| The Santo Daime
is a religious doctrine of indigenous inspiration and is
based on the ritual use of ayahuasca, a
drink of Inca
origin. It appeared in the Brazilian state of Acre, in the
early twentieth century, with the founder the farmer and
descendant of slaves Mr. Raimundo Irineu Serra, also known
as the Godfather or Mestre (Master) Irineu. He received personally
the revelation of a Christian doctrine from the Ayahuasca
drink (wine of the souls), which we call “Santo Daime”. The
drink, which was very widespread used by the indigenous
peoples of the region, is obtained in a process of cooking
two plants: the liana Jagube (banesteriopsis caapi) and the
leaves of “Rainha” (Queen) (Psychotria viridis),
both native to the rainforest. It has entheogenical properties,
resulting in an expansion of consciousness, responsible for
the experience of contacting with the inner divinity, present
in every human being.
According to “Mestre Irineu”, he personally received
this doctrine by an apparition of “Nossa Senhora da
Conceição”, one of the first times he
took the drink in the region of Basiléia, Acre - Brazil.
The hymns of the Master, which he began receiving, beginning
in the early 30's ,brought a strong emphasis on Christian
teachings and a new reading of the Gospels in the light of
Santo Daime, confirming the same principles of Love , Charity
and human fraternity in modern times.
It is a spiritual work, which aims to achieve the self-knowledge
and the experience of God or the Inner Higher Self. Therefore,
it uses within a ritual context regarded as sacred, the sacramental
entheogenical drink known as ayahuasca, which was renamed
by Mestre Irineu as Santo Daime. The use of entheogenical
substance as sacrament seems to have been part of the main
religious traditions of antiquity and has provided the visionary
basis to many of the major religions in the world today.
Our liturgical worship can be resumed in the collective celebration
on fixed dates, where we drink Daime as a sacrament. Santo
Daime is called eclectic, because its roots are steeped in
a strong syncretism between various elements of cultural
and religious folklore. The use of the sacrament of Santo
Daime is held on the dates of an official calendar, obeying
the ritual rules that were established by Mestre Irineu and
Padrinho (Godfather) Sebastião.
A Spiritual Council directs the Church and
oversees the maintenance of tradition and principles while
seeking to
conform them to new contexts. The main religious festivities
are Hymnals and “Feitios”, festivals with “the
making of Santo Daime . Hymnals are twelve hours of singing
and dancing around a six-pointed star, by the sound of various
instruments and maracas. “Feitios” are the feasts
of production of the sacrament, when the whole community
is mobilized to the sacramental drink that will be consumed
during the work schedule of the year.
|
Mestre Irineu
Padrinho Sebastião Mota
Cipó Jagube (banesteriopsis caapi)
|
