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
206. Is the nature of Spiritism - contained in this work - the same as the one published by Kardec in in the Spiritist Magazine in December, 1868?
207. How is the text - that deals with the formation of Spiritism – divided into?
208. Why was the Encoder so meticulous in matters that do not belong to the doctrinal aspect of Spiritism?
209. Of all the items that make up the text in focus, is there any one that stands out due to its continued existence?
Answers to the proposed questions
206. Is the nature of Spiritism - contained in this work - the same as the one published by Kardec in in the Spiritist Magazine in December, 1868?
In part, yes, but this work contains comments that were not previously mentioned in the Magazine. They were written by Kardec just before he passed away and they might be the Encoder’s last writings. (Posthumous Works – Second Part – Nature of Spiritism).
207. How is the text - that deals with the formation of Spiritism – divided into?
The text - as it appears in this work - is divided into ten topics:
I. Preliminary considerations
II. Of Cismas
III. Spiritism’s Leader
IV. Central Commission
V. Ancillary and complementary institutions of the Central Commission
VI. Central Commission Action Extension
VII. The Constitutive Statute
VIII. Beliefs of the Program
IX. Ways and Means
X. Allan Kardec and the New Constitution.(Posthumous Works – Second Part – Nature of Spiritism).
208. Why was the Encoder so meticulous in matters that do not belong to the doctrinal aspect of Spiritism?
Kardec’s motives are expressed in the preliminary remarks, in which he says that Spiritism had, like all things, its growing period, and until all main and additional issues, connected to it, have been solved, he could not offer but incomplete results. One can have a glimpse of its purpose, sense its consequences, but only vaguely. Uncertainty about the points not yet determined should necessarily cause disagreements on how to consider them. The unification can only be the work of time; and this has been accomplished as the principles have been clarified. However, when the Doctrine has embraced all parts it entails, it will form a harmonious whole, and only then will it be possible to judge what Spiritism truly is.
According to Kardec, the Doctrine is immortal because it is based on the Laws of Nature, and better than any other, it answers to man’s legitimate aspirations; however, its dissemination and its permanent installation can be advanced or delayed by circumstances, some of which are subject to the general course of things, but others are inherent to the Doctrine, to its formation and organization. While Spiritism was only a philosophical opinion, it had among its followers the natural sympathy caused by common viewpoints, but no serious tie could exist between them due to the lack of a clearly defined program. This is, of course, the major cause for the poor cohesion and stability of the groups and societies that were forming at the time.
Stating this, the Spiritism Encoder added: "We would have done something incomplete and left great embarrassment for the future, if we had not foreseen the difficulties that may arise. To avoid this we developed a plan of organization to which we added the experience of the past in order to avoid the pitfalls against which most of the doctrines that appeared in the world have stumbled". (Posthumous Works - Second Part - Nature of Spiritism).
209. Of all the items that make up the text in focus, is there any one that stands out due to its continued existence?
Yes, in the topic dealing with schisms, Kardec reaffirms the essentially progressive nature of the Doctrine. The progressive principle - he says - is to safeguard its perpetuity, and its drive will be maintained precisely because it does not rest on the principle of immobility, as immobility, instead of being a force, becomes a cause of weakness and ruin, for those who do not follow the general movement. However, following the progressive movement in all, we must do so with caution and be careful not to give in to the dreams of utopias and systems; we must do it in time, neither too early nor too late, and being aware of what you are doing.
Exclusively based on the Laws of Nature, the Doctrine cannot be different to them, but if a new law is discovered, it should follow it and not close the door to any progress, under penalty of committing suicide. Thus, assimilating all the ideas recognized as just, whether physical or metaphysical, the Doctrine will never be outdated, and that's one of the main guarantees of its continuity. (Posthumous Works - Second Part - Nature of Spiritism).
