near heaven

[unpakwon]

Could you explain the following in bold?

The return from your work must be the satisfaction which that work brings you and the world's need of that work. With this, life is heaven, or as near heaven as you can get.

Does this mean "with this, life is heaven, or something like heaven?"

Thank you.

[rewboss]

The sentence is elliptical -- that is, there's a bit missing. Life is as near heaven as you can get (without dying).

That means there is nothing else on earth which is more like heaven than the satisfaction you get from your work.

This is quite a common construction: "X is Y, or as near Y as you can get".

[Naamplao]

Originally Posted by unpakwon

Could you explain the following in bold?

The return from your work must be the satisfaction which that work brings you and the world's need of that work. With this, life is heaven, or as near heaven as you can get.

Does this mean "with this, life is heaven, or something like heaven?"

Thank you.

The author believes that life is perfect when you have work that satisfies you and is needed by others. He uses "heaven" as a metaphor for this feeling of perfect satisfaction. Of course you can only theoretically reach heaven when you die. So "as near heaven as you can get" means it is as perfect as can be without actually dying and going to heaven.

[unpakwon]

I see. It's been very helpful.

Thank you all.