40.我们在约翰福音中还读到：
父怎样在自己有生命，就赐给祂儿子也照样在自己有生命。（约翰福音5:26）
这句经文的意思是，永恒存在的神性本身怎样在自己有生命，祂在时间中所取的人身也照样在自己有生命。在自己所有的这生命就是使天使和人类存活的独一无二的真生命。人的理性通过思考尘世太阳所放射的光，是能理解这一点的。这光不能被造，但接受光的形式是被造的。例如，眼睛是接受这光的形式，而从这太阳所放射的光则能使眼睛看见。生命也一样，如前所述，这生命就是灵界太阳所放射的光；这光不能被造，但它持续流入，点亮人的理解力，并赋予其生命。故可知，由于生命、光和智慧是一，所以智慧也无法被造。信、真理、爱、仁和善也不能被造，而接受这些的形式是被造的。这些形式就是人类和天使的心智。
因此，每个人都要特别小心，不要确信他靠自己而活，或靠自己而有智慧、信仰、爱、对真理的觉察，或意愿和行善。人越是确信这些观点，其心智就越从天上滑落到地上，从属灵变得属世、感官和肉体化。因为他关闭了其心智的高层区域，从而使得他在关乎神、天堂和教会的一切事上变得盲目。这时，他所思想、推理和言说的一切纯粹是愚蠢，因为他处在黑暗中。而与此同时，他却变得自信满满，以为这一切都是智慧的产物。因为当生命的真光所在的心智高层区域被关闭时，在它们之下的心智区域就被打开，这些区域只允许尘世之光进入。这光若与高层区域的光分离，就成了幻光。在这幻光中，虚假看似真理，真理看似虚假；出于虚假的推理看似智慧，出于真理的推理看似疯狂。然后，人自以为具有老鹰一样的敏锐视觉，尽管他看不到任何智慧，就象蝙蝠在白天看不到任何东西一样。
40. 約翰福音中我們還讀到:"如同父在自己有生命, 就賜給祂兒子也照樣在自己有生命"(約翰福音5:26)。意思是, 從永遠就存在的神性本身在自己是有生命的, 在時間之中所取的人身在自己有生命。"生命在本身之中"的意思指完全的和唯一的生命, 所有天人和地上之人因此生命而活。
我們的理性有能力去明白關於世間太陽所發之光。那光不能被造, 但接受光的形式可以被造。正如我們的眼睛就是形式,用以調節接收那光。當光從太陽流入, 我們便看見。這與生命相似, 如剛才所說, 生命是從心靈世界太陽發出的光。同樣, 這光不能被造, 但是它隨時不斷流入, 啟迪我們的思維, 產生我們的生命。因為光,生命和智慧是一。智慧也不能被造, 善,理,仁,義等同樣不能被造。被造的只是接受這些的形式, 這些是人的和天人的思想。
要特別小心, 不要確信你自己能靠自己而存活, 也就是別認為你自己擁有智,信,仁, 由自己而能感知真理, 自己有義或自己能行善。當人們自己確信如此時, 他們就將自己的頭腦從天摔到地, 或從屬靈的思想引向屬世,感官和肉體。於是關閉了他們思想的最高區域, 就喪失了對上帝,天國和教會一切事情的思考和判斷力。凡是他們對這些方面的所思所想所說, 都是荒謬的, 因為他們身處黑暗之中。同時具有諷刺意義的是, 對於他們所認定的"智慧", 他們會由此獲得更大的信心。由於他們頭腦的最高區域被關閉, 這裡是生命之真光的棲身之處, 而打開的低級區域則僅僅適應人世間的弱光。這弱光因缺少由最高區域而來的真光, 暗淡模糊,易生假像。在這虛弱之光中, 虛假看起來真實, 真實看起來虛假。關於假命題的辯論看起來如同智慧, 而對真命題的辯論看起來似乎瘋狂。這類的人們真相信他們有老鷹般的視覺能力, 實際上, 他們再也看不見任何來自智慧之事, 還不如蝙蝠在敞亮白日所能看見的。
40. We also read in John, "As the Father has life in himself, so he also granted the Son to have life in himself" (John 5:26). This means that as the Divine itself that has existed from eternity is alive in itself, so also the human aspect that it acquired in time is alive in itself. "Life in itself" means the absolute and only life from which all angels and people on earth are alive.
Our reason is capable of seeing this in relation to the light that radiates from the sun in the physical world. That light cannot be created, but the forms for receiving it can. Our eyes are forms tuned to receive that light. When the light flows in from the sun, we see. It is similar with life. Life, as I just pointed out [39], is light radiating from the sun in the spiritual world. That light too cannot be created, but it is at all times flowing in. As it enlightens our intellect, it also brings it to life. Because light, life, and wisdom are one, wisdom cannot be created either, nor can faith, truth, love, goodwill, or goodness; but forms for receiving those things have been created. They are human and angelic minds.
Be very careful, then, not to convince yourself that you are alive from yourself - do not think you are wise, have faith, are loving, perceive truth, or will or do what is good from yourself. As people do convince themselves of these things, they cast their mind down from heaven to earth and change from being spiritual to being oriented to nature, their own senses, and their own body. They close the higher regions of their mind. Doing so blinds them to everything having to do with God, heaven, or the church. Then whatever they happen to think, reason, or say on these subjects is ridiculous, because they are in the dark. At the same time, ironically, they gain greater confidence in the wisdom of their perspective. Since the higher regions of their mind are closed, where the true light of life makes its home, a lower region of their mind opens up that is attuned only to the glimmer of the world. That glimmer, devoid of light from the higher regions, is faint and deceptive. In it, false things seem true and true things false; argumentation on false premises seems like wisdom, and on true premises seems like madness. People like this truly believe they have the visual powers of an eagle, when in fact they cannot see what comes from wisdom any more than a bat can see in broad daylight.
40. We also read in John:
As the Father has life in Himself, so did He grant the Son to have life in Himself, John 5:26.
This means that just as the Divine itself, which existed from eternity, has life in itself, so has the Human which it assumed in time. Life in itself is the very, sole life which enables angels and men to live. Human reason can grasp this by considering the light radiated by the sun of the natural world. This light is not capable of being created, but the forms which receive it are created; the eyes are designed to receive light, and it is the light radiated by the sun which enables them to see. It is the same with life, which, as said before, is light radiated by the sun of the spiritual world; this is not capable of being created, but by its continuous radiation as it were lights up and gives life to men's understanding. It follows that since light, life and wisdom are one, wisdom too cannot be created; and the same is true of faith, truth, love, charity and good. It is the forms which receive them which are created, namely, the minds of men and angels.
[2] Let everyone therefore beware of convincing himself that he owes his life to himself, or his intelligence, belief, love, perception of truth or his willing and doing good. In so far as he convinces himself of these ideas, so far does he cast down his mind earthwards from heaven, and from being spiritual becomes natural, influenced by the senses and the body. For he thus shuts off the higher regions of his mind, so that he becomes blinded to everything which relates to God, heaven and the church. Everything he may then think, reason and say is mere foolishness, because he is in darkness; yet at the same time he becomes confident that these are the products of wisdom. For when the higher regions of the mind, the abode of the true light of life, are shut off, the region of the mind below these, which is illuminated only by the faint glimmer of the world, is opened up. This glimmer, unsupported by the light of the higher regions, is a misleading illumination, in which falsities look like truths, and truths like falsities; reasoning from falsities looks like wisdom, and from truths like madness. Then a person believes himself to have the keenness of sight of an eagle, though he can see no more of wisdom than a bat in daytime.
40. We also read in John:
As the Father hath life in Himself, so hath He given to the Son also to have life in Himself (5:26),
which means that just as the Divine Itself, which was from eternity, has life in itself, so the Human, which He took on in time, has life in itself. Life in itself is the very and only life, from which all angels and men have life. This can be seen by human reason from the light that goes forth from the sun of the natural world, in that this light is not creatable, but that forms for receiving it have been created. For example, the eyes are forms for receiving this light, and light flowing in from the sun is what makes them to see. The same is true of life which (as has been said) is the light that goes forth from the sun of the spiritual world, in that it is not creatable, but flows in unceasingly, and as it illuminates it also vivifies man's understanding. So in consequence, as sight and life and wisdom are one, wisdom is not creatable, neither is faith, nor truth, nor love, nor charity, nor good; but forms for receiving these have been created; and these forms are human and angelic minds. Therefore let everyone beware of persuading himself that he lives from himself, or that he is wise, believes, loves, perceives truth, and wills and does good, from himself. For so far as anyone is so persuaded he casts his mind down from heaven to earth, and from being spiritual becomes natural, sensual, and corporeal; for he shuts up the higher regions of his mind, and thus makes himself blind in regard to every thing relating to God, heaven, and the church; and then all that he happens to think, reason, and say about these things is done in darkness and consequently in foolishness; while at the same time he adopts a confidence that it all belongs to wisdom. For when the higher regions of the mind, where the true light of life resides, are closed up, the region of the mind below these opens, into which the light of the world only is admitted; and when this light is separated from the light of the higher regions it is a delusive light, in which what is false seems true and what is true seems false, and reasoning from what is false appears to be wisdom, and from what is true to be folly. Then man believes himself to be endowed with the keen vision of an eagle, although he sees what belongs to wisdom no better than a bat sees in the light of day.
40. It is also written in John:
"As the Father hath life in Himself, so hath He given to the Son to have life in Himself" 5:26.
By this is meant that as the Divine itself, which was from eternity, lives in itself, so also the Human, which it assumed in time, lives in itself. Life in itself is life itself and the only life, from which all angels and men live. Human reason may see this from the light which proceeds from the sun of the natural world. This light is not creatable, but the forms which receive it are created; for the eyes are its recipient forms, and the light flowing into them from the sun causes them to see. It is similar with life which, as has been said, is the light which proceeds from the Sun of the spiritual world. This light is not creatable, but continually flows in, and both illumines and vivifies the understanding of man. Consequently, since light, life and wisdom are one, wisdom is not creatable, nor are faith, truth, love, charity and good; but their recipient forms are created, and these forms are the minds of men and of angels. Let each one therefore beware lest he persuade himself that he lives from himself and that he is wise from himself: that he believes, loves, perceives truth, and wills and does good from himself. For as far as any one indulges in such persuasions so far does he turn his mind downward from heaven to earth, and from being spiritual he becomes natural, sensual and corporeal. In effect he closes the higher regions of his mind, and thus becomes blind to all that belongs to God, to heaven and to the Church. Then whatever he may happen to think, reason or say about these things is nothing but foolishness, because all is done in darkness; and yet he deludes himself that it is the result of wisdom. For when the higher regions of his mind are closed, where dwells the true light (lux) of life, there opens up below these a region of the mind to which only the light (lumen) of the world is admitted. When separated from the light (lux) of the higher regions this is a delusive light (lumen), in which falsities appear as truths and truths as falsities; and reasoning from falsities appears as wisdom and from truths as madness. In this case a man believes he possesses the keen sight of an eagle, whereas he no more sees the realities of wisdom than a bat sees in the light of noon-day.
40. Apud Johannem etiam legitur; Quemadmodum Pater habet vitam in Seipso, ita dedit etiam Filio vitam habere in Seipso, 5:26 per quod intelligitur, quod quemadmodum ipsum Divinum quod fuit ab aeterno, vivit in Se, ita quoque Humanum, quod suscepit in tempore, vivat in Se; Vita in se, est ipsa et unica Vita, e qua omnes angeli et homines vivunt. Ratio humana potest hoc videre ex Luce quae procedit ex Sole Mundi naturalis, quod haec non creabilis sit, sed quod formae recipientes illam creatae sint, oculi enim sunt ejus formae recipientes, et lux influens e Sole facit, ut illi videant: simile est cum Vita, quae, ut dictum, est Lux procedens ex Sole Mundi spiritualis, quod non creabilis sit, sed quod influat continue, ac sicut illuminat, etiam vivificet Intellectum hominis: consequenter, quod quia Lux, Vita, et Sapientia, unum sunt, Sapientia non creabilis sit, similiter nec fides, nec verum, nec amor, nec charitas, nec bonum, sed quod formae recipientes illa, creatae sint; Mentes humanae et angelicae sunt formae illae.
[2] Caveat itaque sibi quisque, ut persuadeat sibi, quod vivat ex se, tum quod sapiat, credat, amet, verum percipiat, et bonum velit et faciat ex se; quantum enim quis illa sibi persuadet, tantum mentem suam e Coelo in terram dejicit, et a spirituali fit naturalis, sensualis, et corporeus, occludit enim superiores regiones Mentis suae, unde quoad omnia quae Dei, quae Coeli, et quae Ecclesiae sunt, fit caecus, et tunc omne, quod de illis forte cogitat, ratiocinatur, et loquitur, fit in fatuitate, quia in tenebris, et tunc simul attrahit fiduciam quod illa sint sapientiae; occlusis enim regionibus mentis superioribus, ubi lux vitae vera habitat, aperit se regio mentis infra illas, in quam modo lumen Mundi admittitur, et hoc lumen separatum a luce superiorum, est lumen fatuum, in quo falsa apparent sicut vera, et vera sicut falsa, ac ratiocinatio ex falsis sicut sapientia, et ex veris sicut insania, et tunc ille credit se acie aquilae pollere, tametsi illa quae sapientiae sunt, non plus videt quam vespertilio in luce diurna.