566# 人就其属世之人而言，与兽相似；并且由于其生活而渐取兽之形像。因此，在灵性的世界，此类人周围显现各样兽类；这些兽类乃是对应。因为人的属世层，就其本身而观，纯然是动物性的；但因属灵之物被加于其上，人便能成为人。倘若人虽有此能力却不成为人，他便只能伪装成人；实则仍是会说话的兽。
因为他说话出于属世的理性，思想却出于属灵的狂乱；行事出于属世的道德，所爱却出于属灵的淫欲。若由属灵而理性的人来看，他的行为几乎无异于被狼蛛咬伤者的舞蹈，即所谓圣维特舞。
谁不知道，伪善者也能谈论上帝，盗贼也能谈论真诚，淫乱者也能谈论贞洁？诸如此类，不一而足。但若人没有关闭和开启一道门的禀赋，即在思想与言语之间、意图与行为之间设一道门，并由谨慎或狡诈在那里作守门者，他便会比任何野兽更凶猛地冲向种种邪恶与残酷之事。
然而，这道门在每个人死后都要被打开；那时，他本来为何等样的人便显露出来。不过，在地狱中，他仍借着刑罚与看守而被约束。
因此，仁慈的读者啊，请你省察自己，从自己里面搜寻出一两种恶，并因宗教而转离它。若你出于别的意图或目的而转离这些恶，你所转离的不过是使它们不显露于世人面前而已。
566# 就其属世人而言，人就像一个动物；他通过生活获得了动物的形像。因此，在灵界，这样的人周围会出现出各种动物，它们都是对应。因为就本身而言，人的属世层纯粹是动物；但由于属灵层被添加到它上面，所以他能变成一个人（在更全面的意义上）。即便他没有通过行使这种能力变成一个人，他也能伪造人，尽管那时他只是个会说话的动物。因为他基于属世理性说话，但基于属灵疯狂思考，基于属世道德行事，但基于属灵欲望或属灵淫欲去爱。在一个属灵理性的人看来，他的行为与狼蛛咬伤所致的圣维特斯舞蹈症或圣盖伊舞蹈病几乎没什么不同。
众所周知，伪君子可以谈论神，盗贼可以谈论诚实，通奸者可以谈论贞洁，等等。但除非人有能力关闭或打开他的思维和话语之间，并他的意图和行为之间的门，除非这扇门由谨慎或狡猾来看守，否则他会比任何野兽都更凶猛地冲向罪行和残忍。然而，死后，这扇门在每个人里面都会打开；那时，他的真正性质就显而易见了；但他会通过地狱里的惩罚和关押而受到约束。因此，善良的读者，要审视自己，找出自己里面的一个或多个邪恶，出于宗教移除它们。如果你出于其它任何原因或目的移除邪恶，那么你这样做只是为了让它们不再出现在世人面前。
566. Our earthly self is like an animal. Over the course of our lives we take on the image of an animal. Because of this, sense-oriented people in the spiritual world appear surrounded by animals of every kind. These animals are correspondences. Regarded on its own, our earthly self is only an animal, but because a spiritual level has been added to it we are capable of becoming human. If we decline to undergo this transformation, even though we have the faculties that make it possible, we can still pretend to be human although we are then actually just animals that can talk. In that case our talking is based on earthly rationality, but our thinking is based on spiritual insanity; our actions are based on earthly morality, but our love is based on spiritual satyriasis. To someone else who has a rationality that is spiritual, our actions seem almost exactly like the frenzied dancing of someone bitten by a tarantula, called Saint Vitus's or Saint Guy's dance.
[2] As we all know, a hypocrite can talk about God, a robber can talk about honesty, an adulterer can talk about being a faithful spouse, and so on. We have the ability to close and open the door that stands between what we think and what we say, and the door that stands between what we intend and what we do (the doorkeeper is prudence or else deceitfulness). Without the ability to close these doors, we would quickly fall into acts of wickedness and cruelty with greater savagery than any animal. That door is opened in us all after death, though, and then it becomes apparent what we truly are. Then the forces that keep us in check are punishment and imprisonment in hell.
Therefore, kind reader, take a look inside yourself, diligently search out one evil or another within yourself, and turn away from it for religious reasons. If you turn away from it for any other reason or purpose, you are only doing so so that it will no longer appear before the world.
566. The natural man makes a person like an animal; he takes on the likeness of an animal through the life he leads. So such people appear in the spiritual world surrounded by animals of all kinds, which are correspondences. A person's natural regarded in essence is nothing but animal, but he can become a human being because he has the extra gift of being spiritual. If this does not happen as a result of his ability to become one, he can pretend to be human, though he is nothing but an animal that can talk. For his speech comes from his natural rationality, but his thought from spiritual madness; his actions come from natural morality, but his love from spiritual lust. His actions viewed by a spiritually rational person are hardly different from the movements of a person stung by a tarantula, what is called St Vitus' dance 1 .
