Philosophical and Religious MeditationsDictated to Mr. Alfred Didier, medium, by the spirit Lamennais
(Parisian Society of Spiritist Studies)
We have already published a certain number of communications
given by the spirit Lamennais and we can observe its elevated
philosophical reach. Sometimes its theme was clearly defined; on other
occasions, however, it was not so distinct to give it a title. We made this
observation to the spirit who then proposed to give a series of dissertations
about multiple subjects under the general title philosophical and
religious meditations, with the freedom for us to give a particular title to
the subjects if needed. We then suspended the publications until we had
a number of messages susceptible of coordination. That is the publication
that we begin today and will continue over the following issues.
We must take into account that the spirits that reached a high degree of
perfection are the only ones capable of assessing things in a way that is totally
correct; until then, whatever the development of their intelligence and
even morality they can be more or less supported by their worldly ideas and
see things from their personal point of view, that explains the contradictions
often found in their assessments. Lamennais seems to be in this category.
There is no doubt that his writings contain many good and beautiful things regarding his ideas and style, but there are evidently the ones that
may be submitted to critics and for which we don’t take any responsibility.
Everyone has the freedom of taking away what they find good and reject
what doesn’t seem correct. It is only the perfect spirits that may produce perfect
things. Well, Lamennais is no doubt a good and elevated spirit and he
does not pretend to be perfect yet and the somber, melancholic and mystical
character of the man is undoubtedly reflected in the spirit and consequently
in his communications. Therefore, from just that point of view, they would
already be interesting material for observation.
I
“Ideas change but God’s ideas and designs never change. Religion that is
faith, hope and charity, one in three things and the symbol of God on
Earth, remains unshaken amidst the struggles and prejudices. Religion exist
primarily in the hearts above all, hence it cannot change. It is at the time
when disbelief reigns and the clash of ideas without benefit to the truth that
the dawn comes up saying: I come in the name of the God of the living
ones and not of the dead; it is matter that perishes since it is divisible but the
soul is immortal given that it is unique and indivisible. When the soul of
the human being is weakened by doubts about eternity it materializes morally;
it divides and consequently is submitted to unfortunate trials in the
new reincarnations. Religion is thus the human being’s strength. Every day
it sees new crucifixions inflicted on Christ. Every day it hears blasphemies
thrown at its face but it remains unshaken like the Virgin that watches the
sacrifice of her own son, sustained by faith, hope and charity. The Virgin
was dispelled by the suffering of the Son of the Man, but she is not dead.”
II
Samson
“After reading the story of Samson in the Bible I saw in my thoughts an
image similar to the powerful artist that France has just lost, Decamps.
I saw a man of colossal stature with muscular limbs as in Michelangelo’s
Day. The strong man sleeping by the side of a woman that was burning
around her, perfumes, like those introduced by the Orientals, in a typically
very luxurious and feminine gesture. The man showed signs of fatigue
and there was a little cat at times jumping on him, other times on
her. The woman came closer to make sure that the giant was deep asleep
and then with a little pair of scissors she had the long hair of the colossal
man cut. You know the rest. Armed men jumped on and arrested him. –
The man imprisoned by the shackles of Delilah was Samson, said a spirit
that I soon saw by my side.
This man represents humanity weakened by corruption, by greed and
hypocrisy. Humanity, when God was with her she raised the gates of Gaza,
like Samson. When Humanity was sustained by freedom, or Christianity,
it crushed its enemies, like the giant crushed the Philistines’ army on his
own. ‘Thus, I answered to the spirit, the woman by his side…’ He did
not allow me to continue and said: ‘She is the one that replaced God; see
that I don’t speak about the corruption of the past centuries but of yours.’
A long time had passed since the image of Samson and Delilah had vanished
from my eyes. I saw the angel, always alone, saying with a smile:
‘Humanity is defeated.’ His expression then became deep and thoughtful,
adding: ‘these are the three things that will give back to Humanity its primitive
strength: Faith, hope and charity. They shall come in a few years and will
be found in a doctrine that human beings will call Spiritism.’
Continuation
Each religious phase of humanity has the divine power materialized in
the figures of Samson, Hercules and Roland. A man who is savvy in logic
would say: ‘I guess you are right, but such comparison seems too subtle
and slow.’ It is true. It is possible that such an idea has not yet crossed
anyone’s mind; in any case, let us examine it. I spoke about Samson, emblem
of power of the divine faith in the early days. The Bible is an oriental
poem; Samson is a material figure of that driving force that knocked
Heliodors down at the Atrium of the Temple and that gathered the waves
of the Red Sea, after having separated them.
This divine power had abated armies and destroyed the walls of
Jericho. The Greek came from Egypt and the East. Samson’s tradition
only existed as part of the Egyptian History and Philosophy. The Greek
flattened the giants of granite from Egypt; Hercules was armed with a
club and brought to life. Hercules carried out his twelve labors, defeated
the Hydra of seven capital sins and became the symbol of divine power
in the pagan world. He was turned into a god. But notice who was the
winner between those two giants. Should we smile? Should we cry? As
Lamartine said.
Eve had two daughters: Delilah and Dejanira. As you see the tradition
of Samson and Hercules is the same as that of Delilah and Dejanira. The
difference was that Delilah had replaced the hair of the Pharaoh’s daughters
by the diadem of Venus. The Afternoon falls on the famous Roncesvalles,
a giant lying in a deep ravine desperately screams Charlemagne’s name.
He was crushed under a huge rock that his weakening hands uselessly
tried to remove. Poor Roland! Your time has come. You are insulted by the
Basques from the top of the rock who still throw big stones at you. There
are women among your enemies. Roland may have perhaps loved one:
always Delilah and Dejanira. History does not say, but it is very likely.
Nevertheless, Roland died like Samson and Hercules. You may now dispute
that gentlemen, but it seems to me that this is not a subtle event.
What will be the personification of Spiritism’s strength in the future?
Time will tell, they say here on Earth. On this side we say: the human
being will see always.
Lamennais
(to be continued in the next issue)
Allan Kardec
