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246. 二十八, 天使如何与人交谈
与人交谈的天使不是以天使的语言, 也不是以人所不知的任何语言, 而是以人的母语或他所熟悉的其它语言来交谈. 其原因在于, 当天使与人交谈时, 他们便转向他, 与他结合. 天使与人的这种结合使双方处于相似的思维. 由于人的思维与他的记忆紧密相联, 而人的语言从记忆流出, 故双方便有共同的语言. 此外, 当天使或灵人来到人那里, 通过转向他而与他结合时, 他便进入此人的全部记忆, 以致他自己似乎知道此人所知道的一切, 包括他的语言.
我曾与天使谈论这个话题, 我说他们或许认为他们在用我的母语向我说话, 因为表面看上去的确如此. 而事实上, 说话的是我, 不是他们. 这一点从以下事实明显可知: 天使无法说出人类语言的一个字(参看237节). 再者, 人类语言是属世的, 而天使是属灵的, 属灵的存在无法产生任何属世之物. 对此, 天使回答说, 他们知道, 当他们与人交谈时, 他们与人的结合是与其属灵思维的结合; 但由于人的属灵思维流入其属世思维, 其属世思维又与其记忆紧密相联, 故此人的语言及其一切知识在他们看来就是他们自己的. 之所以如此, 是因为主乐意有这种天堂与人的结合, 以及人进入天堂的这种介入; 然而, 如今人性的状态却是这样: 与天使的这种结合不再有可能, 只能与不在天堂的灵人结合.
当我与灵人谈论这个话题时, 他们不愿相信说话的正是此人, 坚持认为他们在人里面说话, 还认为人的知识就是他们的知识, 而不是此人的知识, 这意味着人所知的一切都来自他们. 我试图通过许多证据使他们相信这不是事实, 却是徒然. 至于何谓“灵人”, 何谓“天使”, 等到描述灵人界时再作解释.
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246. 天人與世人交流
天人與世人交流, 不是用天人的語言, 而是用人的母語或是人熟悉的外語, 不會是人不通的語言。因為當天人與人交流時, 他轉向人, 與人連接。連接的一個結果就是雙方處於同樣的思維進程中。人的思維與記憶緊密相連, 而語言又是從記憶流出, 由此雙方有了共同的語言。再者, 當天人或靈接近人, 轉向人, 與人連接時, 他們進入人的整個記憶, 以致他們似乎瞭解人所知的一切, 包括人的語言。
我曾與天人談論此話題, 我說他們或許以為他們是在用我的母語和我說話, 因為事情看似如此。而實際上, 發言的人是我, 不是他們。因為天人不能說人的語言, 連一個字也不能(237)。再者, 人類的語言是屬物質的, 而天人是屬心靈的, 屬心靈的本質無法以物質的方式來表達任何內容。天人響應說, 他們知道當他們和我們交談時, 是與我們心靈的思維相結合, 而這種心靈的思維流入我們物質的思維, 物質的思維又與記憶緊密相聯, 以致在他們看來, 我們的語言是他們自己的, 甚至我們一切已獲得的知識。之所以如此, 是在於主樂意天國與人類存在這種內在的連接。不過天人們說, 鑒於目前人類的狀態, 該連接不能再與天人保持, 而是與天國以外的靈。
我與靈也談論過此話題, 但他們不願相信是我們說話, 堅持是他們在我們裡面說話, 還認定我們的知識是他們的, 並非是我們自己的, 最終認定但凡我們所知道的皆來自於他們。我試圖通過許多論據向他們證明這不是事實, 卻是徒然。(對於何謂"天人,"何謂"靈,"等到介紹靈界時再作解釋。)
246. How Angels Talk with Us
Angels who talk with us do not talk in their own language but in ours, or in other languages in which we may be fluent - not in languages of which we have no knowledge. The reason for this is that when angels talk with us they turn toward us and unite with us; and one consequence of this union is that the two parties have much the same thought processes. Since our thinking is closely allied with our memory, and our language flows from it, the two parties share the same language. Further, when angels or spirits come to us and unite with us by turning toward us, they enter into our whole memory so completely that it seems exactly as though they themselves know everything we know, including our languages.
[2] I have talked with angels about this and said that they might suppose they were talking with me in my own mother tongue simply because it seemed that way, when in fact it was not they talking but I. This follows from the fact that angels cannot utter a single word of our human language (237). Then too, human language is natural and they are spiritual, and spiritual beings cannot produce anything natural. They have answered that they knew that when they were talking with us their union with us was with our spiritual thinking, but since this spiritual thinking flowed into our natural thought, and this natural thinking is so closely allied with our memory, it seemed to them as though our language were their own, along with all our acquired knowledge. This is because it has pleased the Lord that there should be this kind of union and inner presence of heaven with us. However, they said, the state of humanity is now such that this kind of union is no longer with angels but with spirits who are not in heaven.
[3] I have talked with spirits about this matter, too; but they wanted to believe not that we were talking but that they were talking within us, so that we did not really know what we know, but they did, which meant that everything we knew came from them. I wanted to convince them by many arguments that this was not the case but failed.
We will explain later just who are meant by "angels" and who by "spirits," when we come to our description of the world of spirits.
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246. THE SPEECH OF ANGELS WITH MAN
Angels who talk with man do not talk in their own language, but in the man's own language and also in other languages with which he is well acquainted, but not in languages unknown to him. This is so because when angels speak with a man they turn themselves to him and conjoin themselves with him; and this conjunction of angel with man causes both to be in like thought; and as man's thought clings to his memory, and this is the source of his speech, each of them has the same language. Moreover, when an angel or a spirit comes to a man, and by turning to him is conjoined to him, he so enters into the entire memory of the man that he hardly knows otherwise than that he is aware, from himself of whatever the man knows, including his languages.
[2] I have talked with angels about this, and have said that they probably supposed that they were addressing me in my mother tongue, because it is so perceived, when yet it was not they who spoke but I; and that this may be confirmed from the fact that angels cannot utter a single word of human language (see 237). Furthermore, human language is natural and they are spiritual, and spiritual beings cannot utter anything in the natural way. To this they replied that they are aware that their conjunction with the man with whom they are speaking is with his spiritual thought, but because his spiritual thought flows into his natural thought, and his natural thought clings to his memory, the language of the man and all his knowledge appear to them to be their own; and that this is so for this reason, that because it is the Lord's pleasure that there should be such a conjunction and, as it were, implantation of heaven with man, yet the state of man at this day is so different that this conjunction is no longer with angels, but with spirits who are not in heaven.
[3] When I talked about this with spirits also they were unwilling to believe that it is the man who speaks, insisting that they spoke in man, also that man's knowledge is their knowledge and not the man's knowledge, consequently that everything that man knows is from them. I tried to convince them by many proofs that this is not true, but in vain. Who are meant by spirits and who are meant by angels will be told in pages following when the world of spirits is to be considered.
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246. THE SPEECH OF ANGELS WITH MAN.
Angels who talk with man do not talk in their own language, nor in any language unknown to man, but in the man's own language, or in some other language with which he is acquainted. This is so because when angels speak with man they turn themselves to him and conjoin themselves with him; and this conjunction of angel with man causes the two to be in like thought; and as man's thought coheres to his memory, and this is the source of his speech, the two have the same language. Moreover, when an angel or a spirit comes to a man, and by turning to him is conjoined to him, he so enters into the entire memory of the man that he is scarcely conscious that he does not himself know whatever the man knows, including his languages.
[2] I have talked with angels about this, and have said that perhaps they thought that they were addressing me in my mother tongue, since it is so perceived; and yet it was I and not they that spoke; and that this is evident from the fact that angels cannot utter a single word of human language (see 237); furthermore, human language is natural and they are spiritual, and spiritual beings cannot give expression to any thing in a natural way. To this they replied that they are aware that their conjunction with the man with whom they are speaking is with his spiritual thought; but because his spiritual thought flows into his natural thought, and his natural thought coheres to his memory, the language of the man and all his knowledge appear to them to be their own; and that this is so for this reason, that while it is the Lord's pleasure that there should be such a conjunction with and sort of insertion of man into heaven, yet the state of man is now such that there can no longer be such conjunction with angels, but only with spirits who are not in heaven.
[3] When I talked about this with spirits also they were unwilling to believe that it is the man that speaks, insisting that they spoke in man, also that man's knowledge is their knowledge and not the man's knowledge, consequently that everything that man knows is from them. I tried to convince them by many proofs that this is not true, but in vain. Who are meant by spirits and who are meant by angels will be told further on when the world of spirits is treated of.
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246. [XXVIII.] DE LOQUELA ANGELORUM CUM HOMINE.
Angeli, qui loquuntur cum homine, non loquuntur in sua lingua, sed in lingua hominis, et quoque in aliis linguis quas homo callet, non autem in linguis homini ignotis. Causa quod ita sit, est quia angeli, cum loquuntur cum homine, vertunt se ad illum, et conjungunt se illi, et conjunctio angeli cum homine facit ut uterque simili cogitatione sit et quia hominis cogitatio cohaeret cum ejus memoria, et inde fluit loquela, ideo uterque est in eadem lingua. Praeterea angelus aut spiritus, cum venit ad hominem, et per conversionem ad illum conjungitur ei, venit in omnem ejus memoriam, in tantum ut vix aliter sciat quam quod ex se sciat quae homo scit, ita quoque linguas. Cum angelis de hac re locutus sum, et dixi, quod forte autument, quod illi loquantur mecum vernacula mea, quia ita appercipitur, cum tamen illi non sint qui loquuntur, sed ego; et quod hoc constare possit ex eo, quod angeli non possint eloqui unam vocem linguae humanae (237); et praeterea lingua humana est naturalis, et illi sunt spirituales, et spirituales non aliquid naturaliter proferre possunt. Ad haec dixerunt, quod sciant quod conjunctio eorum cum homine, cum quo loquuntur, sit cum cogitatione ejus spirituali, sed quia illa influit in cogitationem ejus naturalem, et haec cohaeret cum memoria ejus, quod ideo appareat illis lingua hominis sicut sua, similiter omnis scientia ejus, et quod hoc fiat ex causa, quia placuit Domino, ut talis conjunctio et quasi insertio caeli sit apud hominem sed quod status hominis hodie sit alius, ut talis conjunctio non amplius sit cum angelis, sed cum spiritibus qui non in caelo sunt. Cum spiritibus de eadem hac re etiam locutus sum; sed illi non credere voluerunt, quod homo loquatur sed illi in homine, tum quod homo non sciat quae scit, sed illi, et sic quod omnia quae homo novit sint ab illis: volui pluribus evincere quod non ita sit, sed incassum. Quinam intelliguntur per spiritus et quinam per angelos, in sequentibus ubi de Mundo Spirituum agendum est, dicetur.