We continue the methodical study of the Pentateuch Kardec, which focuses on the five major works of the spiritual doctrine, in the order they were first published by Allan Kardec, the Encoder of Spiritualism.
The answers to the questions suggested for discussion was the end of the text below.
Questions
A. What is after the obsession, the greatest difficulty of practical Spiritism?
B. When the identity of the Spirit becomes easier?
C. It is important to distinguish between good and bad spirits?
D. What, according to Kardec, the only and infallible means of knowing the nature of Spirit communicating?
Text for reading
349. The erroneous doctrines taught by some spirits can not slow the progress of true science? Spirits responded to Allan Kardec: "Do you wish to get everything out of work. Know ye therefore that there is no field where weeds grow bad, it is the farmer whose extirpation. Such erroneous doctrines are a consequence of the inferiority of your world. If men were perfect, just accept what is true. errors are like the fake stones, that only a trained eye can distinguish. have need, therefore, a learning, to distinguish the true from the false. well! false doctrines have utility to arouse you in making the distinction between error and truth". "Those who adopt the error are not advanced enough to understand the truth." (Item 301, question 10)
350. No cloud obscures the purest light; unblemished diamond is what has more value; judge therefore spirits for the purity of its teachings. The unit will be on the side where the well is there ever mixed the evil side of this is that men will bind by virtue of the same things, because they consider that there is the truth. Notice, the other, the fundamental principles are the same everywhere and have to unite in a common idea: the love of God and doing good. Whatever, therefore, the mode of progression to imagine that the souls, the ultimate goal is one, and only one of the means to achieve it: do good. If disagreements arise capital, a rule we have to appreciate: the best is the doctrine that satisfies the heart and reason and that most elements quits to lead men to good. And it is this that will prevail as expressly asserts the Spirit of Truth. (Item 302)
351. The purpose of Spiritism, as has been said, is the moral improvement of mankind. If not departing from that goal, we will never be fooled, because there are two ways to understand the true moral. (Item 303, question 1)
352. God does not send the spirits to facilitate road in material life, but we prepare for the future. (Item 303, question 1)
353. Those who renounce Spiritualism, because of a simple disappointment, prove they have not understood and not have him attack the serious part. God allows the mystifications, to experience the perseverance of true believers and punish those who make fun of Spiritism object. (Item 303, question 2)
354. The mystifications can have unpleasant consequences for those who do not find themselves in custody. Among the means to employ these spirits, the most common are those that are designed to try to greed, as the revelation of hidden treasures intended, the announcement of inheritances or other sources of wealth. Furthermore, they should be considered with suspicion predictions given time, as well as all the precise details relating to material interests. (Item 303, Kardec's note)
355. Mediums are not just selfish that may require a fixed payment, the interest is also reflected by the ambitions of all sorts. This is one of the faults that take advantage mocking spirits know. How mediumship is an option given to good, good spirits turn away from those who want to make it a stepping stone to get to whatever it is that does not correspond to the views of Providence. Selfishness is the scourge of society, the good spirits to fight; anyone watches therefore entitled to assume that they will serve. (Item 306)
356. The degree of trust or distrust that must dispense with a medium depends, above all, the estimates that infuse his character and morality, beyond circumstances. The medium that end with a serious and eminently useful, if he thought prevented from employing their time differently and consequently found himself exonerated, not to be confused with the medium speculator, with anyone who willfully, make their mediumship an industry. (Item 311)
357. Fraud always aims at an end, a material interest in any, where there is nothing to gain, there is no interest in deceiving. So that was said, speaking of mediums mercenaries, the best of all warranties is the absolute disinterest. (Item 314)
Answers to questions
A. What is after the obsession, the greatest difficulty of practical Spiritism?
It is the question of the identity of the spirits, since they do not bring a mark of identification and know ease with which some of them take borrowed names, so after obsession, this is one of the greatest difficulties of Spiritist practice. It should be understood, however, that in many cases the absolute identity side issue and is of no real importance. (The Book of Mediums, item 255.)
B. When the identity of the Spirit becomes easier?
Identity is much easier to ascertain when it comes to contemporary spirits, of which we know the character and habits, because they are precisely those habits, which have not yet had time to break free, allowing their recognition and constitute one of the same surest signs of identity. The Spirit can undoubtedly provide evidence when asked, but does not always, unless it suits him, and this usually hurts the request, that is why we should avoid it. When you leave your body, the Spirit has not lost the susceptibility and thus is offended by every question that has finally put it to the test. Proofs of identity arise, moreover, of a portion of unforeseen circumstances that are not always present at first glance, but on further work. It should therefore expect them not tease them, carefully observing all that may result from the nature of communications. (Ibid., item 257.)
C. It is important to distinguish between good and bad spirits?
Yes, if the absolute identity of Spirits is in many cases a matter incidental and unimportant, not so with the distinction between good and bad spirits; their individuality us can be indifferent, but not its quality. In all communications instructive, here is the point to which all must converge our attention, because this distinction is that only can give us a measure of confidence that can be attributed to the Spirit that manifests itself, whatever the name under which present. We believe the spirits as we judge men: by their language. Suppose a man receives twenty letters from strangers. In style, by thoughts, by innumerable signs, finally, will judge the people who are educated or ignorant, ill-educated or polished, superficial, deep, frivolous, proud, serious, frivolous, sentimental etc.. It's the same with spirits, we must consider them as relevant as ever seen and ask us what we would think of the wisdom and character of a man who said or wrote such things. We can have as invariable rule without exception and that the language of the spirits is always in relation to the degree of its elevation. (Ibid., items 262 and 263.)
D. What, according to Kardec, the only and infallible means of knowing the nature of Spirit communicating?
Submitting all communications to a scrupulous, scrutinizing and analyzing the thoughts and expressions as we do when it comes to judging a literary work, rejecting without hesitation all that sins against logic and common sense, everything that belies the character of communicating spirit, discourage deceiving spirits, which eventually retire, once convinced that they can not cheat. This medium is unique, however infallible, because there is bad communication that can withstand rigorous analysis. (Ibid., item 266.)
