BONES
The least living parts of the body are the bones, which are composed largely
of earthy material, and seem to have a use like that of the rocks in nature;
that is, they serve as a basis and fulcrum for the softer parts, keeping
them extended and in their right places, and serving also for protection
to the organs that specially need protection. The rocks, and likewise the
bones, correspond to the fixed facts upon which all other elements of mental
life depend; and, in the Greatest Man, the provinces of the bones are occupied
by those who have little other life than that of holding firmly to certain
facts of experience which serve for support and protection to those who
live more active lives. They serve to preserve the proportions and relations
of the parts of the man — not exerting any force themselves except that
of stolid resistance when their facts are in question.
“The societies of spirits to which the cartilages and bones
correspond are very many; but they are such as have very little spiritual
life in them, as there is very little life in the bones relatively to the
soft parts which they enclose; as, for example, there is in the skull and
the bones of the head compared with either brain and the medulla oblongata,
and the sensitive substances there; and also as there is in the vertebrae
and ribs in comparison with the heart and lungs; and so on. It was shown
how little spiritual life they have who have relation to the bones; other
spirits speak by them, and they themselves know little of what they say;
but still they speak, having delight in this alone. Into such a state are
they reduced who have led an evil life, and still had some remains of good;
these remains make that little spiritual life, after the vastations of
many ages.... They who come out of vastations, and serve the uses of
bones, have not any determinate thought, but general, almost indeterminate;
they are like those who are called distraught, as if not in the body; they
are slow, heavy, stupid, sluggish about everything. Yet sometimes they
are not untranquil, because cares do not penetrate, but are dissipated
in their general obscurity.” (AC
5560-5562)
He explains that the lack of spiritual life is lack of spiritual intelligence
and charity, not necessarily, lack of natural intelligence. Therefore,
in the “Diary,” he says, —
“They correspond to bones, in the other life, who have studied
various sciences and have made no use of them, as they who have studied
mathematics only to find the rules, and have not regarded any use; or physics
and chemistry only for the sake of experiment, and for no other use; also
philosophy to find its rules and terms, only for the sake of the terms
and for no other use; and likewise other things. They who become bones
also, when they reason, hardly discuss anything else than whether it is
or is not. Hence it is evident that the greatest part of the learned within
the church become bones. They are those who are finally sensual the church
also is in this state to-day; hence is its end.” (SE
5141)
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