Swedenborg's Great Gift

I first come across Swedenborg's work from a Japanese manga. It intrigues me a lot, as it describes his adventure between Heaven, Hell and the Soul world in great details. Reading the comic book is like having gone thru the same journey with him, as it's full of pictures and lots of visual impact.

Think I have seen this book around in Singapore few months back or last year. Didn't buy it until no more stock left. Anyway, I got it directly shipped from Taiwan the publisher, at a cheaper deal :) so still not missing much I hope.

A little intro about Emanuel Swedenborg. He was a talented Sweden scientist lived in the 16th centuries, often compared as great as Sir Isaac Newton. He experienced a life turning event when he was 57 years old, as he described Lord had chosen him to be the spoke person, to share his experiences when he was able to go back and forth between Earthly realm and other realms (Heavens, Hells and intermediate Soul worlds) using an out of body near death experience (NDE) that he could exercise at will and at ease. Since then, he had dropped his scientific work, and devoted his next 27 years, experiencing and recording a lot of literatures - there are many yet to be published. Swedenborg even prophesied the date he would die 1 year beforehand, and tried to expedite to finish the unfinished work until the last day.

This book is actually translated from Korean text, whereby Swedenborg Foundation condensed the key teachings - to serve as an intro into Swedenborg's world.

To cut it short, I like this book not just about its description on eternaity of soul, the different levels within Heaven and Hell (3 each), but especially also on why and how could we get back to our heavenly Home (aka Heaven) while we are in this earthy Home.

The path is simple: Love God, and love Others (ie People). (愛神，愛人)

Our ticket to heaven can only be earned when we are doing above two while we are on earth. In fact, one should blend in with others, not detached, and start to (re)pick up our long lost skill - by starting to love own-self, our family, neighbors, colleagues, company, nation and the Earth. It's so simple, but we just forgotten about it when we grow up, and buried by surrounding distractions.

The other point I like most, is on Free will and why is it the greatest gift from God. It's again simple - with free will, man kind can make decision, same as God. I read elsewhere before that Angels do not possess free will, as they have returned it back to God long back, so that their sole existence is to serve God. If even Angel does not have free will, while we human do have, how profound is this, that God as creator and parent has given this greatest gift to it's children!!

Like the front cover of this book says, just by browsing few pages of Swedenborg's book may change one's life perspective forever. Please grab one if you can. I am sure I will read it again from time to time, to familiarize myself to the way back to my true home :).  Hope you can, too! :)