566.属世人使得人象一个动物，他通过他所过的生活披上动物的形象。所以在灵界，这种人周围会显现出各种动物，这些都是对应。因为人的属世层面就其本身而言，纯粹是动物，但由于人还有变得属灵的额外馈赠，所以他能变成一个人。如果他没有凭借变成人的能力而成为一个人，那么他就会伪装成人，尽管他无非是一个会说话的动物。因为他的言辞出自其属世的理性，而他的思维却出自属灵的疯狂，他的行为出自其属世的道德，而他的爱却出自属灵的色欲。他的行为，在属灵的理性者看来，与人被狼蛛咬后患上的跳舞病，或所谓圣维特斯舞蹈症，或小舞蹈病几乎没什么两样。谁不知道伪君子能谈论神，强盗能谈论诚实，通奸者能谈论贞洁等等？但除非人有种天赋，能关闭或打开将思维和话语、意图和行为连接起来的那道门，并且以谨慎或狡猾为守门人，否则他就会冲向各种罪行，比野兽还要凶猛残忍。但死后，每个人里面的那道门都会被打开，然后他的本性显而易见。然而，他会受到地狱惩罚与监禁的约束。因此，善良的读者，务必检视自己，找出一两个邪恶，出于宗教原因摈弃它们。如果你这么做是出于其它意图或目的，那么你仅仅做到了不让它们出现在世界面前。
566. 属世人使得人象一个动物, 他通过他所过的生活披上动物的形象。 所以在灵界, 这种人周围会显现出各种动物, 这些都是对应。 因为人的属世层面就其本身而言, 纯粹是动物, 但由于人还有变得属灵的额外馈赠, 所以他能变成一个人。 如果他没有凭借变成人的能力而成为一个人, 那么他就会伪装成人, 尽管他无非是一个会说话的动物。 因为他的言辞出自其属世的理性, 而他的思维却出自属灵的疯狂, 他的行为出自其属世的道德, 而他的爱却出自属灵的色欲。 他的行为, 在属灵的理性者看来, 与人被狼蛛咬后患上的跳舞病, 或所谓圣维特斯舞蹈症, 或小舞蹈病几乎没什么两样。 谁不知道伪君子能谈论神, 强盗能谈论诚实, 通奸者能谈论贞洁等等? 但除非人有种天赋, 能关闭或打开将思维和话语, 意图和行为连接起来的那道门, 并且以谨慎或狡猾为守门人, 否则他就会冲向各种罪行, 比野兽还要凶猛残忍。 但死后, 每个人里面的那道门都会被打开, 然后他的本性显而易见。 然而, 他会受到地狱惩罚与监禁的约束。 因此, 善良的读者, 务必检视自己, 找出一两个邪恶, 出于宗教原因摈弃它们。 如果你这么做是出于其它意图或目的, 那么你仅仅做到了不让它们出现在世界面前。
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: