 
Dom Bosco's Way
(The pilgrimage of Brazil in search of
World Peace)
“Pilgrimage
in the Promised Land” is a civic and spiritual route
that goes through several public spots, mostly located along
the Eixo Monumental do Plano Piloto de Brasília (the
main thoroughfare of Brasília). It was inspired on
the promise inherent in Dom Bosco’s dream and the
fulfillment of what was determined in the Brazilian Constitution,
which became in turn the dream of all Brazilians –
the construction of Brasília, the capital of Brazil.
Following a pre-established route, with its natural variables
along the way, its stopping and resting places were revealed
to its founder by degrees through experiences lived, astronomical
studies, synchronicities, research and dreams throughout
more than 22 years, according to local newspaper articles.
The
Pilgrim’s footsteps follow a certain order and correspond
to the archetypal structure of the ancestral memory (present
in the collective unconscious) and based on the Judaic/Christian
tradition. It goes back to God granting Abraham the Promised
Land, Canaan, whose archetype is updated through Dom Bosco’s
prophecy of a new Canaan, a new Promised Land which gushes
out milk and honey. We add to all this the national memory
which shows in the meaning of the various archetypical monuments
present in the city making up the route where each stopping
place represents an important step in the Way. Dom Bosco’s
Way is a pilgrimage in Brasília that means to be
an access to, a golden way in the direction of a new era
of spirituality and peace.
Through
the Pilgrimage of Brasília, city founded upon the
dream of a saint, Dom Bosco, people seeking balance and
harmony within themselves and with the environment, endeavor,
as well, to preserve and make known its historic heritage
and memory. This has to do with the fact that Brasília
has been formally declared part of humanity’s cultural
heritage where one can find simultaneously historic, cultural
and spiritual aspects of the same. Therefore in Brasília,
seat of the government and capital of Brazil, one can call
upon all civic, historical, cultural, religious and spiritual
powers.
First Phase: The ancestral memory
and the geographic center of Brazil
Setting out. First overnight stay - at
the Agricultural College of Brasília. Information
about Águas Emendadas (Joined Waters), an outing
to Pedra Fundamental de Brasília (the Foundation
Stone of Brasília) and a visit to Morro da Paixão
(Passion Hill).
Second overnight stay - at Vale do Amanhecer
(Dawn Valley). All these spots are located in the region
close to Planaltina. On the second day the pilgrims or tourists
take the BR040 road, on foot, to the Paranoá (a local
district) through the Barragem (another one) to the São
Bento Monastery.
Second Phase: The Way of the Cross
of Brasília
Third overnight stay - at the Israel Pinheiro
Conventions Center, São Bento Monastery or Ermida
Dom Bosco, the latter a small chapel dedicated to Dom Bosco,
and the spot which marks the beginning of the construction
of Brasília. Pilgrims may carry on by boat passing
by the presidential palace and crossing the lake by going
under the JK Bridge toward the Ministers’ Peninsula.
At
Ermida Dom Bosco, the small chapel by the lake where the
memory of Dom Bosco is honored, the pilgrims, devotees and
tourists offer their prayers to the prophet of the New Promised
Land, Dom Bosco, and make their vows. They go on then by
boat on Lago Paranoá until the Ministers’ Peninsula
and then on foot til Pontão Sul, where there are
plenty of bathrooms and restaurants. Following that they
will use the Costa e Silva Bridge to get to Iemanjá
Beach where they will see sculptures of the African gods,
full size. On Dom Bosco’s Way respect for all religions
is emphasized.
Now
the pilgrims carry on until the Praça dos Três
Poderes (Three Powers Square) by way of Avenida das Nações
(Avenue of the Nations). Along the way there is a pause
when the “Marco da Unidade Espiritual das Américas”
(the Spiritual Union of the Americas Landmark) is celebrated
and the passage through Brasília of the United States
President Eisenhower, on the occasion of the inauguration
of Brasília, when he and President Juscelino Kubitscheck
signed the “Agreement on the Spiritual Union of the
Americas”.
Now
the pilgrims continue on the Avenida das Nações
(Avenue of the Nations) until Palácio da Alvorada
(the Palace of the Dawn) where the majestic columns of the
residential palace of the president can be seen. They ended
up becoming as the “coat-of-arms” and symbol
of Brasília and brought to their designer (Oscar
Niemeyer) international fame for his post-modern architecture.
Pilgrims carry on then toward the Praça dos Três
Poderes (Three Powers Square) visiting the Art Museum of
Brasília and Vila Planalto, a small village where
Brasília construction workers used to live, on the
way. The village still shows signs of the construction time.
Finally they may go through the Constitution Woods (Oscar
Niemeyer Memorial) before arriving at the Praça dos
Três Poderes.
The Three Powers Square
The
Heritage Flame (a reading of how the city of Brasília
was established by UNESCO as a cultural heritage of humankind).
The Museum of Brasília (a reading of Brasília
historic process). The Nation Pantheon ( a reading of João
Câmara’s Seven Panels, reviewing the historic
process of the Inconfidência Mineira, the story of
the men in the state of Minas that rebelled against Portuguese
domination and the reading of the book of the nation heroes).
Visit to the Lúcio Costa Space (a giant maquette
of Brasília and a reading and spiritual interpretation
of Lúcio Costa’s project). A spiritual interpretation
of Justice. A reflection on the importance of the Pantheon
Flame, the Presidential Palace, the Two “Candangos”
Statue, a sculpture depicting two pilgrims with long walking
poles and the National Congress buildings (two cupolas that
both receive and then reflect back the light of the sun).
Visit
to the Itamaraty Palace, the Ministry of Foreign Relations,
followed by walk through the Ministry Esplanade. Afterwards
a visit to the magnificent Cathedral of Brasilia.
Checking
out the National Theatre. A visit to the main bus terminal
where one can drink the traditional sugar cane juice and
savor a popular Brazilian pastry. Here we rub elbows with
the simple people of Brasília, the true pilgrims
of nowadays.
Next
a visit to the Feira da Torre (The TV Tower Fair) where
one can find bathrooms, typical foods, handicrafts and interesting
and varied souvenirs.
Visit to tree number 250,000 planted
by Mrs. Sarah Kubitschek
Going
in the direction of the Conventions Center by way of the
Eixo Monumental one can visit the Planetarium, the Amateur
Theatre, the Paris Square and the Conventions Center reaching
then the Buriti Palace. There one can view the buritis,
a special palm tree endemic in this region and the statue
of the she-wolf that suckled Romulus and Remus. Brasília
and Rome are sister cities, founded the same month and day,
with great destinies to be fulfilled…
Memorial
to the native Brazilian peoples.
Visit
to the grand memorial to Juscelino Kubitscheck, the founder
of Brasília, followed by the Cruzeiro (the Southern
Cross) Square and the Cathedral of the Queen of Peace. Next
the Urban Military Sector.
Fourth overnight stay, at the Youth Hostel
– Next day a journey on foot through the religious
and spiritual North belt of Brasília (Plano Piloto).
Fifth overnight stay at the Jesuit Cultural
Center – following the mystic, religious and spiritual
South belt of Brasília (Plano Piloto).
Sixth overnight stay – Templo da
Boa Vontade (Goodwill Temple) or near the temple.
Third Phase: Finding peace and
transcending religiosity at the International University
for Peace (UNIPAZ)
The
day begins with a visit to the Pure Land Buddhist Temple,
located below the Goodwill Temple (LBV) and the pilgrimage
comes to an end by sounding the Peace Bell at UNIPAZ.
Seventh overnight stay – Once the
pilgrim arrives at UNIPAZ (or the City of Peace) he/she
ends the pilgrimage sounding the Peace Bell. Now one can
bathe in the waterfalls, obtain spiritual and mystical information
about the 15th and 20th parallels in South America, as well
as concerning the Mystic Route to the Center of the Earth
and other sacred ways on the Brazilian central plateau.
Fourth Phase: The gateway opens
to the Mystic, Religious and Spiritual Route of the 15th
and 20th parallels in South America according to Dom Bosco’s
dream and the great civilizational cross of the Mystic Route
of the center of the Earth.
The
Passport and the Oracle, in this ecumenical pilgrimage of
the Third Millennium New Promised Land which transcends
religion, Dom Bosco’s Way, will be the tourist’s
or pilgrim’s credentials.
In
order to successfully realize the Pilgrimage, the tourist
or pilgrim must first look for his/her credentials. The
first is a passport in the new Promised Land, a guidebook
that will lead the tourist or pilgrim to experiences that
will aid in the understanding and realization of transreligiosity,
ecumenism and holism. Furthermore, it will serve as an ID
card and security document, and it will guide the tourist
or pilgrim along the Way. Next to the passport there is
the Brazilian Tarot, the tourist or pilgrim’s oracle.
After visiting the 21 principal visitation spots the pilgrim
will receive the diploma of the Ecumenical and Transreligious
Route of Brazil in Brasília.
BRASÍLIA SANCTUARY OF WORLD PEACE
Brasília
originated from the dream of building a city that would
become a model for the whole world. Its ample spaces and
its wide green areas with no divisions, fences or walls
encourage the friendly gathering of inhabitants and visitors.
In spite of its impressive growth Brasília is a city
that promotes the peaceful assemblage of men, nations and
religions in search of peace in its fullness, provided we
understand as peace the right to inclusion and the union
of all nations. When Brasília was planned space was
reserved for all religions and spiritual traditions and
a truly spiritual belt was formed where all religions and
traditions can live together in peace, establishing the
ideal ecumenical society more balanced and more fraternal.
This integrated idea of God renders Brasília an unusual
city as it brings successfully together the secular as well
as the spiritual powers.
In
this sense Brasília is a city dedicated to peace,
showing the world