Logopraxis

The Third Round
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Seeking to make the Lord God Jesus Christ visible in our midst... "Where two or three are gathered together in My name there am I in the midst of them." (Matt. 18:20)

  1. 2 DAYS AGO

    What is the difference between the natural, spiritual and celestial states of mind? (11 mins)

    Arcana Colestia 141. Countless things can be said about the proprium - about what the proprium is like in the case of the bodily-minded and worldly man, what it is like in the case of the spiritual man, and what in the case of the celestial man. With the bodily-minded and worldly man the proprium is his all. He is unaware of anything else but the proprium. And, as has been stated, if he were to lose his proprium he would think that he was dying. With the spiritual man the proprium takes on a similar appearance, for although he knows that the Lord is the life of all, and that He confers wisdom and intelligence, and consequently the ability to think and to act, it is more a matter of something he says and not so much something he believes. The celestial man however acknowledges that the Lord is the life of all, who confers the ability to think and act, because he perceives that this is so. Nor does he ever desire the proprium. Nevertheless even though he does not desire it the Lord grants him a proprium which is joined to him with a complete perception of what is good and true, and with complete happiness. Angels possess a proprium such as this, and at the same time utmost peace and tranquillity, for their proprium has within it things that are the Lord's, who is governing their proprium, that is, governing them by means of their proprium. This proprium is utterly heavenly, whereas the proprium of the bodily-minded man is hellish. But more about the proprium further on. Heaven and Hell 8. Everyone in the heavens knows, believes and even perceives that he wills and does nothing good from himself; and that he thinks and believes nothing of truth from himself; but from the Divine, thus from the Lord, and that the good and truth which are from himself are not good and truth because they have no life from the Divine in them. The angels of the inmost heaven also clearly perceive and feel the influx, and the more of it they receive, the more they seem to themselves to be in heaven, because the more are they in love and faith and in the light of intelligence and wisdom and in heavenly joy therefrom. Since all those [states] proceed from the Divine of the Lord and in these the angels have their heaven, it is clear that it is the Divine of the Lord that makes heaven, and not the angels from anything of their proprium. Conjugial Love 270. The third account: Awakening one morning, I fell to thinking about some questions having to do with conjugial love, coming finally to this one: In what region of the human mind is truly conjugial love seated, and in what region, therefore, coldness in marriage? I knew that the human mind is divided into three regions, one above the other, and that natural love resides in the lowest region, spiritual love in the next higher one, and celestial love in the highest. I knew also that in each region there is a marriage of good and truth, and because good has to do with love, and truth with wisdom, that in each region there is a marriage of love and wisdom; moreover, that this marriage is the same as a marriage of the will and understanding, since the will is the recipient vessel of love, and the understanding the recipient vessel of wisdom. [2] While I was deep in thought on this question, I suddenly saw two swans flying towards the north, and presently two birds of paradise flying towards the south, and then two turtledoves flying in the east. Following their flight with my eyes, I next saw the two swans veer their course from the north to the east, likewise the two birds of paradise from the south, until they met up with the pair of turtledoves in the east. Then together they flew towards a certain lofty palace there, rising in the midst of olive trees, palms and beeches. The palace had three rows of windows, one above another; and as I watched, I saw the birds fly into the palace - the swans through windows standing open in the lowest row, the birds of paradise through windows open in the middle row...

    11 min

  2. 4 DAYS AGO

    ACV9 S42 7845-7867

    CLICK TO PRINT READING CLICK TO GO TO COMMENTS 7845 Verses 7-11. And they shall take of the blood, and put it upon the two posts and upon the lintel, upon the houses in which they shall eat it. And they shall eat the flesh in that night, roast with fire, and things unleavened; upon things bitter they shall eat it. Eat ye not of it raw, and by boiling boiled in waters, but roast with fire; its head upon its legs and upon its midst. And ye shall not leave of it until the morning; and that which is left of it until the morning ye shall burn with fire. And thus shall ye eat it: your loins girded, your shoes on your feet, and your staff in your hand; and ye shall eat it in haste; this is the passover of Jehovah. "And they shall take of the blood," signifies the holy truth which is of the good of innocence; "and shall put it upon the two posts and upon the lintel," signifies the truths and the goods of the natural; "upon the houses," signifies those things which are of the will of good; "in which they shall eat it," signifies enjoyment; "and they shall eat the flesh," signifies the enjoyment of good; "in that night," signifies along with the damnation of the evil; "roast with fire," signifies the good which is of love; "and things unleavened," signifies purified from all falsity; "upon things bitter," signifies by means of the undelightful things of temptations; "they shall eat it," signifies enjoyment; "eat ye not of it raw," signifies that it shall not be without love; "and by boiling boiled in waters," signifies that it shall not go forth from truth; "but roast with fire," signifies that it shall go forth from love; "its head upon its legs and upon its midst," signifies from the inmost to the external; "and ye shall not leave of it until the morning," signifies the duration of this state before a state of enlightenment in heaven; "and that which is left of it until the morning ye shall burn with fire," signifies a state of the means for the end through temptations; "and thus shall ye eat it," signifies enjoyment in a state of separation from the evil who had infested, and preservation then; "your loins girded," signifies in respect to the interiors; "your shoes on your feet," signifies in respect to the exteriors; "and your staff in your hand," signifies in respect to the intermediates; "and ye shall eat it in haste," signifies the affection of separation; "this is the passover of Jehovah," signifies the presence of the Lord and liberation by Him. 7846 And they shall take of the blood. That this signifies the holy truth which is of the good of innocence, is evident from the signification of "blood," as being holy truth proceeding from the Lord (see n. 4735, 6978, 7317, 7326); and because it is the blood of a lamb, and by a "lamb" is signified the good of innocence (n. 3994), it denotes the holy truth which is of the good of innocence. 7847 And shall put it upon the two posts and upon the lintel. That this signifies the truths and the goods of the natural, is evident from the signification of the "posts of a door," as being the truths of the natural; and from the signification of "the lintel," as being its goods. The posts and the lintel have this signification because by a "house" is signified man himself, or his mind, and by those things which belong to a door are signified the things which serve to introduce. That these are the truths and the goods of the natural is evident; for the natural man is instructed before the rational, and the things which the man then learns are natural things, in which are successively instilled spiritual things, which are interior. From this it is evident how the natural in respect to truths and goods serves to introduce.Moreover, the lintel and the posts have a like signification to the forehead and hands with man. Angelic ideas are of such a nature that natural things bear relation to such things as belong to man. The reason is that the spiritual world or heaven is in the form of a...

    30 min

  3. 2 OCT

    Session 40 Overview – The Text, as The Living Being… instructs, initiates and carries us through the process (11 mins)

    And Moses said, Thus said Jehovah, About midnight I will go out into the midst of Egypt. And every firstborn in the land of Egypt shall die, from the firstborn of Pharaoh about to sit upon his throne, even unto the firstborn of the maidservant that is behind the millstones; and every firstborn of beast. And there shall be a great cry in the whole land of Egypt, such as there hath been none like it, nor shall be like it anymore. And to all the sons of Israel shall not a dog move his tongue, from man and even to beast; that ye may know that Jehovah doth separate between the Egyptians and Israel. And all these thy servants shall come down unto me, and bow down themselves to me, saying, Get thee out, and all the people that is at thy feet; and thereafter I will go out. And he went out from Pharaoh in the wrath of anger. And Jehovah said unto Moses, Pharaoh will not hear you; that My wonders may be multiplied in the land of Egypt. And Moses and Aaron did all these wonders before Pharaoh; and Jehovah made firm the heart of Pharaoh, and he did not let the sons of Israel go out of his land. Exodus 11:4-10 AC 7774 “And Moses said, Thus said Jehovah,” signifies instruction; “About midnight,” signifies when the devastation is total; “I will go out into the midst of Egypt,” signifies the presence of the Divine then everywhere; “and every firstborn in the land of Egypt shall die,” signifies the damnation then of faith separate from charity; “from the firstborn of Pharaoh about to sit upon his throne,” signifies the falsified truths of faith which are in the first place; “even to the firstborn of the maidservant that is behind the millstones,” signifies the falsified truths of faith which are in the last place; “and every first-born of beast” signifies the adulterated goods of faith; “and there shall be a great cry in the whole land of Egypt,” signifies interior lamentation; “such as there hath been none like it, nor shall be like it anymore” signifies that the state was such that there could not be any like it; “and to all the sons of Israel shall not a dog move his tongue,” signifies that among those who were of the spiritual church there should not be the least of damnation and lamentation; “from man and even to beast,” signifies neither as to truth nor as to good; “that ye may know that Jehovah doth separate between the Egyptians and Israel,” signifies that it may be known what is the nature of the difference between those who are in evil and those who are in good; “and all these thy servants shall come down unto me,” signifies those who are subordinate; “and bow down themselves to me,” signifies respect from fear on account of truth Divine; “saying, Get thee out, and all the people that is at thy feet,” signifies supplication that they may depart from those who are in truth from the Divine, from the highest to the lowest; “and thereafter I will go out,” signifies that truth Divine will depart; “and he went out from before Pharaoh in the wrath of anger,” signifies the rending asunder of the presence of truth Divine from those who are about to be damned. The proprium that is not the Lord's is damned AC 7784 [2] By those who are of the spiritual church (that is, who are in the good of this church) not having the least of damnation, is not to be understood that they are devoid of all evil; but that they are withheld from evil in good by the Lord. That which is their own(proprium) is nothing but what is evil and damned; but that which is the Lord’s own(Proprium) and which they receive is good, consequently is devoid of all damnation. Thus it is meant that there is nothing of damnation with those who are in the Lord. The spirits of Jupiter 7801 There are many kinds of spirits from the planet Jupiter, but there are three with which I have been in company, and with which I have often spoken. One kind, which is also the lowest, appear dark, almost black. They are contemned by others, and are called “chastisers,

    12 min

  4. 30 SEPT

    The digestion and then absorption of memory knowledges as they are applied to life and transform us … (5 mins)

    Arcana Coelestia 7752. All things in the universe bear relation to Good and Truth. That which does not bear relation to good and truth is not in Divine order; and that which does not bear relation to both together, produces nothing. Good is that which produces, and truth is that by which it produces. AC 7755 The first of the church is good, the second is truth; or the first of the church is charity, and the second is faith. For the truth of the doctrine of faith is for the sake of the good of life. That which is the end for the sake of which something else exists, this is the first. The memory corresponds to the stomach Apocalypse Explained 242. [4] This may be illustrated by a comparison with the stomachs of birds and beasts of the earth that are called ruminating stomachs. Into these they first collect their food, and afterwards by degrees take it out and eat it, and thus nourish the blood; food thus becomes a part of their life. With man the memory corresponds to these stomachs; and man is endowed with memory instead of these because he is spiritual; into this he first gathers spiritual foods, which are knowledges, and afterwards he takes them out by a sort of ruminating, that is, by thinking and willing, and appropriates them, and thus makes them a part of his life. From this comparison, although trifling, it can be seen that knowledges, unless implanted in the life by thinking and willing them and then doing them, are like food that remains unconsumed in ruminating stomachs, where it either becomes putrid or is vomited out. Moreover, the circle of man’s life is to know,  to understand, to will, and to do; for man’s spiritual life begins with knowing, passes next to understanding, then to willing, and finally to doing. From this it is clear that so long as knowledges are in the memory they are merely in the entrance to the life, and that they are not fully in man until they are in acts, and the more fully they are in acts the more fully they are in the understanding and will. [5] It was further shown that the faith of knowledges before it becomes the faith of life is historical faith, the nature of which is well known, namely, that it is believed because another has said it; until this has been made man’s own it is an alien thing, or something with ourself belonging to someone else. Historical faith, moreover, is like a belief in things unknown, for it is said that things must be believed though not understood, yea, that they must not be searched into by the understanding; and yet spiritual faith is such that in it truths themselves are seen and are consequently believed. In heaven no one believes any truth unless he sees it or has seen it; for they say, “Who can believe that a thing is so unless he sees it? It may possibly be false.” And only the evil can believe what is false; for the evil from evil see falsities, but the good from good see truths; and as good is from the Lord, so also seeing truth from good is from the Lord. Angels see truths because the light of heaven, in which they are, is Divine truth proceeding from the Lord; all, therefore, even those in the world, who are in that light are able to see truth. (Of the light of heaven, and that it is such, see in the work on Heaven and Hell 126-140.) For when a man dies and enters the other life, his life is circumstanced like food, ... AC 5175. For when a man dies and enters the other life, his life is circumstanced like food, which is softly taken hold of by the lips and is then passed through the mouth, fauces, and esophagus, into the stomach, and this according to the nature that has been contracted in the life of the body by means of various activities. At first most spirits are treated gently, being kept in the company of angels and good spirits, which is represented by the food being first touched softly by the lips, and then tasted by the tongue to discover its quality. Food that is soft, and in which there is what is sweet, oily,

