henry corbin swedenborg esoteric islam

7/28/2019 Henry Corbin Swedenborg Esoteric Islam

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1995 by eonard FoxSecond pinting, 1999

l rgts eserved. Pned n the Unted States of eca. No part of this publica

tion may reproduce or trasmitd n any rm or b any means, electronic rmechanica, incudng potocoping, recording, o any inomation storage or retieva

sstem, whout po prmsion o he puishe

"Munus magnls a Hnuqu spuelle cpae s appeae n

eni Cobin, F1ce de Deu,fce de l'homme (Paris: Faaon, 984). pne

perssion. Traslaed by eonard Fox.

Swdnorg Sues is a scoary monogaph series pubsed by te Swdnbog

Foundation. The pmy pupose of te sees is to make materas avaiable fr undesanding te i ad tought of Emaue Swdnborg (1681772 d the ipac

at hs thought has had on others. Te Foundaton undertakes to publish ogina

sudes ad Engish tanslations o suc stues and to republish pmay souces hat

a otherwse dicut to access. Proposas should be sent dtor, Swdenbog Stues,

Swenbog Foundaon, 320 N. Chuc Steet, Wes Chese, PA 19380

Libr1y of Coes Ct/ongn-Publcton D1tbn, Henry.

[unus agns nglish]

Sedenborg and esoteric slam o stues / Henry Con anslated

Lna Fo

p . -- (Swednbog stuies no 4)

ansla om te Fench.

Cnnts unus agnals Compaave spua hemeneucs

ISBN 0-8785-1832 (pape)

1. shqah. 2. maginaion-igious aspectslam.

3 Soism in the Koan. 4 ran-Hemeneuics. Sh'ahDoctrins.

6 Swedenbor, Emanue, 16881722--Conrbutons n iblcal heeneucs

BleHereneucs 8 Hemeneucs-lous aspects-Compaatve su-

es

F, enad. . Corbn, en. Hrnutiqu spiruelle compae. Engish l. Sees84C63 1

80

dd aara ipsd Jaa ls Gl R Saw Wehell nc

94-3068

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iii Tanlat Pac

ose eoros o as bee y ao ogo yere e." I a ersoa eer o D Friedea Ho dreor

o e Sedebog Verag i Zri o e dy oidede t a oy Corb saes a e oe ad oaso o set s S'e eds i Ira abo Sedeborg.

Te sigae o Sedebg bad o e geaZe ase Daisez Tero S e isaed by ea a e oog oooe ae Cav magan th Sum bn 'Aab (rieo: rieo iersiyress, 969, 55 5

Here should like to mentio a covesatio,whch stkes me asmemoab, with DT Suzuk, te maste of Ze Buddhsm(Casa Gabriela Ascoa, August 8, , the pesece ofMs Fbe-Kptey ad Miea Ea)We askd h wt st ecoute wt Occdeta sptuty h e a e

that so y yes bfo uz h tste fou ofSwedbog's wo to Japa; h bee s o

th te West Late o th ovao w ed hthooogs stutu he fou bwee Mahy Bumad the cosoogy of Swedebog pet of th ymbosmad orspos of the wod ( f s sas i ZBuism Fs ee, p. , Of o w xpe o

theoretc aswe, but a sg tstg eoute a ocrete pso of epe commo o Busm ad toSwedenboga spit d I s e Suzk uddeybadsg a spoo ad syg wt a sm: " Ts spoo ess in Paase We are Hv, h enedThs w a autetay Ze wy of aswg he qo; b

Ab wo h f o tht o

te tasg wod to wh h bov, t ynot be ireevt to eio the ipoe whh, te uing ovesao, Suzuk attce to h Spuaty ofSwedborg,"you Buddha of the Not

Corbs e ee ese or e rg Sedeborg as osg oe e ges os egshis und greatest expresio i is egy artie


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nlt Pc ix

Heee see oae Sedebog II ose saiee " ogiy bised i i n ad

reried i a osos oeo o Corbis essays eiedac iu ac lhmm (ars: Faari 94 .2 is ieesg a i is essay Cobi agai e-ios e oesaio i Szi oed aboe: Ad eSz ] added: 'I s e Sedebog] o s yor Bdda oyo esees is e o sod be ead d oloed (p5, .

I is ae Cobi aes a opaiso beee o eso-er eee aos a is e eeao o e e sese o e saed boos o o dis eigios Crisiaity ad Isa Sedebog e says s ry i is ieseo e roe o e eal sese e Bibe" ie eeire Si'ie reigios eeo ress esseially e

siria eees o e Q e esoeri sese eroe eeaos"As a iodio o is oparaie sdy I e i se

asae aoer Corbs ares (aso bised i ac iu ac lhmm) i i e dssses is se o e era e ise ieed munu imaginali e imaginalod" i as o bee adoed by ay riers o Ssad Si'ie esoeis Tis arie o oy aies a exreey ipoat oe i bo Sedeborgia ad esoeriIsai siiaiy aso idy isaes Cobis o reaosi e siia s a e deoed is ie eidaig

ay a ord o e are o is rasaio Bease

Cobia serb rasao selooses is ords igrea ae ad peisio I ae edeaoed o eai as aitas ossibe o is orig exs ee ee is as iedprdig egy seees o siderabe oexis sye is deiaby opex as is i sbje aer; is a tug eadg s a as ddal hv ae nil


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Tanla Pac

sesor" raer a sesible," sie e laer ord i g-lis as ar oo a eaigs a are irrelea o e coe

o ese sdies ; ad I ae sed e ord eosoer" raera eosois" o raslae hph i order o aoid aossible isosrio or assoiaio i e ideas o eTeosoial oie. I ae also reaied seeral o Corbis i -oaie eressios, s as sbolize i," isead o sige legier rase i syboli relaiosi i. "

Qoaios ro e eologial riigs o ael Se

deborg are dra ro e sadard ediio blised b eedeborg Fodaio, es Ceser, eslaia .

FB A, eslaia


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b E


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M

h h

D

o t two t wods munu manal s tttl o ts dscsso, I td t tt a pcs od o

lty corspod to pcs od o pcpto,cs t toloy s t dt o pod

s wt tccl d d pot o c, to wc wc cop t os oolss solt qlts tto odr Wst ls sst to s

mk t sso o o ts

wods ws posd po so t o, cs t ws possl o , t d to trslt o sy, to stsdt t od magna. s s y o as ctcs d-dssd to tos o s o wo t s o t la osts cos to ts ord, sc w a t tot toalat t ost ss Rgdlss o o ots,tog, w caot t t t magna ct sa

tt s ot dlbat, o qlt to s unal sot tt s d s otsd o d stc b, sot utpan. I ws asoltly obld tod ot t cas, o y yas, y oc- sso a tprt o c d s tts, w wu y tyd

and nneven w sl


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2 nb an tic lam

pcow imagina I ws solly oldo o o w o s s

dr s r o proo loslsd s oo, od o wk o ordr o s, sso wc s sso o o colloq Socy oSyols" o os

I o wods, w slly spk o imagina s r, op, s s co sypo o so I cos o s so, w y ryo od o lty I ds s munu imaginali d w o tosoprs Isl ds s cl"; w wll o pcss lty, ly, coscousss, gnitiIo; d lly, w wll ps svl pls,o y os, o cos, ss o s opor

py o s wolds, s y v s y os woactual v

I. KOBD OR T I G T I M T

I s od wod utpian I s s , or dcs pl, o os s r rs ss o s lsc clq: -kjb ld oowr " s, owr, s so rly dr ro utpia

s k ry l lssilosly sory

ls d ls o sprl ocoposd rs ySod, yo sy wo, wl cy, ws r o osopy o c s" Islc IEc , soy ds sl, i o l, i psc o spl o r y,w vso ss h s o h cosThese s ssy lls c o o,


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n Imainali

ld s t psol isto o t St, t cpt wo spis to t o

At t giig o t tl tt Sod ttls Ciso Acl," 1 t cpti, wo s st scpd t sllc o is ls, tt s, s tpoily lt t wold ossoy pic, ds isl t dset t psc oa g wo ss, sce sees i all t cas odolscc, Yot! e do yo coe o" He ecestis ply: t I t sto o t cild t Cto [ ostic ts, t rototito, t istCtd dyo cll yot" , tis oii, is t ysty o tcrso colo tt clots is ppc : tt o i o pit wos spldo t ssoy wold dcs to t cisoo twlit I co o yod t oti o It st tt yo w yosl t t , d i t is t tt

yo will t w yo lly d yo ods " ot o is t cosc ot costittdo sit to st, lly to lly, y t clstil Spstt closd o sd t ot t, t, is t odtt lds ot o it How lo is it No tt ow lo yolk," is told, it s t t poit o dpt tt yo t i," lik t pot o t copss ti to t splce os tis ol siply li osl i od to ttiosl Not eacy Be t o, gt t will cged etg; t tt s od t s t o tt syod t ot o , spo sl, i t sc-od peso" I t ill e cssry, li z (o i,t ystos popt, t tl wde, Eli o o lk

i to t i t Spg o i H wo s od ti o lty s id t tt Spi gs o t Spi, s cid t Aptd ttks i lk l, dop o wic yo distill i t ollow yu r h y oldi it ci t s, d wi t psss y z y y


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4 Snb an tc lam

To oe ystica aes gie a ae o a beyod eota oQ," ad is ts ae se ta arks te rasoraio o cosic oai o pchcmc otai, ais, e rasiio o e ysica cosos o a cosies ers ee o e siita ierse I e tae etied Tesg o aries igs," e gre aga aears o, e orks o Acea, s aed Ha bn Yaqn (e g,so o e aca") ad o, js o, as desigaed as

e Ciso cage Te esio a s be ased isasked, ad e rey is is: I coe ro N-kj-b." Fiay, i e ae eied Vade ec o e Fai i oe"un alhhq) ic aces o stage a cosogoc riadose draais ersoae are, eseciey, Beay, oe, adSadess, Sadess aears o Ya'b eeig o Jose i ead o Caaa To e estio, a orizo did yo eerae o coe ee? ," e sae ey is gie: I coe o Nkjb."

N-kj-b s a trge term It des o occr ay esia dcioay, ad as coied, as ar a I o, by Soraardise, ro esorces o e es esia agage Lieray, I etoed oet ago, t iges te cy, te

coury or d ) o oere N-k). s y eare ere i e resece o a er a, a rs sig, ay aeao s as e eac eiae o e er utpa ic, or isar, does o occr i e cassica ree dictioaies, ad ascoed by Toas ore as a absrac o o desigate eabsece o ay ocazaio, o ay gie tu i a sace at is

discoerae ad eriabe by e eeriece o or seses yoogcay ad ieay, i od eas be eac o rasaeN-kjb by utpa oia, ad ye i regard o ecoce, e ieio, ad te re eaig, I beiee a eod be giy o israsaio I sees o e, ereore, a is o daea iorace o ry, a es, o deerie yis od be a israsaio


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Mundus magnas 5

I is ee a aer o disesab recisio, e a odesad e eaig ad h rea licaio o aiod i

orao cocerg e oogaies exored i he isioarysae, e sae ierediae beee aig ad seeio-ao a, or eae, aog sira didals oSi 'ie Isa, cocers e d o e idde I " A aero ecso a, akg s aeie o a derea aeciga eire regio o e so, ad us ire spirul cu,

od ead s o ask: ha codios ake ossie a ich ordiariy ca a oia, ad coseuy e ye o oaa? Ho ad y does ake is aearace? I oder, iac, her e eiae od e od ayee Isaic og is adna or do o beiee, or exae, a e Frb, i e eh cery, describes eerec Cy," or e e dalusi iosoer I Bjja(Aeace) , e eh cu, akes up e sae hee is egie o e Soiary"3 do o beiee a eier oo h coepaed a e cal oday a socia or oliicaloia To drsad e i is ay oud e, a aad,o idra e ro eir o rsuosios ad esec-ies, i order o iose or o, our o diesios; abo

a, I a araid a i od be cerai o eai rsigig orsees o cosig Sprual Ciy ih a iagia CiyT od -bd dos o dsiga soehg ik

exeded beg, i e desoess sae Te ersia ordbd ceray siges a c, a ciaed ad eoed ad, hussohig eded a Soraard eas by beg beyode oai o Q" is a e se, ad i i e ereheooica radio o Ira, reeses he coose o heysica ces o Jba, Jbars, ad Hray. Toogra-caly, h saes recisey a s regio begs o e coexsr" h Ni She, he Shere o Seres, or heShe at ndue h hol h cosmos This meas ha i ;It ti en when v h spm


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Swnbo an sotri Islam

pere, wh denes all possible orentaton n our world (oron ts sde o te world, te pere" to w te elstal

ardnal pont reer It s edent tat one ts boundary srossed, te eston whre " ( ubi koj) loses ts eanng, atleast te eanng n w t s asked n the spa o or sensoryexperene Tus the nae Nkojb a plae otsde oplae, a plae" tat s not ontaned n a plae, in a topos tatperts a response, wt a gesture o te and, to the estonwhere" Bt wen we say, o depart o the where" watdoes ts ean?

It surely annot relat to a ange o loal poston,4 a pysaltranser ro one plae to anoter plae, as toug t noledplaes ontaned n a snle oogeneous spae s sugested,at te end o oraards tale, by te sybol o te drop balexposed n te ollow o te and to te sun, t s a tter o en

tern, pass nto te nteror and, n pasng into th intrioro nding onesel, paradoxally, ot or, n te language oour autor, on te onex surae" o te nt perenoter words, beyond te ountan o Q" Te relatonspnoled s essenally tat o te external, te vsble, te exoter(n ree, w Arab, hir) and te nternal, tensble, te eoter ( n reek w ab bi) or te nat-ural world and te sprtal word To depart ro twhere teategory o ubi to leae te external or natral appearanestat enlose te dden nternal realtes, as te alond s ddenbeneat te sel l Ts step s ade n order or te tranger, tgnost , to retrn hom at least to lead to tat return

But a odd ting appns one tis transion s ao

plsed, t trns out tat eneort ts realty, preoly nter-nal and dden, s reealed to be enelopng, srroundng,ontanng wat was rst o all external and sble, sne bymans o itriorizatio one a part ro tat ternal re-alty eneort, t s sprital realty tat enelops, surronds,ontans te realty alled ateral Tat s wy sprtual realty s

n n te whr" t s te whr" tt s n r, ra s


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n Imanal 7

tsel te " o all tngs; t s, tereoe, not sel n aplae , t does not all under te ueston te aegory

bi reerrng to a plae n sensory spae s plae (ts bd) n re-laton o s s Noj (owere, beause ts b n relatonto wat s in sensory spae s an be (eewere en weae understood ts, we ae peraps understood wat s essen -tal to ollow te topograpy o sona experenes, to dstn-gus ter eanng (tat s, te sgnaton and te dretonsulaneously and also to dsngus soetng ndaental,naely, wat derentates te sonar perepons o our sr -tual ndduals (oraard and any oters wt regard toeerytng tat our odern oabulary subsues under te pe-orate sense o reatons, anns, een topan adness

Bu wa we u ben o desro, o e exen a we reable to do so, een at te ost o a strugle resued eer da, s

wat ay be alled te agnost reex" n esern an, be-ause e as onsened o te dore between thoht and bein ow any reent teores tatly orgnate n ts reex,tanks to w we ope to esape te other realty beore wertan experenes and ertan edene plae usand to esapet, n te ase were we serely sub to ts attraton, by g-ng t all sorts o ngenous eplanatons, exept one: te oneta would pert t truly o ean or us, by ts exstene, watt i For t to ean tat to us, we ust, at all eents, ae aal -able a osology o su a knd at e ost astoundng nor-aon o odern sene regardng te pysal nersereans neror to t For, nsoar as t s a atter o tat sort onoraton, we rean bound to wat s on ts sde o te

ountn o Q" Wat dsnuses te tradtonal osoloo te eosopers n sla, or exaple, s ta ts struueere te worlds and nterworlds beyond te ounan oQ," ta i, beond e psal unerses, are arranged n le-es-s ntdligbc oly o an estene n w te at of beings i s r i rl, o epro of ese worlds


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Swedenbo and oteric Ilam

are pesent to t at denson, ten, st ts act of beingae n ode to be, or to becoe n te corse o ts tre re

brts, te place o tose words tat are outide the place o ornatra space ? And, rst o all, wat ae tose words?

I can only ee ere to a ew texts A larger nber wl beond tanslated and goped n te boo tat I ae ntedSpiritual ody and Celetial arth. In s Boo o Conersations" oraad wrtes: en yo learn n te treatses o te

ancen as at tere exsts a wol poe wt nsionsand extenson, ote tan te pleroa o ntellgences [ tat s, aworld below tat o te pe arcangec Intelgences], andoter tan te world gerned by te ols o te peres [ tats, a wold wc, wle ang denson and extenson, soter tan te worl o sensory penoena, and speor to t,ncldng te sdereal nerse, te planets and te xedstars" ] , a word wee tere are ctes wose nber t is possible to cont, ctes aong wc our ropet sel naedbal and Jbars, do not asten to call t a le, or pgrs ote sprt ay contepate tat world, and tey nd tere ee-tng tat te obect o eir desre 7

Tese ew lnes eer s to a scea on wc all o or yst

cal teosopes agee, a scea tat artculates tree unersesor, rater, tee categores o nerse Tere s or pyscal sen-sory world, wc ncludes bot or eartly word (goerned byan sos and te sderea nerse (goerned by te olso pees ts s te snso wol te wol o penoena ( mol) Tere s te suprasnsory wold o te ol o Angelous, te alakt, in wc tere are te ystca ctiestat we ae st naed, and wc begns on te conex sr-ace o te nt pee" Tere is te nerse o prearcangec Integences To tese tree erses correspondtee organs o owedge : te senses, te aginaton, and tenteect, a trad to wc corresponds te triad o antropology:body, so, spta tad tat reglates te trple growt o


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ns Imainalis

a, extedg ro ths world to the resurretos the otherworlds

We obsee edately that we are no loger redued tothe dlea o thought and exteso, to the shea o a osology ad a goseology lted to the epral world andthe world o abstrat uderstadn Betwee the two s plaeda teredate world, whh our authors desate as 'lamalmithl, the world o the Iage, mns imainalis: a world

as otologally real as the world o the seses ad the world othe tellet, a world that reures a aulty o perepto belogig to t, a aulty that is a ogite uto, a noetialue, as ully real as the aulties o sesory perepto or telletual tuto Ths aulty s the agatie pwer, theoe we ust aod ousg wth the anaton that oder a detes wth atasy" ad hat, aordg to h,produes oly the aary" ere we are, the, sultaneously at the heart o our researh ad o our proble o terology

Wat s that teredate uerse? t s the oe we eed a lttle whle ao as beg alled the eghth lmate 8For all o our thnkers, at, the world o exteso pereptble

to the seses nludes the seven limates o ther tradtoal eoraphy But there s stll aother late, represented by thatworld whh, howeer, possesses exteso ad densos,ors ad olors, wthout ther beg pereptble to the seses,as ey are we tey are propertes o physal bodes o,thse desios, shapes, ad olors are the proper obet oagate perepo or te psyhosprtual seses" ad thatworld, lly obee ad real, where eerythg exstg thesesory world has ts aalogue, but ot pereptble by theseses, s the world that s desgated as the ehth limate. Theer is iely eloquet by tsel, se t sgnes a lateotsi mates, a plae otsie o plae, ousde o where NkAb!


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l 0 Swedebo ad oterc Islam

Te tenal ter tat desgnates t n ab, 'lam almithl, an peraps also be translated by ms archeps,

abuy s avoded For t s te sae word ta sees n a-b to desgnate te laton deas (nterpreted by oravard nters o oroastran angelolo oweer, wen te terreers o laton deas, t s alost always aopaned by tsprese ualaton: mothol (plural o mithl) atyarya, te laton aretypes o lgt" en te terreers to te world o te egt late, t desgnates ten

ally, on one and, te rchepeImaes o nddual and sngular tngs; n ts ase, t relates to te easter regon o teegt late, te ty o Jbal, were tese ages subsst,preexstent to and ordered beore te senso world But on teoter and, te ter also relaes to te wester regon, te o Jbars, as beng te world or nteorld n w are od

te prts aer ter presene n te natural terrestral world,and as a world n w subsst te ors o all works ao-plsed, te ors o our outs and our desres, o ourpresentents and our beavor9 s ts oposton tatonsttutes 'lam almithl, te ms maalis.

enally, agan, our nkers desgnate t as te world oages n suspense" ( mothol moaaa) . oraard and ssool ean by ts a ode o beng proper to te realtes otat nteredate world, w we desgnate as Imaaa.

e prese nature o ts ontologal status reslts ro sonary sprtual experenes, on w oraard asks tat we relylly, exatly as we rely n astronoy on te obseatons o p-parus or toley t sould be aknowledged tat ors and

sapes n te mdus maialis do not subsst n te saeanner as epral realtes n te pysal world; otese,ayone ould peree te t sould also be oted tat teyannot subsst n te pure ntellgble world, sne tey ave ex-tenson and denson, an ateral" ateralty, eranly, nrelaon o tat o e sensory world, but, n at, ter ownp p e x-


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n Imainali

presson sed by enry ore, a Cabrdge Platonst, spissituospiritalis, an expresson tat as ts exat eaent n te wor

o adr rz, a Persan latonst For te sae reason, tatey old ae only or togt as a sbsat wold be exlded, as t wold, at te sae e, tat tey gt be unreal ,notng; oteise, we old not dsern te, lass tento erares, or ae dgents abot te Te exsteneo ts nteredate world, mun imainalis, ts appearsetapysally neessary; te ognte ntion o te agnaton s ordered to t; t s a world wose ontoloal leel s aboete world o te senses and below te pre ntellgble world; ts ore ateral tan te orer and less ateral tan telatter Tere as always been soetg o aor portanen ts or all or ystal teosopers pon t depends, orte, bot te aldity o sonary ants tat peree and

relate eents n eaen" and te aldty o dreas, sybolrtals, te realty o plaes ored by ntense edtaton, te realty o nspred agnate sons, osogones and teogones, and ts, te rst plae, te trt o te irital npereed n te agnate data o propet reelatons 1

n sort, tat world s te world o subtle bodes," te deao w poes ndspensable one wses to desrbe a ln be tween te pre sprt and te ateral body t s ts w relates to te desgnaton o er ode o being as n sspense,"tat s, a ode o beng s tat te age or For, sine t stsel ts own atter," s ndependent o any sbstratu nw t would be anent n te anne o an adents eans tat t wold not sbsst as te olor bla, or

exaple , sbssts by eans o te bla obet n w t s anent Te oparson to w or ators reglarly ae reorse s te ode o appearane and subsstene o ages nsspe" n a rror e ateral sbstane o te rror,ml nl, s n e bstae o te age, a sbstanew would n t s mply he pla o ts

PP ' nl t f p ps


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2 Swedebo ad oteic slm

ors ( maha, plural mahi) so aratersti o Soraardsaster eosop.

Te ate aginaton is te preenent mio teeppan pae o te Iages o te aretypa ord tat sy te teory o te mudus imagial s bond p ateory o agnatie knoledge and agnate ntonanton truly entral and edatory, beause o te edan andedatory poston o te mudus imagialis. It is a nntat perts all te unerses to mbolize with oe aohe (orexst n sybol relatonsp t one anoter and tat leadsus to represent to oursees, experentally, tat te sae sbstantal realties assue ors orrespondng respetiely to eaunerse (or exaple, bal and bars orrespond n tesubtle orld to te Eleents o te pysal ord, eraly orresponds tere to te S It s te ognte n

tion o te agnaton tat perts te estabsent o a rg-orous aalogical owlede esapng te dlea o urrent ra-tonals, leaes only a oe between te to ters obana duas: eter atter" or sprt," a dlea tat tesoalizaton" onsousness resoles by sbstitting a oetat is no less atal: eter sto" or yt

Ts s te sort o dilea tat as neer deeated tose alar t te egt late," te re o sbte boes, spirtu bodes," tresold o te Mat or ord o te Soe understand tat en tey say tat te orld o rybens on e onex surae o e supree Spere," tey isto sg sybolaly tat ts orld is at te bounda eretere s an nerson o te relaton o nterorty expressed by te

preposon in or within, in te nterior o" Spirtal bodes orspritual entes are no longer i a ord, not een i teirorld, n te ay tat a ateral body s n ts plae, or s ontned n anoter body t s teir orld tat s i te Tat sy te eology attributed to stotle , t ab erson o tela tree nneas o lotnus, Aenna annotated and

i hine ead and edtated upon, explns tat


23/171

udus maialis

ea sprtual etty is te totalty o te spere o tseae"; ea sbssts, ertaly, depedetly o te oter, but

al are sutaeous ad ea s wi eer oter oe t woudbe opletely alse o pture at oter world as a ueretaed, oral heae Tere s ultpty, o ourse, but te relatios o spirtal spae der ro te reatos o spae uderstood uder te star eae, as u as te a o be i abody ders ro te at o be te totalty o ts eae "That s wy t a be sad tat bed ts world tere s a ky,a Eart, a oea, aas, plats, ad elestal e; but eerbe tere s elesti; te spral ettes tere orrespod toe hua begs tere, but o eartly t s tere "

Te ost eat orulato oall ts te teosopal tradtio o te es, s oud perhaps wedebor e aotb be struk by te oordae or eree o te state

ets by te rea weds isoa wt tos o oraard,Ib ab, or adr rz wedebor explas tat alltgs eae appear, ust as te world, to be plae ad spae, ad yet e als ae o oto or dea o plae orspae " T is bause al aes o plae te sprtual worldar eeted by ages o state i te terors, w eas tatae o plae s o else ta ae o state Toseare ear ea oter wo are lke states, ad tose are at a dstae wo ar ulike states; ad spaes eae are splyte eteral odtos orrespod to te teral states Forte sae reaso te eaes are distt ro ea oter e ayoe goes ro oe plae to aoter e arresore kly e eagerly desires it, ad less kly we

does ot, ay itse beg legteed ad sorted a-ordae it e desre Tis I ae oe see to y surrse l tis agai makes lear ow dstaes, ad oseuetlyas, ae why aord wt states o te terors o aels; h t dea o spae a eter terhouht ouh here r e wh hem eua as e


24/171

4 Swedenbo and soteri Islam

u a desrption s enently approprate to Nbdand ts ysterous Ctes n sort, t ollows tat tere s a spr

tual plae and a orporeal plae Te transer o one to te otrs absolutely not eeted aordng to te laws o or oog-neous pysal spae n relaton to te orporeal plae, tsprtual plae s a Nowhere, and r te one wo reaes Nobd eerytng ours nersely to te eident ats o or-dnary onsosnss, w reans orientated to te nteror o

our spae or eneort t is te where, t plae, tat resdesn te soul t s te orporeal substane tat resdes n te spr tual substane t s te sol tat enloses and bears te bodyTs s wy t s not possble to say where t sprtal pla sstuated t s not stuated, t s, rater, tat states, t isstative. Its bi s an bie. Certanly, tere ay be top-grapal orrespondenes beween te sensory world and tmns imainalis one sbolzn wt te oter oweer,tere s no passae ro one to te oter wtout a breaany aounts sow us ts ne sets ot at a gen ont,tere s a break wt te geograpal oordnates tat an be loated on or aps But te traeler" s not onsos o tprese oent e does not realze t, wt dset or wonder,

untl later e were aware o t, e ould ange s pa atwll, or e ould ndate t to oters But e an only desrbwere e was e annot sow t way to anyone

HE I R I T U M G I N T I O N

e wll tou er on te disie oint or i all tat redes as preard us, naely, te organ tat perits penera-ton nto te mnds imainalis, te iraon to te egtlate" at is te orga by eans o w tat gratonourste graton tat s te retrn ab eta ad intra (rote exteror to te nteror , te topograpal nerson ( te in tseption)? It s neter te senses nor te aultes o te


25/171

unu Imainali 5

pyscal organs nor s t te pure ntellct ut t s tat nte-edate poer wose ncton appears as te prenent ed-

ator te actve Iagnaton Let us be vey clear wen we speako ts It s te organ tat pets te transutaton o nternalsprtual states nto eternal states nto vsonevents syolzng wt tose ntenal states. It s y ans o ts tansuta-on tat all progresson n sprtual space s accoplsed orrate ts tansutaton s tsel wat spatalzes tat space

at causes space proty dstance and eotenss to etereA rt potulat s tat ts Iagnaton s a pue sptual ac

ul nenent o t ca oan an connt ale to susst aer te dsappearance ote latte adr rzaong oters as epressed sel reeatedly on ts ontt patcula orcelness. e says at ust as te soul s n-dependent o te pyscal ateral ody n recevng ntellgltngs n act accordng to ts ntellectve powe te soul sequally ndependent t regard to ts imainativ powr and tsimainativ opratios. In addton wen t s separted rots orld snce t contnues to ave ts actve Iagnaton at tssece t can perceve by tsel y ts on essence and y tat

aculty concrete thngs wose estence as t s actualzed n tskoledge and n ts agnaton consttutes o ipo te veror o concrete estence o tose tngs ( n oter ords con-scousness and ts obect are ere ontologcally nsepaale) ltese poers are gatered and concentrated n a sngle acultyc s te actve Iagnaton Because t a stopped dsers-ng tsel at te varous tresolds tat are te ve senses o tepyscal body nd as stopped beng solcted y te concernso te pyscal body wc s prey to te vcsstudes o te e-ternal world te agnatve percepon can nally so ts es-sental superory over sensory percepton

l e acles o te soul " rtes adr rz ave be as toug a sngle aculy c s te power to congure


26/171

Swdbo ad otri slam

and typ ( tar and tamth) ts agaton as tsel becoelke a senso percepton o te spraseso ts imagiative

sht s tsel lke ts sensory sigt Slary ts seses o eargsell taste ad tocall tese imagiative ssare teselves lke sensory acltes bt reglated to e sprasesoFor altog tay te senso acltes are ve bereac avng its organ localzed n te body iteally, act allo te costte a single aisthsis (i moshtarik)" TeIagnato beg teeore lke te curus subtilis ( Greekokhma, vle or n rocls Iablcs etc ] sprtal body)o te sol an en pysoog o e stle ody"and ts o t esrreco ody" wc adr Srz dscsses in tese contets at s wy e reproaces even Avcenna or avng dented ese acts o postos agateperceton wt wat appes n tis le drg sleep or ere

and drng sleep te agnatve power s dstrbed by te organic operatons tat occr n te pyscal body c s e-qred o t to eoy ts a o pereco ad acvtyreedo and priy Otese sleep wold be sly a awaenng te oter world Ts is ot te case as s lded to ts eak attrbted soetes to te ropet ad soetiesto te Frst I o te Stes Has seep It s e teyde tat tey aake"

A sod postulat, evdece or wc copels recogito i stat te sprtal Iagao s a cogve power an orga otr kowledg Iaginave percepto ad agatve coscones ave ter own oti ( cogtve) ncto and vale n elaon to te orld tat s teste wold we ave sad

wc s te lam al-mithl, mudus imagialis, te world ote ystcal cties sc as Hrqaly were e becoes reversble and were space s a ncton o dese becase t s onlyte etenal aspect o an teral state

e Iagnato s ts rly balacd bewee two otecogtve ctons ts ow world mbolizs with te world to

wc te two ote ctons (sesory kowledge ad nllc


27/171

ds magialis

tve knoledge) respectvely correspond ere s accordnglysoetng lke a control tat keeps te Iagnaton ro an

derngs and progacy and tat perts t to asse ts llncton to case te occrrence or eaple o te eventstat are related y te vsonary tales o oravard and all toseo te sae nd ecase every approac to te egt clat sade y te agnatve pat. It ay e sad tat ts s te ra-son or te etraordnary gravty o ystcal epc poes rttenn rsan (ro 'Attr to J and to Nr ' c

constantly apl te sae arcetypes n ne syols In ordror te Iagnaton to ander and eco progate or t tocease lllng ts ncton c s to percve or generate syols leadng to te nternal sense t s necessary or mdsimagiali proper doan o te alakt, te orld ote olto dsappear eraps t s ncessary t West to

date te egnnng o ts decadence at te te n Averro-s reected Avcennan cosology t ts nteredate angel cerarcy o te ima or gli alsts. ese li alsts (a erarcy elo tat o te gli itltals) ad teprvlge o agnatve poer n ts pre state nce te nverse o tese ols dsappeared t as te agnatve nctonas sc tat as balad and devaled It s easy to nder-stand ten te advce gven later y aracelss arnng aganstany conson o te magiatio vra, as te alcests sadt atasy tat cornerstone o te ad

s s te reason tat e can no longer avod te prole oternology Ho s t tat e do not ave n Frenc or nngls a coon and perectly satsng ter to epress te

dea o te lam almith I ave proposed te atn mdsimagialis or t ecase e are oblged to avod any consoneteen at s ere te objt o agnatve or agnant percepon and at e ordnarly call te imagia. s s socase te crrent atttde s to oppose te real to te aga as tog to te nreal te topan as t s to conse sy wt allegory to cons te eegess o te spirital sns


28/171

wnbo an otri lam

wt an allegorcal nterpretaton ow eve allegorcal nterpretaton s arless te allegory s a seatng or rater a

dsgusng o soetng tat s already own or knowale otese wle te appearance o a Iage avng te ualty o asyol s a prary penoenon ( Urphnomen uncondtonalan rreducle te apearance o soethng that cannot an -est tsel otese to te world were we are

eter te tales o Soravard no te tales wc n te

Shte tradton tell us o reacng te land o te HddenI" are agnary unreal or allegorcal precsely ecausete egt clate or te land o owere" s not wat wecoonly call a utopia. It s certanly a world tat reans eyond te eprcal vercaton o our scences Otese anyone could nd access to t and evdence or t t s a suprasensoyworld nsoar as t s not erceptle ecept y te agnatvepercepton an nsoar as te events tat occur n t cannot eeperenced ecept y te agnatve or agnant conscous-ness et us e certan tat we understand ere agan tat ts snot a atter sply o wat te language o our te calls anagnaton t o a vision tat s Imainatio And t s tots mainatio vera tat we ust attrute a noetic or plenary

cogntve vlue I we are no longer capale o speakng aoutte agnaton ecept as antasy" we cannot utlze t or toerate t ecept as suc t s peraps ecause we ave orgottente nors and te rules and te aal ordnaton" tat are esponsle or te conitive ncton o te agnatve power(te ncton tat I ave soetes desgnated as imainato).

For te world nto wc our wtnesses ave penetratedwewll eet two or tree o tose wtnesses n te nal secton ots studys a peectly real world ore evdent even andore coerent n ts own real tan te ral eprcal worlperceved y te senses Its wtnesses were aeard prectlyconscous tat tey ad een elsewere" tey are not sczoprencs It s a atter o a world tat s dden n te act tsel


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n Imainali 9

o sensory percepton and one tat we ust nd under te apparent octve certanty o tat knd o percepto at s wy

we postvely cannot qual t as imaina n te current sensen wc te word s taken to ean uneal nonestet Just aste an word oro as gven us te dervatve orgnal I be-leve tat te word imao can gve us along wt imainaad y regular dervaon te ter imainal. We wll tus avete imainal world be nteredate etween te eno world

and te inteible world Wen we encounter te Aac terjim mithl to desgnate te sutle ody" tat penetrates ntote egt clate" or te resurrecton ody" we wll e aleto translate t lteally as imainal boy ut certanly not asimaina boy. eraps tn we wll ave less dculty nplacng te gurs wo elong nte to yt" no to s-tor an paps we wll ave a sort o asswod to te pat tote lost contnent

In order to eolden us on ts pat we ave to ask ourselves wat consttutes our real te real or us so tat weleave t would we ave oe tan te agnary utopa? Andwat s te real or our tadonal astern tnkes so at teyay ave access to te egt clate" to -ojb y

leavng te sensory place wtout leavng te real or rater yavng access precsely to te real? s presupposes a scale obeng wt any ore degrees tan ours Fo let us ake nostake It s not enoug to concede tat our pdecessors nte West ad a concepton o te Iagnaton tat was too ratonalstc and too ntellectualzed I we do not ave avalale acosology wose scea can nclude as does te one tat e-longs to our tradtonal plosopers te pluraly o unversesn ascensonal order ou Iagnaton wll ean nbalanedts recurent conunctons wt te wll to pow wll e an endlss source o orrors We wll e connually searcng o a wsplne o te Iagnaton and we wll ave great dcul ndng t as long as we persst n seeng n t only a cetan way


30/171

20 Swedenbo and oteric Ilam

o keepng or disance regard o a e al l e eal, andn order o eert an nlene on ta real o at real ap

pears to s as artrarly lted as soon as we opare t o ereal ta or tradtonal eosopers ave glpsed and atlaon degrades e realy sel In addon s aay eordfanta a appears as an euse : lera anasy or eaple or preeraly n e ase and syle o e day soal anay

B s possle o avod wonderng eer te mundus

imaginalis, n e proper eanng o te ter old o nees-sty e lost and leave roo only or e agnary soenglke a selarzaon o e imaginal no e imagina ere noreqred or e antast te orrble e onsros teacare e serale and e asrd o p On eoter and te art and agnaon o Isla lre n ts radonal or are araerzed y e era and e serosy gravy stylzaon and eanng eter or topas noror sence ton nor e snser oma pont"nong ota nd sceeds n leavng ts orld or aanng Nkbd. ose o ave on e eg clae" ave no nvened topas nor s e ltae og o Ss a soal orpoltcal antasy t t s an esatology ecase s an epecta

tion c s as sc a real resence ere and no n anoterorld and a esony o a oer world

OPORAPHIES O THEHTH L M A T E

We og ere o eane e eensve eory o e nesseso a oer orld We ogt to qeson all tose ysso n Isla repeaed e vsonary eperen o e eavenlyasspon o te rope aad ( e mi J, c o-ers ore tan one eatre n coon e aont pre-seed n an old gnost ook o e lesal vsons o the


31/171

n Imainali 21

propet Isaa ere te atvty o agnatve pereptontrly assues te aspet o a hironoi a ger saral knol-

edge But n order to oplete our dsusson I ll lt yselto desrng severa eatures typal o aounts taken ro'te lterature eause t orld nto t ll allo us toentrate sees at rst sgt stll to e our orld wle n atte events take plae n te egt latenot n te ag-na ut n te agnal rld tat s te orld ose oord

nates annot e plotted on our aps and ere te elI te dden I" lves a ysterous le surroundedy s opanons o are veled nder te sae nognto aste I One o te ost typal o tese aounts s te taleo a voyage to te Green Island stated n te te ea "

It s possle to desre ere even n road ters atonsttutes te essene o 'te Isla relaton to at s approprately alled unn ortodoy It s neessary oever ate sould ave at least allsvely present n nd te teetat donates te orzon o te ysal teosopy os naely t

e eterna ropet Reaty" (aat

moammaa) tat s desgnated as uaadan ogos" oruaadan gt" and s oposed o ourteen enttes o

lgt: te ropet s daugter Fta and te telve IsTs s te pleroa o te Foueen ure Ones" y eans oose ountenane te yste o an eternal teopany s a-oplsed ro orld to ord ' s as tus gven Islaropetology ts etapysal ondaon at te sae te tatt as gven t Iology as te absoltely neessary opleet T eans tat te sense o te Dvne velatons s notlted to te etter to te eoter tat s te orte and ontnant ad tat as ennated by te ropet te tre senses te dden nternal te esoter at s syolzed y teote and t s nent upon te Is to reveal toer olloers Tat s y te teosopy enently pos-ssses te sene o syols


32/171

22 Swdo ad otic slam

oreover te closed grop or dynasty o te twelve Is snot a poltcal ynasty earty copeton oer poltcal

ynastes t proects over te n a ay as te dynasty o tegardans o te Gral n or Western tradtons proects overte oca erarcy o te Crc Te epeeral eartly appearance o te eve Is conclded t e tel oas a yong cld (n AH. 2/AD . ) ent nto occtatonro ts orld bt ose paros te ropet sel n-

nonced te anestaton t te end o or An en eold revea te dden eanng o ll Dvne Revelatons andll te eart t stce and peace s t ll ae been lled ntl ten t olece and tyranny resent sltneosly tepast and te tre te Tel I te Hdden I asbeen or ten centres e histo tse o te conscosness story over c o corse storcl crtcs oses ts rgtsor ts events tog rea neverteless do not ae te realtyo eents n or clates t tey ave te realty o tose n teet cl ae evens o e sul c are vsons Hs occ-ton occrred at o derent tes te inor occltaton(2/ ) and te aor occltaton ( /2) 7 Snce tente Hdden I s n te poston o tose o ere reoved

ro te vsbe orld tot crossng te tresold o deatnoc la and Crst sel accordng to te teacng ote Qrn He s te I dden ro te senses bt pres-ent n te ert o s olloers n te ords o te cosecrate orla or e reans te ystca pole o] o tsorld te pol of pols tot ose estence te norld cold ot contne to est Tere s an entre Ste lter-atre abot tose to o te I as aested sel oro ave pproaced bt tot seeng drng teperod o te Great Occltaton

O corse an nderstandg o tese acconts postltes cern preses tat or precedng analyses pert s to accepte rst pont s tat e I ves n a ysteros place a


33/171

unus mainalis 2

s y no eans aong tose tat eprcal geograpy ca ver t cannot e stated on or aps s place otsde o

place" noneteless as ts own topograpy e second pont stat le s not lted to te condtons o or vsle ateralworld wt ts ologcal laws tat we now ere are events nte l e o te dden Ieven descrptons o s ve sonwo are te governors o ysteros ctes e trd pont stat n s last letter to s last vsle repreentatve te I

warned aganst te postre o people wo wold pretend oote to ave seen n order to lay cla to a plc orpoltcal role n s nae Bt te I never ecluded te acttat e wold anest sel to a soeone n atera roral dstressa lost traveler or eale or a elever wo sn despar.

ese anestatons owever neveroccr ecept at te n-tave o te I and e appears ost oen n te guse oa yong an o spernatral eaty alost always sect toecepton te person granted te prvlege o ts vson s onlyconscos aeard later owo e as seen A strct ncog-nto covers tese anestatons tat s wy te relgos eventere can ever e socalzed. e sae ncognto covers te

Is copanons tat elte o eltes coposed o yong people n s sece. ey or an esoterc erarcy o a strctlylted ner wc reans peranent y eans o sstt-o ro generaton to generaton. s ystcal order ongts wc srronds te dden s sect to anncognto as strct as tat o e gts o te Gral asuc astey do not lead anyoe to teselves. Bt soeone wo aseen led tere wll ave penetrated or a oent nto te egtclate or a oent e wll ave een n te totalty o teeaven o s sol "

at was ndeed te eperence o a yog Iranan say'l zel zandarn toward te end o or treentcntry an eperence recorded n te ccount of ae an


34/171

24 Swbo a otri lam

malous thg that h cotmplatd ad saw wth hs ow eyso th r Isla situat i th Wht Sa I can only gve a

road one o s accon ere o gong no e deals a garanee e eans and aency o s rassson. 8 e narraor sel gves a long reca o e years andcrcsances o s le precedng e even e are dealng a scolarly and spral personaly o as bo ee on egrond. He ells s o e egraed ow n Daascs e oloed e eacng o an dalsan sayk and o e ecae aaced o s say and en e laer le or gype ogeer a e oer dscples accopaned . Froro e olloe o dalsa ere e say a sdenly een called y a leer ro s dyng aer. Or narraorad scarcely arrved n Adalsa en e conraced a ever alased or ree days. Once recovered e en no e vllage

and sa a srange grop o en o ad coe ro a regonnear e land o e Berers no ar ro e pennsla o e'tes ." He s old ta e orney akes enyve days a large deser o cross. He decdes o on e grop. p o spon e are sl ore or less on e geograpcal ap.

B s no longer a ll ceran a e are sll on en orraveler reaces e pennsla o e es a pennsa sr-ronded by or alls g assve oers e osde allorders e coas o e sea . He sks o e aken o e prncpalosqe. ere or e rs e e ears drng eezzns call to prayer resondng ro e nare o eosqe e 'e nvocaon asng a Joy sould asen"a s e oy o e re Appearance o e I o s

no dden. In order o ndersand s eoon and s ears s necessary o nk o e enos persecons over e corseo any cenres and over vas porons o e erro o Is-la a redced e Ses e olloers o e oly Iso a sae o secrecy. cognon aong es s eected hreagan n e oseaon n a ypcal anner o e csos

e dscpne o e arcan. "


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n Imainali 25

ur lgr tas u rsnc aong s own ut notcsn t cours o s wals tat tr s no sown l n t ara

r do t natants otan tr ood larns tat oocos to t ro t Grn Island stuatd n t tea" wc s on o t slands elongng to t sons o tddn I wc a yar a otilla o svn sps rings t tot at yar te rst voyag ad alrady takn plac; twold ncssary to wat or onts until t nt voyag account dscrs t plgr passng s ays ovrwld y t kindnss o natants ut n an angus octaton alng trlssly along t ac always watcngt ig sa toward t wst or t arrval o t ss Wgt tptd to lv tat w ar on t rcan coast ot Atlantc and tat t Grn Islan longs pras to tCanaris or t Fortunat Isls " dtals tat ollo wll

sc to ndcv us Otr traditons plac t Gren Islandlswrn t asan a or aplas toug to ncat o us tat t as no coornats n t gogra o tsorl

Fnally as accordng to t law o t igt clat" ardnt dsr as sortn spac t svn ss arrv sowatn advanc an ak tr ntry nto t ort Fro t largsto t sps descends a sayk o nol and coanding aparanc wit a andso ac and agncnt clots A con-versation gins and or pilgri reaizes it astonsnt tatt sayk alrady os evting aot s na anis orgn sayk is s Coanon and tlls i tat as coe to nd togetr ty wll lav or t Grn

Island is isod ars a caractristc atr o t gnostcslng vrer and alays s an l saratd ro son popl o arly rrs an as sll lss ana o t ay tat wll t ack to t n ayug a ssag arrvs ro t as n t ong o tarl" n t ts o omas as n t al o Wstrn El" ravard Hr tr s sotng ttr tan a ssag t


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2 Swdno and sotric Islam

s one o te copanons o te I n person Our narratoreclas ovgly pon earng tese ors as over

ele t appness Somon rmmbrd m my nam wasnown to thm Was s ele at an end? Fro no on e s en-trely cean tat te tnerary cannot e transerre onto ouras

e crossng lasts steen ays ater c te s p enters anarea wre te aters o te sea are copletely te; te GreenIsland s outlned on te orzon Our plgr learns ro s

Copanon tat te e ea ors an uncrossale zone oprotecton around te sland; no sp anned y te enees ote I and s people can venture tere tout te avesengulng t Our travelers land on te Green Island ere s acty at te ege o the sea seven alls t g toers protectte precncts (ts s te preenent syolc plan) ere are

luurant vegetaton an aunant streas e ulngs areconstructed ro apanous arle l te natants aveeautl an young aces an tey ear agncent clotesOur Iranan sayk eels s eart ll t oy an ro tspont on trogout te entre secon part s account wlltake on te ryt an te eang o an initiation accont nhc e can sngus tree ases here s a tal sereso conversatons t a nole personage o s none oter tana granson o te el I (te son o one o s vesons) and o governs te Green Island ayyed asodnese conversatons copose a rst ntaton nto te secret ote Hen I; tey take place soetes n te sadow o aosque and soetes n te serenty o garens lle t per

ed trees o all kns ere ollos a vst to a ysteroussanctuary n te eart o te ountan tat s te gest peakon te slan Fnally tere s a concludng sers o conversatons o decsve portance t regard to te posslty or possl ty o avng a vson o te I

a gvng te reest possle suary ere a us

pass over n slence te etals o scenery epcton an o an n


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uu Iaal 27

tensely anated draaturgy n order to note only te centralepsode. At te sut or at te eart o te ountan c s

n te center o e Green Island tere s a sall teple t acupola ere one can councate t te I because tappens tat e leaves a personal essage tere but no one spertted to ascend to ts teple ecept ayyed hasoddnand tose o are lke . s sall teple stands n tesado o te b tree no e ko tat ts s te nae ote tree tat sades Paradse t s te r f in e teples at te edge o a sprng c snce t guses at te base o teree o Paradse can only be te Spr f In order to con-r ts or us our plgr eets tere te ncubent o tsteple n ho e recognze he yserous rophet ezr(ar. It s tere at e eart o en n te shade o theree and at te edge o te prng tt te sanctuary s ound

ere te dden I ay be ost closely approaced. eree ave an entre constellaton o easly recognzable arcetypalsybols.

We ave learned aong oter tngs tat access to te l ttleystcal teple as only pertted to a person o by attan-ng te sprtual degree at c te I as becoe s per-sonal nternal Gude has attaned a state slar" to tat o teactual descendant o te I. s s y e dea o nternalconorato s truly at te ceter o te ntato account andt s ts tat perts te plgr o learn oter secrets o teGreen Island or eaple te sybols o a partcularly elo-uent rtual.9 In te te lurgcal calendar Frday s teeekday especally dedcated to te elt I. oreover

n te lunar calendar te ddle o te on arks te d-pont o e luar cycle and he ddle o te ont oa'ns the annversary date o te rth o te l I nto sworl On a Frday ten le our Iranan plgr s prayng ne sue e ears a great cooton ousde. s ntatoraed nors tat eac e te day o te mddl f thth lls o a Frday te ces o te ysterous lta tat


38/171

2 Swnb an Etr Ila

surrounds e I asseble n epecaon o Joy" a consecraed er as e o c eans n e epecaon o e

anesaon o e I n ts orld eavng e osquee sees a gaerng o orseen ro o a rupal claorrses ese are e 3 1 3 ces o e supernaural order ongs alays presen ncogno n s orld n e sece oe I s epsode leads us gradually o e nal scenes aprecede te areell ke a leov e epresson o e de-sre o see e I reurns ceaselessly Our plgr ll learn tce n e e a n e Is resence: e a losn e deser and e cae o s ad Bu as s an alosconsan rule e kne nong o en e learns o nota e as coe o e Green Island las e us leave s s-land the order cannot be rescnded e sps are ang esae one on c e arrved Bu even ore an or te voy-

age ouard s possble or us o ark ou e nerary aleads ro te eg clae" o orld Our raveler obleates s tracks bu e ll keep soe aeral evdence o ssoourn e pages o noes aken n e course o s conversaons e s grandson and te parng g ro elaer a e oen o areell

e account o e Green sand allos us an abundant arves o sybols 1 I s one o e slands belongng o e sonso e el I (2) It s a sand ere e prng oe guses n e sade o e ree o aradse a ensureste usenance o e Is ooers o lve ar aay anat susenance can only be a suprasubsanal" ood () I ssuaed n e es as e cy o Jbars s suaed n e es

o e munu anal and us oers a strange analogy e paradse o e as e paradse o a n ureand Budds slarly e gure o e el I ssggesve o coparson areya e ure Buddaere s also an analogy rnanOg one o e orlds oe erle aong te Cels e land o e Wes and e o

ever young ( ) ke e doan o te Gral s an nte


39/171

unu Ianal 29

tat s selsent 5 It s protected aganst and ne toany attept ro otsde ( Only one wo s soned tere

ca te way ( A ota se te cete we aveoted te syols tat t coceals ( e otalvat te -volale Green Island s te place were s ollowes appoacte ystcal pl o te world te Hdden I egnng vsly over ts age te ewel o te ' te at

s tale s copleted y oters or as we ave entonednotng as been sad ntl now abot te slands nder te

regn o te trly etraordna gres wo are te ve sons ote Hdden I (oologes o tose wo s desg-nates as te Fve esonages o te antle"0 and peraps alsoo tose wo ancaes desgnates s te Fve ons o tevng prt" ealer tale (t s o te ddle o tetwel centry and te narrator s a Cstan povdes s wt

copleetary topograpcal noraton Here agan t n-volves travelers wo sdenly ealze tat ter sp as enterea copletely nown aea ey lad at a st slad alMbraa te Blessed Cty Cetan cltes ogt aoty te esence aog te o ls olge te ttravel arter Bt te captan reses e s arad o te n-nown regon ey ave to re a new cew In sccesso welearn te naes o te ve slands and t naes o tose wogovern te alZhra te Cty Bloong wt Flowers ala te pd Cty alSa te erene C etc Wo-ever anages to gan adttance to te enters nto oy oeverFve slands ve ctes ve sons o te I twelve onts totavel troug te slands ( two onts or eac o te rst or

or onts or te ) all o tese nuers avng a sy-olc sgncance Here too te tae trns nto an ntaton ac-count; all te travelers nally eace te 'te at

tee s no rle wtot an ecepto I wll conclde ytg n condensed or a tale llstratng a case o anesta- o te I n person e tale s ro te tet centry aan ro Haadn ade te plgrage to ecca On


40/171

Swnb an tri Ilam

te way back a days orney ro ecca ore tan wo to-sand kloeters ro aadn) avng prdently gone

astray drng te ngt e loses s copanons In te ornnge s wanderng alone n te desert and placng s trst n God ddenly e sees a garden tat neter e nor anyone else asever eard o He enters t At te door o a pavlon two yongpages dressed n wte awat and lead to a yong ano spernatral beaty o s earl and awestrck astonsent e learns tat e s n te presence o te welt Ie latter speaks to abot s tre Appearance and nallyaddressng by nae asks weter e wants to retrn tos oe and aly Certanly e wants to do so e Isgnals to one o s pages wo gives te traveler a prse takes by te and and gdes trog te gardens eywalk togeter ntl te traveler sees a grop o oses a

ose and ade trees at see alar to lng tepage asks Do yo know ts land?" Near were I lve naadn" e reples tere s a land called Asadbd wceactly resebles ts place " e page says to Bt uar in a e e reer reale t e ally near s oe He trn arond; te page s no longer teree s all alone bt e stll as n s and te vatc that adbeen gven to d we not say a ltte wle ago tat tewhr te ubi o te egt clate" s an ubiu

I ow ow any coentares can be appled to tese talesdependng pon weter we are etapyscans tradonalstor not or weter we are psycologsts Bt by way o prov-sonal conclson I preer to lt ysel to asng tree sall

estons1 We are no longer partcpants n a tradtonal cltre; we

lve n a scentc clzaton tat s etendng ts contol ssad even to ages It s coonplace today to peak o a cvlzaton o te age" tnkng o or agaznes cnea antelevson) Bt one wonders weter lke all coonplae

ts does no conceal a radcal snderstandng a -


41/171

unu Ianali

ror For nstea o te ae en elevate to te level o aworl tat oul e proper to t nstead o t appearn nveste

wt a bl funtn lean to an nternal sense tere saove all a reucton o te ae to te level o sensory percep-ton pure an sple and tus a dentve degradaton o teage Sould t not e sad tereore tat te ore successlts reucton s te ore te sense o te manal s lost ante ore we are conene to proucn only te ana

2 . In te secon place al aery te scenc perspectve o atae lke te voyae to te Green Islan or te suen en-counter wt te I n an unkown oassou all ts epossle wtout te asolutey prary an rreucle oec-tve ntal ct Uphnn) o a worl o aearcetypes oraesources ose orn s nonratonal and wose ncursonnto our wor s unoreseeae ut ose posuate coels

reconton In te tr ace s not recely ts postlate o teoectvty o te anal wl tat s sueste to us orpose on us y certan ors or certan syolc eles(erec kaastc or anala) tat ave te ualty o eectn a ac splay o enta aes suc tat tey assuean oectve realty

o ncate n wat sense t s possle to ave an ea o owto respon to te queston concernn te bt reay o su-pernatural ures an encounters wt te I ll sply reerto an etraordnary tet ere Vllers e LsleAda speaksaout te ace o te nscrutale essene wt eyes o clay tcoul not e perceve ecept y te sprt reatures eper-

ence only nuences tat are nerent n te arcanelc enttyels" e rtes a nt n sustance ecept n te reesuty o te asolute Heavens were reay s une wte al ey only eternalze teselves n te ecstasy teyue an wc ors a part o teselves "

hse last ords an ta whh f pat f thl e to possess a propetc clarty or tey ave te ualty


42/171

32 Swdnb and tr Ilam

o piercig eve e graie o dob o parzig e agoscree" i e sese a e brea e reciprocal isolaio o e

cosciosess ad is obec o oug ad beig peoeolog is o a oolog. dobedl is is e poslae iplied i e eacig o or aors cocerg e magnal orere is o eeral crierio or e aiestaio o e Ageloter a e aiesaio isel e gel is itsel te tae splacee" or e depaure ro ourselves a is acage o sae" ro or sae a is w ese ords asosugges o us e secre o e speraral beig o e HiddeI" ad o s Appearaces or e iie cosciosess eI is e a isel o a cosciosess Oe o is o ite sae spiia sae cao see i .

is is at orava allue to i is ale o e CrisoArcagel" b e words a we cied a e begiig I o

are ezr ou also ay pass wiout dicul rog eouai o Q"

arc 1964

O E S

See L'Archange empourpr, quinze traits et rcits mystiques, Documensspiiues 4 ( Pas Fayad 976) 6 20 2 3 F te entiey of te temesdiscussed here, see ou book En Islam iranien: Aspects spiiu etphilosophiques, new ed. (Pais Galimad, 978) vo. 4, bk 7, Le DouimeImm et a cheverie spiituele."

