Laziness: moral dissertation from São Luís to Ms. Hermance Dufaux

Spiritist Magazine — Journal of Psychological Studies — 1858 > June > The laziness

A man left very early and went to the square to hire workers. Now, there he saw two men of the people, sitting with their arms folded. He approached one of them and approached him like this: “What are you doing there?” To which he replied: “I have no work.” Then the one looking for workers said: “Take your tool and come to my field on the hillside, where the south wind blows; you shall cut the heather and turn the ground until nightfall. The task is hard, but you will get a good salary.” The man of the people put the hoe on his shoulder, thanking him for it, with all his heart.

Hearing this, the other workman got up and approached, saying: "Sir, let me go work in the field too." And having told them both to follow him, he marched ahead to show the way. Then, when they reached the side of the hill, he divided the work in two and left.

When he left, the last of the hired workers set fire to the weeds on the plot that he had been lucky enough to turn over the earth with his hoe. Under the scorching sun, sweat beaded on his forehead. The other imitated him, at first muttering, but soon he stopped his work and, putting the hoe in the ground, sat down beside him, watching his companion's work.

Now in the evening the owner of the field came and examined the work. Calling the diligent worker, he congratulated him saying: “You did well. Here is your salary.” And he sent him away, giving him a silver coin. The other also approached, demanding the price of his wages, but the owner said to him: “Bad worker, my bread will not satisfy your hunger, because you have left uncultivated the part of my field that was entrusted to you. It is not fair that the one who has done nothing is rewarded as the one who has worked well.”

And fired him without giving him anything.

I say to you that strength was not given to man, nor intelligence to his spirit, to spend his days in idleness, but to be useful to his fellow men. Now, he whose hands are unoccupied and whose spirit is idle will be punished and must begin his task anew.

Truly I say to you, your life will be set aside as a worthless thing when your time is fulfilled. Understand this as a comparison. Which of you, having in the orchard a tree that bears no fruit, will not say to the servant, “Cut down that tree and throw it into the fire, for its branches are barren?” Now, just as that tree will be cut down because of its barrenness, so the lazy man's life will be thrown into waste, because he has been barren in good works.

Laziness: workers of the last work

The Gospel According to Spiritism is a book by Allan Kardec and the Spirits that was published in Paris on April 15, 1864, which used this text, but with a different guise. 

It is good to know that Kardec made use of his studies with Revista Espírita to add part of them to his great work, recognized as basic to Spiritism, which, among them, gives greater focus to religious, ethical and behavioral issues of the human being.

The cited article: Last minute workers

Our Facebook group: Study Group The Legacy of Allan Kardec.