Past Causes of Afflictions

6. Although there are misfortunes in this life caused by Man himself, there are also others
which seem to be completely strange to him and which touch him like fate. For example: the loss of
a loved one or the bread winner of a family; accidents which no amount of foresight could have
prevented; reverses in fortune which precautions and judicial counselling could not avoid; natural disasters; infirmities from birth, specially those which make work or the earning of a livelihood impossible, such as deformities, insanity, idiocy, etc.
Those who are born with restricting conditions like those mentioned, have done nothing in
their present life to deserve such a sad fate, which they could not avoid and are totally impotent to
change, which leaves them at the mercy of public commiseration. Why then are there these
unhappy beings, when beside them, under the same roof, in the same family, are others who have
been blessed in every way? In short, what can be said of children who die at a tender age and who,
during their short life, knew only suffering? These are problems which as yet no philosophy has
been able to find a solution for, anomalies which no religion has been able to justify and which
appear to be a contradiction of goodness, justice and God's Divine Providence. If the hypothesis of
the soul being created at the same time as the body and that of destiny being irrevocably determined
after but a few instants upon Earth were to be verified, this would indeed be the case. If these
creatures had just left the hands of the Creator, what had caused them to come into the world to
face such misery? How could they have received any recompense or punishment seeing that they
had been unable to practice either good or bad?
Nevertheless, by virtue of the axiom according to which every effect has a cause, these
miseries are effects which have to have a cause, and if we admit that God is just, then that cause
must also be just. Therefore as an effect is always preceded by a cause, and if that cause is not to
be found in the present life, then it follows it must come from before this life, that is to say from a
preceding life. On the other hand, God, being unable to punish goodness that has been done or
badness that has not been done, it follows that if we are being punished then wrong must have been
committed. If that wrong is not of the present life then it must come from a past existence. This is
an alternative that no one can avoid and where logic determines on which side God's justice lies.
Man is not always punished or completely punished in the present life, but he cannot escape
the consequences of his faults indefinitely. The prospering of badness or evil is but temporary, for
if he does not atone today then he will atone tomorrow. Likewise, he who suffers is atoning for his
past. Misfortunes which appear at first sight to be undeserved have their reason to be. Those who
find themselves in a state of suffering may always say: "Lord forgive me, for I have sinned."

7. Sufferings due to causes prior to the present existence, as well as those which originate
from present causes, are frequently the consequences of errors which have been committed. That is
to say through the action of a rigorously distributive justice, we come to suffer what we have made
others suffer. If we have been hard and inhumane we may be treated with harshness and
inhumanity; if we were too full of pride we may be born in humble circumstances; if we have been
miserly, selfish or made bad use of our riches
 

BLESSED ARE THE AFFLICTED

we may find ourselves deprived of the necessary means of survival; if we have been a bad son or
daughter we may suffer from the behaviour of our children.
It is only through the plurality of existences and the destiny of the planet as a world of
atonement, which it now is, that we can explain the abnormalities in the distribution of happiness or
unhappiness amongst good and bad alike. Nevertheless, these abnormalities exist only in
appearance, due to the fact that they are considered solely from the point of view of the present. If
we elevate ourselves, by means of thought, in such a way as to see a succession of existences, we
will perceive that to each one is given what is deserved, after taking into consideration that which
was gained in the spiritual world. Only then does it become apparent that God's justice is
uninterrupted.
Man must never forget that he finds himself in an inferior world to which he is confined,
due exclusively to his imperfections. Each time he suffers a vicissitude he must remember that if he
belonged to a more advanced world these things would not happen, and that it depends on himself
alone to see that he never returns to this world, by working harder to improve himself.
8. Tribulations may be imposed on Spirits who are ignorant or who have become hardened,
in order to induce them to make a choice with knowledge of what they are doing. Repentant Spirits
who wish to repay the evil they have committed and who desire to behave better, are free to make
their own choice. Such was the understanding of one Spirit who, after having failed to complete a
task, asked to be allowed to repeat it so as not to lose the benefit of his work. Therefore tribulations
are at the same time atonements for the past, for which we receive the deserved retribution, and
also tests relating to the future, which we are preparing. We offer thanks to God who, in His
goodness, helps Man to repay his debts and does not irrevocably condemn the first fault.
9. It is not to be thought, however, that all suffering in this world denotes the existence of a
determined shortcoming. Many times it is simply an ordeal requested by the Spirit, which will help
it towards purification and active progress. So atonement is always a test, but a test is not always an
atonement. Tests and atonements though, are always signs of a relative inferiority, as that which is
perfect needs no testing. Nevertheless, it is possible that a Spirit, having reached a certain degree of
elevation and being desirous of further progress, may request a mission or task to perform by
means of which he or she will be more or less compensated, depending on whether or not they are
victorious, and according to the difficulty of the requested test. These then are those people who
have naturally good instincts, whose souls are elevated and who possess inborn sentiments. They
apparently bring nothing from their past existences and who despite great torments, suffer with true
Christian resignation, asking only that God help them to support their trials without complaining.
On the other hand, we may consider as atonements those afflictions which provoke complaint and
which cause revolt against God. Beyond doubt the suffering which does not provoke complaint can also be considered as atonement. But this indicates it was voluntarily sought rather than imposed. This constitutes a test of our strength of resolution, which in itself is a sign of progress.

10. Spirits cannot aspire to complete happiness till they have become pure. Any kind of
stain prohibits entrance into the blissful worlds. It is like the passengers on a plagued ship who find
themselves prohibited from entering port until they have undergone a cleansing. The imperfections
of Spirits are slowly overcome by means of various corporeal lives. The tribulations of life, when
well supported, help them towards progress. They erase faults and find purification by means of
atonement, which is the remedy which cleanses the sores and heals the sick. The more grave the
illness, the more energetic must be the remedy. Therefore, those who suffer greatly must realise
that they have most to atone for, and should rejoice in the proximity of the cure. It will depend on
each one to take every advantage from suffering, by being resigned and not spoiling things with
impatience, seeing that, if that be the case, they will then have to begin all over again.

 

(The Gospel According Spiritism, Chapter 5, 6-10)

Balance

Remains balanced at all costs, for do not be needed pay the price of guilt
Do not turn on the one who will be the evil example
Be discreet and learn to overcome
Step over small problems and mishaps with dignity

To surpass the great challenges of life with honesty
You can do what you want
Resolve yourself once for all, as a Christian

Do not allow on you what you criticizes on others  

Without excuses or using unhappy measures

Whereby you wait from your brother what you can not be yet. 

 Joanna de Ângelis

God

I spent so much time looking for you
I did not know where you were, looking at the infinity,
I could not see you
And I thought to myself, do you really exist?
I was not satisfied and I continued the search
I tried to find you in religions and temples
You also were not there
I searched between the priests and pastors
and I also didn't find you
I felt lonely, empty, desperate I lost my faith
And I offended you in my disbelief

And on the offence I stumbled
And with the fall I felt weak
In my weakness I looked for help
In my distress I found friends
On my friends I found kindness

On the kindness I saw the born of love
With love I saw a new world
And in the new world I decided to live
What I received I decided to donate
Donating something I received back much more
And for receive I found myself happy
And being happy I found peace
And having peace was that I saw
That was inside of me that you were
And without looking for you
I found you

(Chico Xavier) 

If you can

If you can, yet today:

Forget the tribulations and show a bigger smile to those who share life with you;

Give one more touch of happiness and beauty to your home;

Go visit, even for a short time, the sick person you wish to encourage;

Write, even if it’s a simple note, transmitting hope and tranquility, on somebody’s benefit;

Enhance your knowledge on the work area you’re currently employing your time on;

Extend some more optimism and joy to the ones you live with;

Try to forget – but really forget – everything that means a reason for sadness or exasperation;

Read some enlightening page and listen to music that sets peace to your heart;

Dedicate some minutes to meditate and pray;

Practice, at least, one good deed without telling it to anyone.

These indications of spiritual support, if respected, will do a great good to others, but will be good especially to you.

André Luiz (spirit) / Chico Xavier (medium)

Spiritism

5. Spiritism is the new science which has come to reveal to mankind, by means of
irrefutable proofs, the existence and nature of the spiritual world and its relationship with the
physical world. It appears not as something supernatural, but on the contrary, as one of the living
and active forces of Nature, source of an immense number of phenomena which still today are not
fully understood, and because of this they are relegated to the world of fantasy and miracles. Christ
alluded to this situation on several occasions and it is the reason why much of what He said
remained unintelligible or has been wrongly interpreted. Spiritism offers the key by which all can
easily be explained.
6. The law of the Old Testament was personified in Moses: that of the New Testament in
Christ. Spiritism is then the third revelation of God's Law. But it is personified by no one because it
represents leaching given, not by Man but by the Spirits who are the voices of Heaven, to all parts
of the world through the co-operation of innumerable intermediaries. In a manner of speaking, it is
the collective work formed by all the Spirits who bring enlightenment to all mankind by offering
the means of understanding their world and the destiny that awaits each individual on their return to
the spiritual world.
7. Just as Christ said: 'I am not come to destroy the Law but to fulfill it,' so Spiritism says:
We have not come to destroy the Christian Law but to carry it out. It leaches nothing contrary to
what was taught by Christ. Rather it develops it, explains it in a manner that can be understood by
all and completes that which had previously been known only in its allegoric form. Spiritism has
come at the predicted time to fulfill what Christ announced and to prepare for the achievement of
future things. It is then, the work of Christ Who, as He also announced, presides over the
regeneration which is now taking place and which will prepare the reign of the Kingdom of God
here on Earth.

(The Gospel According Spiritism)

Who was Allan Kardec?

ALLAN KARDEC whose real name was HIPPOLYTE LÉON DENIZARD RIVAIL was born in Lyon, France on 3rd October, 1804 into a family who for many generations had been either lawyers or magistrates. He was an intelligent child and was taught high principle of honour and morals by his parents. At an early age he showed strong inclinations towards the sciences and philosophy. When he was ten years of age he was sent to the Institute of Pestalozzi at Yverdun in Switzerland, where he soon acquired the habit of investigation and learnt the art of free thinking. At the age of fourteen he began to give free lessons to school fellows who were less advanced and on occasion was asked to teach officially by Pestalozzi himself in his absence, due to his natural ability in this field. He became a fervent disciple of Pestalozzi and was much loved by the great man.
In 1822 at the age of eighteen, Hippolyte returned to France. A year later he took up
residence in Paris and in 1824 published his first book entitled: 'A Theoretical & Practical
Arithmetic Course.' This was so successful that it continued to be reprinted till as late as 1876. He
had an instinct for methodology and this was only the beginning, for he was to publish many other
books on varying subjects including 'A Classical Grammar of the French Language' (1829). Some
of these were adopted by the French University and the sale of these books rendered him a
sufficient income to live on, while he contined to give free lessons to school children. He taught
chemistry, mathematics, astronomy, physics, rhetoric, comparative anatomy and physiology. He
spoke fluent Italian and Spanish, had a profound knowledge of German, English and Dutch and
some knowledge of Latin, Greek and Gallic. He also translated a number of books, choosing those
which he liked best. These included several by Fénelon which he translated into German.
He opened his first school in 1825. It bore the name 'First Grade School' (École de premier
degré), for superior teaching and the following year he opened 'The Rivail Technical Institute'
whose teaching was based on that of Pestalozzi.
He married Amélie Gabrielle Boudet on 6th February 1832. She was nine years his senior, a
writer, teacher of fine arts, poetess and artist. She was a perfect companion and helper, being
dedicated and uncomplaining. She played an important part in all her husband's activities and
sustained him through many financial difficulties encountered during his life, and greatly assisted
him in his teaching. This extraordinary man could have become renouned and wealthy through his various
talents, but this was not to be. He was a man with a mission! Between 1848 and 1850 an explosion
of spirit phenomena occured in America and even more strongly in Europe. In the last book of the
codification 'Posthumous Works' published by Amélie, Kardec had written: "It was in 1854 that I
heard about 'Table-turning' for the first time." His friend Mr Fortier brought him the initial news of
these extraordinary happenings: "The tables also talk!" Kardec's reply to this was: "I will only
believe when I see it and when it can be proved to me that a table has a brain which can think,
nerves to feel with and can also become somnambulic. Until then, allow me to see nothing more
than fantasy in these stories!" He had always been a disbeliever of such things as ghosts.
After various encounters with Mr Fortier, in 1855 he was finally persuaded to attend a
seance and his curiosity was aroused. He then became a frequent visitor at the seances held in the
house of a certain Mr Baudin. It was in fact here that he began his studies and research. He was never to become a medium, but was highly intuitive. On 30th April 1856 a medium in his group received the first indications from Spirit of his mission. His wife always accompanied him to all the meetings and eventually became his secretary, upholding him in every aspect of his work. He adopted the 'nom de plume' of ALLAN KARDEC at the suggestion of Spirit, so that the works of the codification should not be confused with his own works. The first book of the codificiation (The Spirits' Book), was published in 1857. This same
year he also began meetings in his own home. A year later he founded 'The Parisiene Society for
Spiritist Studies'. The few remaining years of his life were dedicated to his work, the completion of the
Codification, and to lecturing on Spiritism and its philosophy. He also made exhaustive journeys in
order to take the word to as many places as possible, all of which he completed at his own expense.
In 1867 he met Léon Denis, who became his disciple, and who later published a series of classic
works on Spiritism. On March 31st, 1869, having just finished drawing up the constitution and rules of a new
society that he planned to form, while seated in his usual chair at his study-table in the Rue Sainte
Anne, in the act of tying up a bundle of papers, his busy life was suddenly brough to an end. The
passing from Earth into the Spiritual World was instantaneous, a peaceful falling asleep a fitting
end to a life well lived. But although the physical man is no longer with us he lives on in Spirit,
continuing his work by inspiring, stimulating and encouraging us to continue our search for
knowledge.