2 See 'Archange empoupr, 7 2272393 See u Histoir d hilosophie ismique ( Paris Galimad, 964)

222 , 3 7

4 Tat i s wy the repesentaion of the Sphere f Spees in Peipatec oPtoemaic astonomy is ony a schematc indication; i contnues o be of vaueevn aer tis astonomy is abandoned. his mas that egaess o owhigh" rockets or sputiks can eac, tee wil not be a sige stp made toward kobd, for te treshod" w not have been crossd.

5. gadig tis idea of pesence, see articularly our introduction tMoll adr Shrz, L Livr ds pntrtions mahyiques ( Kitb al-Mash


43/171

Mundu ainai 33

6 See our work Spiritual Body and Celestial Ear From Madean Iran toiite rn (Princeon: Princeo Uiversity Press 977) especiay he textsof he eeen auors transled fr he rst me, in he secod par of he

work The noes here refer to te second rench edition Corps spirituel etTerre cleste de /'Iran maden /Iran siitePars: BucheChasel 979)7 Cos spirituel p 478 For wha follows bi pp 0 3, 06, 54 9 bid , pp 56 , 90 0 Ibid, pp 1 ., 54 1 Ibid , p 552 Id , p 3 Ibd , p 3 14 me Swedenborg Heaven and its Wonders and H trans J . C

Ager (New York: Swedenorg Foundaton, 1900) 19 to 195 Swedenorg reurns repeated o s doctrie of space and timefo exmple heshor book Earts in te Universe. If here is n rigorous awareess of his hsvsory xperieces wil be objeced t by a crism ha is as simplstc as iis ineecve bease i conses spiriual visin of the sprua wrl wwa retes o the fatasy f science con Ter is an abyss bewee the two

5 See our rce place de Moll adr Srz (ob 050/640) dans pospi iranienne" Studia Islmica ( 963 ) as we as the work citedove note 5

6 See our work L'Imagination cratrice dans le sousme d'b Arb nded (Pris: lammaro 977) p 39 First edi asaed as CreaiveImagination in te Susm of Ibn Arabi [rncen: rincen UersPress, 969] ) Regardg the theoy f e Angeli caelestes see our bo Avi-cenne et le Rci visionnaire v Biblihque Iraene l 4 (Paris:dienaseve 54 e ars: Ber eraa, 8 gs

traslaio f the st ediio: Avicenna and te Visiona Recial (rnceo:Prnceton Uiversiy Press 960)

1 7 For more detals , see En Islam iranien vo 4 bk 7 ; and ur Hisoire de pilosopi islamique pp 0

8 . See En Islam iranien ol. 4 bk. 7 , pp 346 9. Id , pp 361 3622 d , p. 3 732 Iid , 3 , pp 367

22 id 4 pp 374 23 Viliers de L'seAdam L'Annonciateur (epilogu)


44/171


45/171

Compaativ Spiiual

Hmutics

G D I G D F M P

P I I U L M U I C S1ere s a Arabc ter te word ikat, te apparentabguty o whc conntes sultaneously thesense o narratve accout hit, ad tat o taton () as tough to sgn or us that te

art (or te syle) o the arrator the stora s bascally tat

o e. he abguty o te tr s dcate not wtoutuor when t s used to desgnate a graatca pont wherea word eployed by a terlocutor s repeated n the replyplacng t te sae graatcal case even a solecs results I order to transpose te eaple nto a laguage orecooly accessble tha Arabc let us suppose tat soeonesays to e n atn ut man ad n rly do

ot say n unt man but n unt man orerto tate" the tal or use by te terlocutor to reta tn passg ro te datu to the respose t s ecessary to co -sent to ths uusual gure tat supeds graatcal law at a at

1 is ly h s w ues h atual dea o kt wt

i t l ini l r ;u h:c . a id , x, h h in


46/171

36 Swdborg ad otri slam

pilgri aroud th tpl o th ' at a, i a kyo the proio o th agl i ha" aroud th ltia

Tpl 1 A kyt is, thror, a iitation (a mimss) a rptitio, a hst rtaily, but a hitory that i tally a iag r ybol . t i thi yboi ualiy o th hit that ipart, a uh, a uuual r t t oopa txtur oxtral t; the lattr ar horth rlatd to a highr ruiret, ut a, i th xa g abo, th kyt upedd th uual graatia ru. r that poit oward, iti ipoibl ot to ustio th aig" o that histo ad,i geeral, th anig o al hito" or a traditioa ultr,patiuarly th one that oen us her, i th ase o Ilaigoi Thi eaig aot be aythig othr tha th piritualtth ( that) o that hito, ad this piritua trth aotbe gipd without plaig osel withi a prptiv alto

gther diret ro th o ailiar to our odr ythologyo th aig o hito. " That i why th tr ky to to itrodu bt a rtai way o ig th th hatha b uggtd to u thi yar, aly, th hua draai th world o ida " Bau it rr al o hitory to aothruir, thi tr lad u, i at, o a idiat broadigo th uggtd ubt, that i, i th Siritua orld"tword that i at o ra ad iniibl, ot a ord o abrato ad gral, thorati law, but a ort pirtualworld, whih i the la o t i a . "

Si egl estabished the phoeolo o histoal osiouss, w hae bee atomed to paig ature adito i otrat, with ito otittig i it ow right

th word o a ow, or th p o iio o the world thatw wil idr hr, whih iud thig that i lolyor distatly rlatd to oatoi, th oppoite o atur iby o a ito, i ito, lik atur, i alo part othphys it i th iti o th irrribl u o hroologia ti, o a hoogou ti that aur th routio o th tar; it t" ar ubt to th a o a pa


47/171

Comparativ Spiritual Hrmutics 37

that dsperses them ar rom each other at reders them abt rom eac other ake as a wole te oppose o Naure

ad Hstory s o e sough the vercal a world whose leeldoates the level comm to oth Natre ad Hsto hss the prtal World whch presets a ghly comple structureo dversty ad herarcy

t te atral world a he hsorca world a oert are the ky, e mimsis, cted alas by a evtableoecsm wc s te hiso tha s a imitatio he world othe ol Natre ad Hsto are oh the vsle eteral eo-terc hi) apearace ts sprtual world tat s te hddethe trly real (a), te esoterc (b!i) t s s worldtat tre sto s revealed by a approc that s called a-bc ta wl, sprtal hermeeutcs a process that cossts ety-lgcally rgg ack" everytg ery evet to s truh

t t s arcetpe ( a ) , by ucoverg the hde ad cocealgte appearace It s evdet hat the meag o prophetoodor eample s ot e sple materal acts o the eteral -ograpy o the prpets a the Imms o h'sm ut t s ther sprtul meag that s the evets ta happen tem vsly te world o the prt Eterally heseevets ave a atural ramework hma scee Nature too sa Libr mudi, the hdde meag o whc must e dec-pered by tawl, jst as y meas o aw te sprtal meag the ibr vlus s veled te tre meag o the ooktat deceded rm Heve" ad tus the secret o theophet tat at hiohiso.

By ts atre at the ear o a propetc regotat s a re

lgo tat proesses te ecessty o superhuma medators betwee te dv who spres them ad umaty as a wholethere s the phomo of h Sacrd Book tat every propetwho as he ual o a essenger ( mosal rasl) brgs ta This he preemnenly creates a hermeeuc i t u . n ," t issue beig kow a unrsan h V Bk I t t p a


48/171

38 eeng an eic sam

o yars y rsar as da y aio o oaors i a i i siria idiidas ysis

ysi osors a rad or rad Bib i Cisiaiyad Q i Isa I do i ay ay r o as dia aigs Sriurs ( ira ora agoia ad aagogi ; is o i -aio o o rs sbj is as irai as i is arss

T ay o adig ad rdig i I r rsoss i sri ss o od a esia, a is

a isioa ai a i iay siiairss a ar o disord by as o sygiss bas y do o ra ss x rog a aod o ogiio a iegnsi a is saodg radioa iorao s sa iio xi or i abs o ar ia ods

ao od b rasid ad s od b dd araid di I aso as a rt o idd aig is aisd ro o i as a aio d isiraio o Sii ris ar rd; yaoay rrr o a br o aryswi as a way o e oi o e srua wrso wi s ris ry

Oy ias a sidrd i o is disssio I ig i Crisiaiy graSds isioa osor a Sdborg ( 688772 as ruy i is ims ork ro o ia ss o Bibad is siia ss as oig o di ago 4 I Isa o o ad r is ir

rigios oo o Si' is i r i is TI or SI (Isa'ii o is basd ssiay o siria is o Qr o soi ss o roi aios

O ors I a rs rogiz xiy o say as o is oara as sod bgi o doub,

by opaig ioraio a is oo o Bib ad th


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Comparative Spiritual Hermeeutics 39

Qr regrdg e soy o e propes; we sold lsoppo e dereces d spec er source I ddo we

s lyze ow bo cses owg to e sprulereecs proessed ere s edecy o costc geer eology o relgos I s cer or eple t eSwedeborg so o e ova Hierosolyma spres o lotess o leel s o e oe o oc dogcs js s eloess o leel o e Isl ereecs o e Qur so te se s o Sn Isl nly n bo cses we

re cocered w sprl ermeecs re rgorous sys-ec d gly cople ll ossesso o eod ded by sprly co be gored tere s truedesre o dersd d erpre (or s e cl ego e Greek word hermeia, ereecs)

Te eodologcl d plosopcl prespposos o s

sdy oweer cot be clerly sed wo ppyg temO oe d smbolc ereecs re deeloped by Swedeborg w sysec precso d drble coerece d ppled o ee del represeo o ee perso eege o erses o e Bble O te oter d Se ere-ecs re deeloped o seerl ples or oces o ersesor Ismls prclr all e ees o eroso eges wo re ebers (odd) o secre celesl d terresrl errces; e eoerc rre o er acts s oly eat, e mimsis o ees ke plce te SprulWorld; e re re d role o te protgoss er ctyd s eg escpe e oce o eerl so d eso o eerl gs. Despe e copley o ese

mers d te compleeess o prel work perps nl resl my be oed or we l rsees o e eg dscered b cses e ees tiu o be ebegng te spr so o m . W does e roe oAdm sini? t does te deprtre ro rdse sg?W i 1 ifnce th rama xpri No?W d rrt? rikng hat in


50/171

40 Swede ad teric Islam

bo ce i i rocied i o e o o hat i coed d oe b i ree iicnce d

a the eani ic eere i bo ce re coereWe orsees oceed eoeooicly i oy ereeticy ee re e oes o ei( eei)a re ereed i ode o er ( d iteei}, ad i i y i c be dicoered ere i i oo i e roc o o d e rcre oe erse reced i bo ce i e erie o ee d i eoe re cer ed er eerc i oy ere bt ere cn it be teted i no ro? I reqires recorses oer n ose t ce or ioloic dicsio es oer roiio o eod or reann rom hstoricl criticis to crici o te Qr a st eas to notn t a Qn that has ner

ben d by y beiever r oit o derre i a irfact, eoeo o ueradi o cei ortio como to te ibe d te Qr bee red d derstood b siria ndiids ho d faith i te ooks do is ceri ye o coo coreeio reeled i emnner oerceiin te idden mein o eets and the ni eres i eni reoses? e e en is co-re dy t coni eeily in e ereec o eeoeon o the Scred ook."

