448.然而，那些在世时彼此缔结爱的友谊之人，就无法像其他人那样有序分离，然后被分配到与其生命相对应的社群中。他们在灵的层面内在联结，无法分开，因为他们就象嫁接在一起的枝条。所以，若一个内在处于天堂，而另一个内在处于地狱，那么他们就会彼此粘在一起，如同羊被拴到狼身上，鹅被拴到狐狸身上或鸽子被拴到老鹰身上。内层在地狱的这一个会将地狱气息吹入内层在天堂的那一个。在天堂，众所周知的真相之一就是，邪恶的观念能注入到善人里面，而良善的观念却无法注入到恶人里面。原因在于，每个人生来就充满邪恶。所以，当善人像这样与恶人粘在一起时，他们的内层就都关闭，两个人都被投入地狱，在那里，善人备受煎熬，只有经过一些时日后，他才得以释放，直到此时，他才开始为天堂做准备。
我曾被允许看到这类结合，特别是兄弟姊妹及其他血缘关系，以及领主与其手下，很多人与马屁精之间的结合，双方有着完全相反的情感和不同的秉性。我发现有些人看似小孩和豹子，然后他们彼此拥抱，发誓要维持先前的友谊。这时，我察觉到善人吸收了恶人的乐趣，他们手牵手，一起走进洞穴，只见那里成群的恶人面目狰狞，尽管他们的幻觉使得他们看似相当有魅力。但一段时间后，我就听见善人恐惧地哀嚎，仿佛他们要被绞死，而恶人却欢欣雀跃，仿佛夺走了敌人的战利品，还有其它这类凄惨的场面。我被告知，善人被释放后，会通过改造为天堂做准备，不过，难度要比其他人更大。
448. 然而, 那些在世時彼此進入交心的友誼之人, 就不能像其他人那樣以有序的方式被分開, 成為與他們生命相對應之社群的一部分。建立了交心之情的人們在屬靈的層面被內在地系在一起, 不能被扯開, 因為他們如同枝子接在另外的枝子上。倘或他們其中之一的內心處於天國, 而另一位在地獄, 他們粘在一起就如同將一隻綿羊與一隻狼系在一處, 或一隻雞與一隻狐狸, 又或一隻鴿子與一隻老鷹。內心在地獄的這位會去激動在天國的另一位裡面的邪惡。
天國的眾多真相之一:好人能被影響而有行惡的衝動, 但惡人不能被影響而有行善的衝動。(因為每個人生來裡面就有惡的品性。)因此當好人像這樣與壞人粘在一起時, 他們的內在就會被關閉, 雙方都被投向地獄。好人在那裡遭受苦難, 經過一定時間後才被釋放, 然後開始去為天國作準備。
我曾被允許見到這類的結合, 特別是兄弟姊妹與親戚之間, 還有主人和他們的跟從者之間的結合, 還有許多人與他們的諂媚者之間。雙方有著完全相反的情感和不同的品性。我見過其中一些看起來如同山羊與獵豹彼此相擁, 並相互起誓忠誠與他們先前的友誼。然後我感覺到好人正被邪惡之樂所吸引, 雙方牽手走進洞穴之中。洞穴中成群的惡人, 看起來面目猙獰, 儘管他們的錯覺令彼此看起來魅力四射。過些時候, 我卻聽到好人恐懼的哀號聲, 仿佛要被絞死, 而惡人們歡呼雀躍, 就像從敵人手中奪得戰利品。我還目擊了其他一些恐怖的場景。
我聽說這些結對之中的好人們, 當他們被釋放後, 便通過一步步的改造, 為進天國作預備, 不過比其他人難度更大。
448. People who have forged a bond of love with each other in the world, however, cannot be separated in an orderly way (as other people are) to become part of a community that relates to their life. People with bonds of love are spiritually bonded in a deep way. They cannot be pulled apart, because they are like branches that have been grafted onto other branches. If one of them is inwardly in heaven but the other is inwardly in hell, they are stuck together much like a sheep that is tied to a wolf, a goose that is tied to a fox, or a dove that is tied to a hawk. The one who is inwardly in hell arouses hellish impulses in the one who is inwardly in heaven.
One among the many things that are recognized in heaven is that good people can be influenced to have evil impulses, but evil people cannot be influenced to have good impulses. (The reason is that we all have evil qualities from birth.) Good people who are stuck to evil people have their deeper levels closed off as a result, and both are pushed down into hell in pairs. There the good person suffers hardships. Finally, after a period of time she or he is released and then starts to prepare for heaven.
I have been allowed to see bonds like this, especially between siblings and relatives, but also between leaders and followers. Many had bonds of love with their admirers. The members of these pairings had opposite feelings and different natures. I saw some of them that looked like goats with leopards, kissing each other and swearing allegiance to their former friendship. Then I sensed that the good people were absorbing pleasure in evils. I saw the pairs holding hands and going into caves together. In the caves I observed herds of evil people hideous in form. To each other, though, the people there looked attractive because of the illusion they projected. After a little while, I heard the good people screaming in terror as if they were trapped. From the evil people, I heard rejoicing like that of enemies glorying over the spoils of war. I witnessed other horrible scenes as well.
I have heard that later the good members of these pairs, when they are released, are prepared for heaven through the steps of reformation, but they have more difficulty than others.
448. Those, however, who in the world have mutually entered into bosom friendships cannot be separated in orderly fashion like other people, and be allotted to the community which corresponds to their life. For they are inwardly tied at the level of the spirit, and cannot be torn apart because they are like branches grafted on to other branches. If one, therefore, is inwardly in heaven and the other is inwardly in hell, they stick to each other like a sheep tied to a wolf, or a goose to a fox, or a dove to a hawk. The one whose interiors are in hell breathes his hellish ideas into the one whose interiors are in heaven. For it is one of the facts which are well known in heaven that wicked ideas can be breathed into good people, but not good ideas into wicked people. The reason is that everyone is by birth pervaded by evils. So when good people stick like this to wicked ones their interiors are shut off, and both are cast down into hell, where the good one suffers severely and only after some time has elapsed is he released, and only then does he begin his preparation for heaven.
[2] I have been permitted to see ties of this sort, especially between brothers and other relations, as well as between lords and their underlings, and of many with toadies, who had opposite affections and different characters. I saw some looking like kids with leopards, and then they embraced each other, swearing to maintain their previous friendship. Then I was aware of the good absorbing the pleasures of the wicked, holding hands, and going together into caves, where crowds of wicked people were to be seen in their hideous forms, though they have the illusion that they seem to themselves attractive. But some time later I heard the good wailing in fear as if they were to be hanged, and the wicked rejoicing as if they had taken booty from an enemy, and other such doleful scenes. I was told that later on the good after being released were prepared for heaven by being reformed, but with more difficulty than others.
448. But those who in the world have contracted with each other friendships of love cannot be separated like others in accordance with order, and adjudged to societies correspondent to their lives; for they are bound together interiorly as to the spirit, nor can they be torn apart, because they are like scions ingrafted into branches; consequently, if one as to his interiors is in heaven, and the other as to his interiors in hell, they stick together much as a sheep tied to a wolf, or a goose to a fox, or a dove to a hawk; and he whose interiors are in hell breathes his infernalism into the other whose interiors are in heaven. For among the things well known in heaven is this, that evils may be breathed into the good, but not goods into the evil; and for this reason that everyone is in evils by birth; and in consequence, the interiors of the good, who are thus joined fast to the evil, are closed, and both are thrust down to hell, where the good spirit suffers severely, but finally, after a lapse of time, he is released, and only then begins his preparation for heaven.
It has been granted me to see spirits so bound together, especially brothers and relatives, also patrons and their dependents, and many with flatterers, the two having contrary affections and diverse inclinations. I have seen some who were like kids with leopards, who were kissing each other and swearing to maintain their former friendship; and I then perceived that the good were absorbing the delights of the evil, holding each other by the hand and entering caves where crowds of the evil appeared in their hideous forms, although to themselves, owing to the illusions of phantasy, they seemed lovely. But after a while I heard from the good cries of fear, as if they were in snares, and from the evil rejoicings, like those of enemies over spoils; besides other sad scenes; and I was told that when the good had been released they were prepared for heaven by means of reformation, but not so easily as others.
448. Those who have contracted friendships grounded in love cannot be separated like others in the ordinary way, and be joined to the society corresponding with their life, for they are inwardly united as to the spirit. They cannot be plucked asunder, because they are like branches of trees joined by grafting; so that when one as to his interiors is in heaven, and the other as to his interiors is in hell, they remain bound together like a sheep tied to a wolf, or a goose to a fox, or a dove to a hawk; and he whose interiors are in hell breathes his infernal influence into him whose interiors are in heaven. For it is well known in heaven that evils can be inspired into goods, but not goods into evils, because every one by birth is in evil. The consequence is that the interiors of the good, who are thus bound fast to the wicked, are closed and both are thrust down into hell, where the good suffer very severely. After some time, however, they are released, and forthwith their preparation for heaven begins.
I have been permitted to see such associations, particularly between brothers or relatives, and also between patrons and dependants, and between many great men and their flatterers, who were persons of opposite affections and different natures. I have seen them together, like kids with leopards, kissing each other and vowing fidelity to their former friendship; and I have noticed at the same time that the good were drinking in the delights of the wicked. They were walking hand in hand and entering into caves together, where crowds of the wicked were seen in their own hideous forms, although to themselves, by a kind of delusion, they seemed to be very beautiful. After some time, however, I heard the good uttering cries of fear as if caught in a trap, and the wicked exulting with joy, like enemies over the spoil; and I saw other distressing scenes. I was informed that the good, after their release, are prepared for heaven by the process of reformation, but with greater difficulty than others.
448. At illi, qui in Mundo ligarunt amicitias amoris inter se, non possunt sicut alii secundum ordinem separari, et addici Societati vitae suae correspondenti; sunt enim interius quoad Spiritum ligati, nec possunt divelli, quia sunt sicut rami inoculati ramis; quare si unus quoad interiora sua in Coelo est, alter quoad sua interiora in Inferno, cohaerent vix aliter quam sicut ovis alligata lupo, aut sicut anser vulpi, aut sicut columba accipitri, et ille, cujus interiora in Inferno sunt, inspirat sua infernalia in illum, cujus interiora in Coelo sunt; nam inter cognitiones notas in Coelo etiam haec est, quod mala inspirari possint bonis, non autem bona malis; causa est, quia unusquisque a nativitate in malis est; inde bonis ita cohaerentibus cum malis occluduntur interiora, et ambo detruduntur in Infernum, ubi bonus dura patitur, et tandem post intervalla temporis eximitur, et tunc primum praeparatur ad Coelum.
[2] Datum est mihi videre tales ligationes, praecipue inter fratres et affines, tum etiam inter dominos et clientes, et plurium cum assentatoribus, quibus fuerunt contrariae affectiones et diversi genii, et vidi quosdam sicut haedos cum pardis, et illos tunc se osculantes, et jurantes in priorem amicitiam, et percepi tunc bonos insorbentes jucunda malorum, ac tenentes se manibus, et simul intrantes speluncas, ubi catervae malorum visae sunt in suis tetris formis, sed coram seipsis ex illusione phantasiae in venustis; at post spatia temporis audivi a bonis lamenta timoris sicut pro laqueis, et a malis gaudia sicut hostium ex spoliis; praeter tristes alias scenas. Quod boni postea, dum exempti sunt, per media reformationis, sed aegrius quam alii, praeparati sint ad Coelum, audivi.