Here is a very special book. Alas, forgotten! I invite the reader to get his/her copy from the bookshelf to browse the work. I suggest you start from the index to learn about the contents of the book.   

It consists of two parts. In the first, studies by Kardec on exciting topics and in the second part, intimate notes, details of the Codifier's private life, communications of spirits directly linked to the task of the Spiritist Codification and the preciousness of the texts in Project 1868, Constitution of Spiritism and Spiritist Creed.  

As we know, the book was published in January 1890, after the disembodiment of Allan Kardec, containing notes, texts and studies found in his study.   

Despite the wealth of the studies contained in the first part of the work, it seems that the second part of the book should be consulted and widely disseminated among us all, current spiritists of Brazil and the world, particularly from the text Without Charity There Is No Salvation. The text starts a wonderful sequence of reflections which are distributed in the chapters Project 1868, Constitution of the Spiritism and Spiritist Creed, as mentioned above.  

The book also contains a biography of Kardec, Flammarion's speech at the burial of the Codifier and the precious studies titled Theory of Beauty, Heavenly Music, Spiritist Music, The Path of Life and The Five Alternatives of Humanity, among others.  

"The poor have never been rejected in my house, or  treated harshly”  

When I read such gems again, I wonder: Why have we forgotten them? Is it due to our frivolity? Would it be disdain or indifference? What makes us neglect such valuable and important writings and reflections by Kardec?   

I say this because it is about such important texts that they should become material for daily reflection for the studious of Spiritism.              

So as to show the importance of the content of this book, unfortunately little known to spiritists, I have selected some small excerpts for the reader.   

At the end of the small transcripts, I have inserted additional comments:  

a) "These principles, for me, are not just a theory, I put them into practice; I do the good as far as my position allows me; I provide service whenever I can; the poor have never been rejected in my house, or treated harshly; (...)I will continue therefore to do all the good I can, even to my enemies, because hate does not blind me; and I would always extend them a hand to get them off of a cliff, if the opportunity presented itself so. This is how I perceive Christian charity; I understand a religion that ordains us to return evil with good, even more so, to restore good with good. But I would never understand the one that prescribes us to repay evil with evil."- From the Chapter Without Charity There Is No Salvation.  

"Charity and fraternity summarize all the
conditions and  all social duties"  

b) "(...) Men cannot be happy if they do not live in peace, I mean, if they are not animated by a sense of mutual benevolence, forbearance and condescension, in a word, while seeking to crush one another. Charity and brotherhood summarize all the conditions and all social duties; but, they presuppose selflessness. However, selflessness is incompatible with selfishness and pride; thus, with such defects it makes true brotherhood impossible, or, therefore, equality, or freedom, for the proud and selfish want everything for themselves. The rodent worms of all progressive institutions will always be there; while they reign, the most generous social systems, the most wisely combined, will collapse under their blows. From the chapter Selfishness and Pride - its causes, effects and means of destroying them.  

c) "(...) All of you who dream of that golden age for mankind, work, above all, the basis of the building, before willing to crown the ridge; give them brotherhood in its purest sense as a basis; but, for this, it may not suffice to decree and inscribe it on a flag; it is necessary that it is in the heart and the hearts of men cannot be changed with decrees. Just as, to make a field fruitful, one must remove its rocks and thorns, and work restlessly to extirpate the virus of pride and selfishness, for there lies the source of all evil, the real obstacle to the kingdom of good; destroy in the laws, institutions, religions, education, until the last vestiges the times of barbarism and privileges as well as all causes that maintain and develop those eternal obstacles to real progress that one receives, as per say, from childhood and that one aspires by all the pores in the social atmosphere; only then mankind will understand the duties and benefits of brotherhood; Then also, with no convulsion or danger, the complementary principles of equality and freedom will settle by themselves. From the chapter Liberty, Equality, Fraternity.   

"The secret anathema will become official, and the spiritist will be rejected by the Roman Church"  

d) "The clergy will cry heresy, for they will see that you attack them firmly on the eternal punishment and other issues on which their influence and their credit are based; they will cry so much that they will feel much more hurt than for the publication of The Spirits' Book, of which strictly speaking they could accept the given principles; but presently, you will take a new path where they can not follow you. The secret anathema will become official, and the spiritists will be rejected along with the Jews and the pagans by the Roman Church. In contrast, the spiritists will see their numbers increase due to this sort of persecution, especially seeing the priests accusing of absolute demonic work a doctrine which morality will shine like a sunbeam because of the very publication of its new book and those which will follow. Behold, the hour is coming when it will be necessary to declare the Spiritism openly for what it is, and show to everyone where the true doctrine taught by Christ is found; the time is approaching when, before heaven and Earth, you will have to proclaim Spiritism as the only truly Christian tradition, the only truly divine and human institution. - Excerpt from a mediumistic message obtained in Ségur on August 9, 1863, on the consequences of the publication of The Gospel According to Spiritism.  

One can clearly perceive that the mentioned texts - among others - need to be copied, distributed, read and studied together by all of us in our public meetings or intimate studies, in our institutions, for the preciousness of its considerations. Due to our human imperfection, we are often oblivious to the charity in relationships, judgments, or delude ourselves with foolish vanities, jeopardizing the effort of decades of those who built or founded the institutions to which we are currently devoted.  

On the other hand, the Codifier's personal notes, his inner thoughts (like the text Without Charity There Is No Salvation), his struggles and difficulties need to be, once again, put back under our examination so that we can think about the time we lose with tiny and unimportant issues, holding back efforts in the good on which we should concentrate more our attention...  

It seems like we cannot leave such a work into oblivion. One hundred and twenty years after its publication, it is time again for us to widely publicize it so that its precious texts are with us to guide us the procedure, the behavior and the steps towards the good.