42.还当知道，爱与智慧有三个层级，因而生命也有三个层级。人的心智被划分为与这三个层级相对应的三个区域。最高区域的生命等级最高，第二区域的生命等级次之，最低区域的生命等级最低。随着人的成长，这三个区域依次被打开。生命所在的最低区域处于最低层，自婴儿至童年时期通过各种知识的获得被打开。生命所在的第二区域处于较高层，自童年至青少年时期通过基于知识的思维被打开。生命所在的最高区域，处于最高层，自青少年至成年早期，以及之后的时期通过对道德和属灵真理的领悟被打开。
当进一步知道，生命的完美不在于思维，而在于觉察来自真理之光的真理。由此可以推断人的生命何等不同。有些人一闻听真理，马上直觉这是真理，这些人在灵界以雄鹰来代表。有些人对真理没有直觉，而是通过基于表象的论据得出结论，这些人以歌唱的鸟儿来代表。也有些人相信真理是因为，它是权威人士宣称的，这些人以喜鹊来代表。还有些人只有觉察虚假，而无觉察真理的渴望和能力，因为他们处在幻光中，这光使得虚假看似真理，使得真理要么看似隐藏在密云中的东西，要么看似流星，甚至看似虚假。这些人的思维以夜鸟来代表，他们的言语以尖叫的猫头鹰来代表。他们当中那些确信其虚假信仰的人甚至连闻听真理都无法忍受。一旦有真理敲击他们的耳膜，他们就会厌恶地拒绝，就象充满胆汁的胃因恶心而将食物呕吐一样。
42. 另一個重要的概念也當知道:仁與智有三個層次, 因而生命也有三個層次。人的頭腦也隨這三個層次形成三個領域。在頭腦的最高領域之中的生命是最高層次的生命; 在中間領域之中的生命是中間層次的生命; 最低領域之中的生命是最低層次的生命。
這三個領域一個接一個的被開啟。頭腦的最低領域, 就是生命的最低層次所在之處, 藉著現實的資訊, 在孩童和青少年時期被開啟。第二個領域, 更高層次的生命所在之處, 藉著以現實資訊為基礎的思考, 在青少年和成年期早期被打開。頭腦的最高領域, 就是生命的最高層次所在之處, 藉著對道德和屬靈的真理的感知, 在成年早期,中年,中年以後的時期被打開。
還有一個重要的事情也當明白, 生命最完美的狀態是無需思考, 在真理之光中感知真理。這樣感知的水準可用來決定人們生命所處的層次。例如, 有人一聽到某些真的事情, 能立即感知它的真實, 在心靈世界, 鷹代表這類之人。而有些人不會立即感知到事情的真實, 他們會藉著对表象的确证以達到認同的地步; 鳴禽代表這一類人。有些人因為頒佈之人的權勢而相信某些事情的真實, 這類人用松鴉和鵲來代表。
有些人不願意也無法感知真實之事, 他們只能領受偽謬之事。原因是, 他們所處的光既微弱又易生假像。在那光中, 虛假看起來真實。真實之事看起來像某些藏在密雲之中的某些東西, 又或像流星, 或者其它看似虛假之物。夜鳥代表這類人的思想, 鳴角鴞代表這類人說話。如此堅定自己偽謬想法之人甚至無法忍受聽到真實之事, 當任何真實之事達到他們耳朵的最外層時, 他們就會厭惡地拒絕, 如同充滿膽汁而噁心的胃會嘔出任何試圖流入的食物。
42. It is also important to know that there are three levels of love and wisdom, and therefore there are three levels of life. The human mind is formed into areas that go with these levels. The life in the highest area of the mind is the highest level of life. The life in the middle area of the mind is a lesser level of life. The life in the lowest area of the mind is the lowest level of life.
These areas in us are opened one after the other. The lowest area of the mind, where there is the lowest level of life, is opened during childhood and adolescence, by means of factual information. The second area of the mind, where there is a greater level of life, is opened during adolescence and early adulthood, by means of thought that builds on factual information. The highest area of the mind, where there is the highest level of life, is opened during early adulthood, middle age, and beyond, by means of perceiving both moral and spiritual truths.
Another important thing to know is that life in its greatest perfection is not thinking; it is perceiving truth in the light of truth. The level of this perception in people can be used to determine what level of life they have. For example, there are people who, immediately upon hearing something true, perceive the truth of it. In the spiritual world they are represented as eagles. Then there are people who do not perceive what is true, but they do arrive at truth from argumentation based on other things that are apparent. They are represented as songbirds. There are people who believe something to be true because it was decreed by a man in authority. They are represented as jays or magpies.
There are also some who are unwilling and others who are unable to perceive what is true; they can perceive only what is false. The reason is that the light they are in is faint and deceptive. In that light what is false seems true, and what is true seems like something hidden in a thick cloud overhead or like a shooting star; or else it just seems false. Such people's thoughts are represented as night birds, and their speaking as screech owls. Those among them who have become adamant in their own false impressions cannot stand to hear things that are true. As soon as anything true reaches the outermost part of their ear, they reject it in disgust much the way a nauseous stomach distended with bile will regurgitate food.
42. It should also be known that there are three degrees of love and wisdom, and so three degrees of life; and the human mind is formed into three regions corresponding to these degrees. Life in the highest region is in its highest degree, in the second in a lesser degree, and in the last in the lowest degree. These regions are opened up successively as a person grows up. The last region, where life is in its lowest degree, is opened up from infancy to childhood, as different kinds of knowledge are acquired. The second degree, where life is in a greater degree, is opened up, from childhood to adolescence, as the result of thinking based on knowledge. The highest degree, where life is in its highest degree, is opened up from adolescence to early manhood and beyond; and this is brought about by grasping both moral and spiritual truths.
[2] It should further be known that perfection of life consists not in thought but in perceiving truth in the light of truth. From this one can deduce how different people's lives are. There are those who at once on hearing a truth perceive that it is true; these are represented in the spiritual world by eagles. There are those who do not perceive a truth, but deduce it as the result of arguments based upon appearances; these are represented by song-birds. There are those who believe a truth at the behest of an authoritative speaker; these are represented by magpies. There are also those who do not wish to and those who cannot perceive a truth, but only falsity. The reason is that they live in a deceptive light, and this makes a falsity look like truth, and a truth either as something overhead wrapped in thick cloud, or as a meteor, or even as falsity. Their thinking is represented by little owls and their speaking by screech-owls. Those of them who have convinced themselves of their false beliefs cannot bear to hear truths, and as soon as any truth knocks at the door of their ears, they turn away and reject it, very much as a stomach crammed with bilious matter is nauseated by food and vomits it up.
42. Furthermore, it must be understood that there are three degrees of love and wisdom, and consequently three degrees of life, and that the human mind is formed into regions, as it were, in accordance with these degrees; and that in the highest region life is in its highest degree, in the second region in a less degree, and in the outmost region in the lowest degree. These regions are opened in men successively-the outmost region, where there is life in the lowest degree, from infancy to childhood; and this is done by means of knowledges: the second region, where there is life in a larger degree, from childhood to youth; and this is done by means of thought from knowledges: and the highest region, where there is life in the highest degree, from youth to early manhood and onward; and this is done by means of perceptions of moral and spiritual truths. It must be further understood that it is not in thought that the perfection of life consists, but in the perception of truth from the light of truth. From this it may be inferred what the differences of life are in men; for there are some who the moment they hear a truth perceive that it is true; and these in the spiritual world are represented by eagles. There are others who have no perception of truth, but reach conclusions by means of confirmations from appearances; and these are represented by singing birds. Others believe a thing to be true because it has been asserted by a man of authority; these are represented by magpies. Finally, there are some who have no desire and no ability to perceive what is true, but only what is false, for the reason that they are in a delusive light, in which falsity appears to be true, and what is true seems either like something overhead concealed in a dense cloud, or like a meteor, or like something false. The thoughts of these are represented by birds of night, and their speech by screech owls. Of this class those that have confirmed their falsities cannot bear to hear truths, and the moment any truth strikes the ear they repel it with aversion, as a stomach overcharged with bile from nausea vomits its food.
42. Moreover it should be known that there are three degrees of love and wisdom, and consequently three degrees of life; and that according to these degrees, the human mind is as it were formed into regions. Life in the highest region is in the highest degree, in the second region in a lower degree, and in the ultimate region in the lowest degree. These regions are opened up successively in man. The ultimate region, where life is in the lowest degree, is opened during infancy to childhood, and this is effected by means of knowledge. The second region, where life is in a higher degree, is opened from childhood to youth, and this is effected by means of thought from knowledge; and the highest region, where life is in the highest degree, is opened from youth to manhood and onwards, and this is effected by means of perception of moral and spiritual truths. Further it should be known that the perfection of life does not consist in thought, but in the perception of truth from the light of truth. From this fact the differences in the life of men may be determined; for there are some who, immediately on hearing truth, perceive that it is truth, and these in the spiritual world are represented (as to their thoughts) by eagles. 1 There are others who do not at once perceive truth, but who conclude that it is so from confirmation by appearances, and these are represented by singing birds. Others again accept as truth what is asserted on the authority, and these are represented by magpies. There are yet others who are neither willing nor indeed able to perceive truth but only falsity, because they are in that delusive light in which falsity appears as truth and truth either as something hidden above their heads in a dense cloud, or as a meteor, or even as falsity, and their thoughts are represented by birds of night, and their speech by screech-owls. Those among them who have confirmed their falsities, cannot bear to hear truths; and as soon as any truth reaches their ears they repel it with aversion, as a bilious stomach rejects food with loathing.
Footnotes:
1. This addition in parentheses is in accordance with what is said lower: horum cogitationes repraesentantur per noctuas.
42. Praeter haec sciendum est, quod tres gradus amoris et sapientiae, et inde tres gradus vitae sint, et quod Mens humana secundum hos gradus sicut in regiones formata sit, et quod vita in suprema regione in supremo gradu sit, in secunda regione in minore gradu, et quod in ultima regione in infimo gradu; hae regiones aperiuntur successive apud homines; ultima regio, ubi vita in infimo gradu est, ab infantia ad pueritiam, et hoc fit per scientias; secunda regio, ubi vita est in majore gradu, a pueritia ad adolescentiam, et hoc fit per cogitationes ex scientiis; et suprema regio, ubi vita in supremo gradu est, ab adolescentia 1 ad juventatem, et porro, et hoc 2 fit per perceptiones veritatum et moralium et spiritualium:
[2] ulterius sciendum 3 est, quod perfectio vitae non consistat in cogitatione, sed in perceptione veri ex luce veri; differentiae vitae apud homines inde possunt concludi; dantur enim qui illico dum audiunt verum, percipiunt quod verum sit, hi in Mundo spirituali repraesentantur per aquilas; dantur qui non percipiunt verum, sed concludunt illud ex confirmationibus per apparentias, hi repraesentantur per aves canoras; dantur qui credunt verum esse, quia dictatum a viro auctoritatis, hi repraesentantur per picas; et insuper dantur, qui non volunt, tum qui non possunt, percipere verum, sed modo falsum, causa est, quia in luce fatua sunt, in qua luce falsum apparet sicut verum, ac verum vel sicut aliquod supra caput in densa nube, absconditum, vel sicut meteoron, vel sicut falsum, horum cogitationes repraesentantur per noctuas, et loquelae per ululas; illi ex his, qui confirmaverunt sua falsa, non sustinent audire vera, ac ut primum aliquod verum auris eorum ostium pulsat, ex aversatione repellunt illud, vix aliter quam stomachus biliosis differtus cibum ex nausea evomit.
Footnotes: