360、我曾和一些死后的人谈过，他们活在世上时候，曾舍弃了尘世，过着几乎孤独的生活，为了把思想从世俗事物中抽离出来，从而有机会进行虔诚的冥想，以为这样就能踏上通往天堂的道路。但在来世，这些人却性情悲伤，他们鄙视其他与自己不同的人，愤慨自己没有得到比别人更幸福的命运，以为那是自己配得的。他们对别人漠不关心，逃避与天堂相连接的仁爱的职责。他们比其他人更渴望天堂，但是，当他们被带到天使中间时，他们会引起焦虑，扰乱天使的幸福，于是被撵走了。他们被撵走后，便前往荒漠，在那里过着和在世时一样的生活。
[2]人能为进天堂而被塑造，唯一方法就是通过尘世。在这个世界上，是每个人的情感都必须终止的最终端的结果。除非情感在与众人交往中把它自己表达出来或流入行动，否则就会被窒息，直到最终不再关心邻舍、而只关心自己。这一切清楚地表明，通向天堂的是对邻舍仁爱的生活，也就是在一切行为和事务中行公义、公平，而不是脱离仁爱的虔诚生活。｛注1｝由此可知，人只有积极地参与生活中的各项活动，才能实践仁爱，仁爱的生命才能成长。人若远离这些活动，仁爱的生命不可能成长。
[3]我用实际经历来说明这一点。许多人在世时致力于商业贸易并通过这些事业变得富有，他们当中有许多人在天堂；而那些身居荣耀的职位、并通过这些职位变得富有的人当中，在天堂的则没有那么多。这是因为后者因执行公义公平而获得利益和地位，加上有利可图的体面的职位，这些将他引向爱自己、爱世界，由此使自己的思想和情感远离天堂、转向自己。因为人在什么程度上爱自己和世界，并在一切事上专注于自己和世界，就在什么程度上疏远上帝、远离天堂。
｛注1｝：对邻舍仁爱，就是在一切行为和事务中，行良善、公义和公平（8120-8122）。因此，对邻舍仁爱延伸到人所思、所愿和所行的每一件最小的事上（8124）。脱离仁爱生活的虔诚生活没有任何作用，但虔诚和仁爱在一起则对一切有益（8252，8253）。
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360. 我曾与一些死后的人交谈, 他们活在世上时曾摒弃尘世, 过着几乎与世隔绝的生活, 想将思维从世俗事物中抽离出来, 从而腾出时间专注于冥想, 以为这样就能踏上通往天堂的道路. 但在来世, 这些人却精神忧郁, 鄙视和他们不一样的其他人, 并为自己没有得到比其他人更多的幸福而愤愤不平, 以为他们配得, 对别人漠不关心, 躲避作为与天堂联结之手段的仁爱义务. 他们比其他人更渴望天堂; 但当被带到天使当中时, 他们却带来焦虑, 干扰天使的幸福. 于是他们被打发离开; 被打发离开后, 他们便去往人迹罕至之地, 在那里过着和在世时一样的生活.
人能为天堂而得以形成的唯一方法就是通过世界. 每个人的情感都必须终止于最外在的结果, 而最外在的结果就在世界中; 或也可说, 世界是一切情感所终止于其中的终极目标. 情感若不在与他人的交往中显现自己, 或流入行为, 就会被窒息到最终人不再关心邻舍, 只关心自己的地步. 这一切清楚表明, 把人引向天堂的, 是对邻之仁的生活, 也就是在一切行为和职责中行公义, 公平, 而非脱离仁爱的虔诚生活. 由此可知, 人只有在积极工作的情况下才能实践仁爱, 并且仁爱的生命才能成长; 若人远离这些工作, 这是不可能的.
让我用实际经历来说明这一点. 那些在世时把精力投入商业和贸易, 并通过这些事业变得富有的人当中, 有许多人在天堂. 而那些身居荣耀的职位, 并通过这些职位变得富有的人当中在天堂的, 则没有那么多. 这是因为后者被因执行公义公平所带给他们的利益和地位, 以及有利可图的体面职位引向爱自己, 爱世界, 由此使自己的思维和情感远离天堂, 并将其转向自己. 因为人爱自己和世界, 并在一切事上专注于自己和世界到什么程度, 就疏远神性, 远离天堂到什么程度.
注: 对邻之仁就是在一切行为和工作中行良善, 公义和公平(天国的奥秘 8120-8122节). 因此, 对邻之仁延伸到人所思, 所愿和所行的每一件最小的事上(天国的奥秘 8124节). 脱离仁爱生活的虔诚生活没有任何用处, 但它们一起则对一切事物都是有益的(天国的奥秘 8252, 8253节).
