476# 每一个人自婴孩以至老年，在此世界中皆不断改变其地方或位置。婴孩被保持在东方一带，并在那里偏向北方；儿童随着学习宗教的初步要义，便逐渐从北方退离而趋向南方；少年人一开始由自己的心智思想，便被带向南方；其后，当他成为能凭自己判断、亦能自主行事之人时，他若在那些内在关乎上帝与爱邻之事上有所增长，便由南方转向东方；但若他偏向恶，并将恶吸入己中，便向西方前行。
因为在灵性世界中，所有人皆按方位居住：居于东方者，是那些从主而在善中之人，因为那里有太阳，主在其中央；居于北方者，是那些处于无知中之人；居于南方者，是那些处于聪明中之人；居于西方者，是那些处于恶中之人。
人就身体而言，并非被保持在那个间隔或中央地带中；他被保持在那里，乃是就其灵而言。并且，随着其灵改变状态，或趋近于善，或趋近于恶，他便被迁移到此方或彼方的地方与位置，并在那里与当地居民同处交往。然而必须知道，并非主将人迁往此处或彼处，而是人以不同方式迁移自己。若他选择善，那么人便与主一起，或更确切地说，主便与人一起，将他的灵迁往东方；但若人选择恶，那么人便与魔鬼一起，或更确切地说，魔鬼便与人一起，将他的灵迁往西方。
须注意的是：本文凡称“天堂”之处，也当理解为主，因为主是天堂中万有之中的万有；凡称“魔鬼”之处，也当理解为地狱，因为在那里所有人都是魔鬼。
476# 从婴儿直到老年，每个人都会改变他在灵人界的位置或地方。还是个婴儿时，他被保持在朝北的东部；孩童时，随着他学习宗教的基础知识，他逐渐从北向南移动；青年时，随着他开始行使自己的想法，或出于自己的心智思考，他被带到南方。后来，当他自主判断，成为自己的主人时，随着他在诸如从内层与神和对邻之爱有关的那类事上成长，他仍向南前进，但朝东前进。然而，他若倾向于邪恶，并沉溺于其中，就会向西移动。因为灵界中的所有人都照着方位而有自己的住所；那些从主处于良善的人在东方，因为有主在中间的太阳就在这个方位；那些处于无知的人在北方；那些处于聪明的人在南方；那些处于邪恶的人在西方。人自己不是就其身体而言，仅就其灵而言，被保持在天堂与地狱之间的这个间隔或中间区域；随着他的灵通过接近良善或邪恶而改变自己的状态，它被转移到这个或那个方位的位置或地方，并与住在那里的人联系在一起。但必须明白，主并没有把人转移到这个或那个地方，而是人以不同的方式转移自己。如果他选择良善，那么他就与主一起，或更确切地说，主与他一起，把他的灵转到东方。但如果人选择邪恶，那么他就与魔鬼一起，或更确切地说，魔鬼与他一起，把他的灵转到西方。必须注意的是，当此处提到天堂时，所指的，也是主，因为主是天堂全部中的全部；当提到魔鬼时，所指的，也是地狱，因为地狱里的所有人都是魔鬼。
476. Every human being from infancy to old age is relocating and changing places in that world. In early childhood we are kept in the eastern region there, on its north side. In later childhood and youth, as we acquire a foundation in our religion, we move in a series of stages away from the north and toward the south. In early adulthood, when we begin to think with our own minds, we are brought farther south. Later on, when we become independent and able to judge for ourselves and are growing in matters that inwardly relate to God and love for our neighbor, we move into the southern region, on its east side. But if we have a fondness for evil and indulge in it, we move toward the west.
All who are in the spiritual world live in one region or another. People who are involved in goodness from the Lord live in the east, because that is where the sun that surrounds the Lord is. People who are in ignorance live in the north. People who have good understanding live in the south. People who are involved in evil live in the west.
[2] Our body is not kept in that interspace or central area, but our spirit is. As its condition changes, by moving either toward what is good or toward what is evil, our spirit is moved to different places or locations in this or that region and comes into contact with the people who live there. It is important to know, however, that the Lord does not transfer us here or there. We relocate ourselves in various ways. If we choose what is good, then we together with the Lord relocate - or rather the Lord together with us relocates - our spirit farther east. If, however, we choose what is evil, then we together with the Devil relocate - or rather the Devil together with us relocates - our spirit farther west. And please note that when I say "heaven" I mean the Lord, because the Lord is everything to all of heaven, and when I say "the Devil" I mean hell, because all the people there are devils.
476. From childhood to old age everyone changes his place or location in the world of spirits. As a young child he is kept towards the north of the eastern sector. As a boy, as he begins to learn the rudiments of religion, he moves away by stages from the north towards the south. As a young man, as he begins to think for himself, he moves southwards; and later on, when he can exercise his own judgment and be his own master, in proportion to his development in matters which inwardly concern God and love towards the neighbour, south-eastwards. However, if his preference is for evil and he absorbs that, he moves towards the west. Everyone in the spiritual world has his dwelling-place determined by compass-points. The east is inhabited by those who have good from the Lord, for this is where the sun is, in the midst of which is the Lord. The north is inhabited by those who lack knowledge, the south by those who are intelligent, the west by those who are wicked.