[2] Is anyone unaware that a hypocrite can talk about God, a robber about honesty, an adulterer about chastity, and so on? But unless a person had the gift of being able to shut off or open up the door which connects thoughts and utterances, and intentions and actions, and had prudence or cunning there to act as door-keeper, he would rush into crime and cruelty more fiercely than a wild beast. But after death everyone has that passage opened, and then it is clear what sort of person he was. However, he is kept under restraint by punishments and imprisonment in hell. Therefore, kind reader, look into yourself and fish out one or two evils in yourself, and turn away from them for religious reasons. If you do so with any other intention or for any other purpose, your rejection will be simply to hide these evils from the world's gaze.
Footnotes:
1. This term is now only applied to a different condition.
566. As to his natural man, man is like a beast; he acquires the image of a beast by means of life. Consequently in the spiritual world there appear about such a man beasts of all kinds, which are correspondences. For man's natural, viewed in itself, is purely animal; but because there is a spiritual superadded, he can become a man; and if he does not become a man from the capacity to become so, he can counterfeit one, although he is then only a talking beast; for he talks from the natural-rational, but thinks from spiritual insanity, and he acts from natural morality, but loves from a spiritual satyriasis. His actions, seen by a spiritually rational man, are but little different from the dance of one bitten by a tarantula, or that called St. Vitus' dance, or the dance of St. Guy.
Who does not know that a hypocrite can talk about God, a robber about honesty, an adulterer about chastity, and so on. But unless man had the ability to shut and open the door between his thoughts and his words, and between his intentions and his actions, and unless prudence or cunning were the doorkeeper, he would rush into crimes and cruelties more fiercely than any wild beast. But in every man after death that door is opened; and then what he has been is apparent; but he is kept under restraint by punishments and confinements in hell. Therefore, kind reader, look into yourself, and find out one or another evil that is in you, and from religion dismiss it. If you dismiss evils from any other purpose or end, you do so only that they may not appear before the world.
566. If a man remains merely natural, he is like a beast, and in the course of his life he acquires the form of a beast; therefore, in the spiritual world natural men appear surrounded by beasts of every kind. These are correspondences, for the natural of man, regarded in itself, is merely animal; but because the spiritual has been added to it, he has the power to become a man (in the fuller sense of the term). Even if he does not become a man by the exercise of this power, he still can counterfeit the man; yet he is only a talking animal. He talks from a natural rationality, but thinks from a spiritual lunacy; he acts from natural morality, but loves from a spiritual lust. To a spiritually rational man his actions appear like St. Vitus's dance, 1 or the dance of St. Guy, which is caused by the bite of the tarantula.
Every one knows that a hypocrite can talk about God, a thief about honesty, an adulterer about purity, and so on. But unless man were endowed with the power of closing and opening the door between thought and speech, and between intention and act, the door being kept by prudence or cunning, he would rush more furiously than any wild beast into abominations and cruelties. That door, however, is opened in every person after death, and then his true nature appears; but he is kept under restraint by punishment and custody in hell. Therefore, kind reader, look into yourself, search out one or more of the evils within you, and from a principle of religion, remove them; if you do so for any other reason or end, you only succeed in concealing them from the world.
Footnotes:
1. Vitus, Roman saint, martyred under Diocletian (A.D. 284-305). He is the patron saint of dancers, and his influence is besought against such diseases as chorea (known as St. Vitus's dance), hydrophobia, and sudden death. Called also St. Guy.
566. Homo quoad naturalem hominem est similis bestiae; adsciscit imaginem bestiae per vitam; quapropter circum tales in Mundo spirituali apparent bestiae omnis generis, quae sunt correspondentiae; nam naturale hominis in se spectatum est mere animale, sed quia spirituale illi superadditum est, potest fieri homo, et si non fit ex facultate quod possit, potest mentiri hominem, sed usque est bestia loquens; loquitur enim ex rationali naturali, sed cogitat ex mania spirituali, ac agit ex morali naturali, sed amat ex satyriasi 1 spirituali, sunt actus ejus a rationali spirituali homine spectati vix aliud quam sicut saltus ejus qui ictus est a taratantula, et vocatur S. Viti 2 seu Gui.
[2] Quis non scit quod hypocrita possit loqui de Deo, latro de sinceritate, adulter de castitate, et sic porro; sed nisi foret homini dos claudendi et aperiendi januam inter cogitationes et loquelas, ac inter intentiones et actiones, et janitor ibi prudentia aut astutia, rueret ferocius omni fera in nefaria et crudelia; sed illa janua aperitur cuivis post mortem, et tunc apparet qualis fuit; verum tenetur in vinculo per poenas et custodias in Inferno. Quapropter, benevole Lector, introspecta te, et expiscare unum alterumve malum apud te, et averte illud ex Religione; si ex alio proposito aut fine, non illa aliter avertis, quam ut non appareant coram Mundo.
Footnotes: