5944. About the tree of knowledge
Few know what is meant by their having sinned against God by eating from the tree of knowledge, and this is something those who are spiritual cannot know, but only those know who are heavenly. This may be illustrated by the following: 1) Just as anyone is capable of thinking well from the analytical faculty implanted in every person and from its rules, which are numberless, and then wants to think from rules of metaphysics and logic, constantly thinking about them in thinking and then thinking from them, when anyone does this his first mentioned faculty perishes. 2) Similarly, when someone can conduct himself in a well-mannered fashion so that nothing is lacking, if he afterwards learns the rules of manners from a set of rules and conducts himself on the basis of these, his native faculty then perishes, and he regulates his self by pretense. 3) The case is the same if a dancer who is already accomplished then wants to learn steps and dance from these, and more so if he wants [to do so] from a knowledge of the muscles. 4) In a word, to the extent that a person wants to think and act from knowledge in the memory, then to that extent he acts from his cerebral self, but to the extent he acts from affection, to the same extent he acts from a different source. As regards truth and goodness, to the extent he thinks, wills, and does these from awareness of them in his memory, thus from obedience alone, then to that extent he acts from his own understanding, thus from what is evil. What is a person's own is evil. 5) From this is evident that to the extent a person is led by the Lord, to the same extent he is led from affection within himself, and by uncountable laws, almost all of which are unknown. If he then wants to act from knowledge, then the previous state, which was produced from a Divine inflow of the Lord, perishes, and a state arises from what is his own self, which stems from evil. 6) This is what is to be understood by the Lord's words, ԙour speech must be Yes or No, what goes beyond is from evil" [Matt 5:37].
5944. THE TREE OF KNOWLEDGE.
Few are aware what their having sinned against God by eating of the tree of knowledge signifies; and they who are spiritual are not able to know this, but only those know who are celestial. This was made clear by the following considerations:
(1) For instance, anyone is able to think well from the analytical faculty implanted in every man, and from its rules, which are innumerable; and afterwards he desires to think from metaphysical and logical rules: immediately he, in thinking, [wishes] to think of these, and afterwards from them, his former faculty perishes.
(2) In like manner, when anyone is able to bear himself with propriety, so that nothing is deficient: if he afterwards learns the rules of etiquette from science, and regulates his conduct, and moves his body and face, according to this, then his natural faculty perishes, and he regulates himself from simulation belonging to proprium.
(3) The case is similar if an excellent dancer afterwards wishes to learn rules, and dances according to them; still more if he wishes to dance according to a knowledge of the muscles.
(4) In a word, so far as a man wishes to think and act from science, which resides in the memory, so far he acts from his intellectual proprium but so far as he does so from affection, so far it is from a different origin. As respects truth and good, so far as he thinks, wills and does these things from science, which is of the memory, thus from mere mechanical compliance, so far he acts from the intellectual proprium, thus from evil: the proprium is evil.
(5) It is hence manifest, that, so far as a man is led by the Lord, so far he is led by affection within him, and by means of innumerable laws almost all of which are unknown: if he, then, desires to act from science, at that moment, the former faculty, which is from the Lord's Divine influx, perishes, and there exists a state from proprium, which is from evil.
(6) This is meant by the Lord's words: "Let your speech be yea, or nay; what is beyond, is from evil."
5944. De arbore scientiae
Pauci sciunt quid significat quod peccaverint contra Deum per id, quod ederint ex arbore scientiae, et hoc non scire possunt illi qui spirituales sunt; sed solum sciunt qui coelestes; elucidetur hoc per sequentia
1) sicut quis cogitare potest bene, ex analysi cuivis homini insita, et ejus regulis, quae innumerabiles sunt, et vult dein cogitare ex regulis metaphysicis et logicis, jugiter in cogitatione cogitare de illis et dein ex illis, tunc perit prior ejus facultas.
2) Similiter cum aliquis potest se gerere decore, ut nihil desit, si postea discit regulas decori ex scientia, et ex hac se gerit, movet corpus et faciem, tunc perit naturalis ejus facultas, et ex simulato proprium regit.
3) Similiter si saltator egregius vult dein regulas discere, et ex illis saltare; magis si velit ex scientia musculorum.
4) Verbo quantum homo ex scientia quae memoriae inest, vult cogitare et agere, tantum ex suo proprio intellectuali agit, at quantum ex affectione tantum ex origine alia; quod verum et bonum attinet, quantum cogitat, vult et agit illa ex scientia quae memoriae, ita ex sola obedientia, tantum ex proprio intellectuali agit, ita ex malo, proprium est malum.
5) Inde patet quod quantum homo a Domino ducitur, tantum ex affectione intra illum, et per innumerabiles leges, quarum paene omnes incognitae sunt; si tunc ex scientia vult agere, tunc perit prior status, qui est ex influxu Divino Domini, et existit status ex proprio, qui est ex malo;
6) hoc intelligitur per Domini verba, sermo vester erit imo aut non, quod ultra est ex malo est [Matth. V: 37].