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589. 六十二, 天堂与地狱之间的平衡
凡事若要发生, 所牵涉的一切事物都必须有一个平衡. 没有平衡, 就没有作用力与反作用力, 因为平衡在这两种力之间, 一种是作用力, 一种是反作用力, 由均等的作用力和反作用力所产生的静止状态就被称为平衡. 自然界处处都有一种平衡, 这种平衡甚至以总体的方式存在于大气层中, 下层大气的反作用和抗压力与上层大气的作用和压力成正比. 自然界还有热与冷, 光与暗, 干与湿之间的平衡状态, 它们的中间状态则是平衡点. 自然界的三个王国, 也就是矿物界, 植物界和动物界的一切成员中也有一种平衡, 因为没有它们里面的平衡, 就无物产生并持续存在. 无论何处都有一种一方作用, 另一方反作用的努力.
一切事件或一切结果都在平衡中产生, 也就是说, 通过一种作用力和允许自己被作用的另一方产生, 或当一种力通过作用流入时, 对方就接受并和谐地顺从. 在自然界, 作用者与反作用者被称为力, 也被称为努力或能量; 但在灵界, 作用者与反作用者被称为生命或意愿. 在那里, 生命是活的力, 意愿是活的能量或努力; 平衡本身被称为自由. 这种属灵的平衡或自由就发生并持续存在于从一边作用的良善与从另一边反作用的邪恶, 或从一边作用的邪恶与从另一边反作用的良善之间.
对善人而言, 平衡在作用的良善与反作用的邪恶之间; 但对恶人而言, 平衡则在作用的邪恶与反作用的良善之间. 属灵的平衡就在良善与邪恶之间, 因为人的整个生命都与良善和邪恶有关, 意愿则是接受的容器. 真理与虚假之间也有一种平衡, 只是这种平衡取决于良善与邪恶之间的平衡. 真理与虚假之间的平衡就像光与暗之间的平衡, 光, 暗作用于植物王国成员的效果就取决于光, 暗所含热, 冷的量. 光, 暗本身没有任何效果, 有效果的只是通过它们进行作用的热; 这一点从以下事实明显看出来: 光, 暗在冬天和在夏天是一样的. 真理和虚假与光和暗的这种对比是基于它们的对应关系, 因为真理对应于光, 虚假对应于暗, 热对应于爱之良善. 事实上, 属灵之光就是真理, 属灵之暗就是虚假, 属灵之热则是爱之良善. 对此, 可参看论述天堂的光与热的章节(天国的奥秘 126-140节).
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589. 天國與地獄之間的平衡
凡事若要發生, 都需要某種平衡的環境。沒有平衡, 就沒有作用與反作用, 因為平衡產生於作用與反作用這兩股力量。兩者勢均力敵而產生的穩定態即稱為"平衡"。
人間普遍存在著某種平衡, 比如大氣層總體存在著上層降壓和下層抗壓的平衡。此外, 還有冷熱, 明暗, 燥濕之間的平衡。它們的中點就是平衡點。礦物, 植物, 動物三界也普遍存在著平衡, 因為若無平衡, 萬事都不可能發生。可以說, 作用與反作用的關係無處不在。
每個事件, 每個結果, 都產生于某種平衡, 或說產生於作用與反作用兩股力量, 一方主動施力, 一方被動受力。
在自然界, 作用者與反作用被稱為"力"或"能"。但在心靈界, 作用者與反作用被稱為"生命"或"意志"。生命是活的力量, 意志是活的能量, 產生的平衡被稱為"自由"。這種心靈的平衡和自由產生於善惡雙方的作用與反作用。對於善人, 善是主動者, 惡是被動者;對於惡人, 惡是主動者, 善是被動者。心靈的平衡存在於善惡兩者之間, 因為人的生命無不關乎善與惡, 意志則是接受善或惡的載體。
真理與偽謬之間也存在某種平衡, 但與善惡之間的平衡比較, 它相對次要。真理與偽謬之間的平衡, 好比光明與黑暗之間的平衡。光明與黑暗對植物的影響, 取決於光明或黑暗之中含熱的多寡。對比一下冬天和春天的光景, 便可知光明或黑暗本身不能產生什麼, 關鍵在於它們所含之熱。
真理與偽謬, 和光明與黑暗的對比, 是基於對應。因為真理對應光明, 偽謬對應黑暗, 熱則對應仁之善。事實上, 靈性的光明是真理, 靈性的黑暗是偽謬, 靈性之熱是仁之善。
589. The Equilibrium between Heaven and Hell
For anything to happen, there needs to be an equilibrium of everything involved. If there is no equilibrium, there is no action and reaction because the equilibrium occurs between two forces, one acting and the other reacting. The state of rest arising from equal agents and reagents is called an equilibrium.