D B O G S P U A L M U C S

Te Teo of CoponncesSeenboin ermeneic re oered by a eer doc-tine o corrsondences ich is itse iked to oseooioso o coitio at ces a e hihes deree ocoion iedie iria ercetion o ic e can rele or term hiergsis. is conition s te riiee o ar ancien nty te rst mniy e ide o h


51/171

Cmparat Sprtual rnut

ndamenal in he wo o weden bog he sae o hese ancien peoples was sll ha o a celesial humaniy which means

ha in obseing evey possible obec in he wold and on hesurace o he eah hey saw hem certainly bu hey houghby means o hem o he celesal and dvine hings ha heseobecs epesened o signied o hem. hei visual (opicpercepion was only a means. Fo hem he process was as i isor our hearing when we lisen o a speaker; we hear he wordso course bu acually i is no he wods ha we hea i is hei

meanings he decline began among he descendans o hesecelesial human beings when he objec o sensoy peceponbecame he pincipal hing insead o being he ntrumntile o he rs humaniy he obecs o sensoy cognionpossessed a chaace ha conomed hem and subordinaedhem o heir inenal man o he een ha ouside o his

hey had no inees in sensoy hings hei descendans on heoher hand by placing he laer beore hose o he inenalman sepaaed one rom he ohe n ac hey began o easonabou spiiual hings in he same manne as hey easonedabou sensoy hings and in his way hey became spuallyind6

wedenbog epeas euently in the course o his immense wo his s he rson ha so ew people ow wharepresenions and coespondences ae. n oder o owi is necessary in ac o now ha hee is a spiiual world dis-inc rom he naural orld and ha he hings which ae dsed hroughou he naural old rom he spiriual world areepresenaons o spiriual hings. hey ae givn his nae be

cause hey represen he laer and hey epesen hem because hey correspond o he7 ha is hey mblz wthhe. A ve succinc idea o hs is povided by he ac ha ouinnal ations eveyhing ha occus in ou hough and ino r nd n he pessons o ou ace and lo;h f h r cnnces los ae U The tre >r g r


52/171

2 Swedebo ad oteic slam

ot by te body ctons prodced by te scles. Gestres ndctons e eresentton o tg tt e n te o ; nor

s tey gree tey re te corespodences. 8 Bt o corsethe ode o estece o tese pysogoc iges tese gestres nd cos o te body s ot te se s tt o tethogts tey epress; tey re ntrl tngs representng"sprtl tings. It y be sd tt te tngs beongng to teteal peso re etended nto ge gnzed" ) n teeteal peso ts te tgs tt pper n te eternl n

re epesetatives o te ntern n nd te tngs tt greebeteen te or coespodeces

he bprtton o te orld tereoe sod be nderstoodnot oy n te nvers sense ccordng to c tere s onone nd Sprt ord tse coprisng te eveny ngelic orld e nteedite ord o sprts nd te nern

ord) and on te oter hnd ntr orld ere e lve inte preset e t st lso be derstood tt ths bprttoes to evey an nv n te sense tt or ec eron s ntenl erson" s sprtl old e s eternlbeng s o ntr old .0 I spport o ts bprttontee s e n te prncpes o cosology or wc ntrlors re essently eects tey cnnot be seen s cses stlless s cses o cses tt s scent to ccont by theseves or ter ppernces nd ttons. Eve or derivesro te precse cse tt t nests nd represents nd orts reso t s preceded by tt cse.Te se olds tre orte vros degrees o te sprita ord. Tis too is pont onic Sedenborg s n roond accord it eve teosopy

tt s closey or dstntly relted o eoptons1 bt sconclson s so bsed prrly on drect eerence .

e ko ho e etended s stdes o ntoy or epe. ht n cod ddtion tnks to gec ssstnce o c e s conscios decper in trnsprency tesecrets o te nvsibe srtl orgnis on n ntoc tes n etrordn rvlege tt Swenbog never rege


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Comparat Sprtual rmnt

s esult of esol meit, bu s pure divie favo. It s ithis y tht he ke, from direct xperiece, tht i the three

kigdoms of the tul orld tere is ot the sllest tigtht does not represet somethig i the spiitu old, dtht does ot hve somethig in the spiriu orld to hich itcorespods. This is the secret ht e elborte o thoughouthis commenties o the Bible, d this is the key to those Arana tht ope most oe onto n ufoesee horiz. 1 Themore uforeseen becuse, ile lives in th body, man is caple of feel ig d perceivig oly little of ll tis; e ppy tocelestil d spiritul thigs ftal tuliztio tt degrdeshem into turl thigs homogeeus to our xternl m,"d ithi us the itern m" hs los sensto d perception o these thigs. Blessed t tht time is he ho is i corespodnce, tht is, hose eterl m orespods to his iter

l ." 1 3I the moder Wester orld, he himself s ceraily oe ofthose re Elect nd, ideed, to udge by his inuece, oe hoopeed the pth to mny othes e rote tht th existenceof such correspodece hd become so fmilir tht it ould bedicult to me ythig else tht ould be moe fmilir." eke y expeiece tht our oe existence deives from tespiritul orld, 1 4 tht ithout this connectio ith the spiritulold, eithe or y part of m could subsist fo momet. It s aso gted him to uderstd hich gelic commuities re i piculr relto ith each prt of te humnoy, an wat tr ualits r . ry, vyng n te atul orld, i gee s ell s i the most iitesim detil,

icudig costellatios, tmoshees, the etiret d the compoets of the aim, egetble, d mier gdomsllhis is nothig more thn a sort of epresettive hete" oft s l w, whre we can see thigs i their beuy if ew ow hm in te stte of their eve 1

Le pi h h cpn higs grs even ini imn U fed y e

h Lgh


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Swedebo ad oterc slam

Isl e shy of Sod, Ib 'b d Szet.) sesory thgs e ppol fos, the les of

eppy mahr, plu of aa), the theatru osupseso ueses ee the de of maarya, teepph o teoph o of ges). Stted oe pesely ths epp elto s ledy estblshed og theueses tt peede, otologlly, the seso old. Tus the teedte Wold o Spts, , odg to Sedebog topogpy, s stued belo the gel olds,tee est t e desged hs leo s otuous dueble epesettes" o sybol os), ethe fos of sptul d elesl tgs, ot ulke tose ttae ths wold, h boud s esult of te des, eetos, ad ovestos of the gels of the hghe ueses.Fo ee gel de ots te thgs, ompso

th the de of spt, d uless ths de ee fomed dsho eesettely" ge oespodg to the leelof spts, o moe pesely to the loe Sphee hee thee s oespodg soety of spts the ltte ould he dultyudestg ts oet. Tese epesee" o sybolfos my osttute log sees, d the so teosopeto o t s gted to be the tess ould ly esttehe legt quttes of ely e, but e ke t t equed ges d pges to desbe the tey ould pesetes, pales of stoudg hetul tst ee see,ldspes ossed by ldes of supetul hosee . It slso by es of these sos ht hus ho he beoespts e ttd e det to the hghe ueses . 1 6

Fom ll ts emeges te dmel pl of te slueses . Tee e thee ees ged hey of esg teoty d puty loe ee, ddle ee,d ghe hee.Te st s tul el, te bode" ofgood spts; the seod s te bode of gel spts o sptulgels ; the td s the bod of te elesl" gels te temcelestal ee should by o es be osed h ytg e


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Comparativ Spiritual Hrmutis 5

ltig t stoy , i this ctext, esecially ith the Agli alsts f clssical Aicei cs . ust s thee e

thee heves, thee e thee seses i the Divie Wd, theBible the tu sese, the siitul sese, ad the celestial"sese. We ill s se that this is the bsic dctie f Sedebgi heeeutics. Ech f these heves is dieetitedit iumebl commuitis; ech of these, i tu, it iueble idividuls h, thugh thei hmy, csttute, asit ee, es, d l f these cmuities tgethe f

sigle es. The cuites esult staeusly fities f itelligee ad lve, just s se e dieetiatedf thes ccdig t the dieeces f thei lve ad teifith. These dieeces e s iuele th eve the stgeeal cat be listed. Each gel d ech cuity e,esecively, ige f th uivesal ve, sethig like

sll heve." 7But thugh eve is ske f s bde ," this ust beudestd as bde tht is the stat f the itel .Tht is hy the tghy of the ru, situted siteesets distibuti f its bdes" syeticl t thse fthe abdes" f eve, becuse the des ad ifel siits, s ell s the agels d spiits tht ihbit eve, ere llhum beigs i this life, ad ech es beas ithi hiselfhis heve s he bes ithi hiself his hell . By this la f iteiity it is ecessy t udestd tht the hases f im adthe lces f spa ae iteio sats f a s el; 8 Sedebg metis this fequety, d it ust ays be eebeed. With this hiroosmolo tht deteies i allel

e the stuctue f the heeeutics f the Bibe, e aeudubtedy t te heat f the Sedebgia is f thewold . But e c nly te hee, ve biey, fe idicatisrdng cn specs tht derive fm it d tat ae f cquK t roe: hee s doubl ligh, duble het, douhl lm;U n na l ly h i h hm of th/ \ i f f i dmcl rn.


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46 Swedebo ad oeri slam

ee is double igt te ligt of te old d te ligt ofeve ic e ll agi cll ee celesil" ligt i ode

to void y cosio it tt of te stoomicl sy hest of tese poceeds fom te visible su, te secod poceedsfom the spiitul Su Fo us, te st is tu o extel, ttis, it egd to te tigs tt ppe to te extel peso,sie e cot ppeed ythig exept by mes of thigstht exist i ou sol old d tht tke fom thee thoug

ligt d dkess des of tie d spe t lest isof sthese ostte ievesible successio d extel olizo, thout hih e ot thik of ythig, e eltedto the light of te old But te seod, the celestil ligt isfo te itel spiitul peso; e is iti tis ligt itsef 19

We oe speks of cespodeces d epesettios dof thei soue d foudtio, te issue, te, is oe of coeodence beee te tigs tt eate to te ligt of te oldof e extel m d te tigs tht elte o te celestilligt of te itel m, fo eveytig tt exists i te st iste rereseaio of t exists i te secod ode to gsptis epesettiviy" o tis symboli to) tht tultigs ssume of thei o ccod by vitue of thei spiitul d

elesl oespodees it is eess to utlize ighe fculy so ell implted i us tt it is te oe e c it usio te ote life; it is desigted s spiitl sesitivity teseses of the spiit (aimu) o s ierior iagiaio Fo fte deth this is oe of te essel poits of Sedebogsdotes) e possess the less of the hu foi thespiit stte, to be sue, d of sbe costitio Thisighe fuly, te, is so deep ooted i s, d e e so deepooted i it , tht e do ot hve to le to use it We e plediedtely i it s soo s e e lbeted fom o pysiclogism . O the ote hd, dig o life e slly emiigot of tis hige fclty ee is otiul ix oftigs fo te spiitul old ito tul tigs; the fom


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Cmparat Sprtal Hrmnts 7

mifest themselves eesettivel" smbolil i the ltte d e e ue of thig totlly give u to the t

ul thigs ht e hve edeed sile .0Fo the moe e e immesed i the thigs of this old the

more te thigs th elte to the elesil light e to usadxill like dkess d emiess though ivesely llthat pers ol i the light of his old osiutes thikdkess for te gels. 1 et these to lights e togethe

everthig tht omises ou itelligee hie ou eset lifesses Ou tul imgitio osists solel of fms dides of thigs maelousl vied d stutured hh ehave aeheded though ou oorel viso but ou inteioimagiatio cosists solly of forms d ides of thigs evemore maelously vie stctue hich e ave eceivedhough the visio of the sii i t elesal light fo bmes of iux fom the siitul old th iime thigs ofthis orld become edoed ith life.

