LXIII
By Means of the Equilibrium Between Heaven and Hell Man is in Freedom
597. The equilibrium between heaven and hell has now been described, and it has been shown that it is an equilibrium between the good that is from heaven and the evil that is from hell, thus that it is a spiritual equilibrium, which in its essence is freedom. A spiritual equilibrium in its essence is freedom because it is an equilibrium between good and evil, and between truth and falsity, and these are spiritual. Therefore to be able to will either what is good or what is evil and to think either what is true or what is false, and to choose one in preference to the other, is the freedom which is here treated of. This freedom is given to every man by the Lord, and is never taken away; in fact, by virtue of its origin it is not man's but the Lord's, since it is from the Lord. Nevertheless, it is given to man with his life as if it were his; and this is done that man may have the ability to be reformed and saved; for without freedom there can be no reformation or salvation. With any rational intuition any one can see that it is a part of man's freedom to be able to think wrongly or rightly, sincerely or insincerely, justly or unjustly; also that he is free to speak and act rightly, honestly, and justly; but not to speak and act wrongly, insincerely, and unjustly, because of the spiritual, moral, and civil laws whereby his external is held in restraint. Evidently, then, it is man's spirit, which thinks and wills, that is in freedom, and not his external which speaks and acts, except in agreement with the above mentioned laws.
598. Man cannot be reformed unless he has freedom, for the reason
that he is born into evils of every kind; and these must be removed
in order that he may be saved; and they cannot be removed unless he
sees them in himself and acknowledges them, and afterwards ceases to
will them, and finally holds them in aversion. Not until then are
they removed. And this cannot be done unless man is in good as well
as in evil, since it is from good that he is able to see evils, while
from evil he cannot see good. The spiritual goods that man is capable
of thinking he learns from childhood by reading the Word and from
preaching; and he learns moral and civil good from his life in the
world. This is the first reason why man ought to be in freedom. [2]
Another reason is that nothing is appropriated to man except what is
done from an affection of his love. Other things may gain entrance,
but no farther than the thought, not reaching the will; and whatever
does not gain entrance into the will of man does not become his, for
thought derives what pertains to it from memory, while the will
derives what pertains to it from the life itself. Only what is from
the will, or what is the same, from the affection of love, can be
called free, for whatever a man wills or loves that he does freely;
consequently man's freedom and the affection of his love or of his
will are a one. It is for this reason that man has freedom, in order
that he may be affected by truth and good or may love them, and that
they may thus become as if they were his own [3] In a word, whatever
does not enter into man's freedom has no permanence, because it does
not belong to his love or will, and what does not belong to man's
love or will does not belong to his spirit; for the very being [esse]
of the spirit of man is love or will. It is said love or will, since
a man wills what he loves. This, then, is why man can be reformed
only in freedom. But more on the subject of man's freedom may be seen
in the Arcana Coelestia in the passages referred to below.
599. In order that man may be in freedom, to the end that he may be
reformed, he is conjoined in respect to his spirit both with heaven
and with hell. For with every man there are spirits from hell and
angels from heaven. It is by means of hell that man is in his own
evil, while it is by means of angels from heaven that man is in good
from the Lord; thus is he in spiritual equilibrium, that is, in
freedom. That angels from heaven and spirits from hell are joined to
every man may be seen in the chapter on the conjunction of heaven
with the human race (n. 291-302).
600. It must be understood that the conjunction of man with heaven
and with hell is not a direct conjunction with them, but a mediate
conjunction by means of spirits who are in the world of spirits.
These spirits, and none from hell itself or from heaven itself, are
with man. By means of evil spirits in the world of spirits man is
conjoined with hell, and by means of good spirits there he is
conjoined with heaven. Because of this the world of spirits is
intermediate between heaven and hell, and in that world is
equilibrium itself. (That the world of spirits is intermediate
between heaven and hell may be seen in the chapter on the world of
spirits, n. 421-431; and that the essential equilibrium between
heaven and hell is there may be seen in the preceding chapter,
n. 589-596.) From all this the source of man's freedom is evident.
601. Something more must be said about the spirits that are joined
with man. An entire society can have communication with another
society, or with an individual wherever he is; by means of a spirit
sent forth from the society; this spirit is called the subject of the
many. The same is true of man's conjunction with societies in heaven,
and with societies in hell, by means of spirits from the world of
spirits that are joined with man. (On this subject see also the
Arcana Coelestia in the passages referred to below.)
602. Finally something must be said respecting man's intuition in
regard to his life after death which is derived from the influx of
heaven into man. There were some of the simple common people who had
lived in the world in the good of faith who were brought back into a
state like that in which they had been in the world, which can be
done with any one when the Lord grants it; and it was then shown what
opinion they had held about the state of man after death. They said
that some intelligent persons had asked them in the world what they
thought about their soul after the life on earth; and they replied
that they did not know what the soul is. They were then asked what
they believed about their state after death; and they said that they
believed that they would live as spirits. Again they were asked what
belief they had respecting a spirit; and they said that he is a man.
They were asked how they knew this; and they said that they knew it
because it is so. Those intelligent men were surprised that the
simple had such a faith, which they themselves did not have. This is
a proof that in every man who is in conjunction with heaven there is
an intuition respecting his life after death. This intuition is from
no other source than an influx out of heaven, that is, through heaven
from the Lord by means of spirits from the world of spirits who are
joined with man. This intuition those have who have not extinguished
their freedom of thinking by notions previously adopted and confirmed
by various arguments respecting the soul of man, which is held to be
either pure thought, or some vital principle the seat of which is
sought for in the body; and yet the soul is nothing but the life of
man, while the spirit is the man himself; and the earthly body which
he carries about with him in the world is merely an agent whereby the
spirit, which is the man himself, is enabled to act fitly in the
natural world.
603. What has been said in this work about heaven, the world of
spirits, and hell, will be obscure to those who have no interest in
learning about spiritual truths, but will be clear to those who have
such an interest, and especially to those who have an affection for
truth for the sake of truth, that is, who love truth because it is
truth; for whatever is then loved enters with light into the mind's
thought, especially truth that is loved, because all truth is in
light.
Extracts From The Acana COoelestia Respecting The Freedom Of Man, Influx, and The Spirits Through Whom Communications are Effected edit
Freedom edit
All freedom pertains to love or affection, since whatever a man loves he does freely (n. 2870, 3158, 8987, 8990, 9585, 9591).
Since freedom pertains to love it is the life of everyone (n. 2873).
Nothing appears to be man's own except what is from freedom (n. 2880).
There is heavenly freedom and infernal freedom (n. 2870, 2873, 2874, 9589, 9590).
[2] Heavenly freedom pertains to heavenly love, or the love of good and truth (n. 1947, 2870, 2872).
And as the love of good and truth is from the Lord freedom itself consists in being led by the Lord (n. 892, 905, 2872, 2886, 2890-2892, 9096, 9586, 9587, 9589-9591).
Man is led into heavenly freedom by the Lord through regeneration (n. 2874, 2875, 2882, 2892).
Man must have freedom in order to be regenerated (n. 1937, 1947, 2876, 2881, 3145, 3146, 3158, 4031, 8700).
In no other way can the love of good and truth be implanted in man, and appropriated by him seemingly as his own (n. 2877, 2879, 2880, 2888).
Nothing is conjoined to man in a state of compulsion (n. 2875, 8700).
If man could be reformed by compulsion all would be saved (n. 2881).
In reformation compulsion is harmful (n. 4031).
All worship from freedom is worship, but worship from compulsion is not worship (n. 1947, 2880, 7349, 10097).
Repentance must be effected in a free state, and repentance effected in a state of compulsion is of no avail (n. 8392).
States of compulsion, what they are (n. 8392).
[3] It is granted to man to act from the freedom of reason, to the end that good may be provided for him, and this is why man has the freedom to think and will even what is evil, and to do it so far as the laws do not forbid (n. 10777).
Man is kept by the Lord between heaven and hell, and thus in equilibrium, that he may be in freedom for the sake of reformation (n. 5982, 6477, 8209, 8987).
What is implanted in freedom endures, but not what is implanted under compulsion (n. 9588).
For this reason no one is ever deprived of his freedom (n. 2876, 2881). The Lord compels no one (n. 1937, 1947).
Compelling one's self is from freedom, but not being compelled (n. 1937, 1947).
A man ought to compel himself to resist evil (n. 1937, 1947, 7914).
Also to do good as if from himself, and yet to acknowledge that it is from the Lord (n. 2883, 2891, 2892, 7914).
Man has a stronger freedom in the temptation combats in which he conquers, since he then compels himself more interiorly to resist, although it appears otherwise (n. 1937, 1947, 2881).
[4] Infernal freedom consists in being led by the loves of self and of the world and their lusts (n. 2870, 2873).
Those who are in hell know no other freedom (n. 2871).
Heavenly freedom is as far removed from infernal freedom as heaven is from hell (n. 2873, 2874).
Infernal freedom, which consists in being led by the loves of self and of the world, is not freedom but servitude (n. 2884, 2890).
For servitude is in being led by hell (n. 9586, 9589-9591).
Influx edit
[5] All things that man thinks and wills flow into him from experience (n. 904, 2886-2888, 4151, 4319, 4320, 5846, 5848, 6189, 6191, 6194, 6197-6199, 6213, 7147, 10219).
Man's capacity to give attention to subjects, to think, and to draw conclusions analytically, is from influx (n. 4319, 4320, 5288).
Man could not live a single moment if influx from the spiritual world were taken away from him; from experience (n. 2887, 5849, 5854, 6321).
The life that flows in from the Lord varies in accordance with the state of man and in accordance with reception (n. 2069, 5986, 6472, 7343).
With those who are evil the good that flows in from the Lord is changed into evil, and the truth into falsity; from experience (n. 3642, 4632).
The good and truth that continually flow in from the Lord are received just to the extent that they are not hindered by evil and falsity (n. 2411, 3142, 3147, 5828).
[6] All good flows in from the Lord, and all evil from hell (n. 904, 4151).
At the present day man believes that all things are in himself and are from himself, when in fact they flow in; and this he might know from the doctrine of the church, which teaches that all good is from God, and all evil from the devil (n. 4249, 6193, 6206).
But if man's belief were in accord with this doctrine he would not appropriate evil to himself nor would he make good to be his own (n. 6206, 6324, 6325).
How happy man's state would be if he believed that all good flows in from the Lord and all evil from hell. (n. 6325).
Those who deny heaven or who know nothing about it do not know that there is any influx from heaven (n. 4322, 5649, 6193, 6479).
What influx is, illustrated by comparisons (n. 6128, 6190, 9407).
[7] Everything of life flows in from the first fountain of life, because that is the source of it; and it continually flows in thus everything of life is from the Lord (n. 3001, 3318, 3337, 3338, 3344, 3484, 3619, 3741-3743, 4318-4320, 4417, 4524, 4882, 5847, 5986, 6325, 6468-6470, 6479, 9276, 10196).
Influx is spiritual and not physical, that is, influx is from the spiritual world into the natural, and not from the natural into the spiritual (n. 3219, 5119, 5259, 5427, 5428, 5477, 6322, 9110).
Influx is through the internal man into the external, or through the spirit into the body, and not the reverse, because the spirit of man is in the spiritual world, and his body in the natural (n. 1702, 1707, 1940, 1954, 5119, 5259, 5779, 6322, 9380).
The internal man is in the spiritual world and the external in the natural world (n. 978, 1015, 3628, 4459, 4523, 4524, 6057, 6309, 9701-9709, 10156, 10472).
There is an appearance that there is an influx from the externals of man into internals, but this is a fallacy (n. 3721).
With man there is influx into things rational, and through these into knowledges, and not the reverse (n. 1495, 1707, 1940).
What the order of influx is (n. 775, 880, 1096, 1495, 7270).
There is direct influx from the Lord, and likewise mediate influx through the spiritual world or heaven (n. 6063, 6307, 6472, 9682, 9683).
The Lord's influx is into the good in man, and through good into truth, and not the reverse (n. 5482, 5649, 6027, 8685, 8701, 10153).
Good gives the capacity to receive influx from the Lord, but truth without good does not (n. 8321).
Nothing that flows into the thought is harmful, but only what flows into the will, since this is what is appropriated to man (n. 6308).
[8] There is a general influx (n. 5850).
This is a continual effort to act in accordance with order (n. 6211).
This influx is into the lives of animals (n. 5850).
Also into the subjects of the vegetable kingdom (n. 3648).
It is in accord with this general influx that thought falls into speech with man, and will into acts and movements (n. 5862, 5990, 6192, 6211).
Subject Spirits edit
[9] Spirits sent forth from societies of spirits to other societies and to other spirits, are called "subjects" (n. 4403, 5856).
Communications in the other life are effected by means of such emissary spirits (n. 4403, 5856, 5983).
A spirit sent forth to serve as a subject does not think from himself, but thinks from those by whom he is sent forth (n. 5985-5987).
Many particulars relating to such spirits (n. 5988, 5989).