TCR 394-395 - There are three universal loves, the love of heaven, the love of the world, and self-love.

TCR 394-395

There are three universal loves,
the love of heaven, the love of the world, and self-love.

These three loves make the starting point,
because they are universal and the foundation of all others,
and because charity has something in common with each of them.
The love of heaven means love to the Lord,
and also love towards the neighbor,
and since either of these has some service as its end in view,
it may be called the love of service.
The love of the world is not only the love of wealth and possessions,
but also the love of everything the world supplies
for the delight of the bodily senses;
for instance the beauty that charms the eyes,
the harmony that charms the ears,
the fragrance that charms the nose,
the delicacies that charm the tongue,
the soothing touches that charm the skin,
not to mention fine clothes, comfortable homes, parties,
and all the pleasures given by these and many other objects.
Self-love is not only the love of honors, glory, fame and eminence,
but also the love of winning and angling for offices,
and thus dominating others.
The reason charity has something in common
with each of these three loves
is that charity regarded in essence is the love of being of service.
Charity wants to do good to the neighbor
(and good is the same as being of service);
and each of these loves has services as its end in view,
the love of heaven spiritual services,
the love of the world natural services, which can be termed civic,
and self-love bodily services,
which can also be termed domestic ones for oneself and one's own people.

. . . these three loves . . . when they are properly ordered
they increase a person's perfection,
and when they are not, they corrupt him.
. . . these three loves are properly ordered
when the love of heaven makes up the head,
the love of the world the chest and belly,
and self-love the feet and soles of the feet.
The human mind is divided into three levels . . .
on the highest level a person looks towards God,
on the second or middle level the world,
and on the third or lowest level himself.
Since the mind is like this,
it can be raised or it can lift itself up, by looking to God and heaven;
it can be spread or spread itself laterally in every direction,
by looking to the world and nature in it;
and it can sink or let itself down, by looking to the ground and to hell.
In these respects the body's sight copies the mind's,
for it too can look up, look around and look down.

(Note: In the Ager translation, "the love of being of service"
is translated "love of uses", or another way of putting it,
service is use.)