Thee is moe. It is ecess to sek ot ol of doublelight but lso of double het. The het of heve [ oeeds]frm the siiul su hih is the Lord d he het of theold fom the su theeof hich is the lumi see b ou

hysil ees The het of heave maifests itself o the itelpeso b siitul loves d etios hees the het of heold mifess itself to the extel eso b tul loves dectos . The fome het uses the life of he tel esobut the te the l ife of the extel erso; for thout love daei m ot live t l. Betee these to hets lsothee e oesodeces "3 Siul light d heat have asthei oosies the ifel dkess d cold hbited b theifeal siits ho bethe ol hated d violee dnegtio tedig to he destution of the uivese to thepit ha i their ge ee ot otiull ombtted d ee d y e egs of he siritu orld te etie hum cewd h unn th scret of its isto.


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Swdbrg ad tric Ilam

It may b said tat t doiat ida is tat at tsou o vy atua piip , whthr o psyoogy or os

moogy, t is a spiitua piip. Ligt ad hat a atd,spvy, to itig ad i, o agai to isdom adov. Sdbog spaks o itlig ad wi, is voabua s to somtig mo pooud ta t toautis" so amd in th psoogy o piosoprs o it o ods dsigat to sstia ompots a ogaism tat is th spiitua ogaism o ma. Tis is aso t rasota to ys o ags t igt appas lik igt bt rar iig a isdom i it baus ig drvs rombot Siiay t at is pivd by agi ssitivity asat, but th is ov i it, baus it divs om v. Lov isto al d spiitual at ad ostituts t at o a p-sos i, just as itig is ald spiitua ight ad osti

tuts t igt o a psos . Fom ts data orspod a t st is divd.Fom this divs, o amp, t da tat Swdbog o

s us o th st, stia humaity, disusd abov. is, th inita haptrs o th book o sis at t oigiad di o tat umaity. Sdbog a sow, by a divi iu that h oud ot dsrib,6 atu o th disous o ts st popl hi thy ivd i tis od, a sitdious guatd ot by th bath o ta spiatio butby a pu ita spiatio. It is ssay to r to dsipo tat Sd bog givs o disours" o spirits adags . Amog a o tm, disous is aid out by pstatios, o ty maist vig ty tik about troug

maous vaiations o ight ad shad, i a ivig ma, toboh th itio ad th tio visio o t o o othy a spakg, ad thy itodu it ito him b mas oappopiat ags i t stat o t atis pind .

og t ags o th itio av th spiitua ags" ) , disous is v mo bautil, mo attatvy p statv ad symboi, but th idas that a ord h


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Cmparat Sprtal Hrmnt 9

esettively," syboliclly, cot be exressed by wrd Siitul tings tt pein to te rue, tt is , to te ctegor of in

telligence, re exessed tere by moictios of te celestilligt, resulg in iite d oderl vriety of ctiosexeieced . Siitul tigs tt erti to te ood, tt is, tothe ctego of love, e expessed tere by vitios of hetd celestil blzig, settng ll sots of e ectos ito otio. A fo the discouse of the gels of the ost iteioheve" the celesl gels"), it is lso reesettive, sy

bolic, but it cot be eithe eheded by us o exessed byay d evetheless, tere is suc de ithi if e isi celestil love, d er te setio fom is teil body,e coes ito tis love s tough bo ito it, ltoug duigis life i te teil body e could ot ppreed nytig ofit s ideust s e c lso coe io oe o oter of te

fos coesodig to lesse d of love, fo i is essetlbeig, ithout y ossible subtege is suc s is hislove.7

Filly, te vst doctrine of correspondences tt unfolds lie eoeology of ngelic consciousness, togeter it teiecy of degees of ecetio d eeseto tt it iplies, is ecitulted, so to sek, in te get tee of teHom mxm, thee tt I d occsio to discuss ee tEos seel yes go i its stikig coresodece" teod is certily t hee) it e ide of the Tele ofight" ( Haykal nn of e Im i Is'ili gosis .8 W lluded to it e omets go, but e ust o ler h imge it is orite tht it should ereset fo us he,

thougout his iese biblicl coeties, Sedebog utters this od h d (Domnu) he thee i fct cocelst yste itself of te divie thooorosis s eterltn ve."

i s a mst eely idden from te old," itesSwcdhor. g knwn n te oer life ev to V& ! ps th hu hv


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5 Seebog oeic slm

orrespodee ith suh thigs as are i heave isouhthat there s ot ee e salest parte te body hi has

ot soethig spiritua ad elestal orrespodig to it orha s e sae hih has ot hevey ouities orespodig to it or tse oues eist ordig to all thekds and speis o spirtua ad elestal thigs d ideed isuh a order that they represet together oe perso ad thsas to al thigs i geera ad partular thereo both iterorad exterior. Hee t is that the uversa heave is aso aled

the rd Ma omo mims ; ad hee t s that it has soo bee sid that oe soiey belogs to oe provie o thebody aother to aothr ad so orh. Te reaso is beausethe ord is the oy Ma ad Heae represets i . . . "9

These last lies are apled by ay passags i thAcCoeesi. et us oly ote here the postulate tha they iply

hih is i prooud aord th all ysta thologes I hispersoal voabla Sedborg detats se iim nd a isee iim, the ter eisee ere beg pratialy the equvaet o maesio. Jehovah let us ot ephasze Sedeborgs delity to this volizatio o the saredetragrto) is the e iitm. sh e is ot aiested to a ad has o iuee" ithi a or pon aHe is th ei i Hs absolute scoim the eosio oreek theology He ho Isa'i theosophy is the Mobi',the riple SuperBeg). e aot be aiested to aad at ithi or po a expt by eas o the huaEss that is by a exiee ivm i the essetil haFor Th gur o this theophay or o this tera athropo

orhosis s te ord"; ths a o Sdborgia theosophys doatd by ts gre o th o hih brigs toid th sios o Eo the Assio o saiah et.). Bease te e aot hae ay uee" ithi exeptby eas o te hua Essee o the ord" there is o onjuto possbl th the supre dity" or diy o thord hi reais trasedet to Hs epiphai diiity "i


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Comaraive Sirial ermeneics 5

heven"; conjucto s ossble oly th Hs Dvne umnty, becuse n de of Hs manm Divinm s ossble, but

o de s ossbe of he Dve tsel 3 In oe ods, heod" s the vine M ho exss fom ll eten; He s,cely, ehovh Hmself, but Jehovh s He s n ehny nheven" nd s n ths etel heohny e ssumes the um s th men d theefe ngels, h consttute hehghe celestl humnty) cn hve n de bou the Dv. 3Thee s thus deniy, but n denty deented s the eveed d the coceled the ir nd the bin). Fo he secet of the Divne Mifesto, of the Theohny, s ht theod es o ech n fm coesodng to the esecveccy of ech. Ths s excly ht Ibn 'b eches us n I slmc theosohy).33 Sedebog s exlc he od does otcocel Hmself, but the evl mke t e s though He co

celed Hmself, s ough He hd o exsece .It s ths Kios nros of hom t s sd tht He hmself is

heve,34 nd ths decto ndeed gees th he multlcty of deeted heohes. In fc, sof s heveneesets" Hm, he etonsh of he od o heve somo maxims s nlogous the elonsh of ou sun ou peceble old. The od s he stu Sn d bymes of Hm thee s lght ll ht s ntellgece d thee she l h s ove.3 But the, ecsely s sch, te odHmself is lso omo maxim he sc sese, he kyolgcl sense, He Hmself lne s an nros nd ll ums e ced e Hs me, fom Hm, becuse they eImges of Hm,36 to he exe h hey e ood, tt s, n

the eco of ove. The fllog nes ecle t besThe d M omo xims evey o m, s hevesl heve of the od; b he d M, he hghestsense s he d loe, fo heve s fom m, d ll hgsr rrd to m . . . . ence hey ho e the hev ; o h d ye in is body fo the rd s

t hr hvc n .


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52 Seebo oeic slm

The heme o the omo mxim s s, hereore, he key o emodologl oeo ht mkes ie heve" o eve

dvdu gel sii, se he heve o h he belogsd hih is m is omo mims Ad it is there, i hmmee o e A e d o eh i the Al, h he gelolog hopoogy osuled b e dotre o orresodees ltes A sris d ges," rites Sedeborg, er o hemselves s eole, o silr e dbody, ith orgs mebers; d ths or e reso tt

heir mos osires o suh or Te uies hees suh, h ee oe is s t ere the eer o ll , or eh isthe eer o ies rough he hevely orm rom ll, dhee mge o heve resuls to eveoe, d mkes hmlike to se, h s, perso; or suh s the geerl s, suh s rt o he geerl "38

We hve tred o skeh ou, i llusve les, the drie ooresodees, reseg hh Sedeborg stes tht, lhough t s uko ou time s egrded b e e humi, he il elesl hum, s ue siee,deed s the eeme see, h see o sees, d s so uversll ko th me rote l o ther books tt me he lguge o orresodees" Smy, teirrits d te eeoies o tei ig sise se oorrespodees, t is beuse the thougt siul hs y bo terresril thgs h hey ere ommuiyih he gels o heve 39

Beore e Dve Wod, he et o he Bble h e red ody, there s oher Wod th is o los The books tb

ued to Moses d ohers reer o books th re ost ody40We ill see te me th Sedeorg gves to t sapere o Eoh, ho, h the hel o hs eople, hd olleted he orrespodees o the gge o this hu;koedge o t is sosed o hve bee trsmted o oseriy h ildes os l the eoes o As, rom here s trsmted o he reeks, mog hom i beme m


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Cmparati Spiritual Hrmnuti 5

ogy.41 I y se, Sedebog cosides i t demostble eti tht befoe the Iselite Wod, thee existed o eth

iet Wod, ptiully i Asi. e hs sho, he sys i hisMmrabilia, tht this Wod is peseed i heve mog thegels ho lived i those times; d it suives t he eset dymog the tios o et Tt. "4 Wethe this peiseessefes to Tibet o, s is o thought, to Oute Mogoli,43 it ee to ythig but the situes of Mhy Buddhism?Fo Sedebogs heve, s ell s his visio of hieohisto,e vst eough to oti ll eligios.

2. Pincles of Siritual HermeneuticsAs s sid bove, the dotie of coesodeesthe dmetl l of logy tht pemits positig plulity of uiveses mog hich thee is symboi< eltioshiotols

Sedebogi hemeeutics d detemies its iiples dpplitio . It is sill moe peise to sy tht this dotie i thishemeeutis itself; o, gi, ht is expessed i thishemeeuis s mode of ude

henry corbin swedenborg esoteric islam

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