70、此外，人越处于天堂之爱（这爱在于喜欢功用和良善，当履行它们时，就由衷感到快乐），就越被主引导，因为这就是主在其中并来自主的爱。另一方面，人越处于自我之爱，就越被自己引导；越被自己引导，就越被他的自我引导；而人的自我无非是邪恶。事实上，邪恶是他的遗传；这恶就在于爱自己胜过神，爱世界胜过天堂。
70、此外，人越拥有天堂之爱，也就是乐于有益于人和践行良善，他就越被主引导，因为此爱来自主，主就是此爱。反之，人越生活在自爱里，就越被他自己引导；越被自己引导，就越被他的自我本性引导，人的自我本性除了邪恶，什么都不是。邪恶来自人的遗传，即爱自己胜过爱上帝，爱世界胜过爱天堂。
70. Not only that, the more we live a life of heavenly love (which is loving to be useful and do good things and having heartfelt delight when we do them), the more we are led by the Lord, since this is the love in which he is and which comes from him. On the other hand, the more we live a life of self-love, the more we are led by ourselves, and the more we are led by ourselves the more we are led by our own intrinsic characteristics; 1and those characteristics are nothing but evil. This is in fact the evil that we inherit-loving ourselves more than God, and the world more than heaven. 2
Footnotes:
1. The Latin word here translated "intrinsic characteristics" is proprium. It is the substantive form of an adjective, proprius, that has the basic meaning "one's own," "belonging to oneself. " Swedenborg uses the word frequently (some 2,350 times in his published theological works), virtually always referring to a claim to ownership. Swedenborg regards proprium as lying at the root of virtually everything that is wrong with us, though it can serve a good purpose if it is governed by the Lord. This common form of proprium, an earthly one, is to be distinguished from proprium coeleste, roughly translatable as "a heavenly sense of identity," which is the healthy acceptance of responsibility for our conduct. On these two types of proprium, see Secrets of Heaven 155, 731, 1937, 1947:1, 2883, 2891, 3812:2. [GFD]
2. For more on the topic of inherited evil (which is distinct from the conventional concept of original sin), see New Jerusalem 83, the references there to further passages in Secrets of Heaven, and note 1 in New Jerusalem 79 below. [Editors]
70. Heavenly love is loving to do good and useful things and getting heartfelt enjoyment from it. The more we are motivated by this kind of love, the more we are being guided by the Lord, since this is the kind of love the Lord has, and it comes from him.
But the more we are motivated by selfish love, the more we are being guided by ourselves. And the more we are guided by ourselves, the more we are guided by our ego. Our ego is completely harmful — it is our bad heredity, which is loving ourselves more than God, and material things more than heaven.
70. Furthermore, in so far as anyone is in a state of heavenly love, which is loving to be of service and to do good actions, and experiencing heartfelt pleasure when he does them, to that extent he is guided by the Lord, because that is the love the Lord has and which comes from Him. But in so far as anyone is in a state of self-love, to that extent he is guided by himself, and in so far as he is guided by himself, to that extent he is guided by the self. A person's self is nothing but evil, for it is the evil he inherits, loving oneself more than God, and the world more than heaven.
70. Besides, so far as any one is in heavenly love, which consists in loving uses and goods, and in being affected with the delight of the heart in doing them, in so far he is led by the Lord; for this is the love in which the Lord Himself is, and which is from Him. But, so far as any one is in the love of self, so far he is led by himself; and so far as any one is led by himself, so far he is led by his own self (proprium), and a man's self is nothing but evil; it is man's hereditary evil which consists in his loving himself more than God, and the world more than heaven.
70. Moreover, as far as anyone is in heavenly love, which is to love uses and goods, and to be affected with delight of heart when he performs them, so far he is led by the Lord, because that love is what He is in, and what is from Him. But as far as anyone is in the love of self, so far he is led by himself; and as far as he is led by himself, he is so far led by his proprium; and man's proprium is nothing but evil; for evil is his heredity, which is to love himself above God, and the world above heaven.
70. Porro, quantum quis in amore caelesti est, qui est amare usus et bona, et affici jucundo cordis cum illa praestat, tantum ducitur a Domino, quia ille amor est in quo Ipse, et qui ab Ipso: at quantum aliquis in amore sui est, tantum ducitur a semet; et quantum ducitur a semet, tantum ducitur a proprio suo, ac proprium hominis non est nisi quam malum, est enim malum ejus hereditarium, quod est se amare prae Deo, et mundum prae caelo.