126、至于放弃世界，许多人以为，活在灵里而非肉体中，就是弃绝世俗事物，主要是财富和尊贵，不断虔诚默想神、救恩和永生，把时间花在祷告、阅读圣言和宗教书籍上，以及苦待自己。但这一切并不是放弃世界；相反，放弃世界是爱神、爱邻：当人照神的诫命生活时，就是爱神；当人发挥功用或履行服务时，就是爱邻。因此，人若要接受天堂的生活，就必须活在这个世界上，从事各种职业和商业。从世俗事物中抽身出来的生活是一种脱离爱与仁之生活的思维与信仰的生活。这种生活会摧毁行善的意愿和向邻舍行善。当这一切被毁时，属灵的生活就像没有地基的房子，要么逐渐下沉，要么满是缝隙和裂纹，要么摇摇欲坠直到倒塌。
126、关于超尘脱俗：很多人相信，放下对物质世界的依恋，在灵里而不是在肉体里生活，就是抛弃尘心俗欲，尤其是抛弃财富和地位，全身心不断的投入到默想主、救赎和永生的虔诚里。用全部生命祈祷，阅读圣言和各类信仰书籍，舍己苦修。但这不是超尘脱俗的意思。超尘脱俗是去爱上帝和爱他人。当人按照神的戒命生活时，就是爱上帝，当他做有益之事时，就是爱他人。
因此，人若想获得天堂的生命，他必须全然生活在人间，在他的职位上，在他的事业里。逃离世间关怀的生活，是离弃了爱和仁慈的，只靠意念和信心的生活。在这种生活中，对他人持善念，行善行的能力消亡了。没有了善念和善行，属灵生活就像是没有地基的房屋，它要么连续沉降，要么变得满是裂缝和开裂，要么摇摇欲坠直到崩塌。
126. As for renunciation of the world, many believe that renouncing the world and living for the spirit and not for the flesh is a matter of casting aside worldly things (primarily wealth and status), going around in constant devout meditation concerning God, salvation, and eternal life, and spending our lives in prayer and in reading the Word and devotional literature, not to mention self-affliction. This, though, is not at all what renouncing the world means; it means loving God and loving our neighbor. We love God when we live by his commandments, and we love our neighbor when we do things that are useful. If we wish to receive the life of heaven, we must by all means live in this world and be involved in its responsibilities and dealings. A life withdrawn from worldly concerns is a life of thought and faith, and yet is completely separate from a life of love and caring. In that kind of life, having goodwill toward our neighbors and doing good things for them ceases altogether; and when our goodwill and our good actions come to an end, our spiritual life is like a house without a foundation that gradually sags into the ground, cracking and splitting, then leans to one side, and finally collapses.
126. Then there is breaking our attachments to material things. Many people believe that breaking our attachments to material things and living a spiritual life rather than a physically-minded one means rejecting material things (especially wealth and status), being constantly absorbed in religious contemplation about God, salvation, and eternal life, and spending our whole life praying, reading the Bible and other holy books, and denying ourselves. But this is not what breaking our attachments to material things means. It actually means loving the Lord and loving other people. We love the Lord when we live according to his rules and we love other people when we do useful things for them. This means that if we want to accept a heavenly life, we absolutely must get involved in the material world and its services and business dealings.
Living in detachment from material things is devoting our life to thinking and faith separated from love and kindness. This kind of life makes us lose our desire and ability to do good things for other people. When we lose this, our spiritual life is like a house without a foundation, which gradually sinks down into the ground, or develops cracks and holes, or leans over sideways until it collapses.
126. As regards the renunciation of the world, many people believe that renouncing the world and living by the spirit rather than the flesh means rejecting worldly things, principally riches and honours, and going about continually meditating piously on God, salvation and everlasting life, spending one's time in prayer, reading the Word and religious books, and also mortifying oneself. But these things are not renouncing the world. It is rather loving God and the neighbour; and God is loved by leading a life in accordance with His commandments, and the neighbour is loved by doing services for him. So in order to receive the life of heaven, a person has to live fully in the world, and engage in offices and business there. A life withdrawn from worldly things is a life of thought and faith divorced from a life of love and charity. Such a life destroys the will to do good and the doing of good to the neighbour; and when this is destroyed, spiritual life is like a house with no foundations, which in course of time either sinks into the ground, or opens up gaping cracks, or totters until it collapses.
126. With respect to the renunciation of the world: It is believed by many, that renouncing the world, and living in the spirit and not in the flesh, consists in casting away worldly things, which are chiefly riches and places of honour; and, further, in constantly going about, in pious meditation concerning God, salvation, and eternal life; and in spending one's life in prayer, in reading the Word, and pious books, and also in doing penance. But this is not meant by renouncing the world. Renouncing the world means loving God and loving the neighbour; and God is loved when a man lives according to His commandments; and the neighbour is loved, when a man performs uses. In order therefore that a man may receive the life of heaven it is absolutely necessary that he live in the world, and engage in its various duties and vocations. A life sequestered from worldly things, is a life of thought, and of faith separated from a life of love and charity; and in such a life willing good and doing good to the neighbour perish. And when the latter perish, spiritual life is like a house without any foundation, which gradually either subsides, or cracks and gapes open, or else totters until it falls.
126. But as to what relates to the renunciation of the world: it is believed by many, that to renounce the world, and to live in the spirit and not in the flesh, is to reject worldly things, which are chiefly riches and honors; to be continually engaged in pious meditation concerning God, concerning salvation, and concerning eternal life; to lead a life in prayers, in the reading of the Word and pious books; and also to afflict one's self: but this is not renouncing the world; but to renounce the world is to love God and to love the neighbor; and God is loved when man lives according to His commandments, and the neighbor is loved when man performs uses. Therefore in order that man may receive the life 1of heaven, it is altogether necessary that he should live in the world, and in offices and business there. A life abstracted from worldly things is a life of thought and faith separate from the life of love and charity, in which life the will of good and the doing of good to the neighbor perishes. And when this perishes, spiritual life is as a house without a foundation, which either sinks down successively, or becomes full of chinks and cracks, or totters till it falls.
Footnotes:
1. The translator has "light" here, a misreading of the Latin "vitam."
126. Quod autem abdicationem mundi attinet: creditur a multis quod abdicare mundum, ac vivere spiritu et non carne, sit rejicere mundana, quae sunt praecipue divitiae et honores, ac ire continue in pia meditatione de Deo, de salute, et de vita aeterna, ac vitam agere in precibus, in lectione Verbi ac piorum librorum, et quoque affligere se: sed haec non sunt abdicare mundum; verum abdicare mundum est amare Deum et amare proximum; et amatur Deus cum vivitur secundum praecepta Ipsius, et amatur proximus cum homo usus praestat; quare ut homo vitam caeli recipiat, omnino vivet in mundo, ac in officiis et negotiis ibi. Vita abstracta a mundanis est vita cogitationis et fidei separatae a vita amoris et charitatis in qua vita perit velle bonum et facere bonum proximo; et cum hoc perit, est vita spiritualis sicut domus absque fundamento, quae successive vel subsidet, vel rimas ducit et hiat, vel nutat usque dum dilabitur.