And this resistance, how is it going?

Paulo Degering R Jr
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So, my friend, how is this resistance going? Yes, the same one, from diving on Kardec. We won't lie: it's not easy. But who said learning is easy? It takes time and effort, yes. Oh, lack of time? Is it really missing? And that time you must be spending watching videos on Facebook or Instagram? No, by no means are we saying that relaxing with an “empty” mind is not important, especially after a long day at work… But could it not be possible to fit in a reading before bed? Half an hour, whatever, helps a lot. Oh, you learn better by listening? Solved: Today, apps like Google Books and Amazon Alexa do instant voice reading for you.

No, in no way do we place ourselves in the condition of the exemplary student. Far from it. There are people who are much further ahead, much more involved, much more dedicated. But each one does what he can. The point is that “I can't”, many times, simply gives way to the useless occupation of time… And you already know that saying: “an empty mind is the devil's workshop”. Not from the devil, exactly, but who knows what kind of company surrounds us when our mind is just immersed in this day-to-day materiality...

Could it be that, deep down, what exists is not a resistance? Analyze yourself—you don't have to tell anyone. Could it be that what exists is not an accommodation, because it is easier to believe in the little that is known — in the lights themselves, Kardec would say — or in what they tell you? Well, here's some bad news: Creation is based on autonomy, and there's only one being in the universal space capable of making you progress — and it's not God: it's yourself. Progress, however, is made of two components: intelligence and morale. For the Spirit to progress in morals, it is necessary to have intelligence — not that intelligence of an Einstein, but the intelligence that reasons, based on knowledge. And behold, the Spiritist Doctrine, formed by the scientific study of Kardec (yes, scientific) brought us an incredibly deep and transformative knowledge.

Yes, I know: reading novels and stories about fantastic places is very enjoyable and activates the imagination. But could it be that the absence of Kardec's studies, preferring novels, is not also due to resistance on his part, linked, who knows, to a little bit of pride in imagining that he holds the truth — especially when this "truth" was studied for decades on end?

Yeah, I know it too: it sucks to be wrong. No one likes to find themselves in error. But hey, that's the way it is: evolution is based on trial and error, or success. “To err is human”. The problem is getting attached to the mistake. And, another bad news: when studying Kardec, yes, we will see that we are, many times, attached to a series of flagrant errors. Yes, it's annoying to see that we spend long decades learning Spiritism the wrong way, but, well, who doesn't? Furthermore, it is very unlikely that we will err by will. Often, the very force of circumstances leads us to this: we grow up in the environment, which also learned the wrong way. What we had within our reach was the product of that culture. Okay, it happens.

No, the purpose of Spiritism is not mediumship, especially that mediumship that only serves as a telephone waiting for a call, nor is it to analyze other people's lives to identify whether someone is going through such difficulty because they have, as many assume, " kicked dog” in past life. No.

So, coming to this point, I again ask: what about this resistance? Why this resistance? The superior spirits themselves — yes, I am also sorry to say this, but we are right there at the end of the line, right on the first step of the conscious evolutionary scale — they themselves dedicate a very great effort, out of disinterested charity, out of moral duty, to help us. to understand. And the codification it's there for that. But—jeez, another bad news! — it is not enough to read The Spirits' Book as a sacred code, or to open The Gospel According to Spiritism at random, following the communications of the Spirits as a plank of salvation, without reasoning. No, I'm sorry to say. Spiritism is science and, as a science, it is progressive.

– Do you mean that the Spirits did not give us something ready to follow?

No, not at all, never. And this is very well demonstrated in that publication that you have certainly heard of, but still resist studying: the Spiritist Magazine. So it is. This monthly publication, from 1858 to 1869, was prepared by Kardec with a very wise purpose: after The Spirits' Book, he needed a way to disseminate knowledge, at the same time that he could establish correspondence with people from all over, receiving Thus, from everywhere, the confirmations or denials of communications given separately by the Spirits. The Spiritist Magazine was Kardec's laboratory, where we can understand very well the formation of the Spiritist Doctrine, culminating, finally, in his two final works — O Céu e o Inferno and A Gênese.

