Transient human
wickedness
For the Doctrine
of the Spirits,
evil is man’s
creation and its
existence is
only temporary,
transient, since
it is
part of
learning.
(Part 2 and
final)*
"And the
passions today
are almost the
same as
yesterday, only
more incite,
violent and
devastating in
humans, which
continues
restless."
Joanna de
Angelis
Searching on the
Internet on this
subject that we
are analysing,
we found an
interesting
Master Thesis in
Social
Psychology that,
in summary,
deals with the
relationship
between
maturity,
emotional
stability and
altruism. The
author of this
thesis
investigated the
profile of those
who adopt
children,
comparing the
group that
adopts children
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|
Abel Sidney |
when they are
babies and the
group who do so
with older
children. At the
end was
concluded, "The
ones that
adopted older
children were
more mature,
emotionally
stable and more
altruistic than
the conventional
adopters."
To feel is to
cause
Seeking the
equivalence of
the concept of
abnegation and
altruism, we can
infer that those
who devote to
the neighbour,
forgetful of
themselves, have
as a directly
result, greater
maturity and
emotional
stability (in
summary,
feelings of
fullness, peace
so desired by
all). To
abnegate, in the
specific case of
late adoption,
that is,
children who are
2 years old or
more, is
breaking with
the conventions,
take the
sacrifice of
adaptation and
give themselves
in a higher
elevation of
love for the
child to
integrate the
new family.
We can
paraphrase
Martin Claret
and say that to
feel is to
cause. That is,
those who intend
to use elevated
feelings; those
oriented to the
welfare of the
neighbour, they
change their own
lives. To cause
changes in the
field of
manifestations
of emotions,
acquiring what
is often called
psychological
balance or
centring (“That
person is
centred and
balanced”).
On the other
hand, low
feelings, loaded
of attachment to
ego, also cause
and promote
changes in our
lives - personal
and collective.
Ethnic and
discrimination,
which has caused
so many problems
in the world, is
an example of
this. The
results, in most
cases are
tragedies,
personal, group
or collective
(the
extermination of
Jews, already
cited, the
persecution of
Gypsies in
Eastern Europe,
the subtle
discrimination
of black
Brazilian and
other
unfortunate
examples.)
Fighting evil
Because we do
not know how to
produce,
attitudes and
actions in our
thoughts, the
good in its
plenitude, we
are surrounded
by the remains
and waste of our
passions that we
should get rid
of, as proposed
earlier in this
text. It is not
simple, however,
to get rid of
the evil we
produce. Evil
that is born in
us pervades in
us and
temporarily
becomes part of
our personality.
To achieve this
aim we must
guard the
sources of our
own heart as
alert sentinels,
after all it is
the place where
evil comes from,
as Jesus taught
us, when He
launched a
question that
continues
current: “ How
can you speak
good, when you
are evil? For
out of the
abundance of the
heart the mouth
speaks.
"(Matthew 12:34)
Paul of Tarsus
in his letter to
Romans (7:19)
comments on the
battle that we
should fight to
combat evil in
ourselves, in
the famous
phrase: “For I
do not do the
good I want, but
the evil I do
not want is what
I keep on
doing”.
Continuing on
this line of
argument can
lead us to think
that the evil
that we are
talking about is
something awful,
terrible, odious
- and we could
cite here
certain
manifestations
of evil that
really have such
a face. Someone
might say to
themselves:
"Well,
fortunately from
this kind of
evil I am
free..." Well,
the evil,
however, that we
are analysing,
is not
restricted to
its most
grotesque and
tragic
manifestations.
And that is why
this is so
present in us.
The evil of
which Paul talks
about in his
epistles is
unremarkable
evil that lives
in us and is
powered by
ourselves. And
that, to some
extent, gives us
pleasure. Hence
our difficult in
freeing
ourselves from
it...
Retaking the
issue of abuse
of instincts, we
have a very
common evil
nowadays that
nobody dislikes
in principle:
eating excess.
The instinct of
conservation is
present in this.
Nature
established for
some functions
of this
instinct, the
sensations of
pleasure, well
being,
repletion, as a
way of adjusting
it. And when we
extrapolate
instincts,
abusing of them,
we attached
ourselves to
sensations and
we literally get
addicted to the
habit of eating
too much, not
anymore for our
feeding, but to
obtain pleasure,
crude or
sophisticated,
of this act. We
must also add
that we can
exaggerate and
being
comfortably
supported in a
thousand
dissimulations,
disguise,
excuse, readily
accepted by
others, because
we are
complacent with
the deviations
of others, as
our own.
The bad habits
of every day
tend sometimes
to perpetuate
themselves in
our lives for
various reasons,
among others,
the social
approval of
them. Living in
a society that
is still
strongly
materialistic
and hedonistic,
it's not
surprising that
we are impelled
to accept as
natural all
attractions to
matter and all
pleasures that
it provides.
A fight without
truce and
without quarter
against the evil
that still
exists in us
requires not
only knowledge,
but above all a
great effort of
deliberate and
conscious will,
because we are
still learning
close to our
experiences of
animal kingdom,
hence we feel
attracted,
dragged by
certain features
of bad passions.
That is why, so
often, despite
all awareness of
good and evil,
our acts of
rebellion or
inattention
embraces us in
the frame of
totally
dispensable
experiences
bringing by
consequence pain
and
responsibilities,
directly or
indirectly.
Many of us
succumb to these
dispensable
experiences
because we
become
unobservant of
the fulfilment
of obligations
that we must
achieve, at
times painfully.
To run away of
routine that
constrain us but
at the same time
put us away of
many problems,
we launch into
some adventures
that cause us
problems without
end.
Others, wanting
to test
inconsequently
their own
resistance,
end up opening
Pandora’s box
(which according
to Greek
mythology
contained all
evils), arousing
feelings,
sensations that
should remain
buried, waiting
for better
opportunity to
be worked,
engraved.
Therefore, we do
not ever have a
morbid curiosity
to know
throughout the
extension to
"human
wickedness" (our
own and others)
we must, then,
keep us on alert
to prevent the
evil that
germinate from
ourselves and
spreads by
contagion
finding affinity
with the evil
that arises in
other hearts.
Know yourself to
transform
yourself
For all of those
who wish to
sustain
themselves in
the combat
without respite,
we can find in
St. Augustine
one of the most
effective
strategies for
self-transformation
(and therefore
for victory over
ourselves). This
is daily
meditation on
our own acts,
which is
essential if we
want to combat
evil in
ourselves
systematically.
The Augustinian
lesson is
embedded in the
last question
(919 and 919-a)
of the Third
Party (From the
Moral Laws) of
“The Book of
Spirits”.
In the first
part of the
question (919)
Kardec asks:
"What is the
most effective
practical way
that men has to
improve
themselves in
this life and
resist to evil
attraction?" The
answer, very
direct and
clear, is also
concise: "An
ancient wise man
said: “Know
yourself. "
Very clever,
Kardec unfolds
the question
seeking to
resolve the
practical issue
that involves
the topic of how
to do it: "We
know all wisdom
of this concept,
but the
difficulty is
precisely in
each one of us
knowing
ourselves. Which
is the way to
achieve it? "
St. Augustine,
in reply,
composes many
considerations,
which we will
summarize in the
lines below.
We should
interrogate our
own conscience,
reviewing
everyday acts,
for
identification
of deviations of
duties that
should have been
completed and of
outside reasons
of complaint
because of our
actions. By this
means, St.
Augustine got to
know himself
“and see what
[in him] needed
reform."
Whoever is
willing to
examine their
everyday actions
to identify the
good or the evil
that may have
made “would
achieve great
strength to
improve them”.
Moreover, they
should request
God and
protective
spirits
clarification,
because "God
would help them”
in this sense.
Is proposed for
the examination
of everyday
actions, address
questions to
yourself, the
questions are
about what you
do and what is
the purpose in
order to
identify if we
did something
that we would
reproach if
another person
did that, and
also if we did
something that
we are afraid to
confess.
He proposes
more, making us
put in front of
us in the
condition of
someone that can
return to the
world of spirits
at any time,
where we should
take stock of
our own acts
committed during
the carnal
experience: when
we land on the
other side of
life where
nothing can be
hidden, would we
“fear the look
of someone?
The Test that
can rest our
conscience is an
examination if
we haven’t done
anything against
Divinity, our
neighbour and
ourselves.
Because
self-evaluation
and
self-judgement
are difficult on
account of
illusions of
self-love, is
proposed as a
way of
verification
free from
illusion to ask
how we would
classify our own
actions if
others practiced
them. If we have
reason to
criticize such
actions, it
becomes clear
that we must not
do the same.
In the same line
of
investigation,
he proposes that
we try to verify
what others
think about our
actions. Plus:
the view of
enemies, because
they don’t have
any interest in
disguise the
truth, we must
not neglected
that, because
they are a good
way of warning,
using more often
than the frankly
of a friend
would do.
Another advice
to those who
feel possessed
of desire for a
serious
improvement is
to investigate
thoroughly their
own conscience
in order to
uproot from
themselves the
bad tendencies.
And as he did,
that we could
manage to do a
daily balance of
our moral
actions, to
evaluate losses
and profits,
profits will be
greater losses,
if we follow
that advice.
Subsequently St.
Augustine says
precisely: "If
you can say that
your day was
good, you can
sleep in peace
and await the
wake without
fear in
afterlife." Your
day, we believe,
should be
understood as
the culmination
of a succession
of days. Either
way shows us the
need to seize
every day and
give attention
to time that
usually flee out
of hands, if we
don’t
administrate it
well.
As a way of
self-examination
of
consciousness,
he recommends
that we
formulate “clear
and precise
questions”,
without fearing
in multiply
them, in order
to interrogate
ourselves about
our own actions.
This intimate
dialogue, which
does not take
more than a few
minutes and
"some efforts",
it is the way of
conquest
"eternal
happiness".
Since many have
a future as
uncertain, the
spirits come to
dispel our
uncertainty
"through
phenomenon that
is “capable of
hurting our
senses and of
“instructions"
(which we must,
for our time,
spread it).
The brief
comment of
Kardec in
response to this
is also worthy
of examination.
And for that we
are going to
transcribe it
literally:
Many sins that
we commit are
unnoticed by us.
If, indeed,
following the
advice of St.
Augustine, we
ask more often
our conscience,
we would see how
many times we
failed without
perceiving it,
only because we
don’t analyse
the nature and
objective our
actions. The
interrogative
form is
something more
precise than any
precept, which
often we fail to
apply in
ourselves. The
latter requires
categorical
answers, a yes
or a no, that
does not offer
place for any
alternative and
that are other
many personal
arguments. And,
by the result of
the answers
given, we can
compute the sum
of good or evil
that exists in
us.
In conclusion
Given the
banality of evil
that spreads
across the world
of men, we
should
individually and
collectively
launch ourselves
to the good
fight, which is
constant,
requiring us
discipline and
perseverance.
The war of good
against evil,
subject of
countless books
and films, must
be waged in our
own hearts,
above all.
Reminding us of
the allegory of
eggs of the
serpent, we must
break all of
them while they
are still in
nest, before we
release the evil
that still
insist on living
in us. If we
have already
released evil,
we can only go
through its
consequences,
with serenity
and strength.
If we
embarrassed
ourselves in
intrigue of
evil, isn’t
enough that we
regret of our
actions and
commit ourselves
to change by
relieve of
conscience (or
for any form of
promises), it is
necessary to
meditate deeply
in the objective
of our actions,
we must,
finally, plunge
a probe of
investigation in
our spirit to
the exam of our
deepest feelings
and thoughts.
If our action
took place, for
example, in the
exercise of
violence, we
must look into
our hearts for
the roots of
this violence,
being it is
where it is, and
there is only a
way to
definitively
annihilated the
roots of all
evils: being of
permanent
readiness to
tame, control
them with the
words ... You
learn in the
meetings of
Anonymous
(alcohol in
particular) that
our vices (the
bad passions) do
not have a cure,
but only
control. The
struggle without
end and without
quarter against
evil requires
from us, this
way, full
availability of
surveillance and
prayer.
In case of
"meditation" on
roots and fruits
of evil is
superficial, if
we do not
examine
rigorously
causes of our
actions,
inevitably we
will incur in
the same errors,
when
circumstances
change, when we
are in other
scenarios. The
reason of
recurrence is
that we do not
exercise our
"moral
reasoning",
which also
develops as the
logical,
mathematical
reasoning, etc.
On the other
hand, even if we
are not around
the more visible
expressions of
evil, as human
passions have
become more
"violent and
devastating in
humans, which
continues
restless”
according to
Joanna de
Ângelis, it is
possible that
the consequences
of these
passions reach
us, directly or
indirectly. The
trend of refuge
ourselves in our
world, that
still preserved
of the contagion
of many
tribulations,
can make us
alien to this
world of trials
and atonements.
Keeping
ourselves
sensitive to the
pain of our
neighbour, even
if that can
annoy us or
constrain us is
a genuine
Christian
attitude ...
Refuge ourselves
in indifference,
as an escape of
uncomfortable
pain that
passions and
mistakes of
others cause in
us, it is
healthy measure.
It becomes
necessary that
we learn from
our experiences,
practices, with
the exercise of
"moral
reasoning" and
with an
overflowing
material for
learning: ours
and other people
mistakes.
Ultimately, the
ethical and
moral
improvement
requires
reflection and a
dive in you. And
if necessary,
review our fall
and slide
periodically in
the moral field,
enabling memory
to remind us of
the many thorns
that have
brought
carnations in
the "flesh of
spirit" as Paul
of Tarsus
taught. These
thorns will
remind us of our
condition of
patients in
long-term
recovery stage
that needs
care...
In addition, we
can believe, as
in Final Court,
Nelson
Cavaquinho’s
song, that "The
evil seed will
be burned / love
will be eternal
again” being
sure that the
whole empire of
evil will fall
when we break
the ties that we
keep with
inferior
portions of our
own
individuality!
References:
Ebrahim, Surama
Gusmao. Late
adoption: a
study in terms
of altruism,
maturity and
emotional
stability. João
Pessoa, 1999.
200p. Thesis (Mas
ter in
Psychology) -
Universidade
Federal da
Paraíba.
FRANCO, Divaldo
Pereira. Sun of
Hope (various
spirits). 2nd
ed. Salvador:
Livraria
Spiritist
Alvorada, 1978.
Kardec, Allan.
The Spirits’
Book. 76th ed.
Brazilian
Spiritist
Federation: Rio
de Janeiro,
1995.
MACEDO, Joel.
Our every day
evil”-
Philosopher
takes on the
Lisbon
earthquake to
show how evil is
no longer divine
and becomes a
creation of man.
Available in
http://jbonline.terra.com.br/jb/papel/cadernos/ideias/2004/03/05/joride20040305001.html.
Accessed on 7
mar. 2004.
*
The first part
of this article
was published in
issue 108, May
24, 2009, this
journal.
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