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The Spiritist Review - Journal of Psychological Studies - 1863 > January > The story of a servant
The story of a servant
Later on we thought of evoking him. Here is what he said:
The case described in our last December issue entitled “The lodge and the lounge” reminds us of another somehow personal one. In a trip done two years ago we saw in an affluent family a servant whose fine traces and air of distinction caught our attention. There was nothing inferior in his manners. His dedication to his masters did not show that typical servility of persons in such a condition.
Going back to that home a year later we no longer saw the young man and asked if he had been fired. “No”, they said, “he left to spend a few days in his homeland and died. We were really sorry for he was an excellent employee and his feelings were really above his position. He was very much devoted and dedicated to us.”
Going back to that home a year later we no longer saw the young man and asked if he had been fired. “No”, they said, “he left to spend a few days in his homeland and died. We were really sorry for he was an excellent employee and his feelings were really above his position. He was very much devoted and dedicated to us.”
Later on we thought of evoking him. Here is what he said:
– A. In my incarnation before the last one I was from a good family, ruined by my father’s lavishness. At an early age I was left orphan and broken. Mr. G… was my benefactor. He had me educated as a son and that made me really proud. In the last existence I wanted to atone that pride by been born in a servile condition then having the opportunity to demonstrate my dedication to my benefactor. I even saved his life without him noticing. It was simultaneously a trying time from which I gained a lot for not allowing myself to be corrupted at the contact with an ambient that was generally wicked. I remained pure despite the bad examples and for that I thank God and for having rewarded me with the happiness that I enjoy now.
Q. How did you save Mr. G’s life? – A. It was over a horse riding event in which I followed him and noticed a large tree falling by his side that he had not seen. I called his attention with a terrible scream. He moved suddenly while the tree fell at his feet. Without that sudden movement he would have been smashed.
Q. Why have you died so young? – A. God thought that my trial was enough.
Q. How could you have taken advantage of the test if you had no memory of a previous life and the cause that had motivated it? – A. In my humble position I still had the pride that I was fortunate enough to dominate. That made the test useful otherwise I would have to restart it. During moments of freedom my Spirit remembered and I woke up with the desire to resist temptations that I thought were bad things. I had more merit in that fight than if I had remembered everything. The remembrance of my former position would have exalted my pride and caused disturbance whereas forgetting I only had to fight the solicitations of the new position.
Q. Why have you died so young? – A. God thought that my trial was enough.
Q. How could you have taken advantage of the test if you had no memory of a previous life and the cause that had motivated it? – A. In my humble position I still had the pride that I was fortunate enough to dominate. That made the test useful otherwise I would have to restart it. During moments of freedom my Spirit remembered and I woke up with the desire to resist temptations that I thought were bad things. I had more merit in that fight than if I had remembered everything. The remembrance of my former position would have exalted my pride and caused disturbance whereas forgetting I only had to fight the solicitations of the new position.
Q. You were given a brilliant education. What good did it do to you in your last existence considering that you did not remember the acquired knowledge? – A. All that knowledge would have been useless and even meaningless in my new life. It remained latent but I have recovered that now. However, it was not useless since it helped develop my intelligence. Instinctively I was attracted to elevated things and that caused me repulse towards bad examples and ignoble things that I witnessed. Without education I would have been a simple servant.
Q. Do the examples of servants totally dedicated to their masters find their causes in previous bonds? – A. No doubt. At least it is the most common case. Sometimes such servants are members of the same family or, like in my case, debtors paying their debts of recognition and whose devotion help them to progress. Do you ignore all the effects of sympathy and antipathy that such previous relationships produce in the world? No! Death does not break those relationships that sometimes remain from century to century.
Q. Why such examples of devotion are rarer and rarer these days? – A. The cause is the Spirit of selfishness and pride of your century, produced by disbelief and the materialistic ideas. True faith is destroyed by greed and by the desire of accumulation and with all that goes devotion. Bringing humanity back to the true feeling Spiritism shall make reborn the forgotten virtues.
NOTE: The fact was mentioned to Mr. G… who had a perfect memory of the event.
Q. Do the examples of servants totally dedicated to their masters find their causes in previous bonds? – A. No doubt. At least it is the most common case. Sometimes such servants are members of the same family or, like in my case, debtors paying their debts of recognition and whose devotion help them to progress. Do you ignore all the effects of sympathy and antipathy that such previous relationships produce in the world? No! Death does not break those relationships that sometimes remain from century to century.
Q. Why such examples of devotion are rarer and rarer these days? – A. The cause is the Spirit of selfishness and pride of your century, produced by disbelief and the materialistic ideas. True faith is destroyed by greed and by the desire of accumulation and with all that goes devotion. Bringing humanity back to the true feeling Spiritism shall make reborn the forgotten virtues.
NOTE: The fact was mentioned to Mr. G… who had a perfect memory of the event.
Note: There is nothing better than this example to point out the benefits of forgetfulness of previous existences. If Mr. G… remembered who his young servant was he would feel embarrassed and would not keep him in that condition. He would then have blocked a trial that was beneficial to both.