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After all, who owns The Book
of Spirits? |
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Faced with
the vastness
of
principles
covered by
the Laws of
God,
covering not
only moral
aspects, as
well as
material or
physical
ones, there
are many
points
worthy of
the
attention of
those in
contact with
Spiritism
for the
first time.
Among so
many, in
evidence,
one of them
certainly is
the
understanding
of the
existence
and nature
of the
Spirits. It
is common to
see in the
newcomers to
the
Spiritist
movement
certain
difficulty
in
understanding
such
entities;
this is one
of the
reasons that
lead those
who are
interested
to the
Spiritist
Center,
i.e., the
person
wishes to be
clarified
about the
so-called
dead, as
well as in
explanations
regarding
apparitions
of all
order.
The Doctrine
clarifies
initially
in The
Book of
Spirits,
the
existence of
two basic
principles
in the
Universe:
the
spiritual
principle
(source of
creation of
the Spirits)
and the
material
principle.
In the
Pentateuch’s
sequence, a
little more
is made
clear about
these
foundations,
a little
here, a
little
there, and
so on, and
in the last
work, Genesis,
Allan Kardec
discusses
these
principles
in a broad
and detailed
manner,
which, added
to God, form
the
so-called
Universal
Spiritist
Trinity.
As common
perception
considers
souls or
Spirits
entities
apart,
inhabitants
of the
ethereal
plane from
where
eventually,
although
"dead", they
present
themselves
to torment
and frighten
us in view
of the
widespread
concept of
the "ghost",
exception
made to the
apparitions
of "angels",
many find it
difficult to
understand
and accept
their own
nature. They
did not
realize that
they were
also Spirits
in essence,
individualizations
of the
spiritual
principle
previously
mentioned,
being
temporarily
linked to a
body of
flesh,
living a
small
chapter of
their lives
and, soon,
they will
also be on
the other
side, in the
improperly
called
"Kingdom of
the Dead."
This point
of view
represents
the truth,
since most
fear the
souls of the
other world,
and there
are even
some
Spiritists
who "die of
fear" of
seeing
Spirits;
thus, the
beginners
resist
accepting
that the
Spirits
continue to
be part of
the
Universe,
although now
without
physical
bodies; they
are not dead
resurrecting
from the
tombs or
graves to
frighten us
and
persecute
us. However,
they still
imagine
Spirits as
entities on
the margins
of creation.
Spirits are
mentioned
and several
questions
arise: where
do they come
from, where
do they
live, who
are they
really, and
what do they
do for such
a long time
in the
beyond?
According to
the eternal
laws, the
beginners
will also
learn by
means of
studies,
classes or
orientations,
that some
Spirits
truly seek
to hinder us
temporarily,
and they are
the
so-called obsessors;
and more,
when the
beginners –
without
doctrinal
explanations
- discover
that these obsessors can
be numerous,
they panic.
Fortunately,
on the other
hand, they
will also
know about
the
existence of
many other
Spirits
whose
function or
mission is
to help us,
and are our spiritual
guides;
besides
these there
are also the
familiar
Spirits and
the friendly
ones, all in
synthesis
desiring
only our
well and our
progress;
and those
who are
curious ask:
but who
guides them,
is there is
an
organization
in these
groups of
beings which
seem to see
everything
and indicate
that they
are
everywhere?
It is
necessary
for them to
attend
continuous
doctrinal
lectures, to
read and to
study the
Spiritist
literature,
so as to
ensure, to
be sure, to
convince
themselves
that they
also became
immortal
from the
moment of
their
individualization
by God, also
forming part
of this
group of
always alive
beings,
called
Spirits, and
these
entities are
continually
created by
God, being
God the
greatest
organizer of
everything
and
everyone.
As a result
of these
temporary
and expected
misunderstandings,
when we talk
about
doctrinal
issues, and
mention The
Book of
Spirits,
with a
question
here,
another
there, with
their
respective
wise answers
from
Spirits,
then other
questions
arise: after
all, who are
the ones who
have
dictated
this
immensity of
texts,
ideas,
concepts,
formulating
countless
theories to
this
Frenchman
named
Denisard
Hipolyte
Leon Rivail (1),
born in
Lyon,
however
popularly
known as
Allan
Kardec?
When it is
said that it
is the
Doctrine of
the Spirits,
they want to
know, but
was it not
Allan Kardec
who wrote,
organized,
codified and
published The
Book of
Spirits?
So how can
this book
belong to
the Spirits
and not to
the
Frenchman
Allan
Kardec? Is
he not the
author?
It takes
some time to
socialize
and grow
within the
Spiritist
movement,
exercising
careful
readings or
even the
study of
books and
messages,
continuously
participating
in doctrinal
meetings, to
gradually
begin to
feel part of
this
universe of
spiritual
beings.
However,
while this
does not
occur, the
beginners
feel
displaced,
and because
of the still
incomplete
understanding
of the
Doctrine,
they even
accept the
possibility
that some
incarnated
Spirits may
be
privileged
within the
creation,
the
so-called
mediums, but
we know they
are not,
since the
latter have
the ability
to speak,
see, feel
and interact
with these
other
individualities,
the
so-called
disembodied
Spirits.
In addition,
if they knew
it was
possible to
have
mediumistic
communication
with a
Spirit still
incarnate,
even though
the body of
this
particular
entity was
far apart,
they would
probably
say: No,
this is
impossible,
there must
be some
other
explanation,
for if the
Spirit is
here, then
the person
can only be
dead!
One can see
in the
initial
phase, when
they attend
the
Spiritist
Houses, many
of them come
in the hope
of getting
rid of the
so-called
evil
Spirits, who
kind of
attach
themselves
onto the
person, or
accompany it
constantly,
and many
times - due
to someone
without
common sense
having told
them that
such
entities,
popularly
called
“Ghosts”,
are always
accompanying
them - they
consider
these
“Ghosts”
solely
responsible
for all the
difficulties
and
hardships
faced in
their daily
lives.
However,
gradually,
in the
measure of
their
continuous
efforts to
learn and to
apprehend
new
concepts,
the
Spiritist
beginners
pass from
the
condition of
dazzling and
questioning
to the
condition of
attentive
observers
and some
even of
active
participants
in the
multiple
activities
offered in
the
Spiritist
Houses.
The phase of
the first
“whys” and
questions
slowly
fades,
giving way
to a more
dynamic and
secure
position,
instead of
the
characteristic
passivity,
when they
came to the
Spiritist
House only
to receive
directions,
information,
advice,
laying on of
hands, who
knows to
have a
bottle of
fluidized
water and
any type of
support
possible.
From this
new phase
onwards, if
they have
not yet
obtained
them, they
can
themselves
elaborate
answers to
many of
those
intriguing
questions
formulated
in the past,
because:
1. they
understand
that the
so-called
dead are
nothing more
than those
who preceded
us on the
journey to
the other
side, and
may appear,
and under
certain
conditions,
to some and
not to
others, and
as they
become aware
of the
existence of
them
accepting
them
naturally,
it is hoped,
they will no
longer be
frightened,
because they
are all our
brothers,
after all;
2. they
discover
that there
are many
dwellings in
the Father's
house, these
being
occupied
both by
embodied and
disembodied
Spirits
gathering
together by
the law of
affinities,
all ruled by
the
determinations
of God, and
since the
Spirits are
continually
being
created by
the
Everlasting,
they are
everywhere ;
3. they
find that
the
so-called obsessors are
not Spirits
eternally
voted for
evil by
nature; they
have
temporarily
left the
good path,
but they are
legitimate
children of
God too; due
to this,
they will
not be
misled
forever,
since, as
Jesus
warned, no
sheep of the
flock will
be lost;
4. they
understand
that Spirits
do not come
from a
special
place, a
certain
forgotten
corner of
the
Universe,
they are
only the
living
beings who
arrived at
the hominal
kingdom,
simple and
ignorant
servants
many
millennia
ago by the
same God who
created us
and now, of
course,
continue the
particular
journey of
evolution,
always
growing
intellectually,
though not
always
morally,
towards the
acquisition
of relative
perfection
that can be
achieved;
5. they
accept that
the
spiritual
home is the
one and only
true one,
for we are
all destined
to dwell and
remain in
this plan,
the ethereal
will be our
final
dwelling,
when we
conclude the
cycle of
incarnations
necessary to
consolidate
our learning
in the
material
worlds.
While we do
not reach
this
condition we
remain in
the
spiritual
plane, the
so-called
period of
wandering
(erraticity),
waiting for
the most
appropriate
time to
re-enter the
flesh, or
reincarnate,
some waiting
passively,
others
actively,
studying,
working and
strengthening
for a new
period of
trials and
atonements
in the
School
called
Earth;
6. they
understand
that the
body is not
the owner of
the Spirit,
but the
opposite is
true, the
Spirit owns
the body, so
the Spirit
can move
away or
emancipate
from the
body, its
tool of
work,
partially
and
temporarily,
provoking
the
phenomena of
apparitions
recorded in
our History,
even at a
distance
from his
body,
furthermore,
they now
become aware
that we do
not have a
Spirit, we
are Spirit;
7. and
finally they
arrive to
the
conclusion
why Allan
Kardec - so
named when
he was
incarnated
among the
people of
the Druids
in ancient
Gaul at the
time of
Julius
Caesar, and
that this is
the former
designation
of the
current
French name
Hippolyte
Leon
Denizard
Rivail (2),
- entitled
the first
book of the
Codification
as he did,
for the wise
man of Lyon
humbly
placed
himself as
an element
of
connection
between the
disembodied
superior
Spirits -
collaborators
in the
various
texts - and
all
Humanity.
These
Spirits were
of advanced
evolution,
including
Jesus, the
Master of
the Masters,
a Pure
Spirit, and
the
Coordinator
of all the
work.
This is a
very
characteristic
and expected
process of
many seeking
the
Doctrine,
nothing to
be
surprised,
either out
of
curiosity,
others still
out of
necessity,
but in the
end, if
everything
goes well
during this
initial
walk, they
are also
accepted as
members of
the class of
Spirits,
being part
of this
whole, and
they see
themselves
as elements
of creation,
in short,
they end up
by seeing
themselves
as immortal
Spirits,
children of
the same
Father.
From this
moment, the
path is open
for them to
become more
interested
in
Spiritism;
they start
to search on
their own
initiative
to increase
the
knowledge,
they
recognize to
be this set
of oceanic
information,
formed by a
religious
part,
another
philosophical
and a third
scientific,
on any
subject
issuing a
coherent
opinion, and
when mankind
is not yet
able to
receive news
explained by
the eternal
laws, the
Spirits
leave us
with the
questions to
be
elucidated
in a
suitable
future, when
it is more
appropriate.
This is when
many finally
understand,
and feel
inside that
the
knowledge of
the first
basic work
of the
Doctrine is
essential
for the good
conduct of
one's life,
without
prejudice to
the other
four
fundamental
works and
the
subsidiary
works. It
contains an
apparently
inexhaustible
source of
explanations,
and at this
moment, The
Book of
Spirits becomes
a universal
compendium,
they begin
to love it,
why not?
This book no
longer
belongs only
to those who
dictated it
in the
backward
century; it
becomes a
daily
bedside book
of common
use;
although it
is very
special
because of
its content,
they also
become aware
of
themselves
as Spirits,
for in fact
we are all,
and The
book of
Spirits then
transforms
itself from
that moment
onwards
into The
book of us
all!
Notes:
(1) We
maintained
the spelling
recorded in
the two
original
birth
certificates,
although
this
spelling is
not used by
most of the
Spiritist
movement.
(2) This
is the
spelling
normally
used by the
Spiritist
movement.
Translation:
Eleni
Frangatos - eleni.moreira@uol.com.br