308、几乎人人都以为，人从自己思考和意愿，因而从自己说话和行动。既然这种表象如此强烈，以致它跟实际从人自己思考、意愿、说话和行动几乎没什么两样，那么从自己，谁能想到别的呢？然而，这是不可能的。我在《圣爱与圣智》一书已说明，生命唯有一个，人是生命的接受者；还说明，人的意愿是接受爱的容器，人的理解力是接受智慧的容器，这两者就是那唯一的生命。此外，我解释了，正是出于创造，因而出于不断的圣治，这生命要在人里面显现，就好像它属于人，因而好像是他自己的生命；然而，这是一个表象，是为了叫人成为一个接受的容器。我在前面（288-294节）也解释了，人永远不从自己，而是始终从其他人思考；这些其他人也不从自己思考，相反，所有人，无论善恶，都从主思考。此外，这一点在基督教界是公认的，尤其被那些不仅说，还相信一切良善和真理都来自主，以及一切智慧，因而一切信和仁也都来自主，而一切邪恶和虚假都来自魔鬼，或地狱的人认可。
由此只能得出一个结论：人所思想和意愿的一切都是流入的。既然一切言语都从思维流出，如同结果从原因流出，一切行为以同样的方式
从意愿流出，那么可知，人所言所行的一切也都是流入的，尽管是以一种衍生或间接的方式。不可否认，一个人所看见、听见、闻见、品尝和感觉到的一切都是流入的；那么，一个人所思想和意愿的一切为何就不是流入的呢？除了流入外在感觉器官，或肉体感官的，是诸如在自然界的那类事物，而流入内在感觉的器官物质，或心智的，是诸如在灵界的那类事物外，还能有其它任何不同吗？换句话说，正如外在感觉器官或肉体感官是接受属世物体的容器，内在感觉的器官物质或心智，则是接受属灵物体的容器。既然这是人的实际状态，那么他的“自我”是什么呢？他的“自我”并不是这种或那种接受容器，因为这种自我无非是他在接受方面的品质，并不是他生命的自我。当说到“自我”时，没有人会理解为别的，只会理解为人靠自己活着，因而从自己思考和意愿。然而，从刚才所述可推知，这样的自我不在人里面，并且不可能在任何人里面。
308. Divine Providence Does Not Assign Evil to Anyone or Good to Anyone, but One's Own Prudence Adopts Each
Almost everyone believes that a person thinks and wills of himself and so speaks and acts of himself. Who thinking on his own can suppose anything else, when the appearance of its being so is so strong that it differs not at all from actually thinking, willing, speaking and acting of oneself, which nevertheless is impossible?
In Angelic Wisdom Regarding Divine Love and Wisdom we demonstrated that there is only one life and that people are recipients of life. Further, that a person's will is the receptacle of love, and a person's intellect the receptacle of wisdom, the two elements which constitute the one and only life.
We demonstrated as well that it is the case from creation and owing therefore continually to Divine providence that that life in a person appear in such a guise as to be seemingly his, thus seemingly his own possession, but that this is an appearance in order that the person may be a recipient vessel.
In nos. 288-294 above we have demonstrated further that no one thinks on his own but from others, and that neither do those others think on their own, but all do so from the Lord - an evil person as well as a good person. Moreover we have demonstrated that this is something known in the Christian world, especially among people who not only say but also believe that all goodness and truth originate from the Lord, and so, too, all wisdom, thus faith and charity; and at the same time that all evil and falsity come from the devil or from hell.
[2] From all this no other conclusion can follow than that everything a person thinks and wills flows in; and because all speech flows from thought, as an effect from its cause, and likewise all action from the will, that everything a person says and does flows in too, though secondarily or indirectly.
No one can deny that everything a person sees, hears, smells, tastes or feels flows in. Why not what a person thinks and wills? Can there be any other difference than this, that into the organs of the outer or physical senses flow such things as are found in the natural world, while into the organic substances of the inner or mental senses flow such things as are found in the spiritual world? Consequently, that as the organs of the outer or physical senses are the recipient vessels of natural objects, so the organic substances of the inner or mental senses are the recipient vessels of spiritual objects?
Since that is the condition of the human being, what then is his inherent character? His inherent character is not that he is this or that sort of recipient vessel, because that character is simply his nature in response to his reception. It is not, however, the inherent character of his life. For by someone's inherent character no one means anything else than that he lives of himself and so thinks and wills of himself. But that this character does not exist in anyone, indeed that neither can it exist in anyone, follows from what we have said above.
308. Divine Providence Does Not Charge Us with Anything Evil or Credit Us with Anything Good; Rather, Our Own Prudence Claims Both
Almost everyone believes that we think and intend autonomously and therefore talk and act autonomously. Can we on our own believe anything else when the appearance is so convincing that it scarcely differs at all from really thinking, intending, speaking, and acting autonomously? Yet this is impossible.
In Angelic Wisdom about Divine Love and Wisdom, I explained that there is only one life and that we are life-receivers. I also explained that our volition is a receiver of love and our discernment is a receiver of wisdom, and that these and nothing else are the life that we receive. Further, I explained that by creation, and under divine providence constantly since then, life seems to be within us exactly as though it belonged to us, as though it were ours, but that this is only the way it seems in order that we may be receivers. In 288-294 above I have explained that the source of our thinking is not in ourselves but in others, whose source is again not in themselves. It all comes from the Lord, whether we are evil or good. Further, this is recognized in the Christian world, especially by people who not only say but even believe that everything good and true comes from the Lord, which includes all wisdom and therefore faith and charity. They also believe that everything evil comes from the devil or from hell.
[2] The only conclusion we can draw from all this is that everything we think and intend is flowing into us, and since all speech flows from thought like an effect from its cause, and all action similarly flows from volition, everything we say and do is flowing in as well, albeit secondarily or indirectly. No one can deny that everything we see, hear, smell, taste, and feel is flowing in. What about the things we think and intend, then? Can there be any difference except that what flows in from the physical world flows in through our outer or physical sensory organs, while what flows in from the spiritual world flows in through the organic substances of our inner senses or our minds? In other words, just as the organs of our outer or physical senses are attuned to material objects, the organic substances of our inner senses or our minds are receptive of spiritual objects.
Since this is our actual state, what is our "self"? Our "self" is not really one or another kind of receiver, since it is nothing but the quality of its own receptivity. It is not some aspect of life that is actually ours. When we say "the self," no one hears anything but a being that lives on its own and therefore thinks and intends on its own. Yet it follows from what has just been said that there is no such self in us and that there cannot be.
308. CHAPTER XI
THE DIVINE PROVIDENCE APPROPRIATES NEITHER EVIL NOR GOOD TO ANYONE; BUT ONE'S OWN PRUDENCE APPROPRIATES BOTH
NEARLY everyone believes that man thinks and wills from himself and consequently speaks and acts from himself. Who from himself can suppose otherwise, since the appearance of it is so strong that it does not differ at all from actually thinking, willing, speaking and acting from himself? And yet this is not possible. In ANGELIC WISDOM CONCERNING THE DIVINE LOVE AND WISDOM, it was shown that there is only one life, and that men are recipients of life; also that man's will is the receptacle of love, and his understanding the receptacle of wisdom, and that these two constitute this sole life. It was also shown that it is ordained from creation, and therefore unceasingly from the Divine Providence, that this life should appear in man exactly as if it belonged to him, and consequently as if it were his own, the purpose of this appearance being that man may serve as a receptacle for it. It was also shown above (n. 288-294) that no man thinks from himself but from others, and that these others do not think from themselves but all from the Lord, the wicked as well as the good. It was shown further that this is well known in the Christian world, especially among those who not only say but also believe that all good and truth originate from the Lord, also all wisdom and thus all faith and charity; and, moreover, that all evil and falsity originate from the devil, that is, from hell.
[2] From all this no other conclusion can follow than that everything a man thinks and wills flows into him; and since all speech flows from thought, as an effect from its cause, and since all action flows in like manner from the will, it follows that everything a man says and does also flows in, although derivatively, that is, mediately. It cannot be denied that everything a man sees, hears, smells, tastes and feels flows in; why not then what he thinks and wills? Can there be any other difference than that such things as are in the natural world flow into the organs of the external senses or those of the body, while such things as are in the spiritual world flow into the organic substances of the internal senses or those of the mind? Therefore, as the organs of the external senses or those of the body are receptacles of natural objects so the organic substances of the internal senses or those of the mind are receptacles of spiritual objects. Since this is the state of man, what then is his proprium? His proprium does not consist in being a receptacle of this or that kind, because such a proprium is merely what he is with regard to reception and is not a living proprium; for by proprium no one understands anything else than that he lives from himself, and consequently thinks and wills from himself; but that such a proprium does not exist in man, indeed cannot exist in anyone, follows from what has been said above.
308. THE DIVINE PROVIDENCE APPROPRIATES NEITHER EVIL NOR GOOD TO ANY ONE; BUT MAN'S OWN PRUDENCE APPROPRIATES BOTH.
Nearly every one believes that man thinks and wills from himself, and consequently speaks and acts from himself. And who from himself can believe otherwise, when the appearance that it is so is so strong that it does not differ in the least from an actual thinking, willing, speaking, and acting from one's self? Nevertheless, that is impossible. In Angelic Wisdom concerning the Divine Love and the Divine Wisdom it has been shown that there is only one life, and that men are recipients of life; also that man's will is the receptacle of love, and his understanding the receptacle of wisdom, and these two are that only life. It has also been shown there that it is from creation, and therefore from an unceasing Divine providence, that in man this life should manifest itself in the similitude of belonging to him, consequently as if it were his own life; this, however, being an appearance, to the end that man may be a receptacle. It has also been shown above (288-294) that man never thinks from himself, but always from others, nor these others from themselves, but all from the Lord, and that this is true both of the evil man and of the good; furthermore, that this is recognized in the Christian world, especially by those who not only say but believe that all good and truth are from the Lord, also all wisdom, thus all faith and charity, while all evil and falsity are from the devil, or from hell.
[2] From all this no other conclusion can follow than that every thing that man thinks and wills flows in. And since all speech flows from thought as an effect from its cause, and all action flows from will in like manner, it follows that everything also that a man says and does flows in, although derivatively or mediately. That every thing that a man sees, hears, smells, tastes, and feels, flows in cannot be denied; why not, then, every thing that a man thinks and wills? Can there be any other difference than that what flows into the organs of the external senses, or those of the body, are such things as are in the natural world, while what flows into the organic substances of the internal senses or those of the mind are such things as are in the spiritual world? Consequently as the organs of the external senses or those of the body are receptacles of natural objects, so the organic substances of the internal senses or of the mind are receptacles of spiritual objects. Such being the state of man, what has he that is his own? His being this or that kind of receptacle is not what is his own, since this own is simply what he is in respect to reception, and is not his life's own, for by one's own nothing else is meant by any one except that one lives from himself, and therefore thinks and wills from himself. But that such an own is not in man, and cannot possibly exist in any man, follows from what has been said above.
308. Quod Divina Providentia non appropriet alicui
Malum nec alicui bonum, sed quod propria
Prudentia utrumque appropriet
Creditur 1paene ab unoquovis, quod homo cogitet et velit ex se, et inde loquatur et agat ex se; quis aliud potest credere dum a se, cum apparentia quod ita sit, tam fortis est, ut nihil differat ab actualiter a se cogitare, velle, loqui et agere, quod tamen non dabile est. In SAPIENTIA ANGELICA DE DIVINO AMORE ET DIVINA SAPIENTIA, demonstratum est, quod unica vita sit, et quod homines sint recipients 2vitae; tum quod voluntas hominis sit receptaculum amoris, ac intellectus hominis sit receptaculum sapientiae, quae duo sunt unica illa vita. Demonstratum etiam est, quod ex creatione sit, et inde ex Divina Providentia continue, ut vita illa appareat in homine, in tali similitudine, sicut esset ejus, proinde sicut propria, sed quod hoc sit apparentia, ob finem ut homo possit esse receptaculum. Demonstratum etiam est supra 288-294, quod nullus homo cogitet ex se, sed ex aliis, et quod nec alii 3ex se, sed omnes ex Domino, ita tam malus quam bonus: tum quod hoc in Orbe Christiano notum sit, imprimis 4apud illos qui non modo dicunt, sed etiam credunt, quod omne bonum et verum sit a Domino, tum quod omnis sapientia, ita fides et charitas; et quoque quod omne malum et falsum sit a diabolo seu ab inferno.
[2] Ex his omnibus non potest aliud conclusum sequi, quam quod omne influat quod homo cogitat et vult, et quia omnis loquela fluit a cogitatione, sicut effectus a sua causa, et omnis actio a voluntate similiter, quod etiam omne id influat, quod homo loquitur et agit, tametsi derivative seu mediate: quod omne influat quod homo videt, audit, odorat, gustat et sentit, non potest negari; quid non quod homo cogitat et vult; num aliud potest esse discrimen, quam quod in organa sensuum externorum seu corporis influant talia quae in mundo naturali sunt, et quod in substantias organicas sensuum internorum seu mentis influant talia quae in mundo spirituali sunt; proinde quod sicut organa sensuum externorum seu corporis sunt receptacula objectorum naturalium, ita substantiae organicae sensuum internorum seu mentis sint receptacula objectorum spiritualium. Cum talis status est hominis, quid tunc est proprium ejus; proprium 5ejus non est quod tale aut tale receptaculum sit, quia hoc proprium non aliud est quam quale ejus quoad receptionem, non autem est proprium vitae; per proprium enim a nemine intelligitur aliud, quam quod vivat ex se, et inde cogitet et velit ex se; sed quod hoc proprium non sit apud hominem, imo quod nec dari possit apud ullum, a supradictis consequitur.
Footnotes:
1 Prima editio: Cpeditur
2 Prima editio: recipients
3 Prima editio: alii
4 Prima editio: imprimis
5 Prima editio: et proprium