beyond all limits. This is particularly the case with people who extend
their domain into heaven and transfer all the Lord’s divine power to
themselves. They always crave more.
[ 8 ] (h) There are two kinds of ruling power: one comes from love for
our neighbor; the other comes from love for ourselves. They are opposite
to each other. If we have ruling power because we love our neighbors, we
want what is good for all. We love nothing more than being useful and
serving others. Serving others is doing good and useful things for them
because we wish them well. This is what we love to do and what gives
pleasure to our heart. In this case, the more we are promoted to high
positions, the happier we are, not because of the high positions but
because of the useful things we can then do with a wider scope and
greater magnitude. This is the nature of ruling power in the heavens.
On the other hand, if we have ruling power because we love our-
selves, we want what is good for no one except ourselves and our own.
The useful things we do are for our own honor and glory. As far as we are
concerned, honor and glory are the only really useful things. If we serve
others, it is for the purpose of being served and honored and having
power. We pursue high positions not for the good things we could do but
to have importance and glory and the heartfelt pleasure they bring us.
[ 9 ] (i) The particular love for ruling power that people have had stays
with them after their life in the world. People who had power because
they loved their neighbor are entrusted with power in the heavens. In
that situation, they do not have the power: the good and useful causes
they love have the power. And when good and useful causes have the
power, the Lord has the power.
People who had ruling power in the world because they loved them-
selves are thrown out of office after their life in the world comes to an
end. They are then forced into slavery.
The points above make it now possible to recognize which people
have love for themselves. It does not matter how they seem in outer
form, whether haughty or obsequious. The attributes discussed above
are in their inner selves, and the inner self is hidden from most other
people. Their outer selves are taught to pretend to love the public and
their neighbors—the opposite of what they feel. This too they do for
their own sake. They are aware that loving the public and their neigh-
bors deeply affects people and increases people’s respect for them. This
strategy works because heaven flows into a love for the public and for
one’s neighbor.
§400 goodwill & good actions 493