For any thing to have existence there must be an equilibrium of all
things. Without equilibrium is no action and reaction; for
equilibrium is between two forces, one acting and the other reacting,
and the state of rest resulting from like action and reaction is
called equilibrium. In the natural world there is an equilibrium in
all things and in each thing. It exists in a general way even in the
atmosphere, wherein the lower parts react and resist in proportion as
the higher parts act and press down. Again, in the natural world
there is an equilibrium between heat and cold, between light and
shade, and between dryness and moisture, the middle condition being
the equilibrium. There is also an equilibrium in all the subjects of
the three kingdoms of nature, the mineral, the vegetable, and the
animal; for without equilibrium in them nothing can come forth and
have permanent existence. Everywhere there is a sort of effort acting
on the one side and reacting on the other. [2] All existence or all
effect is produced in equilibrium, that is, by one force acting and
another suffering itself to be acted upon, or when one force by
acting flows in, the other receives and harmoniously submits. In the
natural world that which acts and reacts is called force, and also
endeavor [or effort]; but in the spiritual world that which acts and
reacts is called life and will. Life in that world is living force,
and will is living effort; and the equilibrium itself is called
freedom. Thus spiritual equilibrium or freedom has its outcome and
permanence in the balance between good acting on the one side and
evil reacting on the other side; or between evil acting on the one
side and good reacting on the other side. [3] With the good the
equilibrium is between good acting and evil reacting; but with the
evil the equilibrium is between evil acting and good reacting.
Spiritual equilibrium is between good and evil, because the whole
life of man has reference to good and to evil, and the will is the
receptacle. There is also an equilibrium between truth and falsity,
but this depends on the equilibrium between good and evil. The
equilibrium between truth and falsity is like that between light and
shade, in that light and shade affect the objects of the vegetable
kingdom only so far as heat and cold are in them. That light and
shade themselves have no effect, but only the heat that acts through
them, is evident from the fact that light and shade are the same in
winter time and in spring time. This comparison of truth and falsity
with light and shade is from correspondence, for truth corresponds to
light, falsity to shade, and heat to the good of love; in fact,
spiritual light is truth, spiritual shade is falsity, and spiritual
heat is good of love (see the chapter where light and heat in heaven
are treated of, n. 126-140).
590. There is a perpetual equilibrium between heaven and hell. From
hell there continually breathes forth and ascends an endeavor to do
evil, and from heaven there continually breathes forth and descends
an endeavor to do good. In this equilibrium is the world of spirits;
which world is intermediate between heaven and hell (see above,
n. 421-431). The world of spirits is in this equilibrium because every
man after death enters first the world of spirits, and is kept there
in a state like that which he was in while in the world, and this
would be impossible if there were not a perfect equilibrium there;
for by means of this the character of everyone is explored, since
they then remain in the same freedom as they had in the world.
Spiritual equilibrium is freedom in man and spirit (as has been said
just above, n. 589). What each one's freedom is the angels recognize
by a communication of affections and thoughts therefrom; and it
becomes visible to the sight of angelic spirits by the ways in which
the spirits go. Good spirits there travel in the ways that go towards
heaven, but evil spirits in the ways that go towards hell. Ways
actually appear in that world; and that is the reason why ways in the
Word signify the truths that lead to good, or in the opposite sense
the falsities that lead to evil; and for the same reason going,
walking, and journeying in the Word signify progressions of life.{1}
Such ways I have often been permitted to see, also spirits going and
walking in them freely, in accord with their affections and thoughts.
{Footnote 1} In the word "to journey," as well as "to go,"
signifies progression of life (n. 3335, 4375, 4554, 4585, 4882,
5493, 5605, 5996, 8181, 8345, 8397, 8417, 8420, 8557). "To go
(and to walk) with the Lord" means to receive spiritual life,
and to live with Him (n. 10567). "To walk" means to live (n.
519, 1794, 8417, 8420).
591. Evil continually breathes forth and ascends out of hell, and
good continually breathes forth and descends out of heaven, because
everyone is encompassed by a spiritual sphere; and that sphere flows
forth and pours out from the life of the affections and the thoughts
therefrom.{1} And as such a sphere flows forth from every individual,
it flows forth also from every heavenly society and from every
infernal society, consequently from all together, that is, from the
entire heaven and from the entire hell. Good flows forth from heaven
because all there are in good; and evil flows forth from hell because
all there are in evil. The good that is from heaven is all from the
Lord; for the angels in the heavens are all withheld from what is
their own, and are kept in what is the Lord's own, which is good
itself. But the spirits in the hells are all in what is their own,
and everyone's own is nothing but evil; and because it is nothing but
evil it is hell.{2} Evidently, then, the equilibrium in which angels
are kept in the heavens and spirits in the hells is not like the
equilibrium in the world of spirits. The equilibrium of angels in the
heavens exists in the degree in which they have been willing to be in
good, or in the degree in which they have lived in good in the world,
and thus also in the degree in which they have held evil in aversion;
but the equilibrium of spirits in hell exists in the degree in which
they have been willing to be in evil, or have lived in evil in the
world, and thus in heart and spirit have been opposed to good.
{Footnote 1} A spiritual sphere, which is a sphere of life,
flows forth and pours forth from every man, spirit, and angel,
and encompasses him (n. 4464, 5179, 7454, 8630). It flows forth
from the life of their affections and thoughts (n. 2489, 4464,
6206). The quality of spirits is recognized at a distance from
their spheres (n. 1048, 1053, 1316, 1504). Spheres from the
evil are the opposites of spheres from the good (n. 1695,
10187, 10312). Such spheres extend far into angelic societies
in accordance with the quality and quantity of good (n.
6598-6613, 8063, 8794, 8797). And into infernal societies in
accordance with the quality and quantity of evil (n. 8794).
{Footnote 2} Man's self is nothing but evil (n. 210, 215, 731,
874-876, 987, 1047, 2307, 2308, 3518, 3701, 3812, 8480, 8550,
10283, 10284, 10286, 10732). Man's self is hell in him (n. 684,
8480).
592. Unless the Lord ruled both the heavens and the hells there would
be no equilibrium; and if there were no equilibrium there would be no
heaven or hell; for all things and each thing in the universe, that
is, both in the natural world and in the spiritual world, endure by
means of equilibrium. Every rational man can see that this is true.
If there were a preponderance on one part and no resistance on the
other would not both perish? So would it be in the spiritual world if
good did not react against evil and continually restrain its
uprising; and unless this were done by the Divine Itself both heaven
and hell would perish, and with them the whole human race. It is said
unless the Divine Itself did this, because the self of everyone,
whether angel, spirit, or man, is nothing but evil (see above,
n. 591); consequently neither angels nor spirits are able in the least
to resist the evils continually exhaling from the hells, since from
self they all tend towards hell. It is evident, then, that unless the
Lord alone ruled both the heavens and the hells no one could ever be
saved. Moreover, all the hells act as one; for evils in the hells are
connected as goods are in the heavens; and the Divine alone, which
goes forth solely from the Lord, is able to resist all the hells,
which are innumerable, and which act together against heaven and
against all who are in heaven.
593. The equilibrium between the heavens and the hells is diminished
or increased in accordance with the number of those who enter heaven
and who enter hell; and this amounts to several thousands daily. The
Lord alone, and no angel, can know and perceive this, and regulate
and equalize it with precision; for the Divine that goes forth from
the Lord is omnipresent, and sees everywhere whether there is any
wavering, while an angel sees only what is near himself, and has no
perception in himself of what is taking place even in his own
society.
594. How all things are so arranged in the heavens and in the hells
that each and all of those who are there may be in their equilibrium,
can in some measure be seen from what has been said and shown above
respecting the heavens and the hells, namely, that all the societies
of heaven are distinctly arranged in accordance with goods and their
kinds and varieties, and all the societies of hell in accordance with
evils, and their kinds and varieties; and that beneath each society
of heaven there is a society of hell corresponding to it from
opposition, and from this opposing correspondence equilibrium
results; and in consequence of this the Lord unceasingly provides
that no infernal society beneath a heavenly society shall gain any
preponderance, and as soon as it begins to do so it is restrained by
various means, and is reduced to an exact measure of equilibrium.
These means are many, only a few of which I will mention. Some of
these means have reference to the stronger presence of the Lord; some
to the closer communication and conjunction of one or more societies
with others; some to the casting out of superabundant infernal
spirits into deserts; some to the transference of certain spirits
from one hell to another; some to the reducing of those in the hells
to order, and this also is effected in various ways; some to the
screening of certain hells under denser and thicker coverings, also
letting them down to greater depths; besides other means; and still
others that are employed in the heavens above the hells. All this has
been said that it may in some measure be perceived that the Lord
alone provides that there shall be an equilibrium everywhere between
good and evil, thus between heaven and hell; for on such equilibrium
the safety of all in the heavens and of all on the earth rests.
595. It should be known that the hells are continually assaulting
heaven and endeavoring to destroy it, and that the Lord continually
protects the heavens by withholding those who are in it from the
evils derived from their self, and by holding them in the good that
is from Himself. I have often been permitted to perceive the sphere
that flows forth from the hells, which was wholly a sphere of effort
to destroy the Divine of the Lord, and thus heaven. The ebullitions
of some hells have also at times been perceived, which were efforts
to break forth and to destroy. But on the other hand the heavens
never assault the hells, for the Divine sphere that goes forth from
the Lord is a perpetual effort to save all; and as those who are in
the hells cannot be saved, (since all who are there are in evil and
are antagonistic to the Divine of the Lord,) so as far as possible
outrages in the hells are subdued and cruelties are restrained to
prevent their breaking out beyond measure one against another. This
also is effected by innumerable ways in which the Divine power is
exercised.
596. There are two kingdoms into which the heavens are divided, the
celestial kingdom and the spiritual kingdom (of which see above, n.
20-28). In like manner the hells are divided into two kingdoms, one
of which is opposite to the celestial kingdom and the other opposite
to the spiritual kingdom. That which is opposite to the celestial
kingdom is in the western quarter, and those who are in it are called
genii; and that which is opposite to the spiritual kingdom is in the
northern and southern quarters, and those which are in it are called
spirits. All who are in the celestial kingdom are in love to the
Lord, and all who are in the hells opposite to that kingdom are in
the love of self; while all who are in the spiritual kingdom are in
love towards the neighbor, and all who are in the hells opposite to
that kingdom are in love of the world. Evidently, then, love to the
Lord and the love of self are opposites; and in like manner love
towards the neighbor and love of the world are opposites. The Lord
continually provides that there shall be no outflowing from the hells
that are opposite the Lord's celestial kingdom towards those who are
in the spiritual kingdom; for if this were done the spiritual kingdom
would perish (for the reason given above, n. 678, 579). These are the
two general equilibriums that are unceasingly maintained by the Lord.
597. LXIII. BY MEANS OF THE EQUILIBRIUM BETWEEN HEAVEN AND HELL MAN
IS IN FREEDOM.
The equilibrium between heaven and hell has now been described, and
it has been shown that it is an equilibrium between the good that is
from heaven and the evil that is from hell, thus that it is a
spiritual equilibrium, which in its essence is freedom. A spiritual
equilibrium in its essence is freedom because it is an equilibrium
between good and evil, and between truth and falsity, and these are
spiritual. Therefore to be able to will either what is good or what
is evil and to think either what is true or what is false, and to
choose one in preference to the other, is the freedom which is here
treated of. This freedom is given to every man by the Lord, and is
never taken away; in fact, by virtue of its origin it is not man's
but the Lord's, since it is from the Lord. Nevertheless, it is given
to man with his life as if it were his; and this is done that man may
have the ability to be reformed and saved; for without freedom there
can be no reformation or salvation. With any rational intuition any
one can see that it is a part of man's freedom to be able to think
wrongly or rightly, sincerely or insincerely, justly or unjustly;
also that he is free to speak and act rightly, honestly, and justly;
but not to speak and act wrongly, insincerely, and unjustly, because
of the spiritual, moral, and civil laws whereby his external is held
in restraint. Evidently, then, it is man's spirit, which thinks and
wills, that is in freedom, and not his external which speaks and
acts, except in agreement with the above mentioned laws.
598. Man cannot be reformed unless he has freedom, for the reason
that he is born into evils of every kind; and these must be removed
in order that he may be saved; and they cannot be removed unless he
sees them in himself and acknowledges them, and afterwards ceases to
will them, and finally holds them in aversion. Not until then are
they removed. And this cannot be done unless man is in good as well
as in evil, since it is from good that he is able to see evils, while
from evil he cannot see good. The spiritual goods that man is capable
of thinking he learns from childhood by reading the Word and from
preaching; and he learns moral and civil good from his life in the
world. This is the first reason why man ought to be in freedom. [2]
Another reason is that nothing is appropriated to man except what is
done from an affection of his love. Other things may gain entrance,
but no farther than the thought, not reaching the will; and whatever
does not gain entrance into the will of man does not become his, for
thought derives what pertains to it from memory, while the will
derives what pertains to it from the life itself. Only what is from
the will, or what is the same, from the affection of love, can be
called free, for whatever a man wills or loves that he does freely;
consequently man's freedom and the affection of his love or of his
will are a one. It is for this reason that man has freedom, in order
that he may be affected by truth and good or may love them, and that
they may thus become as if they were his own [3] In a word, whatever
does not enter into man's freedom has no permanence, because it does
not belong to his love or will, and what does not belong to man's
love or will does not belong to his spirit; for the very being [esse]
of the spirit of man is love or will. It is said love or will, since
a man wills what he loves. This, then, is why man can be reformed
only in freedom. But more on the subject of man's freedom may be seen
in the Arcana Coelestia in the passages referred to below.
599. In order that man may be in freedom, to the end that he may be
reformed, he is conjoined in respect to his spirit both with heaven
and with hell. For with every man there are spirits from hell and
angels from heaven. It is by means of hell that man is in his own
evil, while it is by means of angels from heaven that man is in good
from the Lord; thus is he in spiritual equilibrium, that is, in
freedom. That angels from heaven and spirits from hell are joined to
every man may be seen in the chapter on the conjunction of heaven
with the human race (n. 291-302).
600. It must be understood that the conjunction of man with heaven
and with hell is not a direct conjunction with them, but a mediate
conjunction by means of spirits who are in the world of spirits.
These spirits, and none from hell itself or from heaven itself, are
with man. By means of evil spirits in the world of spirits man is
conjoined with hell, and by means of good spirits there he is
conjoined with heaven. Because of this the world of spirits is
intermediate between heaven and hell, and in that world is
equilibrium itself. (That the world of spirits is intermediate
between heaven and hell may be seen in the chapter on the world of
spirits, n. 421-431; and that the essential equilibrium between
heaven and hell is there may be seen in the preceding chapter,
n. 589-596.) From all this the source of man's freedom is evident.
601. Something more must be said about the spirits that are joined
with man. An entire society can have communication with another
society, or with an individual wherever he is; by means of a spirit
sent forth from the society; this spirit is called the subject of the
many. The same is true of man's conjunction with societies in heaven,
and with societies in hell, by means of spirits from the world of
spirits that are joined with man. (On this subject see also the
Arcana Coelestia in the passages referred to below.)
602. Finally something must be said respecting man's intuition in
regard to his life after death which is derived from the influx of
heaven into man. There were some of the simple common people who had
lived in the world in the good of faith who were brought back into a
state like that in which they had been in the world, which can be
done with any one when the Lord grants it; and it was then shown what
opinion they had held about the state of man after death. They said
that some intelligent persons had asked them in the world what they
thought about their soul after the life on earth; and they replied
that they did not know what the soul is. They were then asked what
they believed about their state after death; and they said that they
believed that they would live as spirits. Again they were asked what
belief they had respecting a spirit; and they said that he is a man.
They were asked how they knew this; and they said that they knew it
because it is so. Those intelligent men were surprised that the
simple had such a faith, which they themselves did not have. This is
a proof that in every man who is in conjunction with heaven there is
an intuition respecting his life after death. This intuition is from
no other source than an influx out of heaven, that is, through heaven
from the Lord by means of spirits from the world of spirits who are
joined with man. This intuition those have who have not extinguished
their freedom of thinking by notions previously adopted and confirmed
by various arguments respecting the soul of man, which is held to be
either pure thought, or some vital principle the seat of which is
sought for in the body; and yet the soul is nothing but the life of
man, while the spirit is the man himself; and the earthly body which
he carries about with him in the world is merely an agent whereby the
spirit, which is the man himself, is enabled to act fitly in the
natural world.
603. What has been said in this work about heaven, the world of
spirits, and hell, will be obscure to those who have no interest in
learning about spiritual truths, but will be clear to those who have
such an interest, and especially to those who have an affection for
truth for the sake of truth, that is, who love truth because it is
truth; for whatever is then loved enters with light into the mind's
thought, especially truth that is loved, because all truth is in
light.
EXTRACTS FROM THE ARCANA COELESTIA RESPECTING THE FREEDOM OF MAN,
INFLUX, AND THE SPIRITS THROUGH WHOM COMMUNICATIONS ARE EFFECTED.