324 HEAVEN and HELL §535
b. A life of piety apart from a life of thoughtfulness accomplishes nothing, but together they
accomplish everything: 8252 , 8253. Thoughtfulness toward our neighbor is doing what is good,
fair, and upright in every task and in every duty: 8120 , 8121 , 8122. Thoughtfulness toward our
neighbor includes absolutely everything we think, intend, and do: 8124. A life of thoughtfulness is
a life by the Lord’s commandments: 3249. Living by the Lord’s commandments is loving the
Lord: 10143 , 10153 , 10310 , 10578 , 10648 [ 10645 ]. True thoughtfulness is not for credit, because it
comes from a deeper affection and a consequent pleasure: 2340 [ 2380 ], 2373 [ 2371 ], 2400 , 3887 ,
6388 – 6393. Our abiding character after death is determined by the quality of our life of thought-
fulness in the world: 8256. Heavenly bliss fl ows from the Lord into a life of thoughtfulness: 2363.
No one is let into heaven simply by thinking, but by intending and doing together with thinking:
2401 , 3459. Unless doing what is good is united to intending what is good and thinking what is
good, there is no salvation and no union of our inner person with our outer: 3987.
from a heavenly source. The source of this life is within us when we act
honestly and fairly because doing so is in accord with divine laws. This
life is not hard, but a life of piety apart from a life of thoughtfulness
is hard. Still, this latter life leads away from heaven as surely as people
believe it leads to heaven.b