One of these days, going through the shelves of a
virtual tallow, I found a book that I had never heard of
in the Spiritist bibliography: Spiritist Tales (Contos
Espíritas) by Amalia Domingo Soler. This consecrated
author is responsible for good doctrinal works, and for
one of the most beautiful Spiritist novels ever
written: Memoirs of Father Germano (Memórias do
Padre Germano).
I bought the book and read it. I knew it was a
translation from Spanish made by David Caparelli,
published by the USE-Madras, from Sao Paulo. It is an
extensive collection of short stories, with a beautiful
presentation by the historian and writer Eduardo
Carvalho Monteiro (1950-2005) that reveals dramatic
moves in the author's biography and situates the social
and political context of Spain in the period in which
Amalia Soler lived.
Practically all the stories in this book, according to
the author, were written about real events that happened
to characters she met and with whom she related with so
many of them. Amalia (1835-1909, Seville) shows poignant
human dramas, while methodically applying Spiritist
principles to clarify certain issues.
The marks on the man's face
One of the texts, however, does not refer to any tale,
but it rather contains notes about what Amalia calls “My
ideals”. Reflecting on the human trajectory, based on
the countless books she read and on her life experience,
she concludes that the inventiveness of the greatest
writers, philosophers and artists will never portray
life in such vivid colors as the bitter reality does.
Nothing is more favorable to the study of human nature,
she suggests, than to read carefully "in the man’s face
and in the woman's smile" the marks of their pain.
The acceptance of the Spiritist philosophy made Amalia
approach many unhappy people. Many of them went to her
and spontaneously told their intimate dramas. With
others, Amalia had the “job of reading line by line the
wrinkles on their faces, in the expression in their
eyes, in the inflection of their voice and the bitter
smile on their lips”.
With all this rich material of human experience, Amalia
wrote her chronicles and studies spreading the Spiritist
ideal.
Difficulty in changing
The truth of Spiritism, for Amalia, comes from the
"moralizing influence it has on human character, customs
and passions". In fact, this is the main result that can
be expected from those who study it seriously and with
determination.
Allan Kardec thought the same. It is always auspicious
and useful to read, and re-read his guidelines. Kardec
defined the purposes of the Spiritist Doctrine as
follows: “Spiritism tends towards the regeneration of
humanity (...) Now, being that this regeneration cannot
operate except through moral progress, it follows that
its essential, its providential purpose is each one’s
improvement” (¹).
“Nothing is more difficult on earth - says Amalia in
her text - than to change man's way of being; there are
such deep-seated vices and ingrained bad habits that
absolutely dominate, and all you can do, then, in an
existence, is to be ashamed of them and try to hide
them. This is already something, so we start by avoiding
setting a bad example, however, it is far from being
enough to regenerate us”.
There Amalia Domingo reproduced the same concern of
Kardec in question 800 of The Books of the Spirits:
"Is it not to be feared that Spiritism will not be able
to overcome the indifference of men and their attachment
to material things?" The Spirits explained to Kardec:
“It would be very little to know men, to think that any
cause could transform them as if by charm. Ideas change
little by little, with individuals, and it takes
generations to completely erase the traces of old
habits. The transformation, therefore, cannot take place
except with time” (...)
Spiritism does not make saints
Amalia reveals in "My ideals" a frankness that is
practically not seen in the rest of the book Spiritist
Tales, full of sweetness and human understanding.
Her energy language exposes a harsh reality: “Spiritism
did not come to make saints; it came to carry out a
major reform, profound, transcendental, and for this
reason its work is slow, because the more gigantic the
work, the more time is needed to carry it out”.
And here, as if to justify the expression “gigantic
work”, Amalia adds: “it must also be considered that
Spiritism finds humanity submerged in the most
humiliating degradation”.
Allan Kardec had already said that "New ideas cannot be
established suddenly and without obstacles" (²), and
that the mission of Spiritism "is to fight unbelief,
doubt, indifference" (³).
And he had also said in the Spiritist Magazine of
October 1860: “What philosophy is more capable of
freeing man's thought from earthly ties, of elevating
his soul to infinity? Which one gives you a fairer, more
logical idea, more supported by patent evidence, its
nature and its destiny?”
Religions and false science
Through these reflections, we can evaluate the arduous
path that progressive and humanitarian ideas will still
need to travel in order for man to occupy a dignified
position in the concert of the worlds. And he will have
to reach this position through his own effort, without
relying on the attachment to formal institutions such as
dogmatic religions and sophisticated materialistic
science, for example.
Amalia rightly says that "religions have weakened man
and false science has made him proud". This means that
Spiritism, which is part of the divine program for human
evolution on Earth, has “to fight against the ignorant
and the vain, i.e., against the fools of good faith and
the brainless people proud of their eagerness to know".
It is up to Spiritism to break the siege of ignorance
and ill will, as Amalia warns, “to awaken in man the
feeling of his dignity, making him understand that there
is no heaven or hell other than our works, good or bad”
(my bold).
A complete revolution
In “My ideals”, Amalia demonstrates a very good
understanding of the purposes of Spiritism when she
warns that “she is calling for a complete revolution in
all social classes, in all spheres of life, in all
intelligences, and such a colossal work cannot be
performed in a short space of years, because it is very
difficult for man to separate himself from the vices
that please him and from religions that reassure him
with sophisms that seem to be true, while they are not
analyzed in the light of reason”.
If it is certain that the whole of humanity needs the
help of time for spiritual maturation, it is also true
that the “times have come” demanding the reaction of
each one for the beginning of the transformations.
In this sense, Spiritism needs to show what is its
purpose, and Spiritists, who are important agents (not
the only ones) of changes cannot miss this moment of
historical testimony. They have to align their discourse
with actions to combat outdated materialistic thinking.
It is necessary to insist on exhaustion in the idea that
the Spirit is everything, and matter is nothing. Man no
longer knows what to do to quench matter, which is
already exhausted, while the Spirit continues with
thirst, hunger, longing for justice, love and freedom.
The matter will be rotten here in a ditch. The Spirit
will move on, wanting to be more and more.
To have the intuition of these truths is a start; many
do, but it is not enough. What makes the difference in
this life and "in the next" is to have knowledge
supported by reason. This will change everything.
Contemporary Spiritists therefore have an imperative
commitment.
(¹) Allan Kardec, Spiritist Magazine,
August 1865, “What teaches Spiritism”, Edicel.
(²) Allan Kardec, Spiritist Magazine,
November 1864, “Spiritism is a positive science”, Edicel.
(³) Allan Kardec, Spiritist Magazine,
March 1865, “Mr. Allan Kardec to the Spiritists devoted
to the Hillaire case”, Edicel.
|