263、但当属灵心智打开时，属世心智的状态就完全不同了。这时，属世心智愿意服从属灵心智并从属于它。因为属灵心智从上面或里面作用于属世心智，并移除其中那些反对的元素，使那些与自己协调一致的元素适应它自己，过度的反作用就这样逐渐被消除。值得注意的是，在宇宙的最大和最小事物中，无论活的还是死的，都有作用和反作用，万物的平衡由此而来；一旦作用大过反作用，这种平衡就会打破，反之亦然。属世心智和属灵心智也是如此。当属世心智出于其本身为邪恶和虚假的爱的享受和思维的满足行动时，属世心智的反作用就会移除那些属于属灵心智的元素，并堵住门口，以免它们进入，它使得行为来自诸如与它的反作用相一致的那类事物。结果，属世心智的作用和反作用反对属灵心智的作用和反作用。这反过来造成属灵心智的关闭，就像螺旋反扭一样。但当属灵心智被打开时，属世心智的作用和反作用就会翻转过来；因为属灵心智从上面或里面进行作用，同时也通过属世心智中那些从下面或外面被安排去服从它的元素进行作用；它将属世心智的作用和反作用所在的螺旋扭回来。因为属世心智天生就与属于属灵心智的事物对立；众所周知，这种对立是通过遗传从父母那里获得的。被称为改造和重生的状态变化就具有这种性质。改造之前，属世心智的状态好比一个向下扭转或弯曲的螺旋；改造之后，它好比一个向上扭转或弯曲的螺旋。因此，改造之前，人向下看地狱，改造之后，则向上看天堂。
263. When the spiritual mind is open, though, the state of the earthly mind is entirely different. Then the earthly mind is inclined to obey the spiritual mind and to be subservient. The spiritual mind acts on the earthly mind from above or from within; and it moves aside the things there that are reactive and adapts to its purposes the things that are cooperative. So it gradually eliminates any overpowering resistance.
We need to realize that action and reaction are involved in everything in the universe, no matter how large or small, whether alive or lifeless. This yields a balance throughout, which is canceled when action overcomes reaction or vice versa. It is the same for the earthly mind and the spiritual mind. When the earthly mind is acting on the basis of the delights it loves and the fascinations of its thinking (which are intrinsically evil and false), then the reaction of the earthly mind moves aside whatever comes from the spiritual mind and blocks the doors against its entry. As a result, any action is controlled by whatever agrees with the reaction. This is the nature of the action and reaction of the earthly mind, which is the opposite of the action and reaction of the spiritual mind; and this is what causes the closing of the spiritual mind or the reversing of the spiral.
However, if the spiritual mind is open, then the action and reaction of the earthly mind are reversed. The spiritual mind is acting from above or within, and as it does so it is working through whatever in the earthly mind is amenable, whether it comes from within or from the outside. Then it reverses the spiral characteristic of the action and reaction of the earthly mind. This mind has been in opposition to the purposes of the spiritual mind from birth, deriving this by heredity from our parents, as is well known.
This is the nature of that change of state called reformation and regeneration. The state of the earthly mind before its reformation might be compared to a spiral twisted or twisting downward, while after its reformation it might be compared to a spiral twisted or twisting upward. So before our reformation, we are looking down toward hell, while after our reformation we are looking up toward heaven.
263. The state of the natural mind is altogether different, however, when the spiritual mind has been opened. The natural mind is then disposed to obey the spiritual mind and is subordinated to it. For the spiritual mind acts from above or from within upon the natural mind and removes those elements in it which oppose, and adapts to itself those elements which operate in harmony with it. The overwhelming reaction is thus progressively eliminated.
[2] It should be known that in the greatest and least constituents of the universe - both animate and inanimate - one finds the reciprocal relation of action and reaction. It is what holds all things in equilibrium. This equilibrium is suspended when the action is greater than the reaction, and vice versa.
It is the same with the natural and spiritual minds. When the natural mind is prompted by the delights of its love and the gratifications of its thought, which in themselves are evil and false, then the reaction of the natural mind removes those elements which belong to the spiritual mind and bars the door to them to keep them from entering, causing the action to come from such things as accord with its reaction. The result is an action and reaction of the natural mind which is opposed to the action and reaction of the spiritual mind. This in turn causes a closing of the spiritual mind, like the twisting of a spiral into the opposite direction.
[3] On the other hand, if the spiritual mind is opened, then the action and reaction of the natural mind are reversed. For the spiritual mind acts from above or from within and at the same time through those elements in the natural mind which have been disposed from within or from without to obey it, and it twists into the opposite direction the spiral in which the natural mind acts and reacts. That is because the natural mind is from birth in a state of opposition to matters belonging to the spiritual mind, a state it acquires by heredity from parents, as people know.
[4] Of such a nature is the change of state called reformation and regeneration. The state of the natural mind before reformation may be likened to a spiral twisting or curving downward, while after reformation it may be likened to a spiral twisting or curving upward. Consequently a person before reformation looks downward to hell, but after reformation upward to heaven.
263. But when the spiritual mind has been opened, the state of the natural mind is entirely different. Then the natural mind is disposed towards obedience to the spiritual mind, and is subordinate to it. For the spiritual mind acts upon the natural mind from above or within, and removes the things therein which react, and adapts to itself those things which act in like manner with itself, so that the excessive reaction is gradually taken away. It is to be known that, in the greatest and least things of the universe, both living and dead, there is action and reaction, therefore there is an equilibrium of all things. This is annulled when action supersedes reaction, and vice versa. It is the same with the natural mind and with the spiritual mind. When the natural mind acts from the delights of its love, and the pleasures of its thoughts which in themselves are evils and falsities, then the reaction of the natural mind removes those things which are of the spiritual mind and blocks the doors against their entrance, and causes action to come from such things as agree with its reaction. Thus, action and reaction of the natural mind is brought about which is opposed to action and reaction of the spiritual mind. Hence a closing up of the spiritual mind takes place like the twisting back of a spiral. Whereas if the spiritual mind is open, then the action and reaction of the natural mind is turned inwards, for the spiritual mind acts from above or within, and at the same time from below or from without, through those things in the natural mind which are disposed towards obedience to it, and it twists back the spiral in which lie the action and reaction of the natural mind. For this mind is from birth in opposition to the things belonging to the spiritual mind, an opposition, as is well known, derived by heredity from parents. Such is the change of state which is called reformation and regeneration. The state of the natural mind before reformation can be compared to a spiral twisting or bending itself downwards. But after reformation it can be compared to a spiral twisting or bending itself upwards. Wherefore before reformation a man looks downwards towards hell, but after reformation, he looks upwards towards heaven.
263. But when the spiritual mind is open the state of the natural mind is wholly different. Then the natural mind is arranged in compliance with the spiritual mind, and is subordinated to it. For the spiritual mind acts upon the natural mind from above or within, and removes the things therein that react, and adapts to itself those that act in harmony with itself, whereby the excessive reaction is gradually taken away. It is to be noted, that in things greatest and least of the universe, both living and dead, there is action and reaction, from which comes an equilibrium of all things; this is destroyed when action overcomes reaction, or the reverse. It is the same with the natural and with the spiritual mind. When the natural mind acts from the enjoyments of its love and the pleasures of its thought, which are in themselves evils and falsities, the reaction of the natural mind removes those things which are of the spiritual mind and blocks the doors lest they enter, and it makes action to come from such things as agree with its reaction. The result is an action and reaction of the natural mind opposite to the action and reaction of the spiritual mind, whereby there is a closing of the spiritual mind like the twisting back of a spiral. But when the spiritual mind is opened, the action and reaction of the natural mind are inverted; for the spiritual mind acts from above or within, and at the same time it acts from below or from without, through those things in the natural mind which are arranged in compliance with it; and it twists back the spiral in which the action and reaction of the natural mind lie. For the natural mind is by birth in opposition to the things belonging to the spiritual mind; an opposition derived, as is well known, from parents by heredity. Such is the change of state which is called reformation and regeneration. The state of the natural mind before reformation may be compared to a spiral twisting or bending itself downward; but after reformation it may be compared to a spiral twisting or bending itself upwards; therefore man before reformation looks downwards to hell, but after reformation looks upwards to heaven.
263. At prorsus alius status est Mentis naturalis, cum Mens spiritualis aperta est; disponitur tunc Mens naturalis ad obsequium Mentis spiritualis, et subordinatur, agit enim Mens spiritualis a superiori seu ab interiori in Mentem naturalem, ac removet illa quae ibi reagunt; et adaptat sibi illa, quae secum similiter agunt[;] inde successive tollitur reactio superans.
[2] Sciendum est, quod in maximis et minimis Universi, tam vivis quam mortuis, sit actio et reactio[;] inde est omnium aequilibrium[;] hoc tollitur cum actio superat reactionem, et vicissim: simile est cum Mente naturali et cum Mente spirituali; quando Mens naturalis 1 ex sui amoris jucundis, et ex suae cogitationis amaenis, quae in se sunt mala et falsa, agit, tunc reactio mentis naturalis removet illa quae Mentis spiritualis sunt, ac obstipat fores ne intrent, et facit, ut actio fiat ex talibus quae cum reactione ejus concordant; ita fit actio et reactio Mentis naturalis, quae opposita est actioni et reactioni Mentis spiritualis[;] 2 inde fit occlusio Mentis spiritualis sicut retorsio spirae.
[3] At si aperitur Mens spiritualis, tunc invertitur actio et reactio Mentis naturalis; agit enim Mens Spiritualis a superiori aut interiori, et simul per illa quae ad obsequium ejus disposita sunt in Mente naturali ab interiori aut exteriori, et retorquet spiram, in qua est actio et reactio Mentis naturalis; est enim haec Mens ex nativitate in opposito contra illa quae Mentis spiritualis sunt[;] hoc trahit per haereditatem a parentibus, ut notum est.
[4] Talis est mutatio status, quae vocatur reformatio et regeneratio: status Mentis naturalis ante reformationem comparari potest spirae torquenti seu circumflectenti se deorsum; at post reformationem comparari potest spirae torquenti seu circumflectenti se sursum; quare homo ante reformationem spectat deorsum ad infernum, at post reformationem spectat sursum ad Coelum.
Footnotes:
1. Prima editio: natutalis
2. Prima editio: spiri ualis,