574、上文（参看第548节）已经说过，恶灵是自愿将自己投入地狱的。现在有必要简单地告诉大家，既然地狱有这样的折磨，这又是如何发生的。每个地狱都散发出里面的人的欲望气场，有相似欲望的人感知到这种气场时，内心被感动并充满了快乐，因为欲望及其快乐造就了一个人——人所贪恋的，是他所喜悦的。正因为如此，灵人将自己转向地狱，并出于内心欲望的快乐而去那里，他还没有不知道那里存在这样的折磨，即便有些人知道，仍然渴望去那里。因为在灵界，没有人能抵挡得住自己的欲望，因为他的欲望属于他的爱，他的爱属于他的意志，他的意志则属于他的本性，而那里的每个人都出于自己的本性行事。
[2]因此，当一个灵人心甘情愿地、自由地逐渐到达他的地狱并进入时，他首先受到友好的接待，这使他相信自己来到了朋友中间，但这种情形仅仅持续了几个小时。与此同时，他会受到窥探，以查明他的精明及其能力。一旦明了，对他的各种各样的骚扰就开始了，而且逐渐地变得越来越严厉和激烈。这是通过把他渐渐地引到更深、更内层的地狱来实现的，因为地狱越内层、越深，那里的灵人就越恶毒。在这些侵扰之后，他们开始对他进行残酷的惩罚，一直持续到他沦为奴隶。
[3]但那里的反叛活动不断涌现，因为每个人都想成为老大，对他人满腔怒火，因而不断产生新的暴动，于是“你方唱罢我登场”，那些被奴役的人被释放了，他们又可以支持某个新的魔头去征服别人，然后，那些拒绝投降、不肯顺服的人则受到各种各样的折磨，如此这般，无休无止。这种折磨就是地狱的折磨，也就是所谓的地狱之火。
------------
574. 我在前面(参看548节)解释过, 恶灵是自动投入地狱的. 现在我有必要用几句话阐明, 既然地狱有这种折磨和痛苦, 那么这种情形又是如何发生的. 地狱居民的欲望气场从每个地狱发出, 当陷入相同欲望的人感受到这种气场时, 该气场会触动他们的内心, 以快乐充满他们, 因为欲望和它的快乐构成一体; 凡人所贪恋的, 都让他感到快乐. 正因如此, 灵人自己转向地狱, 并出于内心的快乐而渴望到那里去. 他还没有意识到, 这类折磨和痛苦就存在于地狱; 而有些人即便知道, 仍有去那里的欲望. 在灵界, 没有人能抵制自己的欲望, 因为他的欲望属于他的爱, 他的爱属于他的意愿, 他的意愿则属于他的本性, 而那里的每个人都出于自己的本性行事.
所以, 当灵人自动并出于自由偏向他的地狱并进入其中时, 一开始他会受到热情接待, 并一度以为自己来到朋友中间. 但这种情形仅持续几个小时; 与此同时, 他会受到窥探, 以查明他的狡诈程度, 因而能力如何. 一旦窥探完毕, 各种各样的攻击就开始了, 而且渐渐地越来越严厉和强烈. 这种强烈是通过把他越来越内在, 深入地引入地狱实现的, 因为所去的地狱越内在, 深入, 灵人就越恶毒. 这些攻击过后, 恶毒的灵人就开始通过惩罚折磨他, 直到他最终沦为奴隶.
然而, 那里的叛乱活动此起彼伏, 因为每个人都想成为最大的, 对他人充满仇恨; 所以新的起义就会发生, 于是场景不断变换. 那些变成奴隶的人得到释放, 为征服其他人而支持某个新魔鬼; 然后, 那些拒绝投降, 不肯默默屈服的人则受到各种各样的折磨, 如此反复, 无休无止. 这类折磨便是地狱的折磨, 也就是所谓的地狱之火.
------------
574. 前面我已解釋(548), 惡靈是自願投入地獄的。下面我要簡單解釋一下, 地獄既是痛苦之地, 為何惡靈自願選擇地獄為歸宿。
情況是這樣。每個地獄皆發出一種迷縛其中惡靈的欲望之氣。當為相同惡欲所迷之人感受到這種氣息時, 他們的心就受到觸動, 並感到由衷的快樂, 因為欲望和快樂是不可分割的。凡是人意欲得到的, 對其而言就是快樂的。這是惡靈轉向地獄, 因受快樂驅使而走向地獄的原因。他們尚未意識到地獄是充滿痛苦之地, 有的即便知道, 也依然為欲望所牽制。在心靈世界, 我們皆難以抗拒自己的衝動, 因為衝動源自欲望, 欲望源自意志, 意志源自秉性。在那裡, 我們的行為皆基於自己的秉性。
當靈自願進入自己的地獄以後, 一開始會受到熱情的歡迎, 乃至他自以為找到了知己好友。然好景不長。地獄的人正窺探他的性情, 揣摩其精明強幹的程度。窺探完以後, 各種各樣的攻擊就開始了, 而且越來越嚴酷, 越來越強烈。強烈的程度是隨著墮入地獄的深度而增加的, 因為墮入越深, 其中的靈越兇惡。攻擊之後, 兇惡之靈開始折磨新來的靈, 直到他俯首貼耳, 甘為奴隸。
由於地獄的靈無不希望成為頭目, 心裡燃燒著仇恨, 新的攻擊也就不斷發生, 反叛騷亂也因而此起彼伏, 場景也隨之輪番更換。奴隸得到釋放, 擁護新的魔鬼作為頭目, 不願屈服的人受到各種各樣的折磨。如此反復, 無休無止。地獄的火就意味著這種痛苦的折磨。
574. I explained above (548) that evil spirits voluntarily throw themselves into hell, so I need to state briefly why this happens when there is such torment in hell.
From each hell there breathes forth an aura of the cravings that obsess its inhabitants. When this aura is sensed by people who are obsessed with a similar craving, it touches their hearts and fills them with delight because the craving and the delight are inseparable - whatever we crave is delightful to us. This is why spirits turn in that direction and are impelled there by their hearts' delight. They do not yet realize what kind of torment there is in hell, and the ones who do know still feel the craving. In the spiritual world we are all incapable of resisting our impulses because the impulses come from our love and the love comes from our intent and the intent comes from our nature, and we all act from our nature there.
[2] So when spirits voluntarily or freely arrive at their hell and go in, they are accepted cordially at first and think they have arrived among friends. This lasts only a few hours, though. All the while they are being probed to find out how crafty they are, and therefore how powerful. Once this probing is complete the attacks begin in various ways, getting more and more severe and intense. The intensification is effected by their being taken farther and deeper into hell, since the farther and deeper you go there, the more malevolent are the spirits. After these attacks, the malevolent spirits begin to torment the newcomers with punishments until finally they are reduced to slavery.
[3] However, since rebellious movements are always arising (everyone there wants to be greatest and burns with hatred against everyone else, which keeps generating new attacks), the scene is constantly changing. The people who were enslaved are released and offer their support to some new devil for the subjugation of others. Then the ones who do not surrender and yield their obedience are tortured in various ways, and so on and so on.
Torments like this are the torments of hell that are referred to as hellfire.
------------
574. It has been shown above (548) that an evil spirit casts himself into hell of his own accord. It will now be told in a few words how this comes about, when yet there are in hell such torments. From every hell there exhales a sphere of the lusts of those who are in it. Whenever this sphere is perceived by one who is in a like lust he is affected at heart and filled with delight, for lust and its delight make one, since whatever one lusts after is delightful to him. Because of this a spirit turns himself hellwards, and from delight of heart lusts to go thither, since he does not yet know that such torments exist there, although he who knows it still lusts to go there. For no one in the spiritual world can resist his lust, because his lust belongs to his love, and his love belongs to his will, and his will belongs to his nature, and everyone there acts from his nature.
[2] When, therefore, a spirit of his own accord and from his freedom drifts towards his hell and enters it, he is received at first in a friendly manner, which makes him believe that he has come among friends. But this continues for a few hours only. In the meanwhile, he is explored in respect of his astuteness and consequent ability; and when this has been done they begin to infest him, and this by various methods, and with gradually greater severity and vehemence. This is accomplished by introducing him more interiorly and deeply into hell; for the more interior and deeper the hell the more malignant are the spirits.
[3] After these infestations, they begin to treat him cruelly by punishments, and this goes on until he is reduced to the condition of a slave. But rebellious movements are continually springing up there, since everyone wishes to be greatest, and burns with hatred against the others; and in consequence new uprisings occur, and thus one scene is changed into another, and those who are made slaves are delivered that they may assist some new devil to subjugate others; and again those who refuse to submit and render implicit obedience are tormented in various ways; and so on continually. Such torments are the torments of hell, which are called hell fire.
------------
574. It has been shown above (548) that an evil spirit casts himself into hell of his own accord. It shall now be told in a few words how this comes about, when yet there are in hell such torments. From every hell there exhales a sphere of the lusts of those who are in it. Whenever this sphere is perceived by one who is in a like lust he is affected at heart and filled with delight, for lust and its delight make one, since whatever one lusts after is delightful to him; and because of this a spirit turns himself hellwards, and from delight of heart lusts to go thither, since he does not yet know that such torments exist there, although he who knows it still lusts to go there. For no one in the spiritual world can resist his lust, because his lust belongs to his love, and his love belongs to his will, and his will belongs to his nature, and everyone there acts from his nature.
[2] When, therefore, a spirit of his own accord and from his freedom drifts towards his hell and enters it, he is received at first in a friendly manner, which makes him believe that he has come among friends. But this continues for a few hours only. In the meanwhile he is explored in respect to his astuteness and consequent ability; and when this has been done they begin to infest him, and this by various methods, and with gradually greater severity and vehemence. This is accomplished by introducing him more interiorly and deeply into hell; for the more interior and deeper the hell the more malignant are the spirits. After these infestations they begin to treat him cruelly by punishments, and this goes on until he is reduced to the condition of a slave.
[3] But rebellious movements are continually springing up there, since everyone wishes to be greatest, and burns with hatred against the others; and in consequence new uprisings occur, and thus one scene is changed into another, and those who are made slaves are delivered that they may assist some new devil to subjugate others; and again those who refuse to submit and render implicit obedience are tormented in various ways; and so on continually. Such torments are the torments of hell, which are called hell fire.
------------
574. Supra (548) ostensum est, quod spiritus malus se sponte conjiciat in infernum: quare etiam paucis dicetur, unde hoc fit, cum tamen in inferno tales cruciatus sunt. Ex quolibet inferno exhalatur sphaera cupiditatum, in quibus sunt illi qui ibi. Haec sphaera cum percipitur ab illo qui in simili cupiditate est, afficitur corde, et impletur jucundo; nam cupiditas et ejus jucunditas unum faciunt; quod enim aliquis cupit, hoc ei jucundum est: inde est, quod spiritus se illuc convertat, et illuc ex jucundo cordis cupiat nondum enim scit quod tales ibi cruciatus sint, et qui scit usque illuc cupit; nemo enim in mundo spirituali resistere potest cupiditati suae, quia cupiditas est ejus amoris, et amor est ejus voluntatis, et voluntas est ejus naturae, et quisque ibi ex natura agit. Cum itaque spiritus sua sponte aut ex suo libero alluit ad suum infernum, ac intrat, tunc primum excipitur amice, credens sic quod inter amicos venerit sed hoc perstat modo per aliquot horas; interea, exploratur quali astutia est, et inde quali valore: quo explorato incipiunt illum infestare, et hoc variis modis, ac successive acrius et vehementius, quod fit per introductionem interius et profundius in infernum: nam quo interius et profundius ibi, eo maligniores spiritus sunt. Post infestationes incipiunt saevire in illum per poenas, et hoc usque dum redactus est in servum. Sed quia ibi continue rebelles motus existunt, quoniam quisque ibi vult maximus esse, et contra alios odio flagrat, inde novi insultus sic una scena mutatur in alteram; quare illi qui servi facti sunt eximuntur, ut praestent opem novo cuidam diabolo ad subjugandum alios tunc illi qui se non submittunt, et ad nutum serviunt, iterum variis modis cruciantur, et sic continue. Tales cruciatus sunt cruciatus inferni, qui ignis infernalis vocantur.