Phenomena that escape the laws of ordinary science are manifesting everywhere and are revealing the action of a free and intelligent will as their cause.
Reason tells us that an intelligent effect must have an intelligent force as its cause, and the facts have shown that this force can communicate with human beings through physical means.
When questioned about its nature, this force has declared itself to belong to the world of spirit beings who have divested themselves of the human corporeal envelope. In this way, the Doctrine of the Spirits has been revealed.
Communications between the spirit world and the corporeal world belong to nature itself and there is nothing supernatural about them. That is why we have found traces of such communications among all cultures and throughout history. Nowadays, they are commonplace and obvious to the whole world.
The Spirits have announced that the time appointed by Providence for a universal manifestation has now come and that as ministers of God and agents of the divine will, their mission is to instruct and enlighten men and women, opening a new era for the regeneration of humankind.
This book is a compilation of their teachings. It has been written at the order and under the dictation of high order Spiritism order to establish the bases of a rational philosophy free from the prejudices of preconceived notions. It does not contain anything that is not the expression of their thought or that has not been submitted for their approval. The order and methodical arrangement of the contents, as well as the textual comments and the form of some parts of the redaction, are the only aspects contributed by the one who received the mission of publishing it.
Among the number of the Spirits who have taken part in accomplishing this task, there are many who have lived at one time or another upon the earth, where they proclaimed and practiced virtue and wisdom. Others do not bear the name of any personage whose memory history has kept alive, but their elevated status is attested to by the purity of their doctrine and their unity with those who bear venerated names.
Following are the written terms received through several mediums, and in which the Spirits have given us the mission of preparing this book:
“Be zealous and persevering in this work you have undertaken with our assistance, for this work is ours. In it we have laid the foundations of the new edifice destined to someday unite all humankind in one and the same sentiment of love and charity.
However, before you publish it, we will review it together to make sure of all the details.
“We shall be with you whenever you ask for our presence in order to aid you in the rest of your labors, for this book is only one part of the mission which has been entrusted to you and which one of us has already revealed to you.
“Among the teachings that will be given to you, there are some that you must keep solely to yourself for the time being; we will advise you when the time has come to publish them.
Meanwhile, meditate on them so that you will be ready when we tell you.
“At the beginning of the book you are to put the vine-branch that we designed18 because it is the emblem of the Creator’s work.
All the material elements that best represent the body and the spirit are united in it: the body is the stem; the spirit is the sap; the soul or spirit connected to the body is the cluster of grapes. Human beings elevate and purify their spirits through labor, and you know that it is only through hard work in the corporeal existence that the spirit acquires knowledge.
“Do not allow yourself to be discouraged by criticism. You will encounter bitter enemies, especially among those interested in deceit. You will even find enemies among spirits, for those who are not completely dematerialized often seek to sow the seeds of doubt through malice and ignorance. Carry on nonetheless; believe in God and boldly move forward. We shall be with you to uphold you. The time is at hand when the truth will shine forth everywhere.
“The vanity of some individuals who think they know everything and want to explain everything in their own way will give rise to dissenting opinions. However, all who have the grand principle of Jesus in mind will be united in the same sentiment of love of the good and will be bound by a fraternal tie that will embrace the entire world. People will put aside all petty disputes about words in order to concern themselves solely with essential matters, and the Doctrine will always be the same at the foundation for all who receive communications from high order spirits.
“It is through your perseverance that you will harvest the fruit of your labors. The satisfaction you will feel in seeing the Doctrine spread and correctly understood will be a reward for you, and you will perhaps realize its full value more in the future than in the present. Do not be troubled because of the thorns and stones that disbelievers and evil individuals will scatter along your path. Hold on to your confidence; through it you will reach your goal and you will always merit our help.
“Remember that good spirits only aid those who serve God with humility and a lack of self-interest. They repudiate anyone who uses the way of heaven as a stepping-stone to earthly things, and they withdraw from the proud and ambitious. Pride and ambition will always be barriers between human beings and God; they are a veil thrown over the celestial splendors, and God cannot use the blind to explain the light.”
ST. JOHN THE EVANGELIST, ST. AUGUSTINE, ST. VINCENT DE PAUL, ST. LOUIS, SPIRIT OF TRUTH, SOCRATES, PLATO, FENELON, FRANKLIN, SWEDENBORG, ET AL.
18 See at the beginning of the Prolegomena a reproduction of the branch drawn by the Spirits. – Auth.
Author’s note to the second edition:
The principles contained in this book result either from the responses given by the Spirits to questions directed to them at various times and through a great number of mediums, or from the spontaneous teachings given to us and to other persons concerning the matter at hand. The work has been coordinated so as to present a regular and methodical whole and was submitted for publication only after it was carefully reviewed and corrected by the Spirits themselves. This second edition has been the object of new and detailed scrutiny.
The material placed between quotation marks following the questions represents the textual replies made by the Spirits. The material set off in different type or designated in a special way comprises the comments or expositions added by the author, and which were thoroughly supervised by the Spirits.
Site Espírita 