In a anonymous letter, members of the União do Vegetal (UDV) — one of the main ayahuasca religions in Brazil — have show their dissatisfaction with the explicit support of certain masters, as their leaders are called, at the top of the hierarchy of the UDV for the Bolsonaro government’s denialist anti-democratic policy, claiming that these practices are completely out of line with the teachings of Mestre Gabriel, creator of the religion, which is non-partisan.
Read the full letter below. To understand the background of the story, you can also read the article “The Misfortune of Right Wing Psichedelia”, for Psicodelicamente.
Dear General Representative Master:
As disciples of Master Gabriel, and belonging to different hierarchical levels within the União do Vegtal, we wish, with all due respect, to record our position and feelings regarding institutional events related to the current political scenario. We are aware that much of what will be included in this letter must have already been discussed directly with you, but we consider a formal statement to be important so that in our UDV history the presence of diversity, plurality of opinions, and, especially, the right to examine and continue following the Master through our conscience be registered.
We are disciples of the União do Vegetal and are concerned about the show of support by people at the top of the Union’s hierarchy for political positions, which we understand as being contrary to the Master’s teachings. As Brazilian citizens, we are affected in one way or another by the political polarization in Brazil today, and our statements in this document are not intended in any way to express positions of a specific political aspect. What mobilizes us is the responsibility to highlight some critiques of what has been said so that, together, we can continue to balance this great ship that is the União do Vegetal.
Far from the superficial discourses of the right and the left, which are not able to solve the most essential problems of humanity and nature, we wish to deal with values. The way in which certain issues are being addressed by the present government, both in discourse and in practice, do not simply translate a political vision but, rather, harm human dignity and are therefore very different from the main aim of the União do Vegetal, introduced by the Master, to make peace in the world. We believe that, in any political position, whether it be right or left, there are worthy people who do excellent work for the benefit of society.
Although the General Master Representative has given clear opinions on the non-partisan position of the União do Vegetal, the manifestation of people from the Board, especially the Masters at the top of the hierarchy, in social networks, sessions, or mass media, in defense of the proposals of the current government, shows a lapse in the institution. We all have our free will, but, as the Master teaches, we are responsible for the positions we occupy.
Because of the positions these people occupy within the Union, they become opinion makers. Their personal images are confused with their positions within the institution, and, by positioning themselves publicly, their opinion is not that of the individual with an identity card number but of a person who represents the institution.
Our main concerns have been with the support of these important authorities of the Center for discourses and political practices that, from our point of view, are at odds with the Master’s teachings and are therefore generating unrest. Due to the institutional influence it has, we are concerned that the Union, both in the public and internal spheres, should always be seen as non-partisan. The specific manifestations of the General Representative Master have been essential in the attempt to maintain the balance of the brotherhood; but the discussion, the publication of videos, and other forms of political positioning continue.
In order to reflect on the dissonance between the manifestations of representatives of the current government and the Master’s words, we would like to make some further points. The Master teaches us about the power of the word, saying this it is what brings everything to us. How can this fit in with public discourses that are disrespectful to minorities? With the use of words that incite violence? With manifestations that promote a denial of science and that relativize serious socio-environmental and health problems? With profanity uttered in ministerial meetings and official speeches, disrespecting the positions they occupy?
Considering that the Master created the União do Vegetal with the idea of bringing peace to the world, and having left Light, Peace, and Love as symbols of the Union, we believe that some emblematic positions of this government’s policy are completely contrary to these purposes. As an example, we can mention one of the first acts of the government, the reduction of restrictions on the acquisition of firearms, and the gesture of a gun with the hands even became a symbol of the government’s campaign; a hate speech against people on the left, with the use of words such as “leftopaths,” “sociopathic leftists,” and other unpleasant designations; public demonstrations that political opponents are enemies and that they must be eliminated; statements in favor of the military dictatorship and in defense of torturers; prejudiced and violent speeches against minorities; policies against environmental conservation; the dissemination of the use of lies (“fake news”) to influence people’s opinion; the fundamentalist discourse that creates in the collective imagination the idea that the government and its followers are the only “good citizens”; political discourses and practices that threaten the secular state and the right to declare different beliefs; and the disregard of serious problems, such as COVID-19, with greater losses for low-income populations.
Another important point is that many of these positions of leaders defending the current policy are considered to be incontestable. The Master’s word that we should always be wary that we may not be sure seems to be out of place in these declarations. Even people who have questioned some of these positions on social networks have been threatened with being prosecuted or have been subject to punishment.
It should also be remembered, as the Master taught us, that the União do Vegetal is permanently planted on Earth. This government will end, and we do not need to get involved with something that is not consistent with the Master’s word so we can ensure the Union’s permanence in Brazil and the world. We believe that the idea, reinforced by some, that support for the current government would be able to help the União do Vegetal, does not fit in with what we learned in the Union. Attracting the authorities is quite different from playing the power game or ignoring our principles.
Faced with the institutional hierarchy that we are part of, and the polarization we are experiencing, we perceive the current difficulty in maintaining openness to dialogue. In general terms, there is opposition to this, and there is a fear of dealing with sensitive issues. The decision, then, to send this letter also has to do with this—with a position of trust to formalize other points of view and to always keep alive within the Union the fact that we are all parts of the Master’s body and that it is important for the União do Vegetal to be in harmony within the symbol of the Light of Peace and Love.
Art by Trey Brasher.
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