One of these days, going through the shelves of a virtual tallow, I found a book that I had never heard of in the Spiritist bibliography: Spiritist Tales (Contos Espíritas) by Amalia Domingo Soler. This consecrated author is responsible for good doctrinal works, and for one of the most beautiful Spiritist novels ever written: Memoirs of Father Germano (Memórias do Padre Germano).

I bought the book and read it. I knew it was a translation from Spanish made by David Caparelli, published by the USE-Madras, from Sao Paulo. It is an extensive collection of short stories, with a beautiful presentation by the historian and writer Eduardo Carvalho Monteiro (1950-2005) that reveals dramatic moves in the author's biography and situates the social and political context of Spain in the period in which Amalia Soler lived.

Practically all the stories in this book, according to the author, were written about real events that happened to characters she met and with whom she related with so many of them. Amalia (1835-1909, Seville) shows poignant human dramas, while methodically applying Spiritist principles to clarify certain issues.

The marks on the man's face

One of the texts, however, does not refer to any tale, but it rather contains notes about what Amalia calls “My ideals”. Reflecting on the human trajectory, based on the countless books she read and on her life experience, she concludes that the inventiveness of the greatest writers, philosophers and artists will never portray life in such vivid colors as the bitter reality does. Nothing is more favorable to the study of human nature, she suggests, than to read carefully "in the man’s face and in the woman's smile" the marks of their pain.

The acceptance of the Spiritist philosophy made Amalia approach many unhappy people. Many of them went to her and spontaneously told their intimate dramas. With others, Amalia had the “job of reading line by line the wrinkles on their faces, in the expression in their eyes, in the inflection of their voice and the bitter smile on their lips”.

With all this rich material of human experience, Amalia wrote her chronicles and studies spreading the Spiritist ideal.

Difficulty in changing

The truth of Spiritism, for Amalia, comes from the "moralizing influence it has on human character, customs and passions". In fact, this is the main result that can be expected from those who study it seriously and with determination.

Allan Kardec thought the same. It is always auspicious and useful to read, and re-read his guidelines. Kardec defined the purposes of the Spiritist Doctrine as follows: “Spiritism tends towards the regeneration of humanity (...) Now, being that this regeneration cannot operate except through moral progress, it follows that its essential, its providential purpose is each one’s improvement” (¹).

 “Nothing is more difficult on earth - says Amalia in her text - than to change man's way of being; there are such deep-seated vices and ingrained bad habits that absolutely dominate, and all you can do, then, in an existence, is to be ashamed of them and try to hide them. This is already something, so we start by avoiding setting a bad example, however, it is far from being enough to regenerate us”.

There Amalia Domingo reproduced the same concern of Kardec in question 800 of The Books of the Spirits: "Is it not to be feared that Spiritism will not be able to overcome the indifference of men and their attachment to material things?" The Spirits explained to Kardec: “It would be very little to know men, to think that any cause could transform them as if by charm. Ideas change little by little, with individuals, and it takes generations to completely erase the traces of old habits. The transformation, therefore, cannot take place except with time” (...)

Spiritism does not make saints

Amalia reveals in "My ideals" a frankness that is practically not seen in the rest of the book Spiritist Tales, full of sweetness and human understanding. Her energy language exposes a harsh reality: “Spiritism did not come to make saints; it came to carry out a major reform, profound, transcendental, and for this reason its work is slow, because the more gigantic the work, the more time is needed to carry it out”.

And here, as if to justify the expression “gigantic work”, Amalia adds: “it must also be considered that Spiritism finds humanity submerged in the most humiliating degradation”.

Allan Kardec had already said that "New ideas cannot be established suddenly and without obstacles" (²), and that the mission of Spiritism "is to fight unbelief, doubt, indifference" (³).

And he had also said in the Spiritist Magazine of October 1860: “What philosophy is more capable of freeing man's thought from earthly ties, of elevating his soul to infinity? Which one gives you a fairer, more logical idea, more supported by patent evidence, its nature and its destiny?”

Religions and false science

Through these reflections, we can evaluate the arduous path that progressive and humanitarian ideas will still need to travel in order for man to occupy a dignified position in the concert of the worlds. And he will have to reach this position through his own effort, without relying on the attachment to formal institutions such as dogmatic religions and sophisticated materialistic science, for example.

Amalia rightly says that "religions have weakened man and false science has made him proud". This means that Spiritism, which is part of the divine program for human evolution on Earth, has “to fight against the ignorant and the vain, i.e., against the fools of good faith and the brainless people proud of their eagerness to know".

It is up to Spiritism to break the siege of ignorance and ill will, as Amalia warns, “to awaken in man the feeling of his dignity, making him understand that there is no heaven or hell other than our works, good or bad” (my bold).

A complete revolution

In “My ideals”, Amalia demonstrates a very good understanding of the purposes of Spiritism when she warns that “she is calling for a complete revolution in all social classes, in all spheres of life, in all intelligences, and such a colossal work cannot be performed in a short space of years, because it is very difficult for man to separate himself from the vices that please him and from religions that reassure him with sophisms that seem to be true, while they are not analyzed in the light of reason”.

If it is certain that the whole of humanity needs the help of time for spiritual maturation, it is also true that the “times have come” demanding the reaction of each one for the beginning of the transformations.

In this sense, Spiritism needs to show what is its purpose, and Spiritists, who are important agents (not the only ones) of changes cannot miss this moment of historical testimony. They have to align their discourse with actions to combat outdated materialistic thinking. It is necessary to insist on exhaustion in the idea that the Spirit is everything, and matter is nothing. Man no longer knows what to do to quench matter, which is already exhausted, while the Spirit continues with thirst, hunger, longing for justice, love and freedom. The matter will be rotten here in a ditch. The Spirit will move on, wanting to be more and more.

To have the intuition of these truths is a start; many do, but it is not enough. What makes the difference in this life and "in the next" is to have knowledge supported by reason. This will change everything.

Contemporary Spiritists therefore have an imperative commitment.

(¹) Allan Kardec, Spiritist Magazine, August 1865, “What teaches Spiritism”, Edicel.

(²) Allan Kardec, Spiritist Magazine, November 1864, “Spiritism is a positive science”, Edicel.

(³) Allan Kardec, Spiritist Magazine, March 1865, “Mr. Allan Kardec to the Spiritists devoted to the Hillaire case”, Edicel.