AR 294 - two levels of speech

AR 294

In the natural world people possess two levels of speech,

because they possess two levels of thought,

one inward and one outward.

For a person can speak from his inner thought

and at the same time then from his outer one,

or he can speak from his outer thought

and not from his inner one,

and even contrary to his inner one.

This is what makes possible

pretenses, flatteries, and hypocrisies.

In the spiritual world, however,

people do not possess two levels of speech,

but a single one.

A person there speaks as he thinks.

Otherwise his voice becomes grating and hurts the ears.

Still, he can remain silent

and so not divulge the thoughts of his mind.

Consequently, when a hypocrite comes

into the company of people who are wise,

either he goes away,

or he hurries to a corner of the room

and makes himself inconspicuous,

and sits silent.