In the natural world there is equilibrium throughout, in general in the atmospheres, with the lower layers reacting and resisting to the extent that the upper layers act and bear down. In the natural world there are also states of equilibrium between warmth and cold, light and darkness, dry and wet. Their median blend is the balance point. There is also an equilibrium in the members of all three of earth's kingdoms - mineral, vegetable, and animal; for nothing would occur in those kingdoms if it were not for the equilibrium. Everywhere, there is a kind of effort acting from one side and another reacting from the other.
[2] Every event, or every result, happens in an equilibrium, or happens by one force acting and another allowing itself to be acted upon, or by one force actively flowing in and the other accepting and yielding appropriately.
In the natural world, what acts and reacts is called force or energy, but in the spiritual world what acts and reacts is called life and volition. Life there is a living force and volition is a living energy, and the actual equilibrium is called a state of freedom. This spiritual balance or freedom occurs, then, between the good acting from the one side and the evil reacting from the other, or from the evil acting on the one side and the good reacting from the other.
[3] The balance between active good and reactive evil applies to good people, and the balance between active evil and reactive good applies to evil people. The reason the spiritual balance is between good and evil is that all human life has to do with good and evil, and our volition is their recipient vessel.
There is also a balance between what is true and what is false, but this is secondary to the balance between good and evil. The balance between the true and the false is like the balance between light and darkness, whose effect on members of the vegetable kingdom depends on the amount of warmth or cold there is in the light or darkness. You can tell that the light and shade themselves do not accomplish anything, only the warmth they bring, from looking at like amounts of light and darkness in winter and in spring.
The comparison of truth and falsity to light and darkness rests in their correspondence, since truth corresponds to light and falsity to darkness, and warmth corresponds to the goodness of love. Further, spiritual light is truth, spiritual darkness is falsity, and spiritual warmth is the goodness of love (on this, see the chapter on light and warmth in heaven, 126-140).
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589. THE EQUILIBRIUM BETWEEN HEAVEN AND HELL
For anything to come into existence there must be an equilibrium of all things. Without equilibrium there is no action and reaction; for equilibrium is between two forces, one acting and the other reacting, and the state of rest resulting from like action and reaction is called equilibrium. In the natural world there is an equilibrium in all things and in each thing. It exists in a general way even in the atmospheres, wherein the lower parts react and resist in proportion as the higher parts act and press down. Again, in the natural world there is an equilibrium between heat and cold, between light and shade, and between dryness and moisture, the middle condition being the equilibrium. There is also an equilibrium in all the subjects of its three kingdoms, the mineral, the vegetable, and the animal; for without equilibrium in them nothing can come forth and have permanent existence. Everywhere there is a sort of effort acting on the one side and reacting on the other.
[2] All existence or all effect is produced in equilibrium, that is, by one force acting and another suffering itself to be acted upon, or when one force by acting flows in, the other receives and harmoniously submits. In the natural world that which acts and reacts is called force, and also effort; but in the spiritual world that which acts and reacts is called life and will. Life in that world is living force, and will is living effort; and the equilibrium itself is called freedom. Thus spiritual equilibrium or freedom comes into existence and continues to exist between good acting on the one side and evil reacting on the other side; or between evil acting on the one side and good reacting on the other side.
[3] With the good, the equilibrium is between good acting and evil reacting; but with the evil, the equilibrium is between evil acting and good reacting. Spiritual equilibrium is between good and evil, because the whole life of man has reference to good and to evil, and the will is the receptacle. There is also an equilibrium between truth and falsity, but this depends on the equilibrium between good and evil. The equilibrium between truth and falsity is like that between light and shade, to the extent that light and shade affect the subjects of the vegetable kingdom only so far as heat and cold are in them. That light and shade themselves have no effect, but only the heat that acts through them, can be confirmed from the fact that light and shade are the same in winter time and in spring time. This comparison of truth and falsity with light and shade is from correspondence, for truth corresponds to light, falsity to shade, and heat to the good of love; in fact, spiritual light is truth, spiritual shade is falsity, and spiritual heat is the good of love (see the section where light and heat in heaven are treated of; 126-140.)
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589. THE EQUILIBRIUM BETWEEN HEAVEN AND HELL.
