INTRODUCTION – XIII

These observations lead us to address another difficulty: the differences in spirits’ language.
Since spirits differ widely from each other in knowledge and morality, it is obvious that the same question may receive varied, sometimes contradictory answers from them according to their category. The same would happen if we were to question a scholar, an uneducated person or a prankster. What is essential is to know to whom we are addressing our question.
But – one may ask – how are we to explain why even high order spirits do not always agree with one another? First, we will state that besides the reason we have just pointed out, there are others that may influence the nature of the responses, regardless of the degree of the spirits’ evolution. This is a very important point that will be explained by further study, lending credence to our advice for constant attention, in-depth observation, and above all, as with all human sciences, continuity and perseverance. Years are required to make even a mediocre physician, and three quarters of a lifetime to make a true scholar. So how can one expect to obtain the wisdom of the infinite in only a few hours! Therefore, let no one be misled: the study of Spiritism is infinitely immense and is connected to all the issues of metaphysics and the social order. There is an entire world opening before us, so why is it so surprising that understanding it will require a great deal of time?
Furthermore, apparent contradictions are not always as real as they may appear to be at first. After all, do we not see scholars every day who profess the same science but diverge in their definitions by employing different terminology or by viewing a matter from a different point of view, although the fundamental idea is still the same? Just try to count the number of definitions given to the word grammar! We must add that the form of an answer almost always depends on the form of the question. Thus, it would be immature to see a contradiction where there is generally no more than a difference of words. High order spirits do not concern themselves with form at all. For them, the essence of the thought itself is everything.
For example, let us return to the definition of soul. Since this word has no single definition, the Spirits may differ as to its application just as we do. One will state that it is the principle of life; another may call it the animic spark; a third may say that it is something internal, while a fourth may say that it is something external, etc., and all will be correct from their own point of view.
We might even think that some among them profess materialistic theories, and yet such is not the case. The same applies with respect to the word God. According to some, God is the Principle of all things; according to others, the Creator of the universe, the Supreme Intelligence, the Infinite, the Great Spirit, etc., but it is always God. We would cite the classification of spirits as another example. They form an uninterrupted series from the lowest to the highest degree, and classifying them is therefore arbitrary.
One person might categorize them into three classes; others, into five, ten or twenty as desired, without being incorrect. All human sciences offer the same example, with each scholar having his or her own system – the systems vary, but the science is always the same.
Whether we learn botany according to the system of Linnaeus, Jussieu or Tournefort, we are learning botany nonetheless. With this in mind, let us stop giving purely conventional matters more importance than they deserve. Let us devote ourselves only to what is truly important, and we will realize that in things that seem most contradictory, we will often, upon reflection, discover a similarity that escaped us in our first examination.

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