Then again, why the resistance to studying it? Yes, I already said it: I know it's not easy, especially if it's alone, but today we have the facility of instant communication over the Internet. Is it really that impossible to find a little time a week for group study? Reflects. But I'm already advancing: there is no teacher of Spiritism. Everyone is free to draw rational conclusions about what they know, without, however, giving final words about what is not established. This would be nothing more than opinion, and opinion is not science, nor does it build anything other than religious errors, in the sense here addressed.

But is this resistance fear? Afraid of seeing yourself in error? Afraid of realizing you've said the wrong things to other people? Afraid, perhaps, of noticing that he acted wrongly and alienated people from the Doctrine, for expressing wrong things? Perhaps? Well, fear of being caught in error is attachment, and it's a protective cover for something much deeper: pride. We've said it before: everyone makes mistakes. For our part, you have no idea how much we've made mistakes! But, for our part, we can say: how good it is to realize the error in time, recognize it and, who knows, resume contact with these people, saying: “I was wrong, and everything or almost everything I told you about Spiritism was false. See, this is reality.”

On the path of evolution, there will always be time. It will never be late. But attachment makes us live longer away from happiness. Were we taught that we are here to pay debts, as if the incarnation were a punishment? Well, if Spiritism not only says, but demonstrates the opposite, great! We were taught about a fully material life in the spirit world, but does Spiritism prove this to be an illusion of the attached Spirit? Well then, I don't want to develop that attachment! We were taught that we cannot evoke, but only wait for communication from the Spirits, which we take for the truth, but does Spiritism demonstrate that this is not how it works? Good, then let's fix it and get us on track again. We were taught that Spiritism is only practiced at the center, but does Kardec demonstrate a totally opposite reality — safeguarding the need for seriousness, knowledge and purpose for this? Well, let's pursue this reality.

We can say of ourselves: we are not afraid to prove our ignorance. In fact, what has unfolded in front of us about Spiritism, for us, who can hardly call ourselves diligent students, is wonderful, it is exciting, it removes the supernatural, it overthrows mysticism and it shows that Spiritism has a depth never before understood .

Let's study? We are here to help with whatever we can! Want tips? Want to study with us? Do you want to create a channel for questions and debates about what each group studies? Want suggestions on how and where to start? We're here. We are far from having the ideal model that can be applied to any situation, but we have already gone through some learning in these almost two years of studies. Count on us.

The study of the Spiritist Magazine, right in the first year, deconstructs many errors inserted in the Spiritist milieu, the most serious and present of which is the habit of blindly guiding us by the opinions of isolated Spirits, but it also shows us many previously unknown truths, in addition to leave with many doubts about other things, doubts that will only be answered with the continued study of this work. Therefore, the recommendation that nobody put yourself in the position of having the final word, or jumping to conclusions. Conjecturing, based on prior knowledge, is not prohibited. Reaching different conclusions is also not prohibited. What matters is to seek the joint construction of understanding, in cooperation, not in dispute. The important thing is that the only way to get to know Spiritism is this: studying Kardec, preferably in possession of knowledge of the scientific context in which the Spiritist Doctrine was developed (see Recommended Works).

Have you ever stopped to reflect on missed opportunities? In everyday life, we tend to forget that we are not forgotten, and that there is a good Spirit often inspiring us. How many times has he not taken you in contact with important studies, and how many times has he not passed up this opportunity? We say this on our own behalf.

So, enough resistance, enough blaming what is external, and shall we study?

Ps: it doesn't hurt to say that, in the illustration on the cover, the little devil is our own attachment, which leads us to evil, and not just any external figure. In the same way that we choose, by our own will, not to listen to the good advice of the superior Spirits, we choose to listen or not to listen to the bad advice of the imperfect Spirits who love us because of our attachments.

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