74、现在谈谈我自己的经历。天使是人的形像，或就是人，我已经目睹上千次。我和他们面对面地交谈，有时与一位，有时与几位一起，从来没有发现他们的样子与人有任何区别。我偶尔也会为发现他们是这个样子而惊讶。为避免这一切被说成是错觉或幻像，我被允许在完全清醒、或拥有全部的身体感觉、处在清晰感知的状态下看见天使。我经常告诉他们，在基督教界，人们对天使和灵人是如此的盲目无知，以至于相信他们是没有形体的心智，甚至是纯粹的思想，除了认为他们是有些生命力的虚无缥缈之物外，对他们没有任何其它的概念。因此，除了思维的功能外，人们没有将其它的任何属于人的功能归于天使。人们相信天使没有眼睛，不能看；没有耳朵，不能听；没有嘴巴或舌头，因而不说话。
[2]对此，天使回答说，他们知道世上有很多人有这样的信念，在有学问的人中很普遍，然而令他们惊讶的是，甚至在神职人员中也是如此。他们说，这是因为作为领袖的学者们基于外在人的感官印象的想象，首先编造了关于天使和灵人的这种观念。人若出于这些、而不是出于内在之光和植入每个人里面的普遍观念来思考，必然会捏造这样的观念，因为外在人的感官印象只理解属于尘世的事物，不理解超越自然的任何事物，因此对灵界一无所知。｛注1｝这种关于天使的伪谬思想从这些领导者身上延伸到了其他人身上，这些人不独立思考，而是采信他们领袖的思想，人云亦云，把他人的想法当成自己的信仰，然后用自己的理智来查看，很难从中退出，因而在大多数情况满足于认可它。
[3]天使还说，信仰和心地简朴的人对天使则没有这种观念，而是认为天使是天堂里的人，因为他们没有用学识来消灭由天堂植入到他们里面的东西，对任何脱离形式的事物没有概念。这就是为何教堂里的天使，无论是雕像还是绘画，总是被描绘为人。至于这种来自天堂的植入，天使说，那是神性在流入处在信仰和生活之良善中的人。
｛注1｝：除非人被提升到外在人的感官印象之上，否则只有很少的智慧（5089）。智者在这些感官印象之上思考（5089，5094）。当人被提升到这些感官印象之上时，便进入更清淅的光中，最终进入天堂之光中（6183，6313，6315，9407，9730，9922）。古人知道从这些感官印象中提升和退出（6313）。
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74. 现在说说我的经历. 我已上千次看到, 天使是人的形式, 或就是人. 我和他们就像世人与世人那样交谈; 有时与一位, 有时与数位; 从来没有发现他们的形式与人的形式有任何不同. 有时我为发现他们是这样子而感到惊奇. 为免得这一切被说成是一场错觉或幻觉, 我蒙允许在完全清醒, 或拥有我肉体的所有感觉, 处于知觉清晰的状态下看见他们. 我时常告诉他们, 在基督教界, 人们对天使和灵人处于如此盲目的无知, 以至于以为他们是没有形式的心智, 甚至是纯粹的思维; 对他们没有任何概念, 以为他们是含有某种生命力的缥缈无形之物. 除了一种思维能力外, 他们没有将丝毫人性归于天使, 故以为天使因没有眼睛而看不见, 因没有耳朵而听不见, 因没有嘴巴或舌头而不说话.
对此, 天使回答说, 他们知道, 这种信仰是许多世人所持有的, 在学者当中尤其盛行; 令他们惊讶的是, 甚至在神职人员当中也是如此. 他们说, 原因在于: 作为领袖并首先捏造关于天使和灵人的这种观念的学者出于外在人的感官印象思想他们; 那些出于这些, 而非内视和植入每个人的普遍观念思考的人只会捏造这种观点, 因为外在人的感官印象只理解属于自然界的东西, 不明白超越自然界的任何事物, 因而不明白灵界的任何事物. 关于天使的这种虚假思想便从这些作为向导的领袖蔓延到其他不独立思考, 反而接受领袖思想的人那里. 那些首先从别人那里形成自己的思想, 并把这种思想当成自己的信仰, 然后以自己的理解力来看待它的人无法轻易从中退出, 因而大多数情况下默许认可它.
天使还说, 信仰和内心简单的人则对天使没有这种观念, 而是认为他们是天上的人, 因为他们没有因学问而熄灭从天上植入他们的东西, 也不理解没有形式的任何事物. 由于同样的原因, 在教会, 无论雕塑还是绘画, 天使总被描绘为人. 关于从天上所植入的东西, 他们说, 这是流入处于信仰和生活的良善之人的神性.
注: 人若非被提升至外在人的感官印象之上, 就没有多少智慧可言(天国的奥秘 5089节). 智者的思维超越这些感官印象(天国的奥秘 5089, 5094节). 当人被提升在这些之上时, 他便进入更清晰的光, 最终进入天堂之光(天国的奥秘 6183, 6313, 6315, 9407, 9730, 9922节). 古人知道如何从这些东西当中提升和退离(天国的奥秘 6313节).
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74. 對於天人呈人形, 我目睹了成千上萬次。我與他們當面交談, 有時一位, 有時多位。對於他們的形相, 我沒發現與人有任何不同, 對此也覺得奇怪。我被允許在身體感官和意識思維完全清醒的狀態下看見他們, 免得人說我的經歷只是錯覺或幻想。
我時常告訴他們, 今天的基督徒對天人和靈一無所知, 以為他們沒有形體, 將其想像為雲霧一樣的縹緲, 只不過有生命於其中。他們以為天人不能看, 因為沒有眼睛;不能聽, 因為沒有耳朵;不能說, 因為沒有嘴巴。
天人表示, 他們知道世上有很多人秉持這種觀點, 特別是學術界, 更奇怪的是, 連神職人員也不例外。天人告訴我, 這是因為一些著名的學者純粹從身體感官的角度來看待靈和天人。僅在身體感官的層面思考, 脫離內在的光明和注入每個人之中的的共同觀念, 有這樣的想法在所難免。因為身體感官只能把握物質事物, 高過物質的便無法接受, 這是他們對心靈世界一無所知的原因。這些錯誤的觀念, 從這些知名的學者傳到那些不喜歡獨立思考的人, 這些人依賴性強, 靠別人來塑造他們的信仰, 很難放下成見。這樣, 很多人就異口同聲地證明那些錯誤的觀念。
天人還告訴我, 信仰簡單, 心地單純的人不會陷入這種觀念。
相反, 他們將天人想像為人的模樣, 因為他們沒有讓世間的學問磨滅從天植入他們心裡的印象。再者, 他們也無法領會任何不具形相的事物。正因如此, 我們在教堂所看到的天人雕像或圖畫都是人的模樣。至於"從天植入他們心裡的印象,"天人告訴我, 那是神性的流注。凡立志行善之人, 都接受這樣的流注。
74. But let us turn to experience now. As for angels being human forms, or people, this I have seen thousands of times. I have talked with them face to face, sometimes with just one, sometimes with several in a group, and as far as their form is concerned, I have seen in them nothing different from that of a human being. At times I have felt surprised that they were like this; and to prevent it being said that this was some illusion or hallucination, I have been allowed to see them while I was fully awake, or while I was in full possession of my physical senses and in a state of clear perception.
I have often told them that people in the Christian world are in such blind ignorance about angels and spirits that they think of them as minds without form, as mere thoughts, and can conceive of them only as something airy with something alive within it. Further, since they attribute to them nothing human except a capacity for thought, they believe angels cannot see because they have no eyes, cannot hear because they have no ears, and cannot talk because they have no mouths or tongues.
[2] Angels have replied that they know many people on earth have this kind of belief and that it is prevalent among the learned and - strangely!-among the clergy. They have told me that it is because some of the learned who were particularly eminent and who came up with this kind of concept of angels and spirits thought about them on the basis of the sensory faculties of the external person. If people think on this basis and not on the basis of a more inward light and the common idea native to everyone, they cannot help constructing images like this, because the sensory faculties of the external person grasp only matters that are within the bounds of nature and not things that are higher. So they do not grasp anything at all about the spiritual world. 1From these eminent people as leaders, false thoughts about angels spread to people who did not think independently but relied on others; and people who let their thinking rely primarily on others and then form their faith, and later look into these matters with their minds, have a hard time giving these ideas up. As a result, many of them cooperate in confirming these false notions.
[3] Angels have also told me that people of simple faith and heart are not caught up in this concept of angels, but have an image of them as people in heaven. This is because they have not let erudition snuff out the image implanted in them from heaven and because they do not grasp anything unless it has some form. This is why the angels we see sculpted and painted in churches are invariably represented as human. As for this "image implanted in them from heaven," angels tell me that it is something divine that flows into people who are intent on goodness of faith and life.
Footnotes:
1. Unless we are raised above the sensory faculties of the outer person, we have little wisdom: 5089. A wise person thinks on a higher level than that of these sensory faculties: 5089, 5094. When we are raised above these sensory faculties, we are in a clearer light and ultimately in a heavenly light: 6183, 6313, 6315, 9407, 9730, 9922. Being raised above and freed from these sensory faculties was a familiar experience for the ancients: 6313.
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74. Now let us turn to experience. That angels are human forms or men has been seen by me a thousand times. I have talked with them as man with man, sometimes with one, sometimes with several together, and I have seen nothing whatever in their form different from that of man. Sometimes I have marvelled at their being such. Lest this might be said to be a delusion or a vision of fancy, I have been permitted to see them when I was fully awake, in possession of all my bodily senses, and in a state of clear perception. Indeed, I have quite often told them that men in the Christian world are in such blind ignorance about angels and spirits as to believe them to be minds without form, even pure thoughts, of which they have no idea except as something ethereal in which there is some vitality. Because they thus ascribe to them nothing human except a thinking faculty, they believe that, having no eyes they see not, having no ears they hear not, and having no mouth or tongue they speak not.
[2] To this the angels replied that they are aware that such a belief is held by many in the world, and is prevalent among the learned and also, to their amazement, among the clergy. The reason, they said, is that the learned who were the leaders and first propounded such an idea about angels and spirits, thought about them from the sense impressions of the external man, and that men who think from those, and not from interior light and the general idea implanted in everyone, can do no other than invent such notions, since the sense impressions of the external man take in only what belongs to nature, and nothing above nature, thus nothing whatever of the spiritual world. 1From these leaders as guides, this falsity of thought about angels extended to others who did not think from themselves but from the thoughts of their leaders. Those who first form their thoughts from others, make that thought their belief, and afterwards view it with their understanding, cannot easily recede from it and so, for the most part, acquiesce in confirmation of it.
[3] The angels said, furthermore, that the simple in faith and heart do not have this idea about angels but have an idea of them as men of heaven, for the reason that they have not extinguished, by erudition, what is implanted in them from heaven, neither do they apprehend anything without a form. For a like reason, angels in churches, whether sculptured or painted, are always depicted as men. In respect of what is implanted from heaven they said that it is the Divine flowing into such as are in the good of faith and life.
Footnotes:
1. Unless man is raised above the sensual impressions of the external man he has very little wisdom (Arcana Coelestia 5089).
The wise man thinks above these sensual impressions (Arcana Coelestia 5089, 5094).
When man is raised above these, he comes into clearer light, and finally into heavenly light (Arcana Coelestia 6183, 6313, 6315, 9407, 9730, 9922).
Elevation and withdrawal from these was known to the ancients (Arcana Coelestia 6313).
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74. Let us now turn to experience. That angels are human forms, or men, has been seen by me a thousand times. I have talked with them as man with man, sometimes with one, sometimes with many together; and I have seen nothing whatever in their form different from the human form; and have occasionally been surprised to find them such. And that this might not be said to be a delusion or a vision of fancy, I have been permitted to see angels when fully awake or in possession of all my bodily senses, and in a state of clear perception. And I have often told them that men in the Christian world are in such blind ignorance in regard to angels and spirits as to believe them to be minds without form, even pure thoughts, of which they have no idea except as something ethereal in which there is some vitality. And as they thus ascribe to angels nothing human except a thinking faculty, they believe that having no eyes they do not see, having no ears they do not hear, and having no mouth or tongue they do not speak.
[2] To this the angels replied that they are aware that such a belief is held by many in the world, and is prevalent among the learned, and to their surprise, even among the clergy. The reason, they said, is that the learned, who were the leaders and who first concocted such an idea of angels and spirits, conceived of them from the sense-conceptions of the external man; and those who think from these, and not from interior light and from the general idea implanted in everyone, must needs fabricate such notions, since the sense-conceptions of the external man take in only what belongs to nature, and nothing above nature, thus nothing whatever of the spiritual world. 1From these leaders as guides this falsity of thought about angels extended to others who did not think from themselves but adopted the thoughts of their leaders; and those who first take their thoughts from others and make that thought their belief, and then view it with their own understanding, cannot easily recede from it, and are therefore in most cases satisfied with confirming it.
[3] The angels said, furthermore, that the simple in faith and heart have no such idea about angels, but think of them as the men of heaven, and for the reason that they have not extinguished by learning what is implanted in them from heaven, and have no conception of anything apart from form. This is why angels in churches, whether sculptured or painted, are always depicted as men. In respect to this insight from heaven they said that it is the Divine flowing into such as are in the good of faith and life.
Footnotes:
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74. Sed nunc ad experientiam. Quod angeli sint formae humanae seu homines, hoc millies mihi visum est locutus enim sum cum illis sicut homo cum homine, quandoque cum uno, quandoque cum pluribus in consortio, nec quicquam differens ab homine quoad formam apud illos vidi et miratus sum aliquoties quod tales essent et ne diceretur quod esset fallacia aut visio phantasiae, datum est illos videre in plena vigilia, seu cum eram in omni sensu corporis, et in statu clarae perceptionis. Saepius etiam narravi illis, quod homines in Christiano orbe in caeca tali ignorantia sint de angelis et spiritibus, ut credant illos esse mentes absque forma, ac puras cogitationes, de quibus non aliam ideam habent quam sicut de aethereo in quo vitale; et quia sic, addicunt 1illis nihil hominis praeter cogitativum, credunt quod non videant quia non eis oculi, non audiant quia non eis aures, et non loquantur quia non eis os et lingua. Ad haec angeli dixerunt, quod sciant quod talis fides sit multis in mundo, et quod regnet apud eruditos, et quoque, quod mirati sunt, apud sacerdotes. Causam etiam dixerunt, quod eruditi, qui antesignani fuerunt, et primum excluserunt talem ideam de angelis et spiritibus, ex sensualibus externi hominis de illis cogitaverint; et qui ex illis cogitant, et non ex luce interiore, et ex idea communi quae insita cuivis, non possint aliter quam fingere talia, quoniam sensualia externi hominis non capiunt alia quam quae intra naturam sunt, non autem quae supra, ita nihil quicquam de spirituali mundo: 2ex his antesignanis ut ducibus derivata est falsitas cogitationis de angelis ad alios, qui ex se non cogitaverunt sed ex illis; et qui ex aliis primum cogitant, et faciunt suae fidei, et postea illa suo intellectu intuentur, aegre possunt ab illis recedere; quare plerique acquiescunt in confirmando illa. Porro dixerunt, quod simplices fide et corde non in illa idea de angelis sint, sed in idea de illis sicut de hominibus caeli, ex causa quia non exstinxerunt insitum suum quod e caelo per eruditionem, nec capiunt aliquid absque forma: inde est, quod angeli in templis, sive sculpti sive picti, non aliter sistantur quam ut homines. De insito quod e caelo dicebant, quod sit Divinum influens apud illos qui in bono fidei et vitae sunt.
Footnotes: