HH 402 - Delights of Use and the Five Bodily Senses

HH 402

That all the delights of heaven are delights of use
can be seen by a comparison
with the five bodily senses of a person.
There is given to each sense
a delight in accordance with its use;
to the sight, the hearing, the smell, the taste,
and the touch, each its own delight;
to the sight a delight from beauty and from forms,
to the hearing from harmonious sounds,
to the smell from pleasing odors,
to taste from fine flavors.
These uses which the senses severally perform
are known to those who study them,
and more fully to those
who are acquainted with correspondences.
Sight has such a delight
because of the use it performs to the understanding,
which is the inner sight;
the hearing has such a delight
because of the use it performs
both to the understanding and to the will
through giving attention;
the smell has such a delight
because of the use it performs to the brain,
and also to the lungs;
the taste has such a delight
because of the use it performs to the stomach,
and thus to the whole body by nourishing it.
The delight of marriage,
which is a purer and more exquisite delight of touch,
transcends all the rest because of its use,
which is the procreation of the human race
and thereby of angels of heaven.
These delights are in these senses
by an influx of heaven,
where every delight pertains to use
and is in accordance with use.