    5 min

  5. 28 SEPT

    When the things in the Text don’t make sense then this is cue to go back to first principles and to read things as states of mind (6 mins)

    Arcana Coelestia 7764 THE INTERNAL SENSE.Verses 1-3. And Jehovah said unto Moses, Yet one plague more will I bring upon Pharaoh, and upon Egypt; afterward he will let you go from hence; when he lets everything go, driving he shall drive you out from hence. Say now in the ears of the people, and let them ask a man from his companion, and a woman from her companion, vessels of silver and vessels of gold. And Jehovah gave the people favor in the eyes of the Egyptians. Moreover, the man Moses was very great in the land of Egypt, in the eyes of Pharaoh’s servants, and in the eyes of the people. “And Jehovah said unto Moses,” signifies instruction; “Yet one plague more will I bring upon Pharaoh, and upon Egypt,” signifies the end of vastation, which is damnation; “afterward he will let you go from hence,” signifies that then they will be left; “when he lets everything go, driving he shall drive you out from hence,” signifies that they will leave them completely, and will hold them in aversion, and shun their presence; “say now in the ears of the people,” signifies instruction and obedience; “and let them ask a man from his companion, and a woman from her companion, vessels of silver and vessels of gold,” signifies that the memory-knowledges of truth and good taken away from the evil who have been of the church, will be bestowed upon the good who are of it; “and Jehovah gave the people favor in the eyes of the Egyptians,” signifies the fear of those who are in evils on account of those who are of the spiritual church, by reason of the plagues; “moreover, the man Moses was very great in the land of Egypt,” signifies respect now for truth Divine; “in the eyes of Pharaoh’s servants, and in the eyes of the people,” signifies with those who were in subordination there. AC 6914... by “favor” is not meant favor, for they who are in falsities and evils never have any favor for anyone; but if they benefit anyone, or do not injure him, it is from fear of plagues; this is the source of their favor, and this is the “favor” which is here meant in the internal sense. The internal sense sets forth things such as they are, not such as they are presented in the letter; and applies each to the subject. That this is so, is plain also from what follows concerning the Egyptians, in that they did not let the sons of Israel go from any favor, but from fear on account of further plagues (Exodus 11:1; 12:33). Third Round posts are short audio clips taken from Round 3 comments in the online Logopraxis Life Group meetings. The aim is to maintain focus on understanding the Text’s application to the inner life while reinforcing key LP principles highlighted in the exchanges.

    6 min

  6. 24 SEPT

    The fear, anxiety and depression we feel is the stirring up of the spiritual societies that our sense of self is attached to as ‘me’ (2 mins)

    New Jeruslaem and its Heavenly Doctrine 196...It is called spiritual temptation when the truths of faith which a man believes in his heart, and according to which he loves to live, are assaulted within him, especially when the good of love, in which he places his spiritual life, is assaulted. Those assaults take place in various ways; as by influx of scandals against truths and goods into the thoughts and the will; also by a continual drawing forth, and bringing to remembrance, of the evils which one has committed, and of the falsities which he has thought, thus by inundation of such things; and at the same time by an apparent shutting up of the interiors of the mind, and, consequently, of communication with heaven, by which the capacity of thinking from his own faith, and of willing from his own love, are intercepted. These things are effected by the evil spirits who are present with man; and when they take place, they appear under the form of interior anxieties and pains of conscience; for they affect and torment man's spiritual life, because he supposes that they proceed, not from evil spirits, but from his own interiors. Man does not know that such assaults are 1 from evil spirits because he does not know that spirits are present with him, evil spirits in his evils, and good spirits in his goods; and that they are in his thoughts and affections. These temptations are most grievous when they are accompanied with bodily pains; and still more so, when those pains are of long continuance, and no deliverance is granted, even although the Divine mercy is implored; hence results despair, which is the end. Arcana Coelestia 7720. Verses 24-end And Pharaoh called Moses, and said, Go, serve Jehovah; only your flocks and your herds will stay behind. Your little children also will go with you. And Moses said, You must also give into our hand sacrifices and burnt offerings, and we must make them to Jehovah our God. And our livestock also must go with us; not a hoof shall be left behind, for we must take some of them to serve Jehovah our God, and we ourselves do not know what we must serve Jehovah with until we get there. And Jehovah made Pharaoh's heart unyielding, and he would not send them away. And Pharaoh said to him, Go away from me; take care not to see my face again. For on the day you see my face you will die. And Moses said, Rightly have you spoken; I will not see your face again. 'And Pharaoh called Moses' means the presence of the law of God. 'And said, Go, serve Jehovah' means that they are to be left alone in order that they may worship the Lord their God. 'Only your flocks and your herds will stay behind' means but not from good. 'Your little children also will go with you' means that [they may worship Him] from truth. 'And Moses said' means the reply. 'You must also give into our hand sacrifices and burnt offerings' means that they must leave alone all the means through which worship must be offered. 'And we must make them to Jehovah our God' means which [worship] is acceptable to the Lord. 'And our livestock also must go with us' means that this [worship] must be from the good of truth. 'Not a hoof shall be left behind' means that nothing at all of the truth from good shall be lacking. 'For we must take some of them to serve Jehovah our God' means that they must be used in worship of the Lord. 'And we ourselves do not know what we must serve Jehovah our God with' means that what exactly will be needed for the worship to be performed is unknown. 'Until we get there' means until they have been removed from those steeped in utter falsities arising from evil. 'And Jehovah made Pharaoh's heart unyielding' means that they remained obstinately opposed to the Divine. 'And he would not send them away means that they had no mind to leave them. 'And Pharaoh said to him' means flaming anger at this point with God's truth. 'Go away from me means that he wished to know nothing at all about it.

    3 min

  7. 21 SEPT

    What exactly is evil from a spiritual perspective? How can I recognise it? (8 mins)

    Falsities from evil Arcana Coelestia 7689 ... the evil have no truth by faith, but only the memory-knowledge of the truth which is of faith. Some evil men who are in the church persuade themselves that they are in truth by faith, but they are not; they are in falsity, and are against the truth of faith. That they are in falsity is hidden with them so long as they are in the world, but this hidden falsity comes forth and manifests itself in the other life when they are being devastated as to the truths of faith which they had known. They who are not willing that others should know what they speak, pass judgment on others AC 7747. Afterward the spirits of Mars inflowed from above into my face. The influx felt like a light rain falling in streaks, which was a sign that they were not in the affection of truth and good, for this is represented by what is streaked. They then spoke plainly with me, saying that the inhabitants of their earth so speak with one another. They were then told that this is evil, because in this way they obstruct internal things, and recede from them to external ones, which they also deprive of their life; and especially because it is not sincere to speak so, for they who are sincere do not wish to speak or even think anything which others may not know, yea, all others, and even the whole heaven; whereas they who are not willing that others should know what they speak, pass judgment on others, think ill of them and well of themselves, and at last contract such a habit that they think and speak ill even of the church, of heaven, nay, of the Lord Himself. On darkness, light and the Lord's coming bringing judgement AC 7711. And there shall be thick darkness over the land of Egypt. That this signifies a complete privation of truth and good, is evident from the signification of “thick darkness,” as being a complete privation of truth and good. In various places in the Word mention is made of “darkness” and also at the same time of “thick darkness,” and then “darkness” is predicated of falsity, and “thick darkness” of evil together with it. But the word by which “thick darkness” is expressed in this verse means the densest darkness, by which in the internal sense are signified such falsities as spring from evil. Such falsities arise with those who have been of the church, and have lived a life of evil contrary to the precepts of faith which they have known. The evil from which these falsities spring, is against the church, against heaven, and against the Lord, thus is diametrically against good and truth. This state is now described by “thick darkness.” [2] That in the Word both “darkness” and “thick darkness” are mentioned together, and that “darkness” then denotes the privation of truth, and thick darkness the privation of both truth and good, can he seen from the following passages. In Isaiah: Judgment is far from us, and righteousness overtaketh us not; we await the light, but behold darkness; and brightnesses, but we walk in thick darkness. We grope for the wall like the blind, yea, we grope as they that have no eyes; we stumble at noonday as in the twilight; among the living we are as the dead (Isaiah 59:9-10); “judgment is far from us,” and “righteousness overtaketh us not,” denotes that there is neither truth nor good; (that “judgment” is predicated of truth, and “righteousness” of good, see n. 2235, 3997); “to await the light” denotes to await truth; and “to await brightnesses” denotes to await the good of truth, for the brightness of light is from good. That “darkness” is here opposed to “light” and “judgment,” thus to truth; and that “thick darkness” is opposed to “brightness” and “righteousness,” thus to good, is evident; and therefore “darkness” denotes the privation of truth, and “thick darkness,” the privation of both truth and good. In Amos: Is not the day of Jehovah darkness, and not light? and thick darkness and no brightness in it?

