good, but they are good so
far as they look to the Lord and the neighbor (n. 3147).

359. Since a man can live outwardly as others do, can grow rich, keep
a plentiful table, dwell in an elegant house and wear fine clothing
according to his condition and function, can enjoy delights and
gratifications, and engage in worldly affairs for the sake of his
occupation and business and for the life both of the mind and body,
provided he inwardly acknowledges the Divine and wishes well to the
neighbor, it is evident that to enter upon the way to heaven is not
so difficult as many believe. The sole difficulty lies in being able
to resist the love of self and the world, and to prevent their
becoming dominant; for this is the source of all evils.{1} That this
is not so difficult as is believed is meant by these words of the
Lord:

Learn of Me, for I am meek and lowly of heart, and ye
shall find rest to your souls; for My yoke is easy and My
burden is light (Matt. 11:29, 30).

The Lord's yoke is easy and His burden light because a man is led by
the Lord and not by self just to the extent that he resists the evils
that flow forth from love of self and of the world; and because the
Lord then resists these evils in man and removes them.

{Footnote 1} All evils are from the love of self and of the
world (n. 1307, 1308, 1321, 1594, 1691, 3413, 7255, 7376, 7488,
7490, 8318, 9335, 9348, 10038, 10742). These are contempt of
others, enmities, hatred, revenge, cruelty, deceit (n. 6667,
7370-7374, 9348, 10038, 10742). Into such loves man is born,
thus in them are his inherited evils (n. 694, 4317, 5660).

360. I have spoken with some after death who, while they lived in the
world, renounced the world and gave themselves up to an almost
solitary life, in order that by an abstraction of the thoughts from
worldly things they might have opportunity for pious meditations,
believing that thus they might enter the way to heaven. But these in
the other life are of a sad disposition; they despise others who are
not like themselves; they are indignant that they do not have a
happier lot than others, believing that they have merited it; they
have no interest in others, and turn away from the duties of charity
by which there is conjunction with heaven. They desire heaven more
than others; but when they are taken up among the angels they induce
anxieties that disturb the happiness of the angels; and in
consequence t