480、第二，人死后，就像他的意志或主导爱一样，继续存在，直到永远。这一点，也通过大量的经历被证实了。我曾蒙允许与生活在两千多年前的一些人交谈，他们的生活被记载在史书中，因而为人所知。我发现，｛注1｝他们还是一样的，就像史书中所描述的，包括他们的爱，这是他们生命的源头和决定因素。
还有一些从历史书上知道的人，一些人生活在一千七百多年前，另一些人生活在四百年前，还有一些在大约三百年前，等等，我也蒙允许与他们交谈，并发现同样的情感仍在支配着他们，没有其它区别，唯一不同的是，他们的爱之快乐已转变为相对应的事物。
天使宣称，主导爱的生命在任何人里面都永远不会改变，因为每个人就是他自己的爱，因此，改变一个灵人里面的爱，就等于夺走或扼杀他的生命。他们还解释了人死后不能再通过教导来改造的原因，因为由认知和情感构成的最外层平面处于休眠状态，并且不是属灵的，无法被打开（参看上文第464节）。人的心智和性情的内层立于该平面上，如同房子立于地基上。正因如此，人在世上的爱之生命怎样，他在灵界仍旧怎样，直到永远。
令天使极为惊讶的是，人们不知道每个人正像他的主导爱一样；而且许多人相信，无论他们的生命是怎样的，他们可以通过直接的怜悯或唯独信仰而得救；人们也不知道神性的怜悯是间接的，是通过方法来实现的，在于人被主所引导，这引导无论是在尘世还是随后在来世，直到永远，那些没有活在邪恶中的人就被主的怜悯所引导。人们还不知道“信”是出于天堂之爱的对真理的情感，天堂之爱来自主。
｛注1｝：【英273】“我发现”对应于第一版中的短语 illi comperti sunt。这个拉丁语短语在这里和下面的句子中似乎是被动使用的，字面意思是“他们被发现了/它被发现了”。
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480. ⑵就其意愿或主导爱而言, 人死后永远保持不变. 这一点也通过大量经历被证实了. 我曾蒙允许与生活在两千多年前的一些人交谈, 他们的生活在史书上有所描述, 因而为人所知. 我发现, 他们仍和从前一样, 正如史书所描述的, 包括作为其生命源头和决定性因素的爱. 还有一些生活在一千七百多年前的人, 我们也可从历史知道他们; 又有生活在四百年前的, 和生活在三百年前的, 等等; 我也蒙允许与他们交谈, 并发现同样的情感仍在他们里面起主导作用. 唯一不同的是, 他们的爱之快乐已转变为相对应的那类事物.
天使告诉我, 主导爱的生命在任何人里面都永远不会改变, 因为每个人就是他的爱; 因此, 改变一个灵人里面的主导爱, 就等于夺走和扼杀他的生命. 他们还告诉我, 这是因为人死后不能再如在世时那样通过教导被改造; 事实上, 那时, 由属世知识和情感构成的最外层处于休眠状态, 因不是属灵的而无法被打开(参看464节).
属于心智和性情的内层立于该层之上, 正如房子立于地基之上; 正因如此, 人在世上的爱之生命如何, 他仍旧如何, 直到永远. 令天使大为惊讶的是, 人不知道, 每个人的性质都取决于其主导爱的性质; 事实上, 许多人以为他们能通过脱离方法的瞬间怜悯, 或唯独通过信得救, 无论他们过的是哪种生活; 殊不知, 神性怜悯通过方法运作, 该方法就在于人被主引导, 无论在世间, 还是以后直到永远; 那些没有活在邪恶中的人就被神性怜悯引导. 人们甚至不知道信是天堂之爱所发出的一种对真理的情感, 这种情感出自主.
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480. 大量經歷也向我證實:死後, 人的意志或主導欲將保持不變, 直到永遠。我曾與生活在二千多年前的人交談, 他們的生平在史冊上有所記載, 故為人所知。就他們的主導欲而言, 他們還是和從前一樣的人, 正如史書所記錄的, 其所欲未曾改變, 仍是其生活的動力和根本。
在那裡還有其它史上知名的人士, 我曾與十七個世紀前和三四個世紀前的靈交談過, 發現他們仍具有同樣的情感。唯一不同的是, 他們所追求的已轉化為靈界相應的事物。
天人告訴我, 主導欲的生活永不改變, 誰都如此, 而且保持到永遠, 因為人人皆為其所欲。因此, 改變一個靈的主導欲, 等於取走或扼殺他的生命。
天人還告訴我, 人的主導欲永不改變, 也在於死後人不能像在世時那樣通過受教來獲得改造, 因為由物質性認知和情感所構成的終端平臺已歸於沉寂狀態, 不能被開啟, 因為它並非心靈之物(464)。而屬於思想與性情的更內在部分則建立於該終端平臺之上, 正如房子立於地基之上。正因如此, 人將保持其在人間之欲, 直到永遠。對於人不知道他的秉性取決於主導欲, 卻以為得救在於上帝的直接憐憫, 或者唯獨信就能得救, 無所謂行為如何, 天人們感到震驚不已。這樣的人不知上帝的憐憫是間接的, 包括在世上以及日後直到永遠皆受主的引導, 並且只有那些不活在罪惡中的人才因憐憫而被引導。另外, 這樣的人也不知道信其實就是對理的渴慕情感, 理自天國之仁而出, 仁源於上帝。
480. A great deal of experience has also convinced me that after death we remain the same forever in regard to our volition or dominant love. I have been allowed to talk with some people who lived more than two thousand years ago, people whose lives are described in history books and are therefore familiar. I discovered that they were still the same, just as described, including the love that was the source and determinant of their lives.
There were others who had lived seventeen centuries ago, also known from history books, and some who had lived four centuries ago, some three, and so on, with whom I was also allowed to talk and to learn that the same affection still governed within them. The only difference was that the pleasures of their love had been changed into corresponding ones.
Angels have told me that the life of our dominant love never changes for anyone to all eternity because we are our love, so to change it in any spirit would be to take away and snuff out his or her life.
They have also told me that this is because after death we can no longer be reformed by being taught the way we could in this world, since the outmost level, made up of natural insights and affections, is then dormant and cannot be opened because it is not spiritual (see above, 464). The deeper functions of our mind or spirit rest on this level the way a house rests on its foundation, which is why we do stay forever like the life of our love in the world. Angels are utterly amazed that people do not realize that our nature is determined by the nature of our dominant love and that many people actually believe they can be saved by instantaneous mercy, simply on the basis of their faith alone, regardless of the kind of life they have led, not realizing that divine mercy operates through means. The means involve being led by the Lord in the world as well as afterward in heaven, and the people who are led by mercy are the ones who do not live in evil. People do not even know that faith is an affection for what is true, an affection that comes from a heavenly love that comes from the Lord.
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480. Man after death continues to eternity such as his will or ruling love is. This, too, has been confirmed by abundant experience. I have been permitted to talk with some who lived two thousand years ago, and whose lives are described in history, and thus known. They were found to be still the same persons and exactly as described, that is, in respect of the love out of which and in accordance with which their lives were formed. There were others known to history, who had lived seventeen centuries ago, others who had lived four centuries ago, and three, and so on, with whom I was also permitted to talk; and I found that the same affection still ruled with them, with no other difference than that the delights of their love had been turned into such things as correspond. The angels declare that the life of the ruling love is never changed in anyone even to eternity, since everyone is his own love; consequently, to change that love with a spirit is to take away or extinguish his life. They also gave the reason that man after death is no longer capable of being reformed by instruction, as in the world, because the ultimate plane, which consists of cognitions and affections, is then quiescent and, not being spiritual, cannot be opened (see above, 464); and upon that plane the interiors pertaining to the mind and "animus" rest as a house rests on its foundation; and on this account, such as the life of one's love had been in the world, such he continues to be to eternity. The angels are greatly surprised that man does not know that everyone is such as his ruling love is, and that many believe that they may be saved by immediate mercy, or by faith alone, whatever their life may be; also that they do not know that Divine mercy is mediated, and that it consists in man's being led by the Lord, both in the world and afterwards to eternity, and that those who do not live in evils are led by mercy; nor do they know that faith is the affection of truth going forth from heavenly love, which is from the Lord.
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480. (ii) Man after death continues to eternity such as his will or ruling love is. This, too, has been confirmed by abundant experience. I have been permitted to talk with some who lived two thousand years ago, and whose lives are described in history, and thus known; and I found that they continued to be just the same as they were described, that is, in respect to the love out of which and according to which their lives were formed. There were others known to history, that had lived seventeen centuries ago, others that had lived four centuries ago, and three, and so on, with whom I was permitted to talk; and I found that the same affection still ruled in them, with no other difference than that the delights of their love were turned into such things as correspond. The angels declare that the life of the ruling love is never changed in any one even to eternity, since everyone is his love; consequently to change that love in a spirit is to take away or extinguish his life; and for the reason that man after death is no longer capable of being reformed by instruction, as in the world, because the outmost plane, which consists of natural knowledges and affections, is then quiescent and not being spiritual cannot be opened (see above, 464); and upon that plane the interiors pertaining to the mind and disposition rest as a house rests on its foundation; and on this account such as the life of one's love had been in the world such he continues to be to eternity. The angels are greatly surprised that man does not know that everyone is such as his ruling love is, and that many believe that they may be saved by mercy apart from means, or by faith alone, whatever their life may be; also that they do not know that Divine mercy works by means, and that it consists in man's being led by the Lord, both in the world and afterwards to eternity, and that those who do not live in evils are led by the Divine mercy; and finally that faith is affection for truth going forth from heavenly love, which is from the Lord.
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480. [(ii)] Quod homo post mortem maneat in aeternum qualis est quoad quam voluntatem aut amorem regnantem, etiam per plurem experientiam confirmatum est. Datum est loqui cum aliquibus qui ante duo millia annorum vixerunt, quorum vita in historicis descripta est, et inde nota: illi comperti sunt, quod sibi adhuc similes essent, et prorsus tales sicut descripti sunt, ita quoad amorem, ex quo et secundum quem vita eorum. Fuerunt alii qui ante septendecim saecula vixerunt, et quoque ex historicis noti et fuerunt qui ante quatuor saecula, et qui ante tria, et sic porro, cum quibus etiam loqui datum est: et compertum, quod similis affectio adhuc regnaret apud illos; absque differentia alia, quam quod jucunda amoris eorum versa fuerint in talia quae correspondent. Dictum est ab angelis, quod vita amoris regnantis nusquam in aeternum apud ullum mutetur, quoniam unusquisque est suus amor; quare illum mutare apud spiritum, est eum privare sua vita seu exstinguere. Causam etiam dixerunt quod nempe homo post mortem non amplius per instructionem reformari queat, sicut in mundo, quia ultimum plenum, quod consistit ex cognitionibus et affectionibus naturalibus, tunc quiescit, et non potest aperiri, quia non est spirituale (videatur supra, 464); et quod super illo plano interiora, quae mentis seu animi sunt, requiescant sicut domus super suo fundamento; et quod inde sit quod homo in aeternum maneat, sicut ejus vita amoris fuerat in mundo. Angeli mirantur valde, quod homo non sciat, quod quisque talis sit qualis ejus amor regnans, et quod multi credant quod salvari possint ex immediata misericordia, et ex sola fide, qualescunque quoad vitam sunt; et quod non sciant quod Divina misericordia sit mediata, et quod sit duci a Domino tam in mundo quam postea in aeternum et quod ducantur ex misericordia qui non vivunt in malo nec sciant, quod fides sit affectio veri procedens ex amore caelesti qui a Domino.