[2] The person himself is not kept bodily in this gap or mid-region, but in his spirit; and as this changes its state, approaching good or else evil, the spirit is moved to places or locations in one or the other quarter, and comes into company with those who live there. It must, however, be known that it is not the Lord who moves them hither and thither, but the person moves himself in different ways. If he chooses good, then he together with the Lord, or rather the Lord together with him, moves his spirit eastwards. But if he chooses evil, then he together with the devil, or rather the devil together with him, moves his spirit westwards. It should be noted that where heaven is mentioned in this connection, the Lord is also meant, because the Lord is the all-in-all of heaven; and where the devil is mentioned, hell is meant, since that is where all the devils are.
476. Every man from infancy even to old age is changing his locality or situation in that world. When an infant he is kept in the eastern quarter towards the northern part; when a child, as he learns the first lessons of religion, he moves gradually from the north towards the south; when a youth, as he begins to exercise his own thoughts, he is borne southward; and afterwards when he judges for himself and becomes his own master, he is borne into the southern quarter towards the east, according to his growth in such things as have regard interiorly to God and love to the neighbor. But if he inclines to evil and imbibes it, he advances towards the west. For all in the spiritual world have their abodes according to the quarters; in the east are those who are in good from the Lord, because the sun, in the midst of which is the Lord, is in that quarter; in the north are those who are in ignorance; in the south, those who are in intelligence; and in the west, those who are in evil. Man himself is not kept as to his body in that interspace or middle region, but only as to his spirit; and as his spirit changes its state by advancing towards good or towards evil, so is it transferred to localities or situations in this quarter or in that, and comes into association with those who dwell there. But it must be understood that the Lord does not transfer man to this or that place, but man transfers himself in different ways. If he chooses good, he together with the Lord, or rather the Lord together with him, transfers his spirit towards the east. But if man chooses evil, he together with the devil, or rather the devil together with him, transfers his spirit towards the west. It must be noticed that where the term heaven is here used, the Lord also is meant, because the Lord is the all in all things of heaven; and where the term devil is used, hell also is meant, because all who are there are devils.
476. Every man from infancy to old age changes his place or situation in the world of spirits. When an infant, he is kept in the eastern quarter, towards the north there; when a boy, as he learns the rudiments of religion, he gradually recedes from the north towards the south; and when a young man, as he begins to think from his own mind, he is borne towards the south. Later, when he comes to judge for himself and becomes his own master, as he increases in such things as interiorly relate to God and to love towards the neighbor, he progresses still southward but towards the east. If, however, he inclines to evil, and becomes engrossed in it, he moves towards the west; for all in the spiritual world have their dwellings in certain quarters. In the east are those who are in good from the Lord, for the sun is there, in the centre of which is the Lord. In the north are those who are in ignorance; in the south, those who are in intelligence; and in the west, those who are in evil.
A man is kept in this intervening or middle region between heaven and hell not as to his body, but as to his spirit; and as his spirit changes its state, by drawing near to good or evil, it is transferred to a place or situation in one or other of the quarters, and enters the company of those who dwell there. It should be known, however, that the Lord does not transfer the man to this place or that, but the man himself effects the change. If he chooses good, then he, together with the Lord, or rather the Lord together with him, transfers his spirit towards the east; but if he chooses evil, then he, together with the devil, or rather the devil together with him, transfers his spirit towards the west. It is to be observed that when heaven is here mentioned, the Lord also is meant, because the Lord is the All in all of heaven; and when the devil is mentioned, hell is meant because all those who are there are devils.
476. Omnis homo ab infantia, usque ad senectutem mutat loca seu situs in hoc Mundo; INFANS tenetur in plaga orientali versus septentrionem ibi; et PUER, sicut addiscit rudimenta religionis, successive a septentrione recedit ad meridiem; ADOLESCENS, sicut incipit ex sua mente cogitare, fertur versus meridiem; ac postea quando sui judicii et sui juris factus est, secundum incrementa in talibus, quae Deum et amorem erga proximum spectant interius, in meridiem ad orientem; at si favet malo, et illud insorbet, progreditur ille versus occidentem: omnes enim in Mundo spirituali, habitant secundum plagas; in ORIENTE illi qui in bono a Domino sunt, nam ibi est Sol, in cujus medio est Dominus: in SEPTENTRIONE illi qui in ignorantia sunt; in MERIDIE illi qui in intelligentia; 1 et in OCCIDENTE illi qui in malo.
[2] Ipse homo quoad corpus non tenetur in illo Interstitio seu Meditullio, sed quoad spiritum suum, et sicut hic mutat statum, accedendo ad bonum aut ad malum, ita transfertur ad loca seu situs in hac aut illa plaga, et ibi in consortium venit cum habitatoribus. At sciendum est, quod Dominus non transferat hominem huc aut illuc, sed homo seipsum diversimode; si ille eligit bonum, tunc homo simul cum Domino, aut potius Dominus simul cum homine, transfert spiritum ejus versus Orientem; si autem homo eligit malum, tunc homo una cum diabolo, aut potius diabolus una cum homine, transfert spiritum ejus versus Occidentem. Observandum est, quod ubi hic dicitur Coelum, etiam intelligatur Dominus, quia Dominus est omne in omnibus coeli, et ubi dicitur diabolus, intelligatur Infernum, quia omnes ibi sunt diaboli.
Footnotes:
1. Prima editio: qui intelligentia.