The Spirit’s Book

Allan Kardec 

(Part 2) 

We continue the methodical study of the Pentateuch Kardec, which focuses on the five major works of the spiritual doctrine, in the order they were first published by Allan Kardec, the Encoder of Spiritualism.

The answers to the questions presented, founded in the 2th edition published by FEB, based on translation of Anna Blackwell, are at the end of the text below.

Questions for discussion

A. What is more important: the material world or spiritual world?

B. As can be summed up by spirits taught the moral superiors?

C. What advice do you wish to Kardec Spiritism know?

D. On that Spiritualism is considered a means to avoid madness and suicide?

Text for reading 

14. If you want serious answers of spirits thirst serious yourselves. Are also workers and persevere in your studies, without which the superior spirits will abandon you, as does a teacher with students negligent. (Introduction, VII) 

15. In the world of spirits is also a good and a bad society. The heavenly city contains not only the dregs of the people. (Introduction, X) 

16. Spirits confirm the words of the Gospel: "The great and small will be humbled will be exalted." That's the one who was the first on earth in the spirit world can be found among the last, and before which he bowed his head in this life can get back with us as the most humble artisan. (Introduction, XI) 

17. The spirits who have attained some degree of evolution are the only free from all influence body. But when you are not completely dematerialized, retain most of ideas, tendencies and even the mannerisms that had on earth. (Introduction, XII) 

18. The spirits of the same grade, the same character and cartoon of the same feelings gather in groups and in families. A Spirit of the category of Fenelon may therefore come into place, sometimes even with their name, because it is identical to it and can replace him and why we need a name to fix our ideas. (Introduction, XII) 

19. Evidently, the substitution of spirits can cause a lot of mistakes, errors result and often in mystification. This is one of the difficulties of practical Spiritism. But he never said that science was easy, even if I could learn it playing. Never be stressed enough that it requires constant study and often quite prolonged. (Introduction, XII) 

20. Superior spirits absolutely not concerned with how, for them, the essence of thought is all. (Introduction, XIII) 

21. Free of matter, its language is quick as thought, it is the very thought that communicates between them without intermediaries. It is understandable therefore that bind the spirits of little importance to childish spelling, especially when it comes to teaching a deep and serious. There is indeed wonderful that they express the mam indifferently in all languages, all encompassing? One should not conclude, however, that the conventional correction of the language is unknown to them, because they notice when necessary. (Introduction, XIV)

22. The madness has a predisposition due to primary organic brain that makes it more or less accessible to certain impressions. Given this predisposition, it will manifest the character of the individual's main concern, which will become a fixed idea. (Introduction, XV) 

23. The fear of the devil already unbalanced more than one brain. Do not overlook epilepsies whose cause the imbalance that causes the fear of the devil in delicate brain, especially in childhood. (Introduction, XV) 

24. Somnambulistic theory and the theory of reflection have been imagined by some men, are individual opinions, formulated to explain a fact, while the doctrine of spirits is not a human conception: it was dictated by intelligence that manifests themselves when nobody thought and opinion general even repelled. (Introduction, XVI) 

25. The skepticism with regard to the spiritual doctrine, when not the result of a systematic opposition, greedy, is almost always an incomplete knowledge of the facts. (Introduction, XVII) 

26. The true spiritual doctrine is the teaching given by the spirits, and the knowledge that this teaching ends are very serious to be acquired by another way than by a deep and continued study, done in silence and recollection. (Introduction, XVII) 

Answers to questions 

A. What is more important: the material world or spiritual world?  

The spirit world, which is the normal world, primitive, eternal, existing and surviving it all, is the most important. The material world is secondary, could cease to exist or never have existed without so would change the essence of the spirit world. (Introduction, section VI, pg. 23.)

B. As can be summed up by spirits taught the moral superiors?  

The moral of the higher spirits is summarized as that of Christ in this Gospel motto: Do unto others as you would that others should do unto, that is, doing good and not evil. (Introduction, section VI, pg. 27.)

C. What advice do you wish to Kardec Spiritism know?  

Whoever wishes to become versed in science to study that has methodically, starting at the beginning and following the thread and the development of ideas. Who will advance to address questions about a wise one whose first words we ignore science? Will the wise man himself, great as it is his good will, give you a satisfactory response? A single response, you give, will inevitably incomplete and often, therefore, unintelligible, or seem absurd and contradictory. The same occurs in our relations with the spirits. Who wants to acquaint himself with them have to do a course with them, but just as is done among us, must choose their teachers and work assiduously. (Introduction, item VIII, first two paragraphs, pg. 31, and item XVII, 2nd paragraph, pg. 46.) 

D. On that Spiritualism is considered a means to avoid madness and suicide?

The madness has a predisposition as a primary cause organic brain that makes it more or less accessible to certain impressions. Among the most common causes of cerebral over excitation, shall be counted disappointments, misfortunes, the affections countered that at the same time are the most common causes of suicide. However, the true spirit of this world sees things from a point of view so high; they seem so small, so petty, along with the future that awaits him, if he shows the life so short, so fleeting, that their eyes, the troubles are just unpleasant incidents in the course of a journey. What, in another, would produce an overwhelming emotion, poorly affects you. Besides, he knows the bitterness of life is evidence helpful to their advancement, whether suffering without a murmur. That is why, properly understood, Spiritualism is a preservative, not a stimulant, madness and suicide. (Introduction, item XV, third and fourth paragraphs, p. 41.)