Centro de Iluminação Cristã Luz Universal - Alto Santo
CICLU - Alto Santo was
inscribed 05 September 2006, by simultaneous decrees of the governor Jorge Viana and
mayor Raymond Angelim, as a historic and cultural heritage site of Rio Branco and Acre.
It is the first step in the process of inscribing the Santo Daime doctrine,
founded by Raimundo Irineu Serra (1892 -1971), as a historic and
cultural heritage of humanity. The ceremony was held at the Palácio Rio
Branco, the capital of state goverment, with the participation of Peregrina
Gomes Serra, widow of Mestre Irineu and dignitary of CICLU - Alto Santo.
The government recognizes the historical and cultural relevance of CICLU - Alto
Santo, located in the road Raimundo Irineu Serra, in Rio Branco,
for the formation of the Santo Daime doctrine, as well as for the formation of
the Acrean society, uniting elements of material and
abstract culture that show Amazonian syncretism in its varied textures.
In the doctrine established by the black man from Maranhão, Irineu Serra, his
followers participate in spiritual rituals where they take ayahuasca or Daime,
the drink that is obtained from the cooking of two Amazonian plants, the vine jagube and the leaf
chacrona.
CICLU - Alto Santo constitutes the most important Daimistic center,
conserving vestiges that go back to the 1940s, or rather, to the
construction of the Santo Daime doctrine by its founder. This decision is part of the strategy of the state
and municipal governments to recognize, safeguard and promote the cultural diversity of Acre
together with traditional communities.
The inscription was requested by Madrinha Gomes Serra, dignitary of the center. The
inscription process of national historic heritage is open. The good to be preserved is the house in which Raimundo Irineu Serra lived; the headquarters of the temple, where the
spiritual works are done; the feitio house; the well, opened by Irineu
Serra; the tomb, where he is interred; the school
he founded and the house where Lêoncio Gomes da Silva, president of the center,
lived.
The governor and the mayor characterized the doctrine established by Mestre
Irineu Serra as the only genuinely Brazilian religion. Jorge Viana
also signed the inscription of the house of Chico Mendes (1944-1988),
where the union leader and ecologist lived and was assassinated. Mestre Irineu and Chico Mendes
were both born the 15th of December.
The complete letter sent by Dona Peregrina Gomes Serra, widow of Mestre
Irineu, to governor Jorge Viana and mayor
Raymond Angelim follows [translated from the Portuguese]:
"Rio Branco, 14 July 2006
I come by way of this to request to those responsible for the
municipal, state and federal historic sites, for the inscription of a set of
constructions related to the origin of the religious doctrine of the Daime,
situated immediately around Alto Santo. This was the place where my husband,
Mestre Raimundo Irineu Serra, installed, in the beginning
of the 1940s of the last century, a community whose followers remain with
me until today, a significant part of the history of the Acre.
Raimundo Irineu Serra was born in São Vicente de Ferrer, in Maranhão.
He came to Acre in the early years of 1912. Working in the rubber camps of the river
Acre, he arrived in Brasiléia where he had contact with other people from Maranhão
as well as Bolivians with whom he learned the use of ayahuasca. Mestre Irineu
started his spiritual path in which, through the intercession of Our Lady of
Conception, he received the principles of the religious doctrine that
he developed throughout his life.
He moved to Rio Branco, established a rural community in the
region of the Igarapé São Fundo and organized his spiritual knowledge in the hinários
[hymnbooks], the concentration works, the healing works of cure and
diverse activities which each time united a brotherhood more numerous. In
this period, he baptized ayahuasca with the name of Daime. In his
company was Daniel Pereira de Mattos, who also established a spiritual
work in the place known today as Vila Ivonete.
In 1954, Mestre Irineu moved, together with other brothers of the doctrine, to
an area near Colônia Custódio Freire. It was this place, now called Alto
Santo, that Mestre Irineu concluded his spiritual mission planting the ancient
roots of this new religious doctrine.
Since then, the brotherhood established by Mestre Irineu Serra maintained this place respecting and honoring the teachings that
he left
them. In this place there are important constructions for the continuation of
this tradition. I separate two sets.
The first one includes the house of the Mestre, transformed into a community memorial,
headquarters of our spiritual works, the feitio house and
the well opened by the Mestre. I exclude from this set my residence and that of
Dona Maria Laurinda, next to the memorial, but designed for private use and
built in more recent times.
In the second set, on the other side of the road, are lined up side by
side: the municipal school Irineu Serra, that is a recent construction,
but was originally Escola Cruzeiro, established by the Mestre in the
beginning of the 1960s, the chapel with the tomb of the Mestre and two important
disciples, Conselheiro José das Neves and Presidente Leôncio Gomes da
Silva
and, finally, the house of Leôncio Gomes, modeled on the
house of the Mestre and still holds the characteristics of that era.
All these are located in the Área de Proteção Ambiental Raimundo Irineu Serra, created
last year [2005] by the municipality of Rio Branco and
have, therefore, the attention of the municipal government. I believe,
however, that the inscription of municipal, state and federal heritage, will
give greater security so the work of Mestre Irineu can be
protected forever.
Therefore, I request the municipality of Rio Branco, the government of
the State of the Acre and to the government of the Republic of Brazil inscribe
the area of Alto Santo as a historic and cultural heritage site of our city,
our state and country.
Peregrina Gomes Serra"
Área de Proteção Ambiental Raimundo Irineu Serra
The first Área de Proteção Ambiental (APA) [officially protected
environmental area] of Acre has been created by
mayor Raymond Angelim, with support of the city council, in Vila Irineu Serra, in Rio Branco,
in response to the request of the community and
the leaders of the four centers of the Santo Daime doctrine.
APA is a category of conservation unit of the Sistema Nacional de Unidades de
Conservação (SNUC) [national system of conservation units], among national parks, biological reserves,
extraction reserves and others, however, minus some characteristics.
The main objectives of an APA are: to protect scenic beauty and landscapes,
rivers, springs and streams; to stimulate the balanced use of the natural
resources; to stimulate regional development and to preserve the animal and
plant species.
Historic site - Vila Irineu Serra has been in existence more than 50 years.
The immense original area was donated by the former-governor and former-senator
José Guiomard dos Santos to Mestre Raimundo Irineu Serra, who founded the
Centro de Iluminação Cristã Luz Universal there. It was divided over time, but still forms,
at the
highest point of the city, one of the most beautiful natural landscapes, 8
kilometers from the center.
The Área de Preservação Ambiental Raimundo Irineu Serra (Aparis), with at
least 1,2 thousand hectares, forms the biggest green area in the basin of the
São Francisco river, according to Arthur Leite, municipal environment secretary.
The proposal is the result of long discussions by the community. The community wants
the government to help
restore the natural ecosystem of the degraded area to its
original condition, by means of reforestation, stimulating the
maintenance by the traditional population and the sustainable use of the
natural resources of the area.
The inhabitants want, still, to protect and to guarantee the original cultural
manifestations of the traditional populations, integrated into the native
ecosystem, notably the plantation and cultivation of the species Bannisteriopsis
caapi (jagube vine) and Psychotria viridis (rainha leaf), as
well as protecting the religious use of the drink called ayahuasca.
No project of urbanization may be implanted in an APA without previous
authorization by the unit's administrator. The areas of existing forests may be considered
Zonas de Conservação da Vida Silvestre [wildlife conservation zones], in
which no type of deforestation or exploitative activity may change the fauna or
flora.
Manifesto of Alto Santo
General Paulo Roberto Yog de Miranda Uchoa, national anti-drug secretary, did
not allow during the Ayahuasca Seminar [08 February 2006], the reading of the
manifesto signed by Peregrina Gomes Serra, widow of Mestre Raimundo Irineu Serra, founder of the
Centro de Iluminação Cristã Luz Universal(CICLU) - Alto Santo.
The general also did not allow Francisco Hipólito de Araújo Neto,
leader of the Centro Espírita e Culto de Oração Casa de Jesus Fonte de Luz read another manifesto. The two
oldest and strictest centers of the ritual
use of ayahuasca in the country quit participating in the seminar.
Dona Peregrina Serra, the dignitary of CICLU - Alto Santo,
affirms in the manifesto that the authorities of the Brazilian government can
count on the support and contribution of her "in case that they judge necessary
energetic steps, such as the prohibition of the interstate transport and the
exportation of jagube, the leaf and ayahuasca itself - which would serve to
contain the commerce of the drink and the traffic of other substances associated
with
the uncontrolled proliferation of false centers of Christian illumination".
The manifesto of the Casa de Jesus-Fonte de Luz was elaborated by consensus
of six centers following the work of Mestre Daniel Pereira de Mattos [Barquinha]. It defends a legislation that
controls the harvesting and the transport of the jagube vine, of the
rainha leaf, as well as of the Daime. "We defend that Justice can punish
those that spread the use of drugs associated with Daime in our society".
The two centers that could best contribute with proposals on the ritual use of ayahuasca
were not heard as a result of the maneuvers of poseurs and the
authoritarianism that prevailed in the "seminar" of CONAD [national
anti-drug council]. In practice, the event was conceived and organized by
council members and consultants who defend the access to drugs, such as marijuana and cocaine, also
during rituals with ayahuasca.
The two manifestos severely criticize the lenience and unpreparedness of CONAD
to lead with the reality of the traditional users of ayahuasca. The aboriginal people of Acre, for example,
who have been using ayahuasca immemorially, should have at least been invited to the event.
Alto Santo and the Casa de Jesus Fonte de Luz oppose the tendency of
maximum freedom CONAD tends to adopt in relation to ayahuasca on the pretext of
regulating its use under pressure from centers who make a lot of money
commercializing the drink inside and outside the country.
- I congratulate with maximum note the high degree of authoritarianism
and disorganization of the seminar - said Francisco Hipólito to general Uchoa.
Get to know exclusively the two manifestos:
"Gentlemen and Ladies,
My husband, Mestre Raimundo Irineu Serra, founder of the Centro de Iluminação Cristã
Luz Universal - Alto Santo, of which I am the dignitary, before he quit this
world he never tired of warning us and preparing us for those who would come and
stain the history of his doctrine, which was consolidated on Earth with enormous
sacrifice from him and his original followers.
On innumerable occasions, persistently, Mestre Raimundo Irineu Serra made clear that love and loyalty were the
most valuable virtues expected from followers of the doctrine.
Directed at everyone, his final call, often repeated, warned us about what would occur until the current days,
after his passage to the spiritual world.
It was these words of instruction that Mastre Raimundo Irineu
Serra left to us:
- When I am absent from here, you gather, drink Daime and call me to come. Do not leave me to invent fashion and
none should be head. I am the owner here.
The 68 years of my life, since my birth, have been dedicated to the teachings of Raimundo Irineu Serra. The words and
teachings he gave have given me enough strength to remain loyal as privileged witness of the historical legacy of
his doctrine.
There is not, among those who sanction this seminar, anyone who has arrived at CICLU-ALTO SANTO without
me already being there, in the unforgettable company of the Mestre Raimundo Irineu Serra, of my parents Sebastião and
Zulmira, of my grandfather Antônio Gomes da Silva, and of my uncles Lêoncio,
Raymond and Guilherme Gomes da Silva.
Since Mestre Irineu left materially, CICLU-ALTO SANTO was various
times the target of robbers, who dared to oppose that warning
of its founder that he will always be the owner.
Many speak, giving lip service, clearly, in love and unity, but they forget
that if they had cultivated love and the spirit of unity in their hearts until
today we would be congregated in the same Centro de Iluminação Cristã Luz
Universal, in Alto Santo.
But in the reality many let themselves be dominated by egoism and had started
to cultivate substances and doctrinal elements of diverse origins in deep
disorder with the essence of the doctrine that they had known while with Raimundo Irineu Serra.
There is no one who received authorization from Mestre Irineu to
declare themselves owner or "continuator" of his infinite work.
What he did was to allow, temporarily, that two people - one in Rio Branco and
another one in Porto Velho (Rondônia) - gather his followers to drink Daime
because of the distance they lived.
But, by order of Mestre Irineu, months before his departure the permissions were cancelled by
Leôncio Gomes da Silva, my uncle, perpetual president of CICLU-ALTO SANTO.
In another case, the unforgettable Daniel Pereira de Mattos, countryman and
friend of Mestre Irineu, received from him a great benefit for his health, in
1937. Daniel arrived to receive Daime from Mestre himself and received the
revelation of his own line of work.
He looked for Mestre Raimundo Irineu Serra and communicated with him,
and got the Mestre's support, giving him five liters of Daime and
the encouragement to do his work. The house of Daniel Pereira de Mattos was built without
being necessary to usurp anything from
another house. It is because of this that the ties of mutual admiration and respect
remain until today between the two centers [Alto Santo and Barquinha].
The proliferation of centers that improperly use the hymns and the symbols of
the doctrine of the Mestre Raimundo Irineu Serra is the absolute
responsibility of each one that does so. Everyone has to be accountable for the
works they are doing.
The attempt to evangelize or indoctrinate the world with the use of ayahuasca is
against the principles of the doctrine, that is esoteric and cannot be
confused with the religions that are dedicated to gathering followers.
Mestre Irineu aften said the following:
- My Daime is for everyone, but not everyone is for my Daime. For my Daime I make
myself responsible.
Because of this, he expressly left the
Decree of Service, which is what guides
us as an esoteric organization, and prohibits us from inviting people to our
gatherings.
There is not one center affiliated with our CICLU - ALTO SANTO and, to prevent
problems, we continue reliably to follow orders that were left for us by Raimundo Irineu
Serra. We do not create anything. We do not invent nor do we
allow the way it worries.
We have the certainty of that he is the owner. Everything what we inherit with
CICLU - ALTO SANTO is the fruit of the divine inspiration of Raimundo Irineu Serra.
It was him who taught us what belongs to a center of instruction, of divine
wisdom, the path of goodness. It was him who taught us, still, to receive all those
who look for freedom and spontaneous will.
All my struggle ahead for this center is to keep the ideals of the replanting of
Christianity, of the prosperity and personal evolution of
each one of its members, inside of patriotism and respect for the laws of our
country, as Mestre Raimundo Irineu Serra in instructed us.
We drink Daime. But Daime. Daime of Mestre Raimundo Irineu Serra.
Daime was the name with which Mestre Raimundo Irineu Serra baptized ayahuasca, that others later nicknamed
santo Daime.
The Daime of Mestre Irineu, the Daime for which he made himself responsible
eternally, continues being prepared and served in CICLU-ALTO SANTO in the
rigorous ritual he left, from the cooking of only three substances:
water, leaf and jagube [vine].
Those that frequent CICLU-ALTO SANTO drink the Daime only in the days of
work, whose calendar was established during the life of the founder. They do not
have any Daime at home, to prevent risk of inappropriate use.
The police, environmental inspectors and health authorities of the state and
federal governments may rest assured they will never catch someone from CICLU -
ALTO SANTO illegally transporting vine or leaf or commercializing Daime and much
less with behavior changed in the social circles.
I understand the legion of opponents of the center established by Mestre Raimundo Irineu Serra:
it is much easier to leave and to organize as they well understand than to
adjust to the discipline demanded of them in CICLU - ALTO SANTO.
For me it has been painful to follow the banalization of ayahuasca. I say
ayahuasca in generic way because it is not Daime of Mestre Irineu that has been confused with
a drug, distributed and sold openly in world-wide
commerce.
Who takes Daime, Daime of Mestre Irineu, handles themselves very differently
from those who promote the trespasses, that are known to public opinion,
inside and outside of the country.
We do not stand in the battalion with those who reveal themselves as fanatics for ayahuasca. Mestre Irineu warned
that we always be prepared because
his doctrine holds without the drink.
I have resigned myself together my brothers ahead of everything. The request of
his followers that when he was absent from CICLU-ALTO SANTO was when they gather
to drink Daime to call, and he will be present, and not to invent things or want
to be leader, because he is the owner; Mestre Raimundo Irineu Serra gave us the
instruction how to behave to protect and follow his doctrine.
Mestre Raimundo Irineu Serra was also accustomed to say the following:
- The house of the Mother is full, but mine I put in the palm of the hand.
Even though many things have happened, but the truth is that Mestre Irineu and I
are the owners of this work. I am responsible for CICLU-ALTO SAINTO.
It is not a comfortable position for one who was born, raised and until today
lives dedicated to protecting the doctrine in its essence.
I speak of this discomfort because daily I am hit by robbers, usurpers and
quacks who stain history, the hymns, the teachings and the symbols of the sacred
doctrine of the Mestre.
I hope to count on the sensitivity and collaboration of the authorities of
the Brazilian government, that want to constitute a multidisciplinary working
group of researchers to raise and follow the aberrations that
are being practiced with the improper use of ayahuasca.
They can count on my support and collaboration in case they judge
energetic steps necessary, such as the prohibition of the interstate transport and the
exportation of jagube, the leaf and ayahuasca itself - whatever serves to
contain the commerce of the drink and the traffic of other substances associated
with the uncontrolled proliferation of pretend centers of Christian illumination.
In the role of dignitary of CICLU-ALTO SANTO, I want to abstain from asking for
votes to represent or to be represented as leader of any centers using ayahuasca.
I disagree with the criteria of representation adopted for the organizers of
this event, who arrive at the point to classify a group of leaders as belonging
to a supposed "line of Mestre Irineu or Alto Santo".
I take this decision because we have never faced any problem of public order that
demanded the concern of the authorities of our country.
Nothing of that it can come from a proposal or be determined by scientists and
representatives of excessive centers will affect the historical conduct of the
works at CICLU-ALTO SANTO, whish is the only one
established on Earth by Raimundo Irineu Serra and of which I am the
owner.
The Centro de Iluminação Cristã Luz Universal is located on my
private property, called Alto Santo by my lamented husband. Alto Santo
is not a neighborhood or a community. It is about an area where the Mestre Raimundo
Irineu Serra constructed the Center and the house which he and I shared.
I hope they at least respect my right not to have the name of CICLU-ALTO SANTO associated with the centers that have appeared in the Irineu
Serra neighborhood in recent years.
Although we are nearby, in the same neighborhood, and live together peacefully, in reality we are separated
by the facts displayed
here.
Therefore, to all those who transformed ayahuasca into merchandise and usurp the
doctrine of Mestre Raimundo Irineu Serra, I must say: each one will answer for
their acts, therefore "the Justice of God is
straight, in the world and the astral".
When the Queen of the Forest delivered to Mestre Raimundo Irineu Serra the mission of replanting
the doctrine of Jesus Christ, she warned him not to make money with this.
Without the fanaticism that has reigned, we will continue to follow the
mission of Raimundo Irineu Serra. The teachings and endowment of the Mestre will
always guide us. To finish, I repeat his words here:
- When I am absent from here, gather, drink Daime and call me to come. Do not leave me to invent fashion and no one wants to be
leader. I am the
owner here.
This is my point of view for this meeting, for which I assigned as
representatives of CICLU-ALTO SANTO the journalists Altino Machado and Antonio
Alves.
Alto Santo, 8 of March of 2006
Peregrina Gomes Serra
Dignitary of the Centro de Iluminação Cristã Luz Universal
Alto Santo
