{"id":11575,"date":"2016-04-17T12:18:07","date_gmt":"2016-04-17T16:18:07","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/wordstudy.newchurch.org\/?page_id=11575"},"modified":"2016-04-17T12:18:07","modified_gmt":"2016-04-17T16:18:07","slug":"the-will-and-the-understanding","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/societies.newchurch.org\/wordstudy\/spiritual-glossary\/the-will-and-the-understanding\/","title":{"rendered":"The Will\/The Understanding"},"content":{"rendered":"

As human<\/a> beings, we get stuck all the time in conflicts between <\/span><\/h4>\n

what we want and what we know. We want to eat that extra piece of pie, but we know over-eating is bad for us. We want to just keep the extra groceries the cashier missed when he was scanning items, but we know it wouldn\u2019t be honest. We\u2019re flattered when the cute new co-worker acts flirtatious, but we know we shouldn\u2019t even play around with anything that could cause us to think outside of marriage.<\/p>\n

So the idea that there\u2019s part of us that wants and feels and another part that thinks and knows<\/a> is not exactly new. But according to Swedenborg<\/a>, those two parts of us are extremely important, both reflecting the essential duality of the Lord<\/a> and also making it possible for us to accept the Lord\u2019s love and go to heaven<\/a>.<\/p>\n

That all starts \u2013 as everything in Swedenborg does \u2013 with the idea that the Lord is love itself,<\/a> perfect, all-powerful and infinite. That love takes form as wisdom itself<\/a>, and through his wisdom the Lord can pour his love out on all of us constantly, expressed as ideas that we can grasp and use. So love is the Lord\u2019s \u201cwanting, feeling\u201d part and wisdom is his \u201cthinking, knowing\u201d part.<\/p>\n

The Lord\u2019s deepest desire is for us to open our wanting, feeling part \u2013 which Swedenborg calls \u201cthe will\u201d -- to his love, and to opening our thinking, knowing part \u2013 which Swedenborg calls \u201cthe understanding\u201d \u2013 to his wisdom. That way he can fill us with life <\/a>and be conjoined to us, bringing us all joy and delight<\/a> in heaven.<\/p>\n

But the Lord also created us to be free,<\/a> and the only way to do that was to open our wills to evil <\/a>loves as well as good<\/a> ones. That\u2019s why we are, from our beginnings, so beset by the desire to be selfish<\/a>, to be greedy, to look out for ourselves and please ourselves above all else.<\/p>\n

But the Lord also gave us a mechanism to overcome that selfishness. Our understanding \u2013 our ability to think \u2013 operates separately from our will. That means we can use our understanding to gather ideas about what is right and good and loving, and can force ourselves <\/a>to act on them even though they run contrary to our desires. This is, in fact, the great task we face in life.<\/p>\n

What the Lord promises, though, is this: If we do that work from a desire to be good people, he will step in and slowly start removing our evil loves so that his perfect love can flow in. It\u2019s a long process \u2013 lifelong, actually \u2013 but the results are priceless<\/a>. When our will is cleared of evil and becomes a receptacle for the Lord, then our understanding becomes wisdom and our will becomes love. Then, instead of acting from what we know and over-riding what we want, we can act from love, with the love given form through wisdom. That is the life of angels<\/a>, and the life of heaven.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

\n

Passages from Swedenborg<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

Divine Love (Whitehead) n. 18<\/strong><\/p>\n

XVIII.<\/p>\n

THE WILLOF MAN IS HIS AFFECTION.<\/p>\n

The\u00a0will\u00a0of man is his affection for\u00a0the\u00a0reason that\u00a0the\u00a0will\u00a0of man isthe\u00a0receptacle of his love and\u00a0the\u00a0understanding\u00a0the\u00a0receptacle of his wisdom; and that which is\u00a0the\u00a0receptacle of love is also\u00a0thereceptacle of all affections, because affections are merely continuations and derivations of love, as has been said above. It is called\u00a0the\u00a0receptacle of love because love cannot be given with man except in a recipient form which is substantial; without such a form love would have no ability to effect, to reciprocate, and thereby to be permanent. This recipient form might be described, but this is not\u00a0the place for it. It is from this that\u00a0the\u00a0will\u00a0is called\u00a0the\u00a0receptacle of love.<\/p>\n

