361、富人在天堂的情况大体是这样：他们比其他人生活得更豪华，有些人住在宫殿，殿内的一切如同金银那样金碧辉煌。他们有丰富的一切供生活所用，但他们丝毫不将心思放在这些东西上，而是放在它们的实际功用上，他们能清楚地看到这些功用，好像它们在光中，而金银则显得模糊，比较起来，好像是在阴影里。这是因为他们在世时就喜爱功用，把金银当作手段和工具来喜爱。正是功用在天堂里光芒四射，对良善的功用就像金子，对真理的功用就像银子。｛注1｝因此，他们在天堂的财富就像他们在世上的功用一样，他们在天堂的快乐和幸福也是如此。
良善的功用包括为自己和家人提供生活必需品，以及因自己的国家和邻舍的缘故而渴望财富。在利益邻舍方面，富人的办法要比穷人多得多。这些之所以是良善的功用，是因为人能由此使自己的心智远离有害的懒惰的生活，因为在懒惰的生活中，人的思想会由于与生俱来的恶性而奔向邪恶。这些功用若有上帝同在，则是良善的。也就是说，人在什么程度上仰望上帝和天堂、将自己的良善投入到这些功用中、看待财富为附属的工具，那么，这些功用就在这个程度上是良善的。
｛注1｝：一切良善都有它的快乐，这快乐来自功用并与功用一致（3049，4984，7038）；还有它的品质也是如此。因此，功用的品质决定了良善的品质（3049）。生活的一切幸福和快乐都来自功用（997）。一般来说，生命就是有用的生活（1964）。天使的生命在于爱和仁的良善，因而在于发挥功用（454）。人所关注的目的，也就是功用，是主因而是天使唯一考虑的事（1317，1645，5844）。主的国是功用的国（454，696，1103，3645，4054，7038）。发挥功用就是服侍主（7038）。人的品质取决于他所发挥的功用（4054，6315）；举例说明（7038）。
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361. 富人在天堂的命运大体是这样: 他们比其他人活得更优雅, 其中有些人住在宫殿, 殿内的一切皆如同金银那样光芒四射. 他们拥有充裕的有用生活所需的一切, 但他们丝毫不将心思放在这些事物上, 而是投入功用. 他们能清楚看到这些功用, 好像它们处于光明; 而金银则显得模糊, 相对来说如同处于阴影. 这是因为他们在世时就喜欢功用, 只喜欢作为手段和工具的黄金和白银. 在天堂光芒四射的, 正是“功用”; 功用的良善就像黄金, 功用的真理就像白银. 因此, 他们在世时所服务的功用的品质, 决定了他们在天堂的财富, 快乐和幸福. 良善的功用包括为自己和自己人提供生活必需品; 以及因自己的国家和邻舍的缘故渴望丰富的资源; 在利益邻舍方面, 富人的门路要比穷人的宽广得多. 这些之所以是良善的功用, 是因为人能由此使自己的心智远离有害的懒散生活; 事实上, 在这种生活中, 人的思维会由于他与生俱来的恶性而奔向邪恶. 这些功用只在拥有神性在里面, 也就是人专注于神性和天堂, 并在这些里面找到自己的良善, 在财富中只看到附属良善时才是良善.
注: 一切良善皆凭功用并照功用而拥有自己的快乐(天国的奥秘 3049, 4984, 7038节); 以及它们的品质; 因此, 功用的品质决定了良善的品质(天国的奥秘 3049节). 生活的一切幸福和快乐皆出自功用(天国的奥秘 997节). 一般来说, 生命就是一种有用的生活(天国的奥秘 1964节). 天使的生命在于爱与仁之良善, 因而在于发挥功用(天国的奥秘 454节). 主, 因而天使只考虑人所关注的目的, 也就是功用(天国的奥秘 1317, 1645, 5844节). 主的国是功用的国(天国的奥秘 454, 696, 1103, 3645, 4054, 7038节). 发挥功用就是服侍主(天国的奥秘 7038节). 人的品质是由他所发挥的功用决定的(天国的奥秘 4054, 6315节); 举例说明(天国的奥秘 7038节).
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361. 富人在天國的情況大致如下。他們比常人更享有尊榮, 有的住在宮殿, 其中的一切皆如金銀閃光。他們擁有所需的一切, 以建設實用的生活。但是他們的心並不專注於此, 而僅僅專注于有用的行為。金銀對其而言只是一個影子, 有用的生活才為其清晰所見。因為在世時他們樂於做有用之人, 金銀只是其發揮作用的工具。在天國發光的正是"用,"有用之善如金, 有用之理如銀。他們在世時為用的品質, 決定了他們在天國的財富, 快樂, 幸福。
良善, 有用的行為包括為自己並家人提供生活所需, 為國家, 人民謀求豐富的資源。在利益他人的事業上, 富人比窮人的作為要寬廣得多。這些行為有益, 也在於它們能使人心脫離懶散。懶散的生活是有害的, 因為在這種生活中, 人的思想更容易落入與生俱來的惡性當中。
這些有用的行為, 若有上帝在其中, 就是說, 人若專注于上帝和天國, 將這些行為視為善, 將財富僅僅視為工具, 便是良善的。
361. Broadly speaking, what lies in store for rich people in heaven is this. They live more elegantly than others, some in palaces where everything within gleams like gold and silver. They have everything they need for a useful life. However, they do not set their hearts on such things but on their useful activities. These they see clearly and in full light, while the gold and silver are relatively hazy and shadowy. The reason is that in the world they had loved being useful and had loved gold and silver only as subservient means. This is how useful things gleam in heaven - what works for good like gold, what works for truth like silver. 1The quality of the useful functions they served in the world determines their wealth, their pleasure, and their happiness.
Good and useful activities include providing the necessities of life for oneself and one's own, wanting ample resources for the sake of one's country and one's neighbor, whom a rich person can benefit in far more ways than a poor person can. [These activities are useful also] because they lead the mind away from an idle life, which is destructive, since in that kind of life our thoughts turn to evil because of our inborn evil nature.
These useful activities are good to the extent that the Divine is within them - that is, to the extent that we focus on the Divine and on heaven and invest ourselves in these as good, investing in wealth only as a subservient means.
Footnotes:
1. It is from use and in proportion to use that everything good derives its delight: 3049, 4984, 7038; and its quality as well; so the quality of the use determines the quality of the good: 3049. All the happiness and delight of life comes from use: 997. In general, life is a life of useful activities: 1964. Angelic life consists of the good fruits of love and thoughtfulness, and therefore of being useful: 453 [452]. The Lord, and therefore the angels as well, focuses on nothing in us except our goals, which are useful activities: 1317, 1645, 5844. The Lord's kingdom is a kingdom of useful functions: 453 [454], 696, 1103, 3645, 4054, 7038. To serve the Lord is to be useful: 7038. Our quality is determined by the uses we fulfill: 4054, 6815; with examples: 7038.
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361. As to the lot of the rich in heaven, they live more splendidly than others. Some of them dwell in palaces wherein everything is resplendent as if with gold and silver. They have an abundance of all things for the uses of life, but they do not in the least set their heart on these things, but on their actual uses. Uses are clearly seen as if they were in light, but the gold and silver are seen obscurely, and comparatively as if in shade. This is because while they were in the world they loved uses, and loved gold and silver only as means and instruments. It is the uses that are thus resplendent in heaven, the good of use like gold and the truth of use like silver. 1Therefore, their wealth in heaven is such as their uses were in the world, and such, too, are their delight and happiness. Good uses are providing oneself and one's own with the necessaries of life; also desiring wealth for the sake of one's country and for the sake of one's neighbour, whom a rich man can in many ways benefit more than a poor man. These are good uses because one is able thereby to withdraw his mind from an indolent life which is harmful, since in such a life man's thoughts run to evil because of the evil inherent in him. These uses are good to the extent that they have the Divine in them, that is, to the extent that man looks to the Divine and to heaven, and places his good in these, and sees in wealth only a subservient good.
Footnotes:
1. Every good has its delight from use and in accordance with use (Arcana Coelestia 3049, 4984, 7038); also its quality; and in consequence such as the use is such is the good (Arcana Coelestia 3049).
All the happiness and delight of life is from uses (Arcana Coelestia 997).
In general, life is a life of uses (Arcana Coelestia 1964).
Angelic life consists in the goods of love and charity, thus in performing uses (454).
The ends that man has in view, which are uses, are the only things that the Lord, and thus the angels, consider (Arcana Coelestia 1317, 1645, 5844).
The kingdom of the Lord is a kingdom of uses (Arcana Coelestia 454, 696, 1103, 3645, 4054, 7038).
Performing uses is serving the Lord (Arcana Coelestia 7038).
Everyone's character is such as are the uses he performs (Arcana Coelestia 4054, 6815); illustrated (Arcana Coelestia 7038).
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361. As to the lot of the rich in heaven, they live more splendidly than others. Some of them dwell in palaces within which everything is resplendent as if with gold and silver. They have an abundance of all things for the uses of life, but they do not in the least set their heart on these things, but only on uses. Uses are clearly seen as if they were in light, but the gold and silver are seen obscurely, and comparatively as if in shade. This is because while they were in the world they loved uses, and loved gold and silver only as means and instruments. It is the uses that are thus resplendent in heaven, the good of use like gold and the truth of use like silver. 1Therefore their wealth in heaven is such as their uses were in the world, and such, too, are their delight and happiness. Good uses are providing oneself and one's own with the necessaries of life; also desiring wealth for the sake of one's country and for the sake of one's neighbor, whom a rich man can in many ways benefit more than a poor man. These are good uses because one is able thereby to withdraw his mind from an indolent life which is harmful, since in such a life man's thoughts run to evil because of the evil inherent in him. These uses are good to the extent that they have the Divine in them, that is, to the extent that man looks to the Divine and to heaven, and finds his good in these, and sees in wealth only a subservient good.
Footnotes:
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361. Sors divitum in caelo est talis, quod in opulentia sint prae reliquis quidam illorum in palatiis habitant, ubi intus omnia fulgent sicut ex auro et argento; illis copia est omnium quae ad usus vitae verum prorsus non ponunt cor in illis, sed in ipsis usibus; hos spectant in claro et sicut in luce, aurum autem et argentum in obscuro et sicut in umbra respective: causa est, quia in mundo amaverunt usus, ac aurum et argentum modo sicut media et servitia: ipsi usus ita in caelo fulgent bonum usus ut aurum, et verum usus ut argentum. 1Quales itaque illis usus fuerunt in mundo, talis est illis opulentia, et talis jucunditas et felicitas. Usus boni sunt, se et suos prospicere necessariis vitae abundantiam velle patriae causa, etiam proximi, cui dives prae paupere multis modis benefacere potest; et quia sic animum potest removere a vita otiosa, quae vita perniciosa est, nam in illa homo cogitat male ex malo sibi insito. Hi usus boni sunt, quantum in se Divinum habent, hoc est, quantum homo spectat Divinum et ad caelum, et suum bonum in illis ponit, et in opibus modo bonum inserviens.
Footnotes: