Heaven and its Wonders and HellSwedenborg, Emanuel
Religion
Heaven and its Wonders and Hell
Swedenborg, Emanuel
Future life -- Christianity -- Early work to 1800; Heaven -- Christianity; Hell -- Christianity
203. So far as any one is in the form of heaven he is in heaven, and
is, in fact, a heaven in the least form (n. 57); consequently he is
to the same extent in intelligence and wisdom; for as has been said
above, all the thought of his understanding and all the affection of
his will extend themselves on every side into heaven in accord with
its form, and wonderfully communicate with the societies there, and
these in turn with him.{1} [2] There are some who do not believe that
thoughts and affections really extend themselves around about them,
but believe that they are within them, because whatever they think
they see within in themselves, and not as distant; but such are
greatly mistaken. For as the sight of the eye has extension to remote
objects, and is affected in accordance with the order of the things
seen in that extension, so the interior sight, which is that of the
understanding, has a like extension in the spiritual world, although
not perceived by man, for the reason given above (n. 196). The only
difference is that the sight of the eye is affected in a natural way,
because it is affected by the things in the natural world, while the
sight of the understanding is affected in a spiritual way, because by
the things in the spiritual world, all of which have relation to good
and truth; and man's ignorance of this is because of his not knowing
that there is any light that enlightens the understanding; and yet
without the light that enlightens the understanding man could not
think at all (of which light see above, n. 126-132). [3] There was a
certain spirit who believed that his thought was from himself, thus
without any extension outside of himself and communication thereby
with societies outside of him. That he might learn that this was not
true his communication with neighboring societies was cut off, and in
consequence, not only was he deprived of thought but he fell down as
if lifeless, although tossing his arms about like a new-born infant.
After a while the communication was restored to him, and then as it
was gradually restored he returned into the state of his thought. [4]
When other spirits had seen this they confessed that all thought and
affection, and in consequence, everything of life, flow in in
accordance with communication, since everything of man's life
consists in his ability to think and be moved by affection, or what
is the same, in his ability to understand and will.{2}
{Footnote 1} Everyone in heaven has communication of life,
which may be called its extension into angelic societies round
about, according to the quantity and quality of his good (n.
8794, 8797). Thoughts and affections have such extension (n.
2470, 6598-6613). They are united and separated in accordance
with the ruling affections (n. 4111).
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account