For any thing to have existence there must be an equilibrium of all things. Without equilibrium is no action and reaction; for equilibrium is between two forces, one acting and the other reacting, and the state of rest resulting from like action and reaction is called equilibrium. In the natural world there is an equilibrium in all things and in each thing. It exists in a general way even in the atmosphere, wherein the lower parts react and resist in proportion as the higher parts act and press down. Again, in the natural world there is an equilibrium between heat and cold, between light and shade, and between dryness and moisture, the middle condition being the equilibrium. There is also an equilibrium in all the subjects of the three kingdoms of nature, the mineral, the vegetable, and the animal; for without equilibrium in them nothing can come forth and have permanent existence. Everywhere there is a sort of effort acting on the one side and reacting on the other.
[2] All existence or all effect is produced in equilibrium, that is, by one force acting and another suffering itself to be acted upon, or when one force by acting flows in, the other receives and harmoniously submits. In the natural world that which acts and reacts is called force, and also endeavor [or effort]; but in the spiritual world that which acts and reacts is called life and will. Life in that world is living force, and will is living effort; and the equilibrium itself is called freedom. Thus spiritual equilibrium or freedom has its outcome and permanence in the balance between good acting on the one side and evil reacting on the other side; or between evil acting on the one side and good reacting on the other side.
[3] With the good the equilibrium is between good acting and evil reacting; but with the evil the equilibrium is between evil acting and good reacting. Spiritual equilibrium is between good and evil, because the whole life of man has reference to good and to evil, and the will is the receptacle. There is also an equilibrium between truth and falsity, but this depends on the equilibrium between good and evil. The equilibrium between truth and falsity is like that between light and shade, in that light and shade affect the objects of the vegetable kingdom only so far as heat and cold are in them. That light and shade themselves have no effect, but only the heat that acts through them, is evident from the fact that light and shade are the same in winter time and in spring time. This comparison of truth and falsity with light and shade is from correspondence, for truth corresponds to light, falsity to shade, and heat to the good of love; in fact, spiritual light is truth, spiritual shade is falsity, and spiritual heat is good of love (see the chapter where light and heat in heaven are treated of, 126-140).
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589. [LXII.] DE AEQUILIBRIO INTER CAELUM ET INFERNUM.
Omnium aequilibrium erit, ut aliquid existat. Absque aequilibrio non est actio et reactio nam aequilibrium est inter binas vires, quarum una agit et altera reagit: quies ex simili agentia et reagentia vocatur aequilibrium In mundo naturali est aequilibrium in omnibus et singulis: in genere in ipsis atmosphaeris, in quibus inferiora reagunt et resistunt, quantum superiora agunt et incumbunt. In mundo naturali est etiam aequilibrium inter calorem et frigus, inter lucem et umbram, et inter siccum et humidum; media temperatura est aequilibrium. Est quoque aequilibrium in omnibus subjectis regnorum mundi, quae sunt tria, nempe minerale, vegetabile, et animale; nam absque aequilibrio in illis nihil existit et subsistit est ubivis sicut conatus ab una parte agens et ab altera reagens. Omnis existentia seu omnis effectus fit in aequilibrio, sed 1fit per id quod una vis agat et altera patiatur se agi, seu quod una vis agendo influat, et altera recipiat et convenienter cedat. In mundo naturali id quod agit et quod reagit vocatur vis et quoque conatus; sed in mundo spirituali id quod agit et quod reagit, vocatur vita et voluntas; vita ibi est vis viva, et voluntas est conatus vivus, et ipsum aequilibrium vocatur liberum. Existit itaque et subsistit aequilibrium spirituale seu liberum, inter bonum ab una parte agens, et malum ab altera parte reagens vel inter malum ab una parte agens, et bonum ab altera parte reagens: aequilibrium inter bonum agens et malum reagens est apud bonos, at aequilibrium inter malum agens et bonum reagens est apud malos. Quod aequilibrium spirituale sit inter bonum et malum, est quia omne vitae hominis se refert ad bonum et ad malum, ac voluntas est receptaculum. Est quoque aequilibrium inter verum et falsum; sed hoc dependet ab aequilibrio inter bonum et malum. Aequilibrium inter verum et falsum est sicut inter lucem et umbram, quae tantum operantur in subjecta regni vegetabilis, quantum in luce et umbra est calor et frigus: quod lux et umbra ex se nihil operentur, sed quod calor per illas, constare potest ex simili luce et umbra tempore hiemis et tempore veris. Comparatio veri et falsi cum luce et umbra est ex correspondentia; nam verum correspondet luci, falsum umbrae, et calor bono amoris et quoque lux spiritualis est verum, umbra spiritualis est falsum, ac calor spiritualis est bonum amoris. (De qua re videatur in articulo ubi de Luce et Calore in Caelo, 126-140, actum est.)
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