167、由于现在论到了天堂之光，所以也必须说一说地狱之光。地狱也有三个层级的光：在最低层地狱，光就像炭火之光；在中间地狱，光就像壁炉里的火光；在最上层地狱，光则像烛光，有点像月光。这些光不是属世的，而是属灵的，因为所有属世之光都是死的，会扑灭理解力；地狱里的人具有被称为理性的理解力，如前所示；理性本身来自属灵之光，根本不来自属世之光。但赋予地狱里的人以理性的属灵之光变成了地狱之光，就像白日之光变成了夜间的黑暗一样。
尽管如此，灵界里的所有人，无论天堂里的人还是地狱里的人，都在自己的光中观看，和世人在自己的日光中看得一样清楚；这是因为每个人的视觉都是为了接受它所在的光而形成的。所以，天堂天使的视觉是为了接受自己的光而形成的，地狱灵的视觉也是为了接受自己的光而形成的；这比较像猫头鹰和蝙蝠的视觉，它们在黑夜或傍晚看物体，就像其它鸟在白天看物体一样清楚；它们的眼睛是为接受这种光而形成的。
然而，这些光之间的区别对那些从一种光看向另一种光的人来说，是显而易见的。例如，当一位天堂天使看向地狱时，他在那里什么也看不见，只看见纯粹的黑暗；而当地狱灵看向天堂时，他们在那里同样什么也看不见，只看见黑暗。这是因为对地狱里的人来说，天堂的智慧就像黑暗；相反，对天堂里的人来说，地狱的疯狂也像黑暗。由此可见，一个人的理解力如何，他所拥有的光就如何，或说其理解力的性质决定了光的性质；死后，每个人都会进入自己的光中，而在其它任何光中都不能看见。在灵界，甚至就身体而言，那里的所有人也都是属灵的，各人的眼睛都适合在自己的光中看见。各人的生命之爱为自己造就一种理解力，因而也造就一种光；因为爱就像发出生命之光的生命之火。
167. Since we have now spoken about the light in heaven, we should say something also about the light in hell. The light in hell, too, is of three degrees. The light in the lowest hell is like the light of burning coals. The light in the middle hell is like the light of a hearth fire. And the light in the highest hell is like candlelight, and for some inhabitants like the light of the moon at night.
These levels of light are not natural but spiritual, for all natural light is lifeless and snuffs out the intellect, and yet people in hell have the faculty for understanding called rationality, as we have previously shown. Indeed, rationality itself originates from spiritual light, and not a whit from natural light. Yet the spiritual light that those in hell have by virtue of their rationality is turned into hellish light, as the light of day is into the darkness of night.
[2] But still, all those who are in the spiritual world, both those in the heavens and those in the hells, see as clearly in their light as people do by day in theirs. The reason is that everyone's eyesight is formed to receive the light that surrounds it. Thus the eyesight of angels in heaven is formed to receive the light that surrounds it, and the eyesight of spirits in hell to receive the light that surrounds it. The case is comparatively like that with owls and bats, which see objects at night and in the evening as clearly as other birds see them by day. For their eyes have been formed to receive their light.
[3] The difference between these levels of light is clearly apparent, however, to people who look from one level of light into another. When an angel in heaven looks into hell, for example, he sees nothing but pitch darkness there, and when a spirit in hell looks into heaven, he sees only pitch darkness there. The reason is that heavenly wisdom is like pitch darkness to people in hell, and conversely, the insanity in hell is like pitch darkness to people in heaven.
It can be seen from this that the character of a person's intellect determines the kind of light he possesses, and that everyone comes into his own light after death, as he is sightless in any other. And in the spiritual world, where all are spiritual even as regards their bodies, the eyes of all are formed to see in their own light. Everyone's life's love forms the intellect, and so also its light, to suit itself. For love is like the fire of life, from which issues the light of life.
167. Since heaven's light has been discussed [?166], something needs to be said about hell's light as well. There are three levels of light in hell, too. The light in the deepest hell is like that of glowing coals; the light in the middle hell is like that of a fireplace; and the light of the uppermost hell is like that of candles, and for some people like moonlight at night. These lights are not physical but spiritual, since all physical light is dead and snuffs out discernment. People in hell do have that ability to discern that is called rationality, as already noted. True rationality comes from spiritual light; not a trace of it comes from physical light. The spiritual light that gives people in hell their rationality is turned into hellish light the way daylight turns to the gloom of night.
All the people in the spiritual world, though, whether in the heavens or in the hells, see just as clearly in their own light as we do in our own daylight. This is because for all of us, our eyes are adapted to receive the light we live in. So the eyesight of heaven's angels is adapted to receive the light that surrounds it and the eyesight of hell's spirits is adapted to receive its own light. This eyesight is like the sight of owls and bats, who see things at night or in the twilight just as clearly as other winged creatures see them in daytime. Their eyes are adapted to receive their own light.
However, the difference between the lights is obvious to people who look from one light into another. For example, when angels of heaven look into hell, they see nothing but pure darkness there, and when spirits of hell look into heaven, they see nothing but darkness there. This is because heavenly wisdom is like darkness to people in hell; and conversely, hellish insanity is like darkness to people in heaven.
This shows that the nature of our understanding determines the nature of our light, and that each one of us will come into his or her own light after death. We have no sight in any other. In the spiritual world, where we are all spiritual even in respect to our bodies, our eyes are adapted to see in their own light. The love of our life makes an intelligence for itself and therefore a light as well. Love is actually like the fire of life that gives off the light of life.
