In this issue we continue the study of the book Posthumous Works, published after Allan Kardec disembodied and containing texts written by him. The present work is based on the translation made by Dr. Guillon Ribeiro, published by the Brazilian Spiritist Federation.
Questions for discussion
102. What caused the decline of Art in the 19th century?
103. What new elements does Spiritism bring, in addition to the Christian teachings?
104. Is the perfection of form related to the perfection of the Spirit?
105. It has always been said that the face is the mirror of the soul. Is this true?
106. Is the music of the spiritual world more beautiful than ours?
Answers to the proposed questions
102. What caused the decline of Art in the 19th century?
It is the unavoidable result obtained by concentrating on material things, and this concentration, in turn, is the result of the absence of any belief turned to the spirituality of the being. The century only reaps what it has sown. Who sows stones cannot pick fruit. Art will not leave its torpor, except if it reacts to spiritual ideas.
The world moves with giant’s steps from the very beginning of History. Philosophies of the primitive people have gradually changed. Art, which is based on the philosophies, and is its idealized consecration, should also change and transform itself. It is mathematically accurate to say that without belief, Art has no possible life, and that all philosophical transformation leads necessarily to a parallel artistic transformation.
Whenever there are changes, Art is in danger, because the belief on which it supports itself is no longer sufficient for the increased aspirations of Humanity, while the new principles, not yet definitely adopted by the vast majority of men, do not inspire the artists to explore them, only in a very hesitant manner. However, as the Christian art succeeded the pagan art transforming it, the Spiritist Art will complement the transformation of the Christian Art.(Posthumous Works - Art and Spiritism).
103. What new elements does Spiritism bring, in addition to the Christian teachings?
Spiritism shows us the future in a new light and more within our reach. According to Spiritism, happiness is closer to us, with the Spirits around us in a never stopping relationship. The homes of the elected and the damned ones are no longer isolated; there is constant solidarity between Heaven and Earth, and among all worlds throughout the Universe. Happiness is the mutual love of all creatures reaching perfection. These creatures work constantly with the purpose of teaching and leading to perfection those, who are late. Hell is in the very heart of those who are guilty, finding punishment in their remorse, but it is not eternal. Those, who are evil, in their way to repentance, rediscover hope, the sublime consolation of the unfortunate.
Art finds here endless sources of inspiration! It could create many masterpieces of all types, by reproducing the multiple and varied scenes of the Spiritist life.
Instead of representing the cold and inanimate spoils, we will see a mother with her beloved daughter in her radiant and ethereal form; the victim forgiving her tormentor; the criminal fleeing in vain from the visions of his guilty actions; the isolation of the selfish and proud, in the middle of the crowd, and so on.
Spiritism opens a large and not yet explored field for Art. And when the artist reproduces the Spiritist World with conviction, he will then receive from this source the most sublime inspiration and his name will be remembered through the future centuries, because instead of material and ephemeral concerns, the study of the future and eternal life of the soul will be showed. (Posthumous Works - Art and Spiritism).
104. Is the perfection of form related to the perfection of the Spirit?
Studies suggest that the shape of the body is modified in a certain way and according to a law as the moral being develops; the outer shape is in constant relationship with the instincts and appetites of the moral being; the more your instincts approach those of animalism, so more the form also approaches it; in short, as the material instincts purify and give way to moral feelings, the outer wrapper, which is not intended to meet the gross needs, takes less and less heavy forms, becomes more delicate, in harmony with the rise and delicacy of thoughts. The perfection of form is thus the result of the perfection of the Spirit, from which one can conclude that the ideal of the form should be the one that covers the Spirits in a state of purity. (Posthumous Works - Theory of Beauty).
105. It has always been said that the face is the mirror of the soul. Is this true?
This idea, which became axiomatic, explains this common fact: certain ugliness disappears under the reflection of the moral qualities of the Spirit, and, very often, we prefer an ugly person with outstanding qualities, than the one that has but a plastic beauty. This ugliness does not only refer to the irregularities of form, but it does not exclude the fineness of the features, necessary for the expression of delicate feelings.
From the above it can be concluded that the real beauty is the form that is more distant from the animal form, and better reflects the intellectual and moral superiority of the Spirit, which is the main being. The moral influencing the physical: 1st, that the type of beauty is the most appropriate way to express the highest moral and intellectual qualities; 2nd , that the man, who rises morally, his wrap approaches the ideal of beauty, which is the angelic beauty.
Having such ideas been read in the Society of Paris, on the same date – February 4, 1869 – several messages were received presenting the same conclusions.
In one of them, signed by the Spirit of Lavater, we read: "As for the so-called beauty, and what is truly worthy of the title, is only something relatively essential, because one can always conceive something more beautiful and more perfect. There is only one beauty, one single beauty, and that is God. Out of Him, everything we may say of beauty is only a pale reflection of a unique beauty, a harmonious feature out of the thousand and one harmonies of creation. All types harmonically come together in the perfect. This is why there is the absolute beauty. We, that progress, only have a relative beauty, weak and opposed by the non-harmonic elements of our nature”. (Posthumous Works - Theory of Beauty).
106. Is the music of the spiritual world more beautiful than ours?
Yes, it is more beautiful than the music on Earth. The Higher Spirits say that the sound of our instruments and our most beautiful voice cannot give us the slightest idea of what the celestial music is and its soft harmony. (Posthumous Works – Heavenly music and Spiritist music).
