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Swedenborg, Emanuel, 1688-1772

"The Delights of Wisdom Pertaining to Conjugial Love"

There are three universal
loves which form the constituent principles of every man by creation:
neighbourly love, which also is the love of doing uses; the love of the
world, which also is the love of possessing wealth; and the love of
self, which also is the love of bearing rule over others. Neighbourly
love, or the love of doing uses, is a spiritual love; but the love of
the world, or the love of possessing wealth, is a material love; whereas
the love of self, or the love of bearing rule over others, is a
corporeal love. A man is a man while neighbourly love, or the love of
doing uses, constitutes the head, the love of the world the body, and
the love of self the feet; whereas if the love of the world constitutes
the head, the man is as it were hunched-backed; but when the love of
self constitutes the head, he is like a man standing not on his feet,
but on the palms of his hands with his head downwards and his haunches
upwards. When neighbourly love constitutes the head, and the two other
loves in order constitute the body and feet, the man appears from heaven
of an angelic countenance, with a beautiful rainbow about his head;
whereas if the love of the world constitutes the head, he appears from
heaven of a pale countenance like a corpse, with a yellow circle about
his head; but if the love of self constitutes the head, he appears from
heaven of a dusky countenance, with a white circle about his head.


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