The belief of spiritualism

In the introduction of the spirit's book, Allan Kardec expresses his opinion that new
ideas need new terms and so he formulated the words spiritist and spiritism to give a clear
and precise meaning to this doctrine. In his day the word Spiritualist meant the opposite to
Materialist, but it did not follow that a Spiritualist believed in the existence of spirits or the
possibility of communiciation with the invisible world. He employed the word Spiritism to stipulate
the fundamental principle of the Spiritist theory which is the relation of the material world with
spirits or the beings of the invisible world. A Spiritist is one who adheres to this doctrine. We
continue to use these terms today as the ideas they represent become more fully understood.
Amongst those ideas is the study of the interrelationship between the two worlds, visible and
invisible; the scientific, philosophical and religious aspects of existence; the ever pressing need for
man to instruct himself, to cast aside all mystery and superstition; to accept responsibility for the
life he leads today and the life he is making for himself in the future by his present actions, or lack
of them, as the case may be.
As life gathers momentum, as the world goes from crisis to crisis at this time, we are more
and more conscious of the reality of the truths contained in Kardec's books. As the world prepares
for a New Epoch, which is already dawning, we realise the need for all humanity to grow towards
this knowledge, to seek enlightenment so as to be prepared. When this time will finally be upon the world then
mankind will be able to appreciate the greatness of this man's vision into the future.
However, we must not forget one important fact, that in order to meet the future we must
make preparations in our today! Each moment that passes cannot be recovered, therefore we
must make use of every instant to grow spiritually! To open up our horizons, to broaden our
minds, to seek and cultivate our spirituality! We are Spiritual Beings, we are all immortal
creatures! If we are to one day find happiness and peace then we must consider our whole being!
While we go on thinking of ourselves as material people, we are only looking at half of ourselves
and here lies the secret of so many mistakes, so many unhappinesses and so many failures. But in
order to recognise these truths we must also be prepared to accept the responsibilities that go with
them. For every person this wider and deeper knowledge of life carries with it the need for selfanalysis,
self-correction and self- improvement. Without these things we are all standing still,
marking time, going nowhere! If this book helps even one person to take just one step forward then
it will have done its work.
God never demands the impossible of any one of us, nor gives us burdens for which we do
not have the strength; so if we try to make a conscious effort to better ourselves then we have
begun our journey into the future, towards the light, where one day victory, peace and joy will
be ours.

London, 1987 Janet Duncan