541、地狱和天堂一样，分为不同的社群，也被分为和天堂里一样多的社群。对于天堂里的每个社群，在地狱里都有一个与它对立的社群，这是为了平衡的缘故。但地狱里的社群是根据邪恶及其伪谬来区分的，正如天堂里的社群是根据良善及其真理来区分的。每一个良善都有一个对立的邪恶，每一个真理都有一个对立的伪谬，这一点能从以下事实得知：任何事物的存在都离不开它的对立面，任何事物的种类和程度都可以从它的对立面中知道，所有的感知和感觉都由此而生。｛注1｝由于这个原因，主始终定规天堂的每个社群都有某个对立的社群在地狱里，并且在它们之间存在着一种平衡。
｛注1｝：【英296】这一认识论断言在史威登堡的神学著作中有五十多个相似之处。 “感知”（perception /perceptio）在《属天的奥秘》（104）中定义为：“感知是唯独源自主的对事物是否真实和良善的某种内在感觉。 . . .一个生活属灵的人（但不是以属天的方式）没有感知，但有良心。灵性死亡的人甚至没有良心。”这个问题在《圣治》（24）中变得更加复杂：“对立既会破坏也会增强感知（perception）和感觉（sensation）：当对立面混在一起时，就会破坏它们；当未混在一起时，就会增强它们。因此，主极为仔细地分开人里面的善与恶，免得它们被混合，如同分开天堂与地狱一样。”【中】“感觉”偏向感性、感受； “感知”偏向悟性、洞察力。在史威登堡的著作中，“感知”与“感觉”常与良善与真理有关。当我们经历某些事时，我们可以感觉、感受到事情是否良善或真实，但当我们听到或看到某些事情时，我们即刻明白事情是否真实良善时，这就是感知，它来自主。
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541. 和天堂一样, 地狱也被划分为各个社群, 并且社群和天堂里的一样多; 因为天堂的每个社群都有一个与地狱社群相对立的社群, 这是为了平衡. 划分地狱社群的, 是邪恶和由此而来的虚假, 正如划分天堂社群的, 是良善和由此而来的真理. 一切良善都有与其对立的邪恶, 一切真理都有与其对立的虚假; 这一点可从以下事实得知: 凡物若没有与其对立面的关系, 都不存在. 对立面能使人认识到它的实际性质和层级. 对立面是一切觉知和感受的源头. 这就是为何主始终确保每个天堂社群都有其在某个地狱社群的对立面, 并且它们之间存在一种平衡.
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541. 和天國一樣, 地獄也按社群而分。事實上, 天國有多少社群, 地獄就有多少社群。因為每個天國社群皆有一個對立的地獄社群。如此, 平衡就有保證。
地獄的社群照惡與謬而分, 正如天國的社群照善與理而分。凡善皆有與之對立的惡, 理也都有與之對立的謬, 因為萬物皆存在對立的一面。通過對立的一面, 人可瞭解某物的性質和層次, 他也從中獲得覺知和感受。正因如此, 主始終確保每個天國社群皆有一個對立的地獄社群, 以達致平衡的狀態。
541. Like heaven, hell is differentiated into communities. In fact, there are just as many communities in hell as there are in heaven, since each heavenly community has an opposite number in hell, for the sake of the balance.
However, the communities in hell are differentiated according to their evils and consequent falsities because the communities in heaven are differentiated according to their good will and consequent truths. We may be sure that there is some evil opposite to everything good and some falsity opposite to everything true from the fact that nothing exists without a relationship to its opposite. The opposite enables us to know its actual nature and level. Opposition is the source of all perception and sensation.
This is why the Lord is constantly taking care that every community of heaven has its opposite in some community of hell and that there is a balance between them.
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541. Hell, like heaven, is distinguished into societies, and into as many societies as there are in heaven; for every society in heaven has a society opposite to it in hell, and this for the sake of equilibrium. But the societies in hell are distinguished in accordance with evils and the falsities therefrom, because the societies in heaven are distinguished in accordance with goods and the truths therefrom. That for every good there is an opposite evil, and for every truth an opposite falsity, can be known from this, that nothing can exist without relation to its opposite, and what anything is in kind and degree can be known from its opposite, and from this all perception and sensation is derived. For this reason the Lord continually provides that every society of heaven has an opposite in some society of hell, and that there is an equilibrium between the two.
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541. Hell, like heaven, is divided into societies, and into as many societies as there are in heaven; for every society in heaven has a society opposite to it in hell, and this for the sake of equilibrium. But evils and falsities therefrom are what distinguish the societies in hell, as goods and truths therefrom are what distinguish the societies in heaven. That for every good there is an opposite evil, and for every truth an opposite falsity may be known from this, that nothing can exist without relation to its opposite, and what anything is in kind and degree can be known from its opposite, and from this all perception and sensation is derived. For this reason the Lord continually provides that every society in heaven shall have an opposite in some society of hell, and that there shall be an equilibrium between the two.
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541. Infernum similiter in societates distinctum est prout caelum, et quoque in tot societates in quot caelum nam unaquaevis societas in caelo sibi oppositam habet societatem in inferno, et hoc propter aequilibrium. Sed societates in inferno distinctae sunt secundum mala et inde falsa, quia societates in caelo sunt distinctae secundum bona et inde vera. Quod unicuivis bono sit oppositum malum, et unicuivis vero sit oppositum falsum, sciri potest ex eo, quod non sit aliquid absque relatione ad suum oppositum, et quod ex opposito noscatur quale est, et in quo gradu, et quod inde sit omnis perceptio et sensatio. Quare Dominus jugiter providet, ut omnis societas caeli suum oppositum habeat in societate inferni, et quod inter illas aequilibrium sit.