[2] That\u00a0the\u00a0will\u00a0is man's all, and is in all things of man, and thus is\u00a0the\u00a0man himself, as love in its whole complex is\u00a0the\u00a0man, is evident from this:-As to anything pertaining to his love or affection, and in fact to his life, man speaks of willing, as that be wills to act, wills to speak, wills to think, wills to perceive.\u00a0The\u00a0will\u00a0is in all of these things; and if it were not in them man could not act, could not speak, could not think, could not perceive; and if\u00a0the\u00a0will\u00a0were not present in\u00a0the\u00a0particular and most particular things of these operations, they would instantly cease; for\u00a0the\u00a0will\u00a0is in them as\u00a0thesoul or life is in\u00a0the\u00a0body and in every least particular of it. In place of\u00a0will, one can say love, as that one loves to do, to speak, to think, to perceive. In like manner of\u00a0the\u00a0external senses of\u00a0the\u00a0body it is said that one wills to see, wills to hear, wills to eat, drink, and taste, wills to smell, also wills to walk, to associate with others, to seek amusement, and so on. In each one of these\u00a0the\u00a0will\u00a0is\u00a0the\u00a0active force; for if it should be withdrawn there would instantly be a stop; and in fact these operations are suspended by\u00a0the\u00a0will.<\/p>\n

[3] That\u00a0the will\u00a0is man's love in form is clearly evident from this, that every enjoyment, pleasure, pleasantness, satisfaction and bliss which belong to man's love are so felt and perceived; and that these belong to\u00a0the\u00a0will\u00a0is plain, since whatever is enjoyable, pleasurable, pleasant, satisfactory and blissful, this also man wills; and he says of them that he wills them. Man speaks in like manner of good and truth; for that which he loves he calls good, thereby making it to be of his\u00a0will; and what confirms\u00a0the\u00a0good of his love or of his\u00a0will\u00a0he calls truth, and this he loves, and wills to think and speak of. Again, in respect to everything that a man wishes, solicits, longs for, strives for, seeks, and intends, he says that he wills all these since they pertain to his love; for he wills what he wishes because he loves it; he wills what he solicits or longs for because he loves it; he wills what he strives for and seeks because he loves it; and he wills what he purposes, and he purposes it because he loves. From all this it can be seen that\u00a0the\u00a0will\u00a0and\u00a0the\u00a0love or\u00a0the\u00a0will\u00a0and\u00a0the\u00a0affection are one with man; and that\u00a0the\u00a0will, because it is\u00a0the\u00a0love, is also\u00a0the\u00a0life, and is\u00a0the\u00a0man himself. That\u00a0the\u00a0will\u00a0is also\u00a0the\u00a0life of man's understanding and of his thought therefrom\u00a0will\u00a0be shown in what follows.<\/p>\n

[4] Man does not know that\u00a0the\u00a0will\u00a0is\u00a0the\u00a0man himself, forthe\u00a0same reason that he does not know that\u00a0the\u00a0love or affection isthe\u00a0man himself. Moreover, every one gives attention to those things that he sees or feels, but not to\u00a0the\u00a0life,\u00a0the\u00a0soul, or\u00a0the\u00a0essence from which be sees or feels; this lies concealed within\u00a0the\u00a0things pertaining to sensation, and\u00a0the\u00a0thought of\u00a0the\u00a0natural man does not go so far as that; but it is otherwise with\u00a0the\u00a0spiritual man, for\u00a0theobject of his wisdom is not\u00a0the\u00a0sense-plane, but\u00a0the\u00a0essential that is in it, which in itself is spiritual. It is in consequence of this that many say that thought is\u00a0the\u00a0all of man, and is\u00a0the\u00a0very man, that is, that man is man because he thinks; and yet\u00a0the\u00a0all of his thought is affection. Take away affection from thought, and you\u00a0will\u00a0be but a stock. A man who is rational from what is spiritual, who knows what is good and what is true, and thus what is evil and what is false, may know from what has been said what his affections are and what his reigning affection is; for there are as many indications of them as there are delights of thought, speech, action, sight, hearing, and as many as there are ambitions, desires, and intentions. He needs only to attend and reflect.<\/p>\n

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 7179<\/strong><\/p>\n

There are two faculties in man, one is called the understanding, and\u00a0the\u00a0other\u00a0the\u00a0will;\u00a0the\u00a0will\u00a0has been given man for\u00a0the\u00a0sake of\u00a0the good which is of love, and\u00a0the\u00a0understanding for\u00a0the\u00a0sake of\u00a0the\u00a0truth which is of faith; for\u00a0the\u00a0good which is of love has relation to\u00a0the\u00a0will, and\u00a0the\u00a0truth which is of faith has relation to\u00a0the\u00a0understanding;\u00a0theone faculty communicates in a wonderful way with\u00a0the\u00a0other. They join themselves together in those who are in good and thence in truth; and they also join themselves together in those who are in evil and thence in falsity; with both classes these two faculties make one mind. But it is otherwise with those who are in truth as to faith, and in evil as to life; and also with those who are in falsity as to faith, and in apparent good as to life.<\/p>\n

Divine Love and Wisdom (Rogers) n. 399<\/h4>\n

(1) Love or the will\u00a0is a person's very life. This follows from\u00a0the\u00a0correspondence of\u00a0the\u00a0heart with\u00a0the\u00a0will, as discussed in nos. 378-381 above; for as\u00a0the\u00a0heart functions in\u00a0the\u00a0body, so\u00a0the\u00a0willdoes in\u00a0the\u00a0mind. Moreover, as all\u00a0the\u00a0constituents of\u00a0the\u00a0body depend for their existence and motion on\u00a0the\u00a0heart, so all\u00a0the constituents of\u00a0the\u00a0mind depend for their existence and life on\u00a0the will. We say on\u00a0the\u00a0will, but we mean on love, because\u00a0the\u00a0will\u00a0is\u00a0therecipient vessel of love, and love is life itself (see nos. 1-3 above), and love which is life itself comes from\u00a0the\u00a0Lord alone.
It can be known from\u00a0the\u00a0heart and its extension throughout\u00a0the\u00a0body by means of\u00a0the\u00a0arteries and veins that love or\u00a0the\u00a0will\u00a0is a person's life, because things that correspond to each other function similarly, with\u00a0the\u00a0difference that one is natural and\u00a0the\u00a0other spiritual.
[2] How\u00a0the\u00a0heart functions in\u00a0the\u00a0body is apparent from\u00a0the\u00a0study of anatomy, as for example, that everything is alive or is responsive to life where\u00a0the\u00a0heart operates through vessels issuing from it, and that everything is lifeless where\u00a0the\u00a0heart does not operate through its vessels. Moreover,\u00a0the\u00a0heart is also\u00a0the\u00a0first and last organ to function in\u00a0the\u00a0body. Its being\u00a0the\u00a0first is clear from fetuses, and its being\u00a0the\u00a0last is clear from people dying; and that it functions without\u00a0the\u00a0concomitant operation of\u00a0the\u00a0lungs is clear from cases of suffocation and fainting.
It can be seen from this that as\u00a0the\u00a0subsidiary life of\u00a0the\u00a0body depends on\u00a0the\u00a0heart alone, so likewise does\u00a0the\u00a0life of\u00a0the\u00a0mind depend on\u00a0the\u00a0will\u00a0alone, and that\u00a0the\u00a0will\u00a0likewise continues to live if thought ceases, as\u00a0the\u00a0heart does if respiration ceases-as is also apparent from fetuses, from people dying, and from cases of suffocation and fainting.
It follows from this that love or\u00a0the\u00a0will\u00a0is a person's very life.<\/p>\n

True Christian Religion (Rose) n.<\/strong>\u00a0<\/strong>397<\/strong><\/p>\n

397
1. The will and the intellect.
(a) There are two faculties that constitute our life. One is called the will, the other the intellect. They are distinct from each other, yet they were created to be one. When they are one, they are called \"the mind.\" Therefore they are the human mind, where all of our life has its first beginnings, from which life then comes into our body.
(b) Just as everything in the universe - everything that is in the divine design - relates to goodness and truth, so everything in us relates to our will and our intellect. Goodness in us belongs to our will and truth in us belongs to our intellect. In fact, these two faculties or \"lives\" within us are vessels and abodes for goodness and truth. Our will is the vessel and abode for all things related to goodness, and our intellect is the vessel and abode for all things related to truth. Forms of good and truth exist nowhere else inside us. And since forms of good and truth exist nowhere else, love and faith do not exist anywhere else either, since love relates to goodness and goodness relates to love, and faith relates to truth and truth relates to faith.
(c) The will and the intellect also constitute our spirit. That is where our wisdom and intelligence, our love and goodwill, and our life in general reside. The body is merely an obedient servant.
(d) Nothing is more important to know than how the will and the intellect become a single mind. They become a single mind the way goodness and truth become one. The marriage between the will and the intellect is in fact similar to the marriage between goodness and truth. As will be shown in the next passage, which concerns goodness and truth, the nature of this marriage is that goodness is the underlying reality of a thing and truth is the resulting manifestation of the thing. Therefore in us our will is the underlying reality of our life and our intellect is the resulting manifestation of our life, because the goodness in our will takes shape and presents itself to be seen in our intellect.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>

\"\"<\/p><\/div>

Who (or What) is Swedenborg?<\/span><\/h4>\n

The ideas on this site are based on the works of Emanuel Swedenborg<\/a>, an 18th<\/sup>-century Swedish scientist and theologian. Swedenborg claimed that his religious writings, the sole focus of the last three decades of his life, were done at the behest of the Lord<\/a> himself, and constituted a revelation for a successor to the Christian<\/a> Church.<\/p>\n

In keeping with Swedenborg\u2019s own statements, modern believers downplay his role as author, attributing the ideas to the Lord instead. For this reason they generally refer to Swedenborg\u2019s theological works as \u201cthe Writings,\u201d and some resist the label \u201cSwedenborgian\u201d as placing emphasis on the man rather than the message.<\/p>\n

Since \u201cthe Writings\u201d would be an unfamiliar term to new readers, we have elected to use the name \u201cSwedenborg\u201d as a label for those theological works, much as we might use \u201cIsaiah\u201d or \u201cMatthew\u201d to refer to books of the Bible<\/a>. The intent, however, is not to attribute the ideas to Swedenborg, any more than we would attribute the divinity of the Bible to Isaiah the man or Matthew the man.<\/p>\n

So when you read \u201caccording to Swedenborg\u201d on this site, it\u2019s really shorthand for \u201caccording to the theological works from the Lord through Swedenborg.\u201d When you read \u201cSwedenborg says,\u201d it\u2019s really shorthand for \u201cthe theological works of Swedenborg say.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

As human beings, we get stuck all the time in conflicts between what we want and what we know. We want to eat that extra piece of pie, but we know over-eating is bad for us. We want to just keep the extra groceries the cashier missed when he was scanning items, but we know […]<\/p>\n

Read More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":17,"featured_media":0,"parent":10647,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"template-article.php","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-11575","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry","category-spiritual-glossary","blog-style1"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/societies.newchurch.org\/wordstudy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/11575","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/societies.newchurch.org\/wordstudy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/societies.newchurch.org\/wordstudy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/societies.newchurch.org\/wordstudy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/17"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/societies.newchurch.org\/wordstudy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=11575"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/societies.newchurch.org\/wordstudy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/11575\/revisions"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/societies.newchurch.org\/wordstudy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/10647"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/societies.newchurch.org\/wordstudy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=11575"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/societies.newchurch.org\/wordstudy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=11575"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/societies.newchurch.org\/wordstudy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=11575"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}