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360. 我曾與一些死後的人交談, 他們生前曾逃離世界, 過著與世隔絕的生活, 希望通過抽身於世俗而專注於冥想, 以之為通往天國之路。但在心靈世界, 他們的心靈卻甚憂鬱。他們啟避與之性情不同的人, 抱怨沒有獲得比別人更大的快樂。他們認為自己配得, 對別人漠不關心, 逃避用於與天合一的與人為善的責任。他們比別人更嚮往天國, 可是當他們被帶到天人當中, 卻帶來不安, 干擾天人的快樂。於是他們分開, 分開以後, 他們去到荒涼之地, 過著與生前一樣的生活。
人只有在世間才能為天國做好準備, 因為人的情感, 其終極表現是在世間。情感若不在與人交往中自我表現(或說流入行動), 就要窒息, 直至不關心鄰人, 只關心自己。由此可見, 與人為善的生活——在一切舉動和責任中憑公平, 正直而行, 將人引向天國, 缺乏仁愛的敬虔卻不能。這意味著仁愛的行為及其帶來的利益只有在日常生活中才能產生, 逃避日常生活則不然。讓我用實際經歷來作說明。很多在世時曾忙於生意而變得富有者, 如今在天國。但是, 有地位並通過地位而變得富足的, 進入天國的不如前者多。因為後者在執行公平公義的過程中所獲得的利益, 地位, 將他們誘入我欲和物欲之中, 使其情感與思維脫離天國, 轉向自己。因為人若陷入我欲物欲之中, 專注於自己和世界, 便與上帝疏遠, 背離了天國。
360. I have talked after their death with some people who during their earthly lives had renounced the world and devoted themselves to a virtually solitary life, wanting to make time for devout meditation by withdrawing their thoughts from worldly matters. They believed that this was the way to follow the path to heaven. In the other life, though, they are gloomy in spirit. They avoid others who are not like themselves and they resent the fact that they are not allotted more happiness than others. They believe they deserve it and do not care about other people, and they avoid the responsibilities of thoughtful behavior that are the means to union with heaven. They covet heaven more than others do; but when they are brought up to where angels are, they cause anxieties that upset the happiness of the angels. So they part company; and once they have parted, they betake themselves to lonely places where they lead the same kind of life they had led in the world.
[2] The only way we can be formed for heaven is through the world. That is the ultimate goal by which every affection must be defined. Unless affection manifests itself or flows into action, which happens in sizeable communities, it is stifled, ultimately to the point that we no longer focus on our neighbor at all, but only on ourselves. We can see from this that the life of thoughtfulness toward our neighbor - behaving fairly and uprightly in all our deeds and in all our responsibilities - leads to heaven, but not a life of piety apart from this active life. 1This means that the practice of thoughtfulness and the benefits that ensue from this kind of life can occur only to the extent that we are involved in our occupations, and that they cannot occur to the extent that we withdraw from those occupations.
[3] But let me say something about this from experience. Many people who devoted their energies to business and trade in the world, many who became rich, are in heaven. There are not so many, though, who made a name for themselves and became rich in public office. This is because these latter were led into love for themselves and the world by the profits and the positions they were given because of their administration of justice and morality and of profits and positions. This in turn led them to deflect their thoughts and affections from heaven and direct them toward themselves; for to the extent that we love ourselves and the world and focus on ourselves and the world exclusively, we estrange ourselves from the Divine and move away from heaven.
Footnotes:
1. Thoughtfulness toward our neighbor is doing what is good, fair, and upright in all our deeds and in all our responsibilities: 8120-8122. So thoughtfulness toward our neighbor extends to every least thing we think and intend and do: 8124. Without a life of thoughtfulness, a life of piety is of no use, but with it, it is immensely productive: 8252-8253.
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360. I have spoken with some after death who, while they lived in the world, renounced the world and gave themselves up to an almost solitary life, in order that by an abstraction of the thoughts from worldly things they might have opportunity for pious meditations, believing that thus they might enter the way to heaven. But these in the other life are of a sad disposition; they despise others who are not like themselves; they are indignant that they do not have a happier lot than others, believing that they have merited it; they have no interest in others, and turn away from the duties of charity by which there is conjunction with heaven. They desire heaven more than others; but when they are taken up among the angels they induce anxieties that disturb the happiness of the angels, and in consequence they are sent away; and when sent away they betake themselves to desert places, where they lead a life like that which they lived in the world.
[2] Man can be formed for heaven only by means of the world. In the world are the ultimate effects in which everyone's affection must be terminated; for unless affection puts itself forth or flows out into acts, which is done in association with many, it is suffocated to such a degree finally that man has no longer any regard for the neighbour, but only for himself. All this makes clear that a life of charity towards the neighbour, which is doing what is just and right in every work and in every employment, leads to heaven, and not a life of piety apart from charity. 1From this it follows that only to the extent that man is engaged in the employments of life can charity be exercised and the life of charity grow; and this is impossible to the extent that man separates himself from those employments. On this subject I will speak now from experience.
[3] Of those who, while in the world, were employed in trade and commerce and became rich through these pursuits, there are many in heaven, but not so many of those who were in stations of honour and became rich through their offices; and for the reason that these latter by the gains and honours that resulted from their dispensing justice and equity, and also by the lucrative and honourable positions bestowed on them, were led into loving themselves and the world and thereby separating their thoughts and affections from heaven and turning them to themselves. For to the extent that a man loves self and the world and looks to self and the world in everything, he alienates himself from the Divine and removes himself from heaven.
Footnotes:
1. Charity towards the neighbour is doing what is good, just, and right, in every work and every employment (Arcana Coelestia 8120-8122).
Thus charity towards the neighbour extends to all things and each thing that a man thinks, wills, and does (Arcana Coelestia 8124).
A life of piety apart from a life of charity is of no avail, but together they are profitable for all things (Arcana Coelestia 8252-8253).
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360. I have spoken with some after death who, while they lived in the world, renounced the world and gave themselves up to an almost solitary life, in order that by an abstraction of the thoughts from worldly things they might have opportunity for pious meditations, believing that thus they might enter the way to heaven. But these in the other life are of a sad disposition; they despise others who are not like themselves; they are indignant that they do not have a happier lot than others, believing that they have merited it; they have no interest in others, and turn away from the duties of charity by which there is conjunction with heaven. They desire heaven more than others; but when they are taken up among the angels they induce anxieties that disturb the happiness of the angels; and in consequence they are sent away; and when sent away they betake themselves to desert places, where they lead a life like that which they lived in the world.
[2] Man can be formed for heaven only by means of the world. In the world are the outmost effects in which everyone's affection must be terminated; for unless affection puts itself forth or flows out into acts, which is done in association with others, it is suffocated to such a degree finally that man has no longer any regard for the neighbor, but only for himself. All this makes clear that a life of charity towards the neighbor, which is doing what is just and right in every work and in every employment, is what leads to heaven, and not a life of piety apart from charity; 1and from this it follows that only to the extent that man is engaged in the employments of life can charity be exercised and the life of charity grow; and this is impossible to the extent that man separates himself from those employments.
[3] On this subject I will speak now from experience. Of those who while in the world were employed in trade and commerce and became rich through these pursuits there are many in heaven, but not so many of those who were in stations of honor and became rich through those employments; and for the reason that these latter by the gains and honors that resulted from their dispensing justice and equity, and also by the lucrative and honorable positions bestowed on them were led into loving themselves and the world, and thereby separating their thoughts and affections from heaven and turning them to themselves. For to the extent that a man loves self and the world and looks to self and the world in everything, he alienates himself from the Divine and separates himself from heaven.
Footnotes:
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360. Locutus sum cum aliquibus post mortem, qui dum in mundo vixerunt, abdicaverunt mundum, et se dederunt vitae paene solitariae, ut per abstractionem cogitationum a mundanis, vacarent piis meditationibus; credentes sic ingredi viam caeli: sed illi in altera vita tristi genio sunt, spernunt alios qui non sibi similes sunt, indignantur quod non felicia prae reliquis sortiantur, credentes se meruisse, nec curant alios, et avertunt se ab officiis charitatis, per quae conjunctio est cum caelo. Caelum prae reliquis cupiunt; sed cum elevantur ubi angeli sunt, inducunt anxietates, quae felicia angelorum perturbant; quapropter dissociantur, ac dissociati conferunt se in loca deserta, ubi similem vitam, qualem in mundo, 1agant.
[2] Homo ad caelum non formari potest, nisi per mundum ibi sunt ultimi effectus, in quos terminanda est cujusvis affectio: quae nisi exserit se seu effundit in actus, quod fit in societate plurium, suffocatur illa, tandem adeo, ut homo non spectet amplius proximum, sed semet solum. Inde patet, quod vita charitatis erga proximum, quae est facere justum et rectum in omni opere et in omni functione, ducat ad caelum; non autem vita pietatis absque illa: 2consequenter quod exercitia charitatis et inde incrementa illius vitae, tantum dari possint, quantum homo in negotiis est; et tantum non dari, quantum se removet ab illis.
[3] De his loquar nunc ab experientia. Plures ex illis qui negotiationibus et mercaturis operam in mundo dederunt, et quoque per illas divites facti sunt, in caelo sunt; pauciores autem ex illis qui honorati sunt et divites facti per functiones; ex causa quia hi per lucrationes et per honores ob dispensationes justi et recti, tum lucrorum et honorum, sibi datos, inducti sunt semet et mundum amare, et per id cogitationes et affectiones e caelo removere, et ad se vertere: nam quantum homo semet et mundum amat, et se ac mundum in omnibus spectat, tantum se abalienat a Divino, ac removet a caelo.
Footnotes: