174、然后，我与陪同我的天使谈论了这一事实：统治有两种，一种是对邻之爱的统治，一种是自我之爱的统治。对邻之爱的统治在那些分成各家各户各宗族居住的人当中；而自我之爱的统治则在那些住在社群里的人当中。在那些分成各家各户各宗族的人当中，统治者是宗教之父；在他之下则是各家族之父，在这些家族之父下面则是各家庭之父。“宗族之父”描述的是各个家族，以及来自这些家族的各个家庭所源自的那个人。但他们出于爱实施统治，就像父亲对待自己的孩子，父亲会教导他们当如何生活，向他们行善，并尽可能地将自己所有的给予他们。他从来没有想过要把他们变成他的臣民或奴隶；他喜欢他们像儿子对自己的父亲那样顺服他。由于众所周知，这爱随着下降而增长，所以民族的先祖出于比儿子的父亲更内在的爱行事。天堂的统治就是这样，因为这是主所实施的那种统治。事实上，祂的统治出自祂对全人类的神性之爱。
但是，当人疏远主时，自我之爱的统治，就是对邻之爱的统治的对立面，就开始了。因为人在何等程度上不热爱并敬拜主，就在何等程度上热爱并敬拜他自己，也在同等程度上热爱尘世。于是，出于安全的必要性，民族及其家族和家庭聚成一体，建立了各种形式的王国。随着这爱增长，各种邪恶也逐渐增长，如对一切反对者的敌意、嫉妒、仇恨、报复、残忍和诡诈。事实上，从那些陷入自我之爱之人的自我所涌出的，无非是邪恶，因为人的自我无非是邪恶；自我因是邪恶，故无法从天堂接受任何良善。因此，当自我之爱占据主导地位时，它就是一切此类邪恶的先祖。另外，这爱还具有这样的性质，只要缰绳一放松，它就会继续向前冲，直到最后，凡被这爱所占据的人都想凌驾于全世界所有人之上，并占有他人的一切财富。事实上，即便这样仍不满足，他还想统治整个天堂；这一点从今天的巴比伦明显看出来。这就是自我之爱的统治，而对邻之爱的统治完全不同于自我之爱的统治，犹如天堂完全不同于地狱。
然而，无论自我之爱在社群，也就是王国和帝国中如何展现这种特质，在这些国家中，对邻之爱仍有可能存在于那些出于对神的信和爱而变得智慧的人当中，因为这些人热爱邻舍。若主的神性怜悯允许，我将在别处描述这些人在天堂如何被分成民族、家族和家庭居住，尽管是分成社群，但都照着他们的属灵关系来划分，而属灵关系由爱之良善和信之真理产生。人从自己的父母那里所得来的自我无非是一团邪恶(AC 210, 215, 731, 874, 876, 987, 1047, 2307, 2308 [原文2318], 3518, 3701, 3812, 8480, 8550, 10283-10284, 10286, 10731)。人的自我就在于爱自己胜过神，爱世界胜过天堂，与自己相比，视邻舍一文不值，除非为了自己的缘故；所以，人的自我爱自己，因而是自我之爱和尘世之爱(AC 694, 731, 4317, 5660)。自我之爱和尘世之爱若占据主导地位，就是一切邪恶的源头(AC 1307-8, 1321, 1594, 1691, 3413, 7255, 7376, 7488 [原文7480, 7488], 8318, 9335, 9348, 10038, 10742)。这些邪恶就是对他人的蔑视，以及敌意、仇恨、报复、残忍和欺骗(AC 6667, 7370 [原文7372], 7373-4, 9348, 10038, 10742)。一切虚假都是从这些邪恶流出的(AC 1047, 10283-10284, 10286)。
174. Then I talked with the angels who were with me about ways of exercising authority, saying that there are two basic ways of doing this, one out of a love for one’s neighbor and the other out of a love for oneself. Authority exercised out of a love for one’s neighbor is the kind that is found among people who live apart in individual households, extended families, and peoples, while authority exercised out of love for oneself is the kind that is found among people who all live together in one community. 1Among people who live apart in individual households, extended families, and peoples, the one who exercises authority is the father of the people, and under him are the heads of the extended families, with the parents of each household under them. The one called the father of the people is the one from whom the extended families have come, and the individual households have come in turn from these families, but the father of the people governs them all with the kind of love that parents have for their children. The leader teaches them all how to live, helps them, and shares as much as he can with them of what he has. It never crosses his mind to subordinate them to himself as subjects or servants. Rather, he loves them to obey him the way children obey their parents. Further, since as everyone knows this kind of love grows stronger as it extends to later generations, the father of the people acts from an even deeper love toward them than their own parents do. This is the kind of authority that is exercised in the heavens because it is how the Lord exercises authority. In the Lord’s case, he acts and rules out of divine love for the entire human race.
[2] The exercise of authority that comes from love for ourselves, which is the opposite of the exercise of authority that comes from love for our neighbor, began when we alienated ourselves from the Lord. This is because to the extent that we do not love and worship the Lord we love and worship ourselves, and love the world as well. In order to be safe, it then became necessary for whole peoples, along with their extended families and individual households, to gather together and set up various forms of government. The reason for this is that the more self-love grew, the more evils of every kind increased, such as hostility, envy, hatred, vengefulness, cruelty, and deceit against everyone who opposes us. From the self-interest 2of people mired in love for themselves, nothing flows forth but evil, because our intrinsic characteristics are nothing but evil; and since those characteristics are evil, they do not accept what is good from heaven. So when self-love rules, it becomes the parent of all such evils. 3Then too, it is the nature of this love that to the extent that we give it free rein, it goes so wild that eventually each of us wants to rule over everyone else in the whole world, and each of us wants to own everything of value that belongs to others. Even this would not be enough: we want to rule over the entire heaven, as is quite clear from the present-day Babylon. 4
This, then, is the exercise of authority based on love for oneself, which is as different from that of a love for our neighbor as heaven is from hell.
[3] All the same, no matter how prevalent the exercising of authority from self-love is in communities or in kingdoms and empires, there is still an exercise of authority from love for our neighbor in them, in people who are wise because of their faith in and love for God, because such people love their neighbor. If the Lord’s divine mercy sees fit, I will be explaining elsewhere 5that in the heavens individuals like this live among their own peoples, extended families, and households even though they are also together with others in communities. However, this is a function of being related to each other spiritually, that is, in terms of love for doing what is good and belief in what is true.
Footnotes:
1. For more on the difference between the exercise of authority based on love for the neighbor and the exercise of authority based on love for oneself, see Secrets of Heaven 1749; Heaven and Hell 564; New Jerusalem 72-73; Divine Love and Wisdom 142. [LSW]
2. On the Latin term proprium, translated “self-interest” here, see note 1 in New Jerusalem 151. The same Latin word is translated “intrinsic characteristics” later in the same sentence, on which rendering see note 1 in New Jerusalem 70. [Editors]
3. [Swedenborg note] Our intrinsic characteristics, which we get from our parents, are evil through and through: 210, 215, 731, 874, 876, 987, 1047, 2307, 2308, 3518, 3701, 3812, 8480, 8550, 10283, 10284, 10286, 10731. What is intrinsic to us is loving ourselves more than God, loving the world more than heaven, and regarding our neighbor as nothing in comparison to the self unless our neighbor is serving us and our own purposes, so it is a love for ourselves and for the world: 694, 4317, 5660. As long as love for ourselves and love for the world are in charge, they are the source of all evils: 1307, 1308, 1321, 1594, 1691, 3413, 7255, 7376, 7488, 8318, 9335, 9348, 10038, 10742. These evils are contempt for others, hostility, hatred, vengefulness, cruelty, and deceit: 6667, 7372, 7373, 7374, 9348, 10038, 10742. All falsity comes from these evils: 1047, 10283, 10284, 10286.
4. The phrase “present-day Babylon” refers to the Roman Catholic Church. On this meaning, see note 1 in Last Judgment 53. [Editors]
5. This promise of a future explanation, which was never fulfilled, is repeated verbatim from the original version of this passage in Secrets of Heaven 10814:3. For related material on how individuals live “among their own peoples, extended families, and households,” see Other Planets 49, Other Planets 143 (and the extended passage parallel to 143 in Secrets of Heaven 10160); Secrets of Heaven 470-471, 1246; Heaven and Hell 50; Marriage Love 205. For a similar extended analysis of the love of wealth and status, whether that love is based on a desire for these things for their own sakes, or it is based on the desire to serve others, see Divine Providence 215-217. [GFD, SS, LSW]
174. Then I talked with the angels accompanying me about the fact that there are two kinds of rule: one that of love towards the neighbour, the other that of self-love. The rule of love towards the neighbour is to be found amongst those who live divided into households, families and clans; the rule of self-love among those who live together in a community. Among those who are divided into households, families and clans, the ruler is the father of the clan; beneath him are the fathers of families, and beneath them the fathers of each household. The father of the clan is the title given to the man who is the ancestor of the families, and through the families of the households. But they are all ruled by love, such as a father has for his children. He teaches them how to live, does them favours and gives as much of his own to them as he can. It never occurs to him to make them his subjects or servants, but loves to have them obey him as sons do their father. Because, as is well known, this love increases as it comes down, the father of the clan acts from a more inward love than the father who is directly the progenitor of his sons. Rule in heaven is like this, since this is the kind of rule the Lord exercises; for His rule comes from His Divine love towards the whole human race.
[2] The rule of self-love, the opposite of the rule of love towards the neighbour, began when man estranged himself from the Lord. For in so far as a person fails to love and worship the Lord, so far does he love and worship himself, and he equally loves the world. Clans were then compelled in the interests of security to bring families and households together, so beginning various kinds of kingdom. In step with the growth of that love, evils of every kind increased, such as enmity, envy, hatred, revenge, brutality and trickery directed against all opponents. For nothing but evil pours forth from the self of those dominated by self-love, since a person's self is nothing but evil, so that the self, being evil, cannot receive any good from heaven. That is how it is that, when self-love is dominant, it is the father of all such evils. 1Moreover it is characteristic of that love that, in so far as restraints are relaxed, its headlong career ends up with each individual of this sort wanting to rule over all others throughout the world, and to possess their property. In fact, not satisfied with this, he wants to rule over the whole of heaven, as may be seen by reference to the contemporary Babylon. Such now is the rule of self-love, a rule as far removed from that of love towards the neighbour as heaven is from hell.
[3] Yet however much the rule of self exhibits this character in communities, in, that is to say, kingdoms and empires, the rule of love towards the neighbour is still possible in such countries in the case of those whose faith and love for God have made them wise, since these people love the neighbour. If the Lord's Divine mercy permits, I shall describe elsewhere how these people in the heavens too live divided into clans, families and households, even though grouped into communities, but depending upon their spiritual relationships, which arise from the good of love and the truth of faith.
Footnotes:
1. A person's self, which he inherits from his parents, is nothing but a mass of evil (Arcana Caelestia 210, 215, 731, 874, 876, 987, 1047, 2307, 2308 [2318 in original], Arcana Caelestia 3518, 3701, 3812, 8480, 8550, 10283-10284, 10286, 10731). A person's self is loving oneself more than God, and the world more than heaven, and treating the neighbour as worthless as compared with oneself, except for selfish reasons; so it is loving oneself and thus self-love and love of the world (Arcana Caelestia 694, 731 [perhaps carried over from previous set of references], Arcana Caelestia 4317, 5660). Self-love and love of the world are the source of all evils, if they are dominant (Arcana Caelestia 1307-1308, 1321, 1594, 1691, 3413, 7255, 7376, 7488 [7480, 7488 in original], Arcana Caelestia 8318, 9335, 9348, 10038, 10742). These evils are contempt for others, enmity, hatred, revenge, brutality and trickery (Arcana Caelestia 6667, 7370 [7372 in original], Arcana Caelestia 7373-7374, 9348, 10038, 10742). All falsity arises from these evils (Arcana Caelestia 1047, 10283-10284, 10286).
174. I then spoke with the angels who were with me concerning dominion, saying that there are two kinds of dominion, one of love towards the neighbor, and the other of self-love; and that the dominion of love towards the neighbor is among those who dwell separated into houses, families, and nations; whereas the dominion of self-love is among those who dwell together in society. Among those who live separated into houses, families, and nations, he has dominion who is the father of the nation, and under him the father of families, and under these the father of each house. He is called the father of the nation from whom the families originate, from which families the houses are derived; but all these exercise dominion from love, like that of a father towards his children, who teaches them how they ought to live, does good to them, and as far as he can, gives them of his own. It never enters into his mind to subject them to himself, as subjects or as servants, but he loves that they should obey him as sons obey their father. And because this love increases in descending, as is known, therefore the father of the nation acts from a more interior love than the father himself from whom the sons are next descended. Such also is the dominion in the heavens, inasmuch as such is the Lord's dominion; for His dominion is from the Divine love towards the whole human race. But the dominion of self-love, which is opposite to the dominion of love towards the neighbor, began when man alienated himself from the Lord; for in proportion as man does not love and worship the Lord, in the same proportion he loves and worships himself, and so far also he loves the world. Then from necessity that they might be safe, the nations with their families and houses, formed themselves into one body, and established governments under various forms. For in proportion as self-love increased, in the same proportion all kinds of evil, as enmity, envy, hatred, revenge, cruelty and deceit, increased with it, being exercised against all who opposed them. For from the proprium in which they are who are in self-love, nothing but evil springs, inasmuch as man's proprium is nothing but evil, and because the proprium is evil, it does not receive good from heaven. Hence self-love, while it has dominion, is the father of all such evils. 1And that love is also of such a nature that as far as the reins are relaxed it rushes on, until at length every one possessed by it wishes to domineer over all others in the whole world, and to possess all the goods of others. Yea, even this is not enough, but he wishes to have dominion over the whole heaven, as may be evident from the Babylon of this day. This then is the rule of self-love, from which the rule of the love of the neighbor differs as much as heaven does from hell. But however great such dominion of self-love is in societies or in kingdoms and empires, still even in these is found also the dominion of love towards the neighbor among those who are wise from faith in and love to God; for these love the neighbor. That these also dwell in the heavens distinguished into nations, families, and houses, although in societies together, but according to spiritual affinities, which are those of the good of love and the truth of faith, will by the Divine mercy of the Lord be told elsewhere.
Footnotes:
1. Man's proprium, which he derives from his parents, is nothing but dense evil (Arcana Coelestia 210, 215, 731, 874, 876, 987, 1047, 2307, 2318, 3518, 3701, 3812, 8480, 8550, 10283, 10284, 10286, 10731). Man's proprium consists in loving himself more than God, and the world more than heaven, and in making light of his neighbor in respect to himself, except it be for the sake of himself, and thus from motives of self-love and the love of the world (Arcana Coelestia 694, 731, 4317, 5660). All evils flow from self-love and the love of the world, when they have dominion (Arcana Coelestia 1307, 1308, 1321, 1594, 1691, 3413, 7255, 7376, 7480, 7488, 8318, 9335, 9348, 10038, 10742). These evils are contempt of others, enmity, hatred, revenge, cruelty, and deceit (Arcana Coelestia 6667, 7372-7374, 9348, 10038, 10742). And that from these evils every falsity flows (Arcana Coelestia 1047, 10283, 10284, 10286).
174. Tunc loquutus sum cum Angelis, qui apud me erant, de Dominiis, quod duo genera dominii sint, unum amoris erga proximum, et alterum amoris sui; et quod dominium amoris erga proximum sit inter illos qui separati in domos, familias, et gentes habitant; at dominium amoris sui inter illos qui in societate simul habitant: inter illos qui separati in domos, familias et gentes vivunt, dominatur ille qui Pater gentis est et sub illo Patres familias, et sub his Patres cujusvis domus: Pater gentis dicitur, ex quo familiae, et ex familiis domus; sed omnes illi dominantur ex amore, sicut Patris erga liberos; docet illos quomodo vivent, benefacit illis, et quantum potest ex suo illis dat; et nusquam in animum ejus venit subjicere illos sibi ut subditos aut sicut famulos, sed amat ut obediant illi sicut filii patri suo; et quia hic amor crescit in descendendo, ut notum est, ideo Pater gentis ex interiori amore agit quam ipse pater ex quo filii proxime sunt: tale etiam dominium est in coelis, quoniam tale dominium est Domini; est enim dominium Ipsius ex divino Amore erga universum genus humanum. At dominium amoris sui, quod oppositum est dominio amoris erga proximum, incepit cum homo se abalienavit a Domino; nam quantum homo Dominum non amat et colit, tantum se amat et colit, et tantum quoque amat mundum: ex necessitate tunc, ut tuti essent, contulerunt se gentes cum familiis et domibus in unum, et iniverunt Regimina sub variis formis; quantum enim ille amor crevit, tantum increverunt omnis generis mala, sicut inimicitiae, invidiae, odia, vindictae, saevitiae, doli, contra omnes qui se opponebant; a proprio enim, in quo sunt qui in amore sui, non aliud scaturit quam malum, nam proprium hominis non est nisi quam malum, et proprium, quia malum, non recipit bonum e coelo; inde amor sui, dum est regnans, est pater omnium talium malorum: 1et quoque ille amor talis est ut, quantum ei laxantur fraena, ruat usque tandem ut unusquisque talis dominari velit super omnes alios in universo terrarum orbe, et unusquisque velit possidere omnia aliorum bona; imo nec hoc satis est, dominari vult super universum coelum; ut constare potest ex hodierna Babylonia. Hoc nunc est dominium amoris sui, a quo tantum differt dominium amoris erga proximum, quantum Coelum ab Inferno. Sed quantumvis dominium amoris sui tale est in societatibus, seu in Regnis et Imperiis, usque tamen datur dominium amoris erga proximum etiam in illis, apud eos qui sapientes sunt ex fide et amore in Deum, hi enim amant proximum: quod hi etiam in Coelis habitent distincti in gentes, familias, et domos, tametsi in societatibus simul, sed secundum affinitates spirituales, quae sunt boni amoris et veri fidei, alibi, ex divina Domini Misericordia, dicetur.
Footnotes:
1. Quod hominis proprium, quod trahit a parentibus, non sit nisi quam densum malum, Arcana Coelestia 210, 215, 731, 874, 876, 987, 1047, 2307, 2318, 3518, 3701, 3812, 8480, 8550, 1283, 10284, 10286, 10731. Quod hominis proprium sit amare se prae Deo, et mundum prae coelo, et nihili facere proximum respective ad se, nisi modo propter se, ita semet, sic quod sit amor sui et mundi, Arcana Coelestia 694, 731, 4317, 5660. Quod ex amore sui et mundi, dum praedominantur, omnia mala, Arcana Coelestia 1307, 1308, 1321, 1594, 1691, 3413, 7255, 7376, 7480, 7488, 8318, 9335, 9348, 10038, 10742. Quae sunt contemtus aliorum, inimicitia, odium, vindicta, saevitia, dolus, Arcana Coelestia 6667, 7372, 7373, 7374, 9348, 10038, 10742: et quod ex his malis omne falsum, Arcana Coelestia 1047, 10283, 10284, 10286.