7750. Since the bird of stone represented those who are interested in knowledge alone and not in a life of love, and since as a consequence they have practically no spiritual life, let a final note be added here to show that those who are governed by a heavenly love and by knowledge subordinate to that love are the only ones to receive spiritual life. This final note must also show that a love holds within itself every bit of knowledge that belongs to that love. Take for example the animals on land, and also the creatures in the sky, the birds. They possess a knowledge of all the things that belong to their love. Each one's love consists in feeding itself, living in safety, producing offspring, and providing its young with food. Living creatures therefore possess all the knowledge they require, for every creature has such knowledge within its love; this knowledge flows into its love as if entering a receptacle made for it. That knowledge with some creatures is such that one is bound to be amazed by it. It is said that creatures are born with that knowledge, and it is called instinct; but it is part of the love that governs them.
[2] If man were governed by his love - which is love to God and love towards his neighbour, the love that is properly man's and marks him off from beasts - he would not only possess all the knowledge he requires, but also all the intelligence and wisdom. He would have no need to acquire these through learning, for they would flow from heaven into those two forms of love, that is, from the Divine by way of heaven. But since man is not governed by those forms of love but by their opposites, that is to say, by self-love and love of the world, he is inevitably born into complete ignorance and lack of knowledge. He is however brought by Divine means to some measure of intelligence and wisdom, though even then he does not actually enter into it at all unless he removes self-love and love of the world and thereby opens the way for love to the Lord and towards the neighbour.
[3] The truth that love to the Lord and love towards the neighbour hold all intelligence and wisdom within them may be recognized from those who were governed in the world by those loves. When they enter heaven in the next life they know and are wise in things such as they had never known before. Indeed like other angels they think and utter things there that are beyond description such as ear has never heard and mind has never known. The reason why they do so is that those forms of love hold within them the ability to receive such gifts.
This page is part of 
© 2000-2001 The Academy of the New Church