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

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ALLAN KARDEC
"Among spirits, as among men, there are lazy ones who shrink from a life of labour. God lets
them take their own way; they will learn, by and by, and to their cost, the bad effects of their
uselessness, and will then eagerly demand to be allowed to make up for lost time. It may be,
also, that they had chosen a more useful life; but have subsequently recoiled from the trial,
and allowed themselves to be misled by tile suggestions of spirits who encourage them in
their inactivity."
575. The common occupations of everyday life appear to us to be duties rather than missions,
properly so called. A mission according to the idea we attach to this 'word, is characterised
by au importance less exclusive, and especially less personal. From this point of view, have
can we ascertain that a man has really a mission upon this earth?
"By the greatness of the results he accomplishes, and the progress he causes to be made by his
fellow-men."
576. -Are those who have received an important mission predestined thereto before their
birth, and are they aware of it?
"Yes, in some cases; but, more often, they ate not aware of it. They are only vaguely
conscious of an aim in coming upon the earth; their mission reveals itself to them gradually,
after their birth, through the action of circumstances. God leads them on into the road which
they are to take for the accomplishment of His designs."
577. When a man does anything useful, is it always in virtue of an anterior and predestined
mission, or may he receive a mission not previously foreseen?
"Everything a man does is not the result of a predestined mission; he is often the instrument
of a spirit who makes use of him in order to procure the execution of something he considers
useful. For example: -A spirit thinks it would be useful to publish a book which he would
write himself if he were incarnated. He seeks out the writer who will be the fittest to
comprehend and develop his idea; he suggests to him the plan of the work, and directs him in
its execution In such a case, the man did not come into the world with the mission of doing
this work. It is the same in regard to various works of art or scientific discoveries. During the
sleep of his body, the incarnated spirit communicates directly with the spirit in erraticity, and
the two take counsel together for the carrying out of their undertaking."