Guilt, regret and repair under the Spiritist perspective  Part 1
Claudia Gelernter

1002. What they should do that at the last moment, the hour of death, recognizing their faults, but do not have time to fix them? It is enough to repent in this case?

"Repentance rush his rehabilitation, but does not absolve him. He has no future ahead of him that never closes? "(The Spirits' Book, Allan Kardec.)

Jean-Jacques Rousseau, one of the greats of the Enlightenment, was born in Geneva, in the year 1712. He never knew his mother because she, due to complications of childbirth, died days after his birth. When he turned ten years old, his father became involved in an argument with someone important in town and, for fear of reprisals, was gone, leaving his son to be educated by an uncle. According to his biographers, the fact that Rousseau had not known her mother marked him deeply.

It has become, in adulthood, self-taught composer, political theorist, philosopher and writer. Contributed extensively to the major reforms that have occurred in America and Europe in the nineteenth century, with its ideals of liberty, equality and fraternity, and still one of the famous collaborators Enciclopedie of Diderot and D'Alembert. He wrote several books, influencing many cultures and generations. It was one of those men who did not go unnoticed, because knowledge possessed quite advanced for its time - visions that broke with the prevailing paradigms, bringing very important changes to the landscape of the western world.

One of his writings, to resounding success, called "Emile, or On Education ". In this work, Rousseau creates a fictional character named Emilio, and will, in the course of his writings, which tell the reader how he educates this character. Emilio's goal is "to form a free man, and the true love of children ...". Today this work is seen not only as a reference for all educators [parents, teachers etc.], But, above all, as a life lesson. However, Rousseau, this same man, philosopher, writer, had five children. And the left, everyone in orphanages.

In the preface of the book mentioned, so the translator says: "How to take seriously a book on education written by a man who abandoned the five children he had with Thérese Levasseur? That objection, repeated by young readers of yesterday and today, should be placed, not itself be taken seriously, but that we desvencilhemos it once and for all. Rousseau is those who think there is no worse than cowardly abandonment of the children who had the pleasure of doing. Rousseau wrote in his Emile: 'A father, when it generates and sustains children, carries with it only a third of his task. He is kind to his men, should men sociable society, citizens should be the rule. Any man who can pay that debt and not pay triple is guilty, and perhaps even more guilty when you only pay half. Who can not fulfill the duties of a father has no right to become a father. There is poverty, labor or human respect that dispense to support their children and educate them himself. Readers, can you believe what I say. For anyone who has guts and disdain as holy duties, I predict that long shed bitter tears because of you and it will never be comforted. '"(Emile, Book 1.)

Rousseau influenced, a lot, thinkers like Pestalozzi

It was just by feeling guilty that Rousseau wrote Emile (1757 to 1762). We can not pretend that the book has nothing to teach us because its author does not put it into practice. This would need to reverse the chronology and Rousseau prohibit any opportunity of a sincere repentance seeking redress. Emilio said the author of "Do not write to excuse my mistakes, but to prevent my readers to imitate the".

Jean-Jacques greatly influenced thinkers such as Johann Pestalozzi, founder of the school of Yverdun, Switzerland, master of Allan Kardec. Therefore, we can say that Rousseau is the spiritual grandfather of Kardec in education issues. Taking into account that the encoder of Spiritism [like Pestalozzi] pedagogue was soon realized as the work Emilio was important for all three and many others. And if Rousseau greatly influenced Kardec, the rest of us, here on this side of the planet, 150 years after Kardec, are also influenced by their ideas fantastic education through love and freedom.

We also know, through the writings of the late life of Jean-Jacques Rousseau, whom he tried to rescue all his children from orphanages, but was unsuccessful. Therefore, their repentance and atonement we see emerging the quest for repair, if not directly to the prejudiced, through all those who drink of the sources of his ideas and renovating, why not say, wonderful.

The writer of the Passion Cearense Catullus in his poem "The Sorrow and Joy", states that "the pain is like lightning, the dark scares us, but illuminates the paths." Rousseau learned the true meaning of this phrase 300 years before being pronounced by Catullus.

Following this line of thought, we can not say that Rousseau was stagnant in fright caused by pain. She opened her eyes, when she cleared paths, and learned to follow them with courage. Just as well.

Other story, older than Rousseau, but that inspires our hearts greatly, talks about a woman born in a difficult time in the town of Magdala. Her name was Mary. Some evangelists tell us that she was carrying in his psyche the presence of seven demons, having been cured by Jesus. Today, through Spiritism, we learn that these 'demons' were actually spirits still ignorant, temporarily turned to evil.

Maria moved away from imposing moral under the Master, however it behooves us to point out that, if not returned to bother her was due to her merits accumulated through his inner reform.

Rousseau showed up, many times, a rebelled Protestant

Humberto de Campos, in his book Good News tells us, in dramatic fashion, the story of the encounter between Mary and Jesus. She bent by the weight of his guilt, carrying many sorrows born in the depths of remorse constant, open your heart tormented. Jesus, the Great Sage, pointing new ways, "Love, Maria. Love a lot. Love the children of other mothers ... choose the narrow gate ... ".

No objections. Just one request: he loved much, without expecting anything back. It was what he did.

After the crucifixion of Jesus, the disciples decided to follow in spreading the Good News. However, those men, drenched with prejudice, denied his company. Had to stay on the shores of Tiberias, in tears, full of longing and pain.

It was when they reached the city saw many lepers in search of the Master. He did not know that did not belong to that world - wanted to hear His voice, His teachings and perhaps achieve the long sought cure.

Mary did not hesitate. We tried them, and every afternoon, began to spread the teachings that there had been learned from the friend Nazarene. Soon, however, those people were driven from Capernaum and she, with the best sense of that possession, accompanied them to far away. He followed his days tending the daytime, the sick, sheltering them, trying to minimize their pain, their hunger, their sadness. After some time noticed pink spots on his skin. He had leprosy, too.

Sensing that the end of life came, decided to seek the mother of Jesus, Mary, and John, his beloved friends. He went to Ephesus, but could not enter the city, falling just before his entrance.

Soon after his disembodiment, found himself again on the shores of the Sea of ​​Galilee, leaning against a large tree. In the distance, approaching Jesus with open arms, telling her: "Mary, have you spent the narrow gate! ... You loved so much! Come! I'll wait here. "

Two fantastic stories with common points: Rousseau and Mary left the process of remorse, repented truly and chose repair. Another point we should note is that both, though primarily religious cultures within [her he was Jewish and Protestant] and prejudiced, managed to free himself from the shackles theological. She drank because the sources of Truth directly with Jesus. Let us remember that He said: "Know the Truth and the Truth shall make you free." (John 8:32.) This is what happened with Mary. He freed himself from remorse and could move on.

He [Rousseau], because it broke the shackles of dogma. It has been shown many times in Protestant a rebelled, suspicious of ecclesiastical interpretations on the Gospels. He always said: "How many men between me and God," which drew the ire of both Catholics and Protestants.

Blame in the Occident - Capitalism and the normosis

Nowadays, we face many dilemmas when analyzing the question of guilt.

Increasingly we are aware of how western individualist theories are mistaken ⁽¹⁾ with regard to the reality of being. Both through the lens , as so called human sciences, we have had contact with another reality: that belong to the whole, influencing and being influenced in a sea of ​​experiences where everything changes continuously through relationships. Unable to explain the be separate from the environment where it operates. We can not fail to consider the long history and culture which is inserted under risk of committing blunders, subtracting important influences and, worse, not recognizing its real essence this means.

They already perceive the urgency of a more holistic, viewing the subject with all its faces. Being a subject as bio-psycho-socio-spiritual, for that is what we are, and the Spirit, the immortal being, created simple and ignorant, with potential for relative perfection and will, through successive lives evolve, it is essence, your true self, with which operates worldwide through its portion biological, psychological mechanisms with characteristic within a society, and in particular culture in a particular historical time.

When this expanded our eyes, let us closer to the reality, and, therefore, we can improve our understanding, achieving therefore better reflect on our actions and their implications in our lives and in the environment where we operate.

In the Judeo-Christian culture, the fear of the faithful fed for centuries, some of the power, through the mechanism of guilt. In this context, We were born already guilty, after all we are descendants of an unforgivable mistake: our ancestors Adam and Eve who, in an act of great folly (the traditional religious view) abdicated the greatest gift of God - Heaven on Earth - replacing him by the fruit the tree of wisdom. We are guilty because we want to know something. Thus, ignorance would be the best medicine, accepting dogmas irrevocable and, of course, unquestioned. Maybe then we could make peace with God for a time, since even contribuíssemos with something, preferably of a material nature, the 'Cause of God on earth'.

But our story with the blame does not stop there. Jewish women are born impure, after all, and not even menstruate and men can pray in temples. After the year 234 AD, when it created the Catholic institution, the guilt would remain present. Men should fight the 'holy wars', bringing gold to the church and decreasing the number of 'infidels' by the sword. If they did, they could sleep with a clear conscience, because they would be in good standing with God.

(This article will be concluded in the next edition.)

⁽¹⁾ According to the prevailing idea in the ideology of capitalism, man is a being who 'made alone', rising or failing, according to his will [or lack thereof]. In this way of thinking are not considered environmental influences for the study and understanding of the individual; human phenomena could be studied separately from the context in which it developed. In American culture, the 'self-made man' (man who makes himself) is the greatest symbol of that kind of thinking, helping thereby maintaining the ideology in which we live.

References:

LELOUP: J. Y; WEILL, P.; CREMA, R. Normosis: the pathology of normalcy. São Paulo, Thot, 1997.

KARDEC, A. Heaven and Hell, Code Hereafter, p.94, Translation from Manuel Justiniano Quintão, 42ª edition; FEB; Rio de Janeiro, 1998.

The Spit’s Book, first edition commemorative sesquicentenary, Translation from Evandro Noleto Bezerra, FEB, Rio de Janeiro, 2006.

ROUSSEAU, J.J.; Emílio ou Da Educação; Translation from Roberto Leal Ferreira, 3ª edição, São Paulo, Martins Fontes, 2004.

WEBER, Max. The Protestant Ethic and the spirit of Capitalism. São Paulo, Martin Claret. 4ª edição, 2001.

XAVIER, F.C.; Good News, chappter Mary of Magdala, by Humberto de Campos, Spirit; FEB; third edition, Rio de Janeiro, 2008