Special
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por Cláudio
Bueno da Silva |
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Year 11 - N° 530
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August 20, 2017 |
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Morality as an agent of transformation |
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There are popular sayings that refer to our life and are automatically repeated,
and we do not even bother to think about what we are saying:
"Life is short, so let’s go and live it".
"You only live once".
"It's good to enjoy it while you're alive".
We often hear these sentences.
After all, on what does the person base himself when he says this? What is his
understanding about life and what is the purpose of it? By saying that life is
short and unique, he says that he is in a hurry to live, before everything is
over, and so he needs to make the most of what life offers. For many, this way
of thinking shows intelligence, cleverness, sagacity, and sense of humor. As a
consequence, those who do not think like this do not know how to "live a life".
This idea obviously comes from a person who has not yet realized - so busy he is
reaping what life has of "good" - that there is an element beyond his own body
that, in fact, is the one who chooses, decides for him and sustains his life:
the Spirit.
A body with a brain that thinks – Not being aware or even disregarding
the importance of the Spirit in the process of life, the individual prioritizes
everything that relates to what he thinks he is, i.e., a body with a thinking
brain. He then goes on to meet almost exclusively the demands of material life,
judging that the fulfillment of the obligations of the life of relationship is
sufficient to fulfill his existential needs.
As the issues of the Spirit are not part of his thoughts, he is concerned with
the interests of his physical life itself, which are transient and secondary.
True personal fulfillment - At one point in his preaching on this Earth,
Jesus of Nazareth said, "For whoever has, to him more shall be given, and he
will have in abundance”¹. He referred to those who join in the heart the
imperishable values that will meet the needs of the immortal future life. The
more wealth of this order is accumulated, the more new and superior elements
will unfold and be added to the moral patrimony of the Spirit.
The expression "Help yourself and Heaven will help you"² is the evangelical call
for man to work for his advance, not only for his material progress where he
develops intelligence, but mainly for his moral progress, where he improves his
feeling. The greater his efforts to know and understand the divine laws,
applying them to his neighbor, the closer he will be to his true personal
fulfillment which is, in the last analysis, the conquest of oneself.
On the other hand, Jesus also stated that "to him who does not have, even what
he has will be taken away", ³ referring to the indifference of the individual
regarding his Spiritual duties, which can lead to the damage and loss of what he
thinks belongs to him on this Earth – material, goods - but that the moth eats
up, rust that erodes, and the thief that steals them.
What values to worry about? - So, if material values have transient
validity and the values of the Spirit are eternal, with which do we really have
to worry?
Devoted and selfless Spirits, who worked in the elaboration of Spiritism, as
well as Allan Kardec, its Encoder, have always emphasized the importance of the
moral factor, not only in the resolution of human problems, but also in the
process of Spiritualization of Humanity.
Allan Kardec writes in The Gospel According to Spiritism, chapter III: "As
(moral life) develops, the influence of matter diminishes".
The philosopher and writer Herculano Pires, in a chronicle of the book The
Mystery of Good and Evil, states: "The function of the Spirit is to overcome
matter, to dominate and overcome it".
Another idea, among so many, that reinforces the preponderance of the Spirit
over matter is dictated by the Spirit of Truth, also in The Gospel according to
Spiritism, chapter VI: "Do not seek strength and consolation elsewhere, because
the (material) world is powerless to give them".
When the Spirit commands life - It is clear, therefore, that moral
intention must fill spaces in our life, directing our thought, giving our words
a fundament, building our actions. It is necessary for the Spirit to manage
matter by gaining moral force and overlapping the body, which is only an
instrument.
When the Spirit rules life, the positive consequences become evident: illnesses
diminish, afflictions are attenuated, stress and anxiety are controlled, and
illusions become meaningless. There will be less suffering, and what cannot be
avoided will be better understood. It will be given to each thing the importance
it has, no more, no less. And we will be with these results, moving towards
serenity, through self-control.
Answer to our searches - What do we look for on Earth, after all? Is it
happiness, peace, justice, brotherhood? The answer to question 614 of The Book
of Spirits serenely explains this question: "The natural law is the Law of God;
it is the only one necessary to man's happiness; it tells him what to do or not
to do, and he only becomes unhappy because he moves away from it".
Another stimulus in this sense comes from the answer to question 930, in the
same book: "The social order founded on justice and solidarity will settle when
man practices the Law of God".
The advice of Cardinal Morlot - In view of the moral/social system that
we are living today on the planet, it is urgent that we follow the advice of
Cardinal Morlot in the text "Happiness is not of this world", chapter V of The
Gospel According to Spiritism, which warns: (...) "Let each one of you strongly
get rid of the old man”.
But how do we do this? How do we overcome the "old man" that we still have in
us? According to the general instructions of the Higher Spirits, being less
proud, less selfish, less futile, less attached to material goods; worrying more
about our neighbor; not wasting time; taking advantage of every opportunity
presented to perform a good deed.
Where to seek knowledge for the renewal practice? - "Mankind has always
received moral instructions for its advance in every time and place. Spirits
always had, directly or indirectly, participation in these teachings. But it was
with the advent of Spiritism that these moral instructions - of which the Gospel
is the greatest compendium - gained clarity and become fully intelligible, and
can therefore be applied. There is no one who cannot become aware of, study and
live the Gospel, where the divine laws are contained.
Concerning the practical application of these maxims of Jesus, Richard Simonetti,
in his book A way of being happy, helps us to understand by stating: "Obviously
a Christian is not improvised. Even so, we are not prevented from rehearsing
fraternity".
Allan Kardec had written in 1857: "Today (Spiritism) has no secrets for anyone:
it speaks a clear and simple language; there is nothing mystical in it, no
allegories susceptible of false interpretations. It wants to be understood by
all because the time has come to make men know the truth. Far from opposing the
diffusion of light, it desires it for all" (...).4
The greatest of the missions - Spiritists have in this context a very
great responsibility. The invitation for their inner transformation is further
accentuated by the complex of knowledge to which they have access. "To whom much
is given, much is required". (Luke, XII: 47-48.)
We all have a mission on Earth, from the most important and all-encompassing to
the most simple and anonymous. But what really counts for our lives is that we
fulfill it faithfully, in fulfillment of the will of God. Probably the biggest
of the missions is working for our own advance.
Spirit Constantine uses a meaningful phrase in the message he brings to the
"workers of the last hour," in the twentieth chapter of the Gospel. He says,
"Use this hour you have left". It is an invitation to make a decision, to adopt
a moral attitude, already in this life, living and spreading the Gospel through
behavior.
In the book Missionaries of Light, written by Andre Luiz, an instructor talks to
a Spirit who is about to reincarnate on Earth, but who fears to fail by not
fulfilling what he plans to accomplish. The instructor, after enlightening him,
encourages him by saying, "Try to seize the opportunity".
I believe these messages serve as a warning to all of us in order to give life
on Earth its real meaning.
We conclude the reflections with the accuracy of the thought of the French
theologian Teilhard de Chardin (1881-1955): "We are not human beings living a
spiritual life; we are spiritual beings living a human life".
References:
¹ Matthew, XIII: 10-14.
² The Gospel according to Spiritism, chapter XXV, "Seek and ye shall find," LAKE
Publisher.
³ Matthew, XIII: 10-14.
4 Allan Kardec, The Book of Spirits, "Conclusion," item VI. LAKE Publisher.
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Translation:
Eleni Frangatos - eleni.moreira@uol.com.br
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