of the neighbor
that has its beginning in man is the opposite of the love to the
neighbor that has its beginning in the Lord; and the former proceeds
from evil because it proceeds from what is man's own, while the
latter proceeds from good because it proceeds from the Lord, who is
good itself. Evidently, also, the love of the neighbor that proceeds
from man and from what is his own is corporeal, while the love to the
neighbor that proceeds from the Lord is heavenly. In a word, in the
man in whom love of self prevails that love constitutes the head, and
heavenly love constitutes the feet. On that love he stands; and if it
does not serve him he tramples it under foot. This is the cause of
the appearance that those who are cast down into hell fall with the
head downward towards hell, and with the feet upwards towards heaven
(see above, n. 548).

{Footnote 1} Those who do not know what it is to love the
neighbor imagine every man to be a neighbor, and that good is
to be done to everyone who is in need of help (n. 6704). They
also believe that everyone is neighbor to himself, and thus
that love to the neighbor begins with self (n. 6933). Those who
love themselves above all things, that is, with whom self-love
prevails, also make love to the neighbor to begin with
themselves (n. 6710). In what manner everyone is neighbor to
himself, explained (n. 6933-6938). But those who are
Christians and who love God above all things make love to the
neighbor to begin with the Lord, because He is to be loved
above all things (n. 6706, 6711, 6819, 6824). The distinctions
of neighbor are as many as the distinctions of good from the
Lord, and there should be distinction in doing good to everyone
in accordance with the quality of his state, and this is a
matter of Christian prudence (n. 6707, 6709, 6711, 6818). These
distinctions are innumerable, and for this reason the ancients,
who knew what is meant by the neighbor, reduced the exercises
of charity into classes, which they denoted by suitable names,
and from this knew in what respect everyone was a neighbor, and
in what manner good was to be done to everyone with prudence
(n. 2417, 6628, 6705, 7259-7262). The doctrine in the ancient
churches was the doctrine of charity towards the neighbor, and
from this they had wisdom (n. 2417, 2385, 3419, 3420, 4844,
6628).

559. Again, love of self is such that so far as the reins are given
it, t