From The Doctrines For Spiritual Christianity
The following experience alone enables one to infer how difficult it is for a natural man to apprehend spiritual things, consequently things that belong to heaven. Can anyone like him see that space and time do not exist in heaven, but states instead? Or to be more precise, that states of good or states of being (esse) exist there, presenting themselves as extents of space, and states of truth or states of coming-into-being (existere), presenting themselves as periods of time? Will not a merely natural man suppose that where time and space do not exist there is complete emptiness and nothingness? From this it is evident that if a natural man makes up his mind to believe nothing apart from what he can apprehend he lays himself open to grossly mistaken ideas. (Arcana Coelestia 8325{2})
Interior truths are such as go above the range of man’s belief, that is to say, they do not fall into ideas he has and are not conditioned by the outward appearances or the illusions of the senses by which everyone allows himself to be led. He does not believe interior truths unless in some way they coincide with those appearances or illusions. For example, it is an interior truth that intervals of time and of space do not exist in the next life, but states instead. Man who is within time and space while he lives in the world forms all his ideas from these, so much so that he cannot have any thought without them, 3404. Consequently unless the states which exist in the next life were described by means of the intervals of time and space which man experiences, that is, by means of the kind of things that are moulded by time and space, he would perceive nothing and so believe nothing, and as a consequence would receive nothing. (Arcana Coelestia 3857{1&2})
The reason why the still more interior forms, which are also more universal ones, are, as has been stated, beyond comprehension, is that when mention is made of such forms, these convey an idea that is spatial and also temporal. But in fact within interior things, where heaven exists, nothing is perceived through spatial and temporal things since these belong properly to the natural order, but through states and variations and changes of states. But since man is unable to conceive of variations and changes without the help of such things as are connected with form, or as has been stated, to conceive of forms without such things as belong to space and time – and yet such do not exist in the heavens – it may therefore be seen how far beyond comprehension (to the natural man) they are and also how indescribable. Nor also are any human words adequate to express those things which need to be described and comprehended, because human words entail natural images. In the heavens such things are made known by means of variations of heavenly light and of heavenly flame radiating from the Lord, which do so in such great fullness that thousands and thousands of perceptions could scarcely pass into anything perceptible with man. Nevertheless the things which are taking place in the heavens are represented in the world of spirits by means of forms to which the forms seen in the world bear some resemblance. (Arcana Coelestia 4043)
As an entire society is heaven in lesser form, so an angel is heaven in the least form. For heaven is not outside an angel but is within him. For the interior things that he has in his mind are arranged in the form of heaven, thus for the reception of all things of heaven that are outside him. These also he receives in accordance with the quality of the good which is in him from the Lord. From this he is an angel and also a heaven. (Heaven and Hell 53)
Man’s mind is his spirit, and the spirit is the man, while the body is an external by means of which the mind or spirit feels and acts in its world. That man’s mind is his spirit, and that the spirit is the man, can hardly enter the faith of those who have supposed the spirit to be wind, and the soul to be an airy something like breath breathed out from the lungs. For they say, How can the spirit, when it is spirit, be the man, and how can the soul, when it is soul, be the man? They think in the same way of God because He is called a Spirit… Because man’s mind is his spirit, the angels, who also are spirits, are called “minds” … all things of the mind have relation to the will and understanding, and these are receptacles of love and wisdom from the Lord, and these two make the life of man. (Divine Love and Wisdom 386{6} &387)
Key Points From The Video
Challenges of Comprehending Spiritual Truths: The natural mind is conditioned to think in terms of space and time and likewise human language struggles to adequately express the concept of spiritual forms as understood in heaven.
The Meaning of Form in Relation to Heaven: Form in a spiritual context refers to internal states of mind of affections and thoughts, not physical attributes or shapes.
Cultivating Spiritual Understanding: A disciplined approach is required to develop a spiritual mode of thought and involves the thinking to transcend natural materialistic associations and space-time constraints.
Heaven as a State of Receptivity: Heaven is a state of mind characterised by receptivity to Divine love and wisdom, not a physical location.
Spiritual Fulfilment: True spiritual existence is defined by openness to Divine influence, culminating in a harmonious state of mind which occurs when the will aligns with disinterested or unselfish love and the intellect with spiritual truth from the Divine.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. What is the primary challenge the natural mind faces in understanding spiritual forms?
a) Recognising spiritual forms in physical shapes
b) Associating spiritual forms with physical attributes
c) Understanding spiritual forms without considering space and time
d) Comprehending spiritual forms without internal discipline
Answer: c)
2. In the context of heaven, what does the term “form” refer to?
a) Physical shapes of beings
b) Internal states and relationships of minds
c) External appearances
d) Spatial and temporal changes
Answer: b)
3. What is necessary for cultivating a spiritual understanding of heaven?
a) Focusing on internal spiritual states and processes
b) Associating heaven with temporal progression
c) Thinking about heaven as a physical place
d) Maintaining a materialistic perspective
Answer: a)
4. How is heaven defined in Spiritual Christianity?
a) As a physical location
b) As a state of receptivity to Divine love and wisdom
c) As a temporal and spatial dimension
d) As a mystical place
Answer: b)
5. What does aligning individual wills and intellects with Divine love and wisdom lead to?
a) Material prosperity
b) Physical transformation
c) Temporal success
d) Spiritual harmony and fulfilment
Answer: d)
Reflective Questions
1. How can you apply the concept of spiritual forms in your daily life to better understand your own internal states and relationships?
2. In what ways can you cultivate a disciplined approach to thinking beyond materialistic associations to enhance your spiritual understanding?
3. How does redefining heaven as a state of receptivity to Divine influence change your perspective on spiritual growth and fulfilment?
Experiential Integration
Internal States Reflection
Meditative Exercise: Spend 10-15 minutes in quiet reflection. Focus on your breathing for a few minutes to centre yourself and then consider the feelings and thoughts you have experienced throughout the day (or the day before). Write down any prominent emotions or thoughts. Examine how these feelings and thoughts align with the principles of Divine love and wisdom and identify any areas where your thoughts or emotions may not reflect a receptive state of mind.
Life Task: Consciously affirm your willingness to align your will and intellect with Divine love and wisdom, setting intentions for the following day (or day ahead) to cultivate this alignment.
Creative Integration
Choose one of the key points from the video and try to express and integrate it creatively through your senses. Pick a modality to do this through, perhaps a different one from what you chose for the previous module. Consider drawing or painting, making or listening to music, poetry, exercise, gardening, cooking, or even just watching the colourful or dramatic impressions of the natural world. There are so many ways you can engage with it. Record your insights from this exercise and also document any differences in what is awakened in you with this new modality.
You will have your own personal preferences, but here are two pieces of music and art that you might like to use for inspiration to get you started. Try to be sensitive to the emotions and thoughts that present as you engage with these, and reflect on how this might relate to your chosen key point.
Music
“Tchinares” by Levon Minassian & Armand Amar
Visual
The Great Wave off Kanagawa” by Katsushika Hokusai