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Allan Kardec
In the mid-1800's Allan Kardec amassed the greatest wealth of spirit-given material ever assembled. He compiled and organized this vast amount of information which forms the foundation for his writings and the basis of Spiritism. He is buried in Paris' famous Pere-Lachaise cemetery where his tomb annually draws more visitors than any other.
Born in
Educated in the
Endowed with a notable
intelligence, he was drawn to teaching, due to his character and his special
aptitudes. At fourteen, he had already started to teach what he had previously
studied, to some of his schoolmates, who had assimilated less than he. It was at
that school that the ideas originated, which would later categorize him in the
class of the progressive and free-thinkers individuals of the day.
Although he had been born
under the influence of the Catholic religion, he was educated in a Protestant
country. The acts of intolerance that he witnessed under these circumstances,
led him at an early age to conceive of the idea of a religious reformation, in
which he labored silently for many years with the ultimate aim of achieving the
unification of the faiths. He lacked, however, the indispensable element for the
solution to that immense problem.
Spiritism came to light, at
this time, to imprint in his mind the particular direction for future
undertakings.
As soon as he completed his
studies, he returned to
He was a member of several
societies, one of which the Royal Academy of Arras, that, in the competition of
1831, awarded him notable recognition on the following subject: Which is a
system of study more harmonious with the needs of the time?
From 1835 to 1840, he
established, in his home, at Sèvres street, free study courses on Chemistry,
Physics, Anatomy, Astronomy, etc., an accomplishment worthy of commendation at
any time, but, above all, at this time in which only a few illuminated minds
dared to follow that path.
Always concerned with
making the educational system more appealing and interesting, he invented the
ingenious method of teaching to count and a mnemonic picture of the History of
France, with the objective of fixating in the memory, the dates of major events
and discoveries that illuminated each reign.
Among his numerous works to
foster education, we will mention the following: Proposed Plan for the
improvement of Public Instruction (1828); A practical and theoretical study of
Arithmetic, according to the methods of Pestalozzi, for the use of teachers and
mothers (1824); Classic French Grammar (1831); A Manual of the Examination for
the titles of capacity; Rational solutions to the subjects and problems in
Arithmetic and in Geometry (1846); Grammatical Catechism of the French Language
(1848); Program for the regular courses of Chemistry, Physics, Astronomy,
Physiology, which he taught in Lyceum Polimático; Normal dictations of the
examinations of the Municipality and of Sorbonne, followed by Special Dictations
regarding Orthographic Difficulties (1849), an accomplishment highly regarded at
the time of its launching and from which new editions are still been published
today.
It can be seen that even
before Spiritism had become popularized Allan Kardec through his Celtic
pseudonym, had already become well known, through the varied nature of his
accomplishments in the educational system. His works always had the objective of
illuminating the masses and of uniting them better to their respective families
and countries.
About the year 1855, the
spotlight focused on the subject of the manifestations of the Spirits, and Allan
Kardec became dedicated to persevering on the observations of that phenomenon,
and cogitating mainly in deducing its philosophical consequences. He could see,
at once, that these phenomena were the beginning of new natural laws: the ones
that govern the relationships between the visible and the invisible world. He
recognized, in the action of the invisible world, one of the forces of Nature,
whose knowledge would throw light on the immense problems that until then had
been considered insoluble, and he understood its reach, under the religious
point of view.
His main works written on
this subject are: The Spirit’s Book, concerning the philosophical part of the
doctrine, and whose first edition appeared on April 18th, 1857; The Mediums’
Book, concerning the experimental and scientific aspect (January of 1861); The
Gospel according to Spiritism, concerning moral and ethics (April of 1864);
Heaven and Hell, or The Justice of God according to Spiritism (August of 1865);
Genesis, the Miracles and Predictions According to Spiritism (January of 1868);
Revue Spirite, a monthly newspaper of psychological studies, that had begun on
January 1st, 1858. On
He demonstrated that the
facts, which previously had erroneously been considered supernatural, were
actually subject to the universal laws. He classified them under the phenomena
of Nature, thereby eliminating the last refuge of the wonder and one of the
elements of superstition.
During the first years of
the introduction of the spiritist phenomena, they were considered more an object
of curiosity than of serious meditation. The Spirit’s Book caused the subject
to be considered under a totally different aspect. The turning tables that had
merely been a prelude were discarded, and people started to pay greater
attention to the doctrine, that embraces all the subjects of interest for
Humanity.
The date of the launching
of The Spirit’s Book, was the foundation of Spiritism, which until then, had
only counted on scattered elements, without coordination, and whose reach most
people could not understand. Starting from that moment, the doctrine attracted
the attention of the serious-minded people and took a rapid development. In few
years, those ideas overtook numerous followers in all social circles around the
world. That unprecedented success took hold, without a doubt, due to the
sympathy that such ideas inspired; but, it is also largely due to the clarity
with which they were presented, which is one of the characteristics of Allan
Kardec's works.
Avoiding the abstract
formulas of Metaphysics, he knew how to attract everyone’s to read about it
without becoming tiresome, which was an essential condition to the dissemination
of the idea. On all of the controversial points, his argument, of pure logic,
does not leave room for dispute and it predisposes the conviction. The material
proof that Spiritism presents of the existence of the soul and of a future life
tends to destroy the materialistic and pantheistic ideas. One of the most
fertile principles of that doctrine is the plurality of the existences, already
foreseen by a group of ancient and modern philosophers, and, during these last
times, by João Reynaud, Carlos Fourier, Eugênio Sue and others. The plurality
of existences, however, had been maintained in a state of hypothesis and of
system, while Spiritism had demonstrated the reality and the proofs that in this
principle, one of Humanity's essential attributes resides. From the plurality of
existences derived the explanation of all the apparent anomalies of human life,
of all the intellectual, moral and social inequalities, allowing man to know
whence he comes, where he is capable of going, why he is upon the earth, why he
suffers temporarily, and can see, above all, the justice of God.
The innate ideas displayed
in a present incarnation are explained by the knowledge previously acquired in
prior lifetimes; also, the action of men of ancient times that are relived once
again explains the progress of the individual and of Humanity; the sympathies
and dislikes are naturally going to be a result of the experiences and the
nature of relationships from previous incarnations. Those relationships, that
reunite the great human family of all times, suggests as a base, the advanced
principles of fraternity, of equality, of freedom and of universal solidarity,
which are the very laws of Nature and not mere theory.
Instead of the postulate:
“Without the Church there is no Salvation, which fosters separation and
animosity between the different religious sects that have been responsible for
so much bloodshed, Spiritism has as its emblem: Without Charity there is no
Salvation, which enhances equality among men, tolerance, freedom of conscience
and mutual benevolence in the eyes of God.
Instead of blind faith,
which annuls free thinking, Spiritism says: Unshakable faith is only that which
can meet reason face to face in every human epoch. In order to have faith a base
is necessary; and, this base is the perfect intelligence of that which one
believes. To be a believer is not enough; above all, it is imperative to
comprehend. Blind faith is no longer a part of this century. It is in fact due
to the dogma of blind faith that today we still have, such a great number of
non-believers; as it tries to impose itself by annulling one of man's most
precious abilities, that of reasoning, and of free-will.
A tireless worker, always
the first to take on a task and the last one to leave it, Allan Kardec succumbed
on
He died as he lived:
working. He had suffered a heart ailment for many years that could only have
been counteracted by means of intellectual rest and lessened physical activity.
However, since he was consecrated to his work, he refused everything that could
absorb one single minute of his time and deviate him from his favorite
occupations. What happened to him occurs to all the souls that have a strong
temper: “the sheet dulled the blade.”
His body became numb and
could no longer perform the services intended by his Spirit, while his spirit
remained, more and more active, more energetic, fertile, forever enlarging the
circle of its activity.
In such an unequal fight,
his physical body could not subsist eternally. An aneurism ended his life and
Allan Kardec died instantaneously. That left one less individual on Earth; but,
a great name took his place among those that had illuminated this century; a
great Spirit had departed for the Infinite, where all of those souls who he had
consoled and illuminated, were waiting impatiently for his return! Death, I was
saying not too long ago, redoubled its blows in the illustrious arrays! Whom
will it now come to set free?
He went, as so many others,
to recover in Space, to seek new elements for the recuperation of his worn-out
organism due to a life of incessant labors. He departed to be among those who
would be the luminaries of the new generation, to return shortly thereafter with
them to pursue and to conclude the task that he had left in dedicated hands.
The individual is no longer
here; but his soul, will remain with us forever. He will be a strong protector,
an extra light, a tireless worker that the phalanges of Space have incorporated.
As on Earth, without interfering with anyone, he will expound his opportune
advices; he will lessen the premature zeal of the ardent ones; he will aid the
sincere and the disinterested ones, and will stimulate the indecisive ones. He
now clearly sees everything that he had foreseen! He is no longer subject to the
uncertainties, nor to the frailties and he will share his convictions making us
reach the goal with his finger, pointing the way for us, in that clear and
precise language, that had consecrated him among the literary annals.
The man no longer exists,
we said it; however, Allan Kardec is immortal and his memory, his works, and his
Spirit will always be with those who stand strong and vigorously wave the flag
that he always respected.
An extraordinary individuality set up the task. He was the guide and the secure port for everyone. On Earth, the work will outlive the worker. The believers won't congregate around Allan Kardec; but rather, they will congregate around Spiritism, just as he had structured it, and with his advice and his influence, we will move forward, with firm steps, to the blissful phase promised to a regenerated Humanity
From: Spiritist
Group of
Aug 2002
Great Exponents of Spiritism
Allan Kardec
(Excerpted From Posthumous Works)
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