    8 min

  8. 21 SEPT

    ACV9 S41 7814-7844

    CLICK TO PRINT READING CLICK TO GO TO COMMENTS 7814 Exodus 12 THE DOCTRINE OF CHARITY Man has been so created that he can look upward, or above himself; and can also look downward, or below himself. To look above himself is to look to his neighbor, to his country, to the church, to heaven, especially to the Lord; but to look below himself is to look to the earth, to the world, and especially to himself. 7815 That to look to his neighbor, to his country, and to the church, is to look above himself, is because this is to look to the Lord; for the Lord is in charity, and it is of charity to look to the neighbor, to one's country, and to the church, that is, to will well to them. But they look below themselves who turn themselves away from these, and will well only to themselves. 7816 To look above oneself is to be uplifted by the Lord; for no one can look above himself, unless he is uplifted by Him who is above. But to look below himself is of man, because then he does not suffer himself to be uplifted. 7817 They who are in the good of charity and of faith look above themselves, because they are uplifted by the Lord; but they who are not in the good of charity and of faith look below themselves, because they are not uplifted by the Lord. Man looks below himself when he turns the influx of truth and good from the Lord to himself. He who turns to himself the good and truth flowing in from the Lord, sees himself and the world before him, and does not see the Lord with His good and truth, because they are behind him, and therefore come into such obscurity to him that he cares nothing for them, and at last he denies them. 7818 By looking above self and below self, is meant to have as the end, or to love above all things. Thus by looking above self is meant to have as the end, or to love above all things, what is of the Lord and heaven; and by looking below self is meant to have as the end, or to love above all things, what is of self and the world. The interiors of man also actually turn themselves to where the love turns itself. 7819 The man who is in the good of charity and faith loves also himself and the world, but no otherwise than as the means to an end are loved. The love of self with him looks to the love of the Lord, for he loves himself as a means to the end that he may serve the Lord; and the love of the world with him looks to the love of the neighbor, for he loves the world as a means for the sake of the end that he may be of service to the neighbor. When therefore the means is loved for the sake of the end, it is not the means that is loved, but the end. 7820 From this it can be seen that they who are in worldly glory, that is, in eminence and opulence above others, can look above themselves to the Lord equally as can those who are not in eminence and opulence; for they look above themselves when they regard eminence and opulence as means, and not as the end. 7821 To look above self is proper to man, but to look below self is proper to beasts. From this it follows that insofar as a man looks below himself or downward, so far he is a beast, and also so far is an image of hell; and that insofar as he looks above himself or upward, so far he is a man, and also so far is an image of the Lord. EXODUS 12 1 And Jehovah said unto Moses and unto Aaron in the land of Egypt, saying, 2 This month is to you the head of the months; this is the first to you in the months of the year. 3 Speak ye unto all the assemblage of Israel, saying, In the tenth of this month they shall take to them everyone a lamb,* for the house of his fathers, a lamb for the house. 4 And if the house is too little for a lamb, then let him take he and his neighbor near unto his house in the number of the souls; everyone for the mouth of his eating shall ye count for the lamb. 5 A lamb unblemished, a male, a son of a year shall be for you; ye shall take it from the lambs and from the she-goats.

    38 min
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Seeking to make the Lord God Jesus Christ visible in our midst... "Where two or three are gathered together in My name there am I in the midst of them." (Matt. 18:20)

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  • Creator
    The Third Round
  • Years Active
    2016 - 2025
  • Episodes
    500
  • Rating
    Clean
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    Logopraxis