenment, since teaching and enlightenment are predicated of the understanding; for the understanding, which is man's internal sight, is illumined by spiritual light, just as the eye or man's external sight is illumined by natural light. Moreover, the two are similarly taught; the internal sight, which is that of the understanding, by spiritual objects; and the external sight, which is that of the eye, by natural objects. There is spiritual light and natural light; these are alike in outward appearance, but internally unlike; for natural light is from the sun of the natural world, and is therefore in itself dead, while spiritual light is from the sun of the spiritual world, and is therefore in itself living. It is spiritual light and not natural light that illumines the human understanding. Natural and rational lumen is from the former, not from the latter. This is called natural and rational lumen because it is spiritual-natural.
[2] For in the spiritual world there are three degrees of light, celestial light, spiritual light, and spiritual-natural light. Celestial light is a flaming ruddy light. This is the light of those who are in the third heaven. Spiritual light is a shining white light. This is the light of those who are in the intermediate heaven. Spiritual-natural light is like the light of day in our world. This is the light of those that are in the lowest heaven, also of those that are in the world of spirits, which is intermediate between heaven and hell; but in the world of spirits this light with the good is like summer light on the earth, and with the evil like winter light.
[3] It must be understood, however, that none of the light of the spiritual world has any thing in common with the light of the natural world; they differ as what is living and what is dead. From all this it is clear that it is not natural light like that before our eyes that enlightens the understanding, but spiritual light. Of this man is ignorant, because hitherto he has known nothing about spiritual light. That the origin of spiritual light is the Divine wisdom or the Divine truth has been shown in the work on Heaven and Hell (126-140).
166. Quod autem homo doceatur per illustrationem, est quia doceri et quoque illustrari dicuntur de intellectu, nam intellectus, qui est visus hominis internus, non aliter illustratur a luce spirituali, quam sicut oculus seu visus hominis externus a luce naturali; similiter etiam uterque docetur, sed visus internus, qui est intellectus, ab objectis spiritualibus, et visus externus, qui est oculi, ab objectis naturalibus. Est lux spiritualis et lux naturalis, utraque quoad externam apparentiam similis, sed quoad internam dissimilis, lux enim naturalis est a Sole mundi naturalis, et inde in se mortua, sed lux spiritualis 1est a Sole mundi spiritualis, et inde in se viva; haec lux illustrat intellectum humanum, et non lux naturalis: lumen naturale et rationale non est ex hac luce, sed ex illa; vocatur lumen naturale et rationale, quia est spirituale naturale;
[2] sunt enim tres gradus lucis in mundo spirituali, lux coelestis, lux spiritualis et lux spiritualis naturalis: lux coelestis est lux flammea rutilans; haec lux est illis qui in tertio Coelo sunt; lux spiritualis est lux candida splendens; haec lux est illis qui in medio coelo sunt; et lux spiritualis naturalis est qualis est lux diurna in nostro mundo; haec lux est illis qui in ultimo coelo sunt, et quoque illis qui in mundo spirituum, qui est medius inter coelum et infernum; sed haec lux in hoc mundo est apud bonos sicut lux aestiva, et apud malos sicut lux hyemalis in terris.
[3] At sciendum est, quod omnis lux mundi spiritualis nihil commune habeat cum luce mundi naturalis; differunt sicut vivum et mortuum. Ex quibus patet, quod lux naturalis, qualis est coram oculis nostris, non illustret intellectum, sed lux spiritualis. Hoc nescit homo, quia de luce spirituali hactenus nihil sciverat. Quod Lux spiritualis sit in origine sua Divina Sapientia seu Divinum Verum, in Opere de COELO ET INFERNO 126-140, ostensum est.
Footnotes:
1 Prima editio: spiritualis,