Allan Kardec-THE Spirit's Book_ The Principles of Spiritist Doctrine (1989)

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THE SPIRITS’ BOOK
"They act from both these motives. In some cases, they are enemies whom you have made
during your present life, or in some former one, and who pursue you accordingly; in others,
they act without any fixed motive."
531. In the case of those' who have' done us harm in the earthly life is their malevolence
extinguished when they return to the spirit-world?
"In many cases, they perceive the injustice of their action, and regret the wrong they have
done you; but, in other cases, they continue to pursue you with their animosity, if God permits
them to do so, as a continuation of your trial."
- Can we put an end to this sort of persecution,, and by what means?
"You can do so, in many cases, by praying for them, because, by thus rendering them good
for evil, you gradually bring them to see that they are in the wrong. And, in all cases, if you
can show them, by your patience, that you are able to rise superior to their machinations, they
will cease to attack you, seeing that they gain nothing by so doing."
Experience proves that imperfect spirits follow up their vengeance from one existence to another, and
that we are thus made to expiate sooner or later, the wrongs we may have done to others.
532. Are spirits able to avert misfortune's from some persons, and to bring them upon others?
"Only to a certain extent; for there are misfortunes that come upon you by the decrees of
Providence. But spirits can lessen your sufferings by helping you to bear them with patience
and resignation.
"Know, also, that it often depends on yourselves to avert misfortunes, or, least, to attenuate
them. God has given you intelligence in order that you may make use of it, and it is especially
by so doing that you enable friendly spirits to aid you most effectually-viz., by suggesting
useful ideas; for they only help those who help themselves: a truth implied in the words,
'Seek, and yet shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.'
"Besides, you must remember that what appears to you to be a misfortune is not always such;
for the good which it is destined to work out is often greater than the seeming evil. This fact
is not always recognised by you, because you are too apt to think only of the present moment,
and of your own immediate satisfaction."