477.关于一个精明的灵人，或另一个穆罕默德。早上我醒来的时候，有一个相当精明的灵人，虽然我周围的人都在抱怨他，但他仍在竭力将一切良善变成邪恶。醒着的时候，我和一位具有这种天赋的人交谈，发现他在试图调查何为真理。于是，我随意提了这样那样的问题，他都巧妙解决了，并发现真相；因此，他被接纳到善灵的团体当中，在他们中间呆了一段时间。但他太过于活跃，想凭自己行事，故被送走了，进入其他灵人组成的团体。我由此可以得出结论，一些灵人在领悟的天赋上大大超过其他灵人，这种差别如此之大，以至于几乎没有人能说服他。
477a.关于幻想，它们如何被摆脱，哪一种仍旧存留。此外，这里还有一位穆罕默德，他拥有这样的能力，他能理解真理和良善（477节）；我同时和他谈到了在那些刚进入来世的灵人当中占据主导地位的幻想。因为他们只有幻觉，这些幻觉必须被摆脱掉；只是脱去它们很困难，会遭到抵制；因为此人喜爱它们，以之为乐趣。因此，它们被耶稣基督一点一点地脱去，这些灵人被引入内在幻想，进而被引入更内在的幻想，这些幻想对应于真理和良善，并能与它们在一起。天堂的欢喜和快乐由此而来，他们以这种方式快乐地过着自己的生活。我与麦加的穆罕默德谈到这些事，还有一个穆罕默德，但我不知道他是谁。据说他也受到崇拜。因此，这两个人都拥有理解真理和良善的能力；事实上，他们承认，一切真理和良善的源头是耶稣基督，他们在此想叫我通过大量经历证明这一点，以致没有人能怀疑它。
477. About a certain ingenious spirit, or about a second Mohammed
In the morning, when I had awakened, there was a certain rather clever spirit who, to the distress of those around me, had adroitly changed all goodness into evil. On awakening, I spoke with the one possessing that talent and found that he was trying to investigate what is true. I therefore proposed at random this and that [problem], which he ingeniously solved, discovering the truth. On account of this he was received into the company of good spirits, among whom he remained for a time; but because he was too energetic, and tried to act on his own, he was sent away and came into the company of other spirits.
From this I am able to infer that some spirits much surpass others in the talent of comprehending, the difference [between their level of comprehension and that of others] being so great, that it would be hard to let oneself be convinced of it.
[477 1/2.] About Fantasies: how they are shed, and what kind remain
Moreover, it was also this Mohammed who possessed such an ability to understand what is true and good [477], with whom I likewise spoke about the fantasies that prevail among spirits who first come into that life. For they are only illusions, which must by all means be shed, and are put off only with difficulty and with resistance, because the person favors them and takes pleasure in them. Therefore, these fantasies are removed, little by little, by Jesus Christ, and those spirits are led to inward, and then more inward ones, which interact with, and can be together with truth and goodness. Hence comes heavenly joy and gladness, and in this way they live a life of their own, with delight.
These things [were discussed] with Mohammed of Mecca, and there was another Mohammed also, but who he is, I do not know. It is said that he, too, is adored. Thus both possess the ability to understand truth and goodness, and in fact they confess that the source of all truths and goodness is Jesus Christ, which they want me to testify here from so much experience that no one can ever doubt about it.
477. CONCERNING A CERTAIN CLEVER SPIRIT: OR CONCERNING ANOTHER MAHOMED
In the morning when I awoke, there was a certain rather clever spirit, who, although those about me were complaining, had assiduously turned everything good into evil. Being awake, I spoke with him who excelled in this gift; [he said] that he wanted to explore what truth is. I therefore proposed at random, this question and that, which he solved cleverly and discovered the truth [of the matter]; wherefore he was received into the company of good spirits among whom he remained for a time. But because he was too active, and wanted to act from himself, he was sent away and came into a company of other spirits. 1From this I can conclude that certain spirits excel others by a greater gift of perceiving, and that the difference is such that scarcely anyone suffers it to persuade him.
[477a.] 2CONCERNING PHANTASIES HOW THEY ARE PUT OFF, AND THE KIND THAT REMAIN
Moreover, there was also here a Mahomed who excels with such a faculty that he can understand what is true and good, with whom I spoke at the same time about the phantasies that reign amongst the spirits who first come into that life, so that there are nothing but phantasies which must be entirely put off, and which are put off with difficulty and resistance, because man favors them and takes pleasure in them. Wherefore they are little by little put off by Jesus Christ, and the spirits are reduced to interior, and thus to more interior, phantasies which correspond to verity and goodness and can be together with them, whence there is heavenly joy and gladness; and thus man also lives with delights from his own [principles]. These things I spoke with the Mahomed of Mecca; and there was also another Mahomed, but who he was, I do not know. It is said that he also is adored. Thus each excels in the faculty of understanding truth and good, and indeed each confesses that the fount of all verities and goodnesses is Jesus Christ, which they here want to testify from so much experience that no one can ever have doubt about it.
Footnotes:
2. This paragraph is unnumbered in the manuscript. It was written in continuation of n, 477, and the heading was interpolated later.
1. According to the Index (s.v. Mahomed, Spiritus), "These spirits were of an intermediate kind."
477. De quodam spiritu ingenioso, seu de altero Mahumede
Mane, cum evigilavi, erat spiritus quidam satis, ingeniosus, qui, querentibus iis qui circum me, converterat industriose omne bonum in malum, evigilans loquutus sum cum eo, qui ea dote pollebat, quod vellet explorare 1
quid verum, ideo proposui passim haec et illa, quae ingeniose solvebat, et verum inveniebat, quare receptus est in spirituum bonorum consortium, inter quos aliquantum mansit, sed quia nimis activus erat, et ex se voluit agere remissus est, et venit in aliorum spirituum consortium exinde concludere possum, quod quidam spiritus multa dote percipiendi, prae aliis polleant, et quod differentia sit talis, ut quis vix id sibi 2
persuadere patiatur.
477a. De Phantasiis, quomodo exuuntur et quales remanent 3
Praeterea etiam Mahumed hic erat, qui tali facultate pollet, ut intelligere possit quid verum et bonum, cum quo simul loquutus sum, de phantasiis quae regnant apud spiritus, qui primo veniunt in eam vitam, sic ut modo phantasiae sint, quae omnino exuendae 4
, quaeque difficulter et cum renisu exuuntur, quia homo iis favet, et sibi in iis placet, quare paullatim a Jesu Christo exuuntur 5
, et reducuntur ad interiores, et sic intimiores, quae correspondent veritati et bonitati, et cum iis una esse possunt, inde gaudium et laetitia coelestis, et sic homo ex suis cum delitiis quoque vivit; haec cum Mahumede Meckae, et erat alter quoque Mahumed, sed quisnam, non scio, dicitur, quod is quoque adoretur, sic ut uterque facultate intelligendi verum et bonum polleat, et quidem fateatur, quod fons omnium veritatum et bonitatum, est Jesus Christus, quod hic testari volunt ex tam multa experientia, ut nemo usquam possit de eo dubitare.
Footnotes:
1. The Manuscript has explore
2. This is how it appears in J.F.I. Tafel's edition; the Manuscript has se
3. his titulus postscriptum interineale est, post pataitur apparens
4. The Manuscript has exeuendae
5. The Manuscript has exeuntur