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By Eurípedes Kühl

Inner Reform: what is it, why is it important, how to carry it out

Inner reform can be defined as the constant effort that the Spirit makes to evolve morally. On the earthly plane, where evil certainly predominates over good, this effort comprises an inexorable behavior, since all beings are divinely destined for happiness, only attainable with the total absence of imperfections.

Allan Kardec defined this effort well, on several occasions. Let us look at two, the first of which can be considered the “golden law” of inner reform:

1st - A true Spiritist is recognized by his moral transformation and by the efforts he employs to tame his evil inclinations. (The Gospel according to Spiritism, chap. XVII, n° 4).

2nd - Make an effort to be good, to become better if you are already good, to purify yourself of your imperfections, in a word, to elevate yourself morally as much as possible. (Posthumous Works, 1st Part, Item VII, No. 58).

God contemplated the Spirit that enters the realm of reason with three tools that will accompany him into eternity: intelligence (continuous), conscience and free will.

At first “simple and ignorant”, the Spirit will have at its disposal all the means to evolve. Apparently, the majority soon let themselves be contaminated by the deceptive attractions of the least effort and immediate pleasures.

When the deviations accumulate, in the endless stream of reincarnations, Emmanuel1 tells us that, our millenary paths become stonedThen, only life's educational processes can fix it. (It is worth remembering that in pedagogical terms, pain is always the best teacher...).

As conscience is not silent, the Spirit will only find peace when it smooths out all the accumulated edges. It follows from this that inner reform results in relief from the anguish or pain, while inner peace will be established. Such is the inner reform.

Inner reform can awaken voluntarily, or under the guise of pain. In both cases, the Spirit no longer accepts to continue doing the same things.

He recognizes that he must or needs to change his attitudes. Then, intelligence, consciously, makes the will come into action, with behavioral change in the following environments:

a.       at first, predominantly, at home, with the family;

b.       in the profession, before bosses, colleagues, subordinates;

c.       finally, in your social environment – with neighbors, friends, acquaintances.

An ancient Chinese saying reminds us that “The journey of a hundred miles begins with a single step”. Above, we have already heard Emmanuel tell us (and we believe it to be true) that in the long string of our reincarnations we sediment millenary misconducts.

That said, one way to carry out inner reform, among many possible ones, could be, for example:

a – Identify what is and what is not a deviation

b – Recognize that you practice them

c – Identify situations in which this occurs

d – Choose one virtue, at a time, to be dynamized, in counterfeit to the deviation that we are used to tread more often

e – Work on this “election” and only hold another one when the previous one succeeds.

Thus, implant a pre-established mental program for instant use and action, based on:

- Think before you act or speak

- Ask: how would Jesus act? And then, act/speak as close to the answer as possible...

- Over-effort in carrying out this program.

Along with the sincere decision to change — morally and spiritually —, we suggest an easy and practical way to start a work of inner and spiritual transformation, which will be to attend public lectures at a Spiritist Center. Currently, watching "lives" exposed by dedicated Spiritist speakers, over the internet, in lectures implemented at various times and days on several TVs, thanks to the recent pandemic (Covid 19).

If possible, the first suggestion (to attend study meetings and Spiritist doctrinal lectures in person at a Spiritist Center that has this activity) will always be of greater benefit, due to the sum and exchange of reflections among the participants, provided that all are imbued with the same intention. Experience has already shown that face-to-face association with people with the same intention of change, through intimate reform, is recommended, always listening to the experience of those responsible for the Spiritist Center.

These are basic suggestions.

Note: Spiritist Centers generally have responsible, fraternal, dedicated people who study Spiritism, who can clarify doubts.

In fact, inner reform does not have a set time to be installed in the Spirit and does not depend exclusively on a “manual” or “course” to happen. Obviously, in all religions, there are premises that indicate how the adept can achieve happiness and none of them dispenses with individual effort.

But, sooner or later, even outside religions, all spirits will tend to correct procedures, change negative tendencies and thus achieve a happy life.

We Spiritists are not contemplating “our sardines”, but in fact, we recognize that the Doctrine of the Spirits always tends to provide safe guidance for a program of inner reform, based on the lessons of Master Jesus, codified by Allan Kardec, especially in The Gospel according to Spiritism.

That is because Spiritism, in our view, is the only religion that opens the curtain of our existence (past, present and future). With logic, above all based on the Divine Law of Justice, that of action and reaction, it gives us parameters for understanding our today, as being the result of our yesterday, while projecting tomorrow, as being exactly the result of today.

Jesus recommended us (and how!) to love God and neighbor (Luke 10:27). So, let us reason: our integrity has nuances that obey the conservation instinct, in the physical part, but self-love is not always a good adviser, since, as a rule, it contemplates selfishness, which anesthetizes tolerance, solidarity and fraternity.

Furthermore, we can infer that every time we are loving God or our neighbor, without expectation of retribution, we are indeed loving ourselves, since this will place us in the condition of co-participants in the divine work, fully dedicated to the donation of Love.

Kardec, considering that happiness is relative (what is good for some may be bad for others), asked the good Spirits what is enough for happiness to be everyone's. The good Spirits replied:

With regard to material life (terrestrial happiness) it is the possession of the necessary. With regard to the moral (spiritual) life, it is a clear conscience and faith in the future. (“The Book of Spirits”, issue 922)

Note: We remind you that in question 715 of the same book, the Servants of Jesus had already informed Kardec that “He who is thoughtful knows the limit of what is necessary by intuition”. Already in sequence and in question 923: The judicious man, in order to be happy, always looks down (people dying of hunger and cold, without a shelter) and not up, except to elevate his soul to infinity.

Only by listening to our conscience will we know if we are following the right path of inner reform. That is because conscience is a record of Divine Direction, impelling us to regulate the heartbeats by the rhythm of true fraternity.

_____________


[1]
 Spirit EMMANUEL, in Fonte Viva (Living Source), a F.C.Xavier’s psychographics chap. 30,

28th Ed., 2002, FEB, Brasilia/DF

2 “Live” – transmission on live made through internet. Usually lives take place on social networks such as Instagram, TikTok and Facebook.

3 Several Spiritual Authors, in Seareiros de Volta (Harvesters are back), psycographic by Waldo Vieira, chap. “Equação da Felicidade” (Happiness equation), 5th Ed.,1993, FEB, Brasilia/DF


 

Translation:
Eleni Frangatos - eleni.moreira@uol.com.br

 
 

     
     

O Consolador
 Revista Semanal de Divulgação Espírita