167. As the light of heaven has now been spoken of, something must also be said about the light of hell. This also is of three degrees: light in the lowest hell is like that of burning coals; light in the middle hell is like that from the flame of a fire on a hearth; and light in the highest hell is like the light from candles, and to some like the light of the moon by night. These lights are not natural but spiritual, for all natural light is dead, and extinguishes the understanding; and those who are in hell have the faculty of understanding, called rationality, as has been shown before; and rationality itself is from spiritual light, and not at all from natural light; and the spiritual light which these have from rationality is changed into infernal light, as the light of day to the darkness of night.
[2] Nevertheless, all in the spiritual world, both those who are in the heavens and those who are in the hells, see in their own light as clearly as man by day sees in his. The reason for this is that everyone's eyesight is formed for the reception of the light in which it functions. Thus the eyesight of the angels of heaven is formed for the reception of the light in which it functions, and the eyesight of the spirits of hell for the reception of their light; and this, to use a comparison, is as sight with night birds and bats, which see objects at night and in the evening as clearly as other birds see them by day, for their eyes are formed to receive such light.
[3] The difference, however, between these lights appears very clearly to those who look from one light into the other; as when an angel of heaven looks into hell he sees nothing there but merely thick darkness; and when a spirit of hell looks into heaven he sees nothing there but thick darkness. The reason of this is that heavenly wisdom is like thick darkness to those who are in hell; and, on the other hand, infernal insanity is like thick darkness to those who are in heaven. From these circumstances it may be evident that the light a man has is such as his understanding is; and that after death everyone comes into his own light, for he does not see in any other. Moreover, in the spiritual world, where all are spiritual even as to their bodies, the eyes of all are formed to see from their own light. The life's love of everyone makes an understanding for itself, and so also a light; for love is like the fire of life, from which is the light of life.
167. As the light of heaven has now been spoken of, something must also be said about the light of hell. In hell also there are three degrees of light. In the lowest hell the light is like that from burning charcoal; in the middle hell it is like the light from the flame of a hearth fire, while in the uppermost hell it is like the light from candles, and to some like the nocturnal light of the moon. These lights are not natural, they are spiritual, for all natural light is dead, and extinguishes the understanding; but those that are in hell have the ability to understand that is called rationality, as has been shown above; and rationality itself is from spiritual light, and not at all from natural light. But the spiritual light which these have from rationality is changed into infernal light, as the light of day is changed into the darkness of night.
[2] Nevertheless, all in the spiritual world, both those in the heavens and those in the hells, see in their light as clearly as man sees by day in his light; and for the reason that every one's eyesight is formed for the reception of the light in which it is. Thus the eyesight of the angels of heaven is formed for the reception of their light; and the eyesight of the spirits of hell for the reception of their light; and this is comparatively like the sight of owls and bats, which see objects at night or in twilight as clearly as other birds see them by day; for their eyes are formed to receive such light.
[3] But the difference between these lights is very obvious to those who look from one light into the other; as when an angel of heaven looks into hell he sees nothing there but mere thick darkness; and when a spirit of hell looks into heaven he sees nothing there but thick darkness. This is because heavenly wisdom is like thick darkness to those that are in hell; and on the other hand, the insanity of hell is like thick darkness to those in heaven. From all this it can be seen that the light a man has is such as his understanding is; and that after death every one comes into his own light, not being able to see in any other; and in the spiritual world, where all are spiritual even in respect to their bodies, each one's eyes are formed to see from their light. Each one's life's love makes an understanding for itself, and thus a light; for love is like the fire of life, from which is the light of life.
167. Quoniam de luce Coeli nunc dictum est, etiam aliquid de luce inferni dicendum est: lux in inferno etiam est trium graduum; lux in infimo inferno est sicut lux ex ignitis carbonibus; lux in medio inferno est sicut lux ex flamma focali; et lux in supremo inferno est sicut lux ex candelis, et quibusdam sicut lux nocturna a luna. Hae luces nec sunt naturales, sed sunt spirituales, nam omnis lux naturalis est mortua, et exstinguit intellectum, ac illis qui in inferno sunt, est facultas intelligendi, quae vocatur rationalitas, ut prius ostensum est, et ipsa rationalitas est ex luce spirituali, et ne hilum ex luce naturali; et lux spiritualis, quae illis est ex rationalitate, vertitur in lucem infernalem, sicut lux diei in tenebras noctis.
[2] At usque omnes qui in Mundo spirituali sunt, tam qui in coelis quam qui in infernis, vident in sua luce tam clare, sicut homo interdiu in sua; causa est, quia visus oculi omnium formatus est ad receptionem lucis in qua est; ita visus oculi angelorum coeli ad receptionem lucis in qua est; et visus oculi spirituum inferni ad receptionem suae lucis; est comparative sicut cum noctuis et vespertilionibus, quae noctu [et] vespere vident tam clare objecta, tanquam diu vident illa reliquae aves: oculi enim illarum ad receptionem suae lucis formati sunt.
[3] Sed discrimen inter luces illas apparet perspicue illis, qui ab una luce in alteram spectant; ut dum angelus coeli spectat in infernum, non videt nisi quam meram caliginem ibi; et cum spiritus inferni spectat in coelum, non videt nisi quam caliginem ibi; causa est, quia sapientia coelestis est illis qui in inferno sunt ut caligo, ac vicissim insania infernalis est illis qui in coelo sunt, ut caligo. Ex his constare potest, quod qualis homini intellectus est, talis ei lux sit, et quod quisque in suam lucem veniat post mortem, non enim videt in alia; et in mundo spirituali, ubi omnes spirituales sunt etiam quoad corpora, 1oculi omnium formati sunt ad videndum ex sua luce; amor vitae cujusvis facit sibi intellectum, et sic quoque lucem; amor enim est sicut ignis vitae, ex quo lux vitae.
Footnotes:
1 Prima editio: copora,