What does Spiritism teach?  Spiritism opens a sanctuary of knowledge to us

The essential objective of  Spiritism is the improvement of creatures”.-
Allan Kardec.

Without talking about the notable moral teachings offered by Spiritism, Spiritism still leads us to considerable results. Due to everything it does for Humanity, it would not be an overstatement to say the Spiritist Doctrine constitutes itself in the greater blessing from the Heavens poured to Earth by God’ goodness. Therefore it was not for no reason that Jesus prophecised it, mentioning the advent of the Consoler for the future.  Very well, in August 1865, in the 8^th year of the Revue Spirite, Allan Kardec brought to the light a publication¹ that highlighted our statement very well and which reported: “There are creatures who ask what are the great achievemets that we owe to Spiritism”. As it has not endowed the world with a new productive industry such as steam, people conclude that it has produced nothing.... Yet in another order of ideas, some think Spiritism’s march has been too slow for their degree of impatience.  Some feel astonished that Spiritism has not yet probed all of the mysteries of Nature, nor addressed all the questions that seem to fall within its jurisdiction; they wanted to see Spiritsm teaching new things daily, or enriching them with some discovery. And as it has not resolved the question of the origins of beings, they conclude it has not moved from a, b or c and that it has not yet entered into the path of true philosophy, and it drags itself aroung common subjects because it preaches incessantly humbleness and charity. They even affirm: “Until today nothing new has been taught to us because reincarnation, the denial of ethernal penalties, the imoratlity of the Soul, the gradation through the periods of intellectual vitality and the perispirit are not in themselves new spiritist discoveries; so it needs to march towards more truthful and concrete discoveries”.

 “In this regard we judge it to have the duty to present some observations that will also not be news; but there are things that must be repeated in different ways: It is true that Spiritism has not invented any of this because there are no truths except those that are eternal and that for this reason, they must have germinated in all times. Is it not something to have taken the truths from otherwise nothing, from at least oblivion? Is it not something to have taken the truth from a shoot and made it into a lively plant; to have taken from an individual idea that was lost in the darkness of times or suppressed by prejudices and made into a general belief? Isn’t it something to have proven that which was at a hypothetical level; to have demonstrated that which seemed exceptional and chance into the existence of a law; to have made a vague theory into a practical thing; to have taken useful applications from an unproductive idea?  For sure the saying that goes: “Nothing new under the sun” . So there is no discovery from which from any part of it, a vestige and the principle cannot be found. On this account, Copernicus would not have the merit of his system, because the Earth’s movement had been suspected before the Christian era. If it was such a simple subject, then it would still need to be found. The history of Columbus’ egg will always be an eternal truth. Besides, it is incontestable that Spiritism has always much to teach us. It is what we have been incessantly repeating, as we have never intend that it has said the last word. But, what is still left to do, as one hasn’t left the a,b,c  stage? Its a,b,c  stage were the gyrating tables; and since then it seems to us it has trodden a few paces; it even seen that such paces were wide in some years if we compare it to other sciences that took centuries to get to the point they are found. But in lack of new discoveries, have the men of science nothing to do? Will chemistry be chemistry no longer if it does not discover new things daily? Will astronomers be condemned to crossing their arms for not finding new planets? And so on in all branches of sciences and industries? 

It is up to God to direct his messenger’s teachings 

Before looking for new things, has not one to have to apply that which one knows? It is precisely to give men time to assimilate, apply and disseminate what they know, that Providence puts a waiting compass in the march forward. History is here to teach us that sciences do not follow a continous ascending march, at least ostensibly. At least the great movements that revolutionise an idea only in intervals more or less spaced apart.  Hence there is stagnation, but elaboration, application and fructification of what is known, which is always progress...

“Could the human Spirit incessantly absorb new ideas? Does not Earth itself need time for rest after harvesting? What would you say about a teacher who taught new rules to his students daily, without giving them time to exercise those they have learned, to identify themselves with them and apply them? In all things new ideas must fit in with already acquired ideas. If these were not sufficiently elaborated and consolidated in the brain, the Spirit has not assimilated them; those which want to root thmselves in the Spirit do not create root: sowing is done in emptiness. As well! The same takes place with Spiritism. Do the followers of such movement take advantage in such a way of what it has taught that there is nothing more they have to do?  Are they already so charitable, devoid of pride, unselfish, kind towards their fellow creatures. Do they moderate all their passions, have they rid themselves of envy, jealousy; ultimately are they so perfect that from now on it would superflous to preach them charity, humbleness, abnegation and, in a word, morals? This pretension in itself would prove how much we still need these elementary lessons whch some consider tiresome and purile?

“Spiritism tends towards the regeneration of Humanity: this is a positive fact. Well, this regeneration will not be able to proceed other than through moral progress, hence it results Spiritism providencial and essential objective is the improvement of each one. The mysteries which it can reveal to us are accessories because they open up the sanctuary of all knowledge.  We profit as we improve ourselves. It is therefore that every sincere spiritist must work on their individual progress before everything else. Only those who have mastered their bad inclinations really take advantage of spiritism and will receive their reward. It is due to this reason that the good Spirits, under God’s explicit order, multiply his instructions and repeat them ad infinitum.  Only God knows when these will be useful and it is up to God to manage the teaching of His messengers and to provide them towards our progress.

 

Spiritism’ results are remarkable 

“But, outside purely moral teaching, Spiritism’s results are remarkable: 

1º. – It provides us with patent proof of the existence and imortality of the Soul. It is true that it is not a discovery, but it is for lack of proof on this point that there are so many unbelievers or indifferents in regards to the fuure; it is by proving that which was no more than theory that Spiritism triumphs over materialism and avoids the harmful consequences of materialism on society; 

2º. - Through the firm belief Spiritism develops, it exerst a powerful action over man’s evil; leads man to good; consoles men during afflictions, gives man strength and corage during life’s trials and diverts man from suicide; 

3º. - It recifies all the false ideas that one may have had about the future of the Soul, of Heaven, of Hell, penalties and rewards. It radically destroys; through the irresistible logic of the facts; the dogmas on eternal punishments and on demons. In a word it reveals the Future life and it shows it to be rational and according to God’s justice and mercy. 

4º. - It provides us with the knowledge of what goes on during the moment of death; this phenomenon which has been unfanthomable up to today, does not have mysteries as small particularities of this much feared passage are known today. Well, as everyone dies, such knowledge interests the whole world. 

5º. -   It opens up a new area for philosophy through the law of plurality of existences; as man knows where he comes from, what his objectives are here on Earth, where he goes to after his bodily demise. It explains the causes of all human miseries, of all social ineqaulities It ultimately pours over the most arduous questions of metaphysics, of psychology and of morality.   

6º. - It provides knowledge of the mechanism of the Soul’s sensations and perceptions. It explains the phenomena of second sight, power of seeing at a distance, of somnambulism, of extasis, of dreams, of visions, of apparitions, etc. 

7º. - By proving the relationships that exist between the corporeal and spiritual worlds, it shows the latter is one of the active forces of Nature, a intelligent power, and gives the reason of a part of the effects that are attributed to supernatural causes and that fed the majority of the superstitious ideas;  

8º. - It makes known the cause of numerous affections and, which was unknown until now, that science has made a mistake here to the detriment of sick people, by revealing the facts known of obsessions and providing the means to cure them. 

9º.  - It provides us knowledge of the truthful conditions of prayer and its manner of action, revealing us the reciprocal influence of incarnate and discarnate Spirits, it teaches us the power of man over the imperfect Spirits in order to moralise them and free them from the sufferings inherent to their inferiority; 

10º.  - It leads us to know spiritual magnetisation which was unknown and opens a new way for magnetism bringining us a new and powerful tool for cure. 

Spiritism refines the rough diamond 

The merit of an invention is not in the discovery of a principle, which was almost always previously known, but in the application of this principle. Reincarnation is not a new idea as perispirit is not a new idea either. It was described by Paul under the name “spiritual body”, nor is the idea of communication of the Spirits, from which the Bible itself is replete with examples. Spiritism does not boast to have discovered Nature, it carefully seeks all traces of the anteriority of its ideas that can be found and when it finds them, it hurries to declare them as supporting proof of what it affirms. Those, therefore, who invoke this anteriority aiming to depreciate what Spiritism does, go against its objective and act incorrectly.

The discovery of reincarnation and of the perispirit does not belong therefore to Spiritism. But before Spiritism, what advantages had science, ethics, religion taken from these principles which were ignored by the masses in a state of dead letter? Spiritism has not only brought them to light but has also proved them and made them recognised as laws of Nature, it developed them and made them fruit. Since these principles were known, why were they kept improductive for such long periods of time? Why for centuries did the philosphies clash with so many insoluble problems? It was because they were rough diamonds which had to be refined: This is what Spiritism does.  Spiritism opened a new path for philosophy or in other words, it created a new philosophy which it occupies its place in the world daily.

(...) Some say that the Spiritist only knows the “a, b, c” of Spiritism.  It may be so. To begin with, so that we can learn to spell the alphabet and what it is not a problem for one day. For to reduce it to only these proportions, much time will pass before all combinations are finished and all fruits are reaped. Are there no more facts left to be explained? Do not spiritists have to teach this alphabet to those who ignore it? Have they already sown the seed in every part where they could do so? Are there no more unbelievers to convert, obsesees to be cured, consolations to carry out, tears to dry? Is there any reason to say that there is nothing more to be done, when the task has not been finished, when there are so many wounds to close?

Better therefore that know how to spell our alphabet before wishing to start reading correctly Nature’s great book. God will knows very well when to open it up, as we progress but it does not depend upon any mortal to force His Will and antecipating time for each thing.

If the tree of science is too high for us to reach it, we ought to wait to take flight above it, so that our wings are grown and firmly secured and that we won’t have the same sad end as Icarus.