359、一个人在外表上可以像另一个人一样生活：可以变得富有，享受盛宴，照自己的条件和职位住高级豪宅、穿漂亮的衣服，享受快乐和欢娱，为自己的工作和生意以及身心生活的缘故参与世俗事务，只要他内心承认上帝并祝福邻舍，显然，进入天堂之路并不像许多人认为的那么难。唯一的困难在于有能力抵挡自我之爱和尘世之爱，防止这些爱占据主导地位，因为它们是万恶之源。｛注1｝并不像人们所相信的那样难，这是主说这话的意思：
我心里柔和谦卑，你们当学我的样式，这样，你们就为自己的灵魂找到安息；因为我的轭是容易的，我的担子是轻省的。（马太福音11:29-30）
主的轭之所以容易，祂的担子之所以轻省，是因为人只要抵制自我之爱和尘世之爱所涌出的邪恶，就会被主引导，而不是被自己引导。这时，主会在人里面抵制并除去这些邪恶。
｛注1｝：一切邪恶皆出于自我之爱和尘世之爱（1307，1308，1321，1594，1691，3413，7255，7376，7488，7490，8318，9335，9348，10038，10742）。这些邪恶就是对他人的蔑视、敌意、仇恨、报复、残忍和欺骗（6667，7370-7374，9348，10038，10742）。人生在这些爱中，因此人的遗传之恶就在它们里面（694，4317，5660）。
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359. 只要人从内在承认神性, 愿意服务邻舍, 他表面上就能像其他人一样生活, 可以变得富有, 享受盛宴, 照自己的条件和职位住豪宅, 穿华服, 享受快乐和欢娱, 为自己的工作和生意, 以及身心健康的缘故参与世俗事务. 由此明显可知, 行天堂之路并不像许多人想的那么难. 唯一的困难就是找到抵制自我之爱和尘世之爱的能力, 防止这些爱占据主导地位; 因为它们是一切邪恶的根源. 行天堂之路并不像人们想的那么难, 这一事实就是主说这些话的意思:
我心里柔和谦卑, 你们当学我的样式, 这样, 你们就为自己的灵魂找到安息; 因为我的轭是容易的, 我的担子是轻省的. (马太福音 11:29, 30)
主的轭之所以容易, 祂的担子之所以轻省, 是因为人只要抵制自我之爱和尘世之爱所涌出的邪恶, 就会被主引导, 而不是被自己引导. 这时, 主会在人里面抵制并除去这些邪恶.
注: 一切邪恶皆出于自我之爱和尘世之爱(天国的奥秘 1307, 1308, 1321, 1594, 1691, 3413, 7255, 7376, 7488, 7490, 8318, 9335, 9348, 10038, 10742节). 这些邪恶就是对他人的蔑视, 敌意, 仇恨, 报复, 残忍和欺骗(天国的奥秘 6667, 7370-7374, 9348, 10038, 10742节). 人生在这些爱中, 因此人的遗传之恶就在它们里面(天国的奥秘 694, 4317, 5660节).
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359. 人表面的行為可以相似, 只要心裡承認上帝, 願意服務於人, 我們大可以成為富者, 衣食住行樣樣講究, 使之與身份職業相稱, 也大可以享受快樂, 為職業, 事業, 身心健全的緣故參與世間事務。由此可見, 行天國之路並不像許多人想像的那麼難。唯一的困難在於尋找抵擋我欲物欲(啟自己和啟世界)的能力, 防止此二欲得勢, 因為二者是一切邪惡的根源。主說:"我心裡柔和謙卑, 你們當負我的軛, 學我的樣式, 這樣, 你們心裡就必得享安息。因為我的軛是容易的, 我的擔子是輕省的。"(馬太福音11:29-30)即表示行天國之路並不像人們想像的那麼難。主的軛是容易的, 祂的擔子是輕省的, 因為我們若抵擋從我欲和物欲所湧出的罪惡, 就為主所引導, 非為己所引導。彼時, 主就在我們心裡抵擋並除去一切惡。
359. One person can live like another in outward form. As long as there is an inward acknowledgment of the Deity and an intent to serve our neighbor, we can become rich, dine sumptuously, live and dress as elegantly as befits our station and office, enjoy pleasures and amusement, and meet our worldly obligations for the sake of our position and of our business and of the life of both mind and body. So we can see that it is not as hard to follow the path to heaven as many people believe. The only difficulty is finding the power to resist love for ourselves and love of the world and preventing those loves from taking control, since they are the source of all our evils. 1The fact that it is not so hard as people believe is what is meant by these words of the Lord: "Learn of me that I am gentle and lowly of heart, and you will find rest for your souls: for my yoke is easy and my burden light" (Matthew 11:29-30). The reason the Lord's yoke is easy and his burden light is that to the extent that we resist the evils that well up from love for ourselves and the world, we are led by the Lord and not by ourselves. Then the Lord resists those things within us and removes them.
Footnotes:
1. From love for oneself and for the world come all evils: 1307-1308, 1321, 1594, 1691, 3413, 7255, 7376, 7480 [7490?], 7488, 8318, 9335, 9348, 10038, 10742; which are contempt for others, hostility, hatred, vengefulness, cruelty, and deceit: 6667, 7372-7374, 9348, 10038, 10742. We are born into these loves, so our hereditary evils are in them: 694, 4317, 5660.
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359. Since a man can live outwardly as others do, can grow rich, keep a plentiful table, dwell in an elegant house and wear fine clothing according to his condition and function, can enjoy delights and gratifications, and engage in worldly affairs for the sake of his occupation and business and for the life both of the mind and body, provided he inwardly acknowledges the Divine and wishes well to the neighbour, it is evident that to enter upon the way to heaven is not so difficult as many believe. The sole difficulty lies in being able to resist the love of self and the world, and to prevent their becoming dominant; for this is the source of all evils. 1That this is not so difficult as is believed is meant by these words of the Lord:
Learn of Me, for I am meek and lowly of heart, and ye shall find rest to your souls; for My yoke is easy and My burden is light. Matthew 11:29-30.
The Lord's yoke is easy and His burden light because a man is led by the Lord and not by self just to the extent that he resists the evils that flow forth from love of self and of the world, and because the Lord then resists these evils with the man and removes them.
Footnotes:
1. All evils are from the love of self and of the world (Arcana Coelestia 1307-1308, 1321, 1594, 1691, 3413, 7255, 7376, 7488, 7490, 8318, 9335, 9348, 10038, 10742).
These are contempt of others, enmities, hatred, revenge, cruelty, deceit (Arcana Coelestia 6667, 7370-7374, 9348, 10038, 10742).
Into such loves man is born, thus in them are his inherited evils (Arcana Coelestia 694, 4317, 5660).
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359. Since a man can live outwardly as others do, can grow rich, keep a plentiful table, dwell in an elegant house and wear fine clothing according to his condition and function, can enjoy delights and gratifications, and engage in worldly affairs for the sake of his occupation and business and for the life both of the mind and body, provided he inwardly acknowledges the Divine and wishes well to the neighbor, it is evident that to enter upon the way to heaven is not so difficult as many believe. The sole difficulty lies in being able to resist the love of self and the world, and to prevent their becoming dominant; for this is the source of all evils. 1That this is not so difficult as is believed is meant by these words of the Lord:
Learn of Me, for I am meek and lowly of heart, and ye shall find rest to your souls; for My yoke is easy and My burden is light (Matthew 11:29, 30).
The Lord's yoke is easy and His burden light because a man is led by the Lord and not by self just to the extent that he resists the evils that flow forth from love of self and of the world; and because the Lord then resists these evils in man and removes them.
Footnotes:
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359. Quoniam homo in externa forma potest vivere sicut alius, potest ditescere, epulari, habitare et vestiri splendide secundum conditionem et functionem, jucundis et laetis frui, ac mundanis fungi propter officia et negotia, et propter vitam animi et corporis, modo interius agnoscat Divinum, et benevelit proximo, patet, quod non tam difficile sit, sicut a multis creditur, ingredi viam caeli; sola difficultas est, posse resistere amori sui et mundi, et inhibere ne praedominentur, nam inde omnia mala. 1Quod non tam difficile sit, sicut creditur, intelligitur per haec Domini verba,
"Discite a Me quod mitis sim, et humilis corde, et invenietis requiem animabus vestris: jugum enim meum facile est, et onus meum leve," (Matthaeus 11:29-30)
quod jugum Domini facile sit, et onus leve, est quia quantum homo resistit malis ex amore sui et mundi scaturientibus, tantum ducitur a Domino, et non a semet; et quod Dominus dein illis apud hominem resistat, et illa removeat.
Footnotes: