533、现在已经很清楚，过通往天堂的生活并不像有些人认为的那么难。当有任何事出现在人面前时，他知道是不诚实或不公正的，但已经动心，此时，他只需要认识到，这种事不能做，因为它违反神性的诫命。如果一个人使自己习惯于这样思考，并由此养成了习惯，他就逐渐与天堂相连。只要他与天堂相连，他的心智的较高区域就被打开，而只要这些区域被打开，他就能看见不诚实或不公正的事，既能看见这些邪恶，就能把它们驱散，因为邪恶不被看见，就不能被驱散。人能进入这种状态，因为他有自由。因为谁不能出于自由而这样思想呢？而且，一旦人开了头，主就在他身上施行奇妙的作为，使他不仅看到邪恶是邪恶，还克制自己不去意愿它们，最终转身离开它们。这就是主说这些话的意思：
我的轭是容易的，我的担子是轻省的。（马太福音11:30）
不过，应该知道，如此思考并抵制邪恶的难度，随着人自愿作恶的程度而增加，因为他在同等的程度上习惯于这些邪恶，直到熟视无睹，见怪不怪，最终喜欢上它们，并出于自己的罪爱之乐，为它们开脱，利用各种伪谬来确认它们，声称它们是允许的，是好的。这种情况发生在那些在少年时毫无节制地沉溺于各种邪恶、同时在内心拒绝神性事物的人身上。
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533. 由此可见, 过天堂的生活并不像有些人想的那么难, 因为这只是一个认识的问题; 当有诱惑人的事出现, 他知道这是不诚实或不公义的; 当他的头脑对此清醒时, 他有必要思想这种事不可以做, 因为它反对神性诫命. 人若习惯如此思考, 并由此建立一种如此思考的习惯, 便逐渐与天堂联结; 他越与天堂联结, 其心智的高层区域就越被打开; 而这些区域越被打开, 他就越能看见不诚实或不公义之事; 越能看见这些邪恶, 它们就越能被驱散, 因为在被发现之前, 邪恶无法被驱散. 人能进入这种状态, 因为他有自由; 事实上, 谁不能以这种方式自由思考? 然而, 一旦这个过程开始, 主便将人里面的一切良善都活跃起来, 或说在他里面施行奇迹, 不仅使他看到邪恶就是邪恶, 还使他不去意愿它们, 最后远离它们. 这就是主说这些话的意思:
我的轭是容易的, 我的担子是轻省的. (马太福音 11:30)
不过, 必须要意识到, 如此思考并抵制邪恶的难度随着人出于其意愿作恶的程度而增加, 因为他在同等程度上习惯于这些邪恶, 直到对它们视而不见, 最终喜欢上它们, 并出于其爱之快乐使之合理化, 利用各种虚假确认它们, 声称它们是可允许的, 是良善. 这就是那些在少年时期毫无节制地沉溺于各种邪恶, 同时从心里弃绝神性事物之人的命运.
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533. 由此可見, 通往天國的生活其實並不像人們想像的那麼難, 因為這只是一個加以分辨的問題。每當有虛偽自私之念引誘我們時, 我們及時省察, 禁絕不做, 因為這違背上帝的誡命。我們若時常這
樣思維, 使之成為一種習性, 就能逐漸聯于天國。既聯于天國, 我們的心就能開啟, 心既開啟, 就能洞察虛偽自私之念。既洞察之, 就能驅除之。因為凡惡必須先被識破, 才能將其驅逐。人可以進入這種狀態, 因為他有自由。每個人都有自由如此思維。這過程一旦開始, 主就在我們心裡施行奇跡, 不僅讓我們洞察罪惡, 更讓我們有能力拒絕之, 乃至遠離之。主說:"我的軛是容易的, 我的擔子是輕省的"(馬太福音11:30), 即是此義。
我們當知, 如此思維並禁絕罪惡的難度將隨著人故意沾染罪惡的程度而增加, 這一點很重要。事實上, 人若習慣了造作惡事, 最終他將對罪惡視而不見。然後, 他必迷戀罪惡, 找藉口滿足自己的欲望, 以各種自欺的理由將之合理化, 稱之為善。從青年時代就毫無節制地沉迷於各種罪惡, 同時從心裡否認上帝的人, 即是如此。
533. We can now see that it is not so hard to lead the life of heaven as people think, because it is simply a matter of recognizing, when something attractive comes up that we know is dishonest or unfair, that this is not to be done because it is against the divine commandments. If we get used to thinking like this, and from this familiarity form a habit, then we are gradually united to heaven. To the extent that we are united to heaven, the higher levels of our minds are opened, and to the extent that they are opened, we see what is dishonest and unfair; and to the extent that we see this, these qualities can be dispelled. For no evil can be banished until it has been seen. This is a state we can enter because of our freedom, since everyone is free to think in this way. However, once the process has started, the Lord works his wonders within us, and causes us not only to see evils but to refuse them and eventually to turn away from them. This is the meaning of the Lord's words, "My yoke is easy and my burden light" (Matthew 11:30).
It is important to realize, though, that the difficulty of thinking like this and also of resisting evils increases to the extent that we deliberately do evil things - in fact, to that extent we become used to doing them until ultimately we no longer see them. Then we come to love them and to excuse them to gratify our love and to rationalize them with all kinds of self-deceptions and call them permissible and good. This happens, though, to people who in early adulthood plunge into all kinds of evil without restraint and at the same time at heart reject everything divine.
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533. That it is not so difficult to live the life of heaven as some believe, is now clear from this, that when anything presents itself to a man that he knows to be dishonest and unjust, but to which his mind is borne, it is simply necessary for him to think that it ought not to be done because it is opposed to the Divine precepts. If a man accustoms himself so to think, and from so doing establishes a habit of so thinking, he is gradually conjoined to heaven; and so far as he is conjoined to heaven the higher regions of his mind are opened; and so far as these are opened he sees whatever is dishonest and unjust, and so far as he sees these evils they can be dispersed, for no evil can be dispersed until it is seen. Into this state man is able to enter because of his freedom, for is not any one able from his freedom so to think? And when he has made a beginning, the Lord performs all the good deeds with him, and causes him not only to see the evils to be evils, but also to refrain from willing them, and finally to turn away from them. This is meant by the Lord's words,
My yoke is easy and My burden is light. Matthew 11:30.
But it ought to be known that the difficulty of so thinking and of resisting evils increases so far as man from his will does evils, for in the same measure he becomes accustomed to them until he no longer sees them, and at length loves them and, from the delight of his love, excuses them, and confirms them by all kinds of fallacies, and declares them to be allowable and good. This is what happens with those who in early youth plunge into evils without restraint, and then at the same time reject Divine things from the heart.
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533. That it is not so difficult to live the life of heaven as some believe can now be seen from this, that when any thing presents itself to a man that he knows to be dishonest and unjust, but to which his mind is borne, it is simply necessary for him to think that it ought not to be done because it is opposed to the Divine precepts. If a man accustoms himself so to think, and from so doing establishes a habit of so thinking, he is gradually conjoined to heaven; and so far as he is conjoined to heaven the higher regions of his mind are opened; and so far as these are opened he sees whatever is dishonest and unjust, and so far as he sees these evils they can be dispersed, for no evil can be dispersed until it is seen. Into this state man is able to enter because of his freedom, for is not any one able from his freedom to so think? And when man has made a beginning the Lord quickens all that is good in him, and causes him not only to see evils to be evils, but also to refrain from willing them, and finally to turn away from them. This is meant by the Lord's words,
My yoke is easy and My burden is light (Matthew 11:30).
But it must be understood that the difficulty of so thinking and of resisting evils increases so far as man from his will does evils, for in the same measure he becomes accustomed to them until he no longer sees them, and at length loves them and from the delight of his love excuses them, and confirms them by every kind of fallacy, and declares them to be allowable and good. This is the fate of those who in early youth plunge into evils without restraint, and also reject Divine things from the heart.
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533. Quod non difficile sit agere vitam caeli sicut creditur, patet nunc ex eo, quod solum opus habeat, cum aliquid obvenit quod scit insincerum et injustum esse, ad quod animus ejus fertur, ut cogitet quod non faciendum sit quia est contra praecepta Divina. Si homo assuescit ita cogitare, et ex assuetudine trahit aliquem habitum, tunc paullatim conjungitur caelo; et quantum conjungitur caelo, tantum aperiuntur superiora quae mentis ejus sunt; et quantum illa aperiuntur, tantum videt quid insincerum et injustum; et quantum haec videt tantum discuti possunt; nam malum aliquod non potest discuti quam postquam videtur. Hic status est in quem homo ex libero intrare potest; nam quis non ex libero ita cogitare potest? At cum initiatus est, tunc Dominus operatur omnia bona apud illum, et facit ut non modo videat mala, sed etiam ut nolit illa, et denique ut aversetur illa. Hoc intelligitur per Domini verba,
"Jugum... meum facile est, et onus meum leve," (Matthaeus 11:30).
Sed sciendum est, quod difficultas ita cogitandi, et quoque resistendi malis, crescat, quantum homo ex voluntate facit mala; tantum enim is assuescit illis, usque ut tandem non videat illa, et dein ut amet illa, et ex jucundo amoris excuset illa, et per omnis generis fallacias confirmet, et dicat licita et bona. Sed hoc fit apud illos, qui in adolescente aetate ruunt in mala sicut absque freno, et simul tunc ex corde Divina rejiciunt.