The Spirits' Book Quotes

“If we had never seen fishes, we should be at a loss to understand how any living beings could exist In the sea.”
― Allan Kardec, The Spirits' Book

“How many ills, how many infirmities, does man owe to his excesses, his ambition – in a word, to the indulgence of his various passions! He who should live soberly in all respects, who should never run into excesses of any kind, who should be always simple in his tastes, modest in his desires, would escape a large proportion of the tribulations of human life. It is the same with regard to spirit-life, the sufferings of which are always the consequence of the manner in which a spirit has lived upon the earth. In that life undoubtedly he will no longer suffer from gout or rheumatism; but his wrong-doing down here will cause him to experience other sufferings no less painful. We have seen that those sufferings are the result of the links which exist between a spirit and matter; that the more completely he is freed from the influence of matter – in other words, the more dematerialized he is – the fewer are the painful sensations experienced by him. It depends, therefore, on each of us to free ourselves from the influence of matter by our action in this present life. Man possesses free-will, and, consequently, the power of electing to do or not to do. Let him conquer his animal passions; let him rid himself of hatred, envy, jealousy, pride; let him throw off the yoke of selfishness; let him purify his soul by cultivating noble sentiments; let him do good; let him attach to the things of this world only the degree of importance which they deserve – and he will, even under his present corporeal envelope, have effected his purification, and achieved his deliverance from the influence of matter, which will cease for him on his quitting that envelope. For such a one the remembrance of physical sufferings endured by him in the life he has quitted has nothing painful, and produces no disagreeable impression, because they affected his body only, and left no trace in his soul. He is happy to be relieved from them; and the calmness of a good conscience exempts him from all moral suffering.”
― Allan Kardec, The Spirits' Book

“Toda crença é respeitável, quando sincera e conducente à prática do bem. Condenáveis são as crenças que conduzam ao mal.”
― Allan Kardec, O Livro dos Espíritos [nova ortografia] [índice ativo] (Série Espírita 1)

“Afirmai, ao contrário, o amortecimento gradual dos castigos e das penalidades pelas reencarnações sucessivas e consagrai, com a razão unida ao sentimento, a unidade divina.”
― Allan Kardec, O livro dos espíritos

“Sed, pues, caritativos, no solo con esa caridad que os induce a sacar de vuestro bolsillo el óbolo que dais con frialdad al que se atreve a pedíroslo, sino que debéis salir al encuentro de las miserias ocultas. Sed indulgentes con las extravagancias de vuestros semejantes; en vez de despreciar la ignorancia y el vicio, instruid y moralizad; sed afables y benévolos con todos los que os son inferiores, practicad lo mismo respecto de los seres más ínfimos de la creación, y habréis obedecido a la ley de Dios. SAN VICENTE DE PAÚL».”
― Allan Kardec, El libro de los espíritus

“A melancholy conclusion, if such were really the case for, were it so, good and evil would be alike devoid of aim every man would be justified in thinking only of himself, and in subordinating every other consideration to the satisfaction of his material instincts. Thus all social ties would be broken, and the holiest affections would be destroyed forever.”
― Allan Kardec, The Spirits' Book

“425. O sonambulismo natural tem alguma relação com os sonhos? Como explicá-lo? “É um estado de independência do Espírito, mais completo do que no sonho, estado em que maior amplitude adquirem suas faculdades. A alma tem então percepções de que não dispõe no sonho, que é um estado de sonambulismo imperfeito. No sonambulismo, o Espírito está na posse plena de si mesmo.”
― Allan Kardec, O livro dos espíritos

“De que lhe serve, finalmente, humilhar-se diante de Deus, se, perante os homens, conserva o seu orgulho?”
― Allan Kardec, O Livro dos Espíritos [nova ortografia] [índice ativo] (Série Espírita 1)

“¿Cuál es el objeto de la reencarnación? «La expiación y mejoramiento progresivo de la humanidad. ¿Dónde estaría sin eso la justicia?» 168. ¿Es limitado el número de las existencias corporales o bien se reencarna perpetuamente el espíritu? «En cada nueva existencia, el espíritu da un paso en el camino del progreso, y cuando se despoja de todas las impurezas no necesita ya las pruebas de la vida corporal». 169. ¿Es el mismo el número de encarnaciones para todos los espíritus? «No; porque el que progresa rápidamente se evita pruebas. Como quiera que sea, las encarnaciones sucesivas son siempre muy numerosas; porque el progreso es casi infinito». 170. ¿Qué viene a ser el espíritu después de su última encarnación? «Espíritu bienaventurado. Espíritu puro».”
― Allan Kardec, EL LIBRO DE LOS ESPIRITUS

“¿Ocupan los espíritus una región determinada y circunscrita en el espacio? «Los espíritus se encuentran por todas partes, y de ellos hasta lo infinito están poblados los espacios ilimitados. Los hay constantemente a vuestro lado, que os observan e influyen en vosotros a pesar vuestro; porque son uno de los poderes de la naturaleza, e instrumentos de que se vale Dios para realizar sus miras providenciales; pero no todos pueden ir a todas partes, pues hay regiones prohibidas a los menos avanzados».”
― Allan Kardec, EL LIBRO DE LOS ESPIRITUS

“¿No vemos en la Tierra que las largas noches polares son iluminadas por la electricidad de las auroras boreales? ¿Y es nada imposible que en ciertos mundos la electricidad sea más abundante que en la Tierra, y que desempeñe en ellos funciones generales, cuyos efectos no podemos comprender? Esos mundos pueden, por lo tanto, contener en si mismos los orígenes de calor y de luz necesarios a sus habitantes.”
― Allan Kardec, EL LIBRO DE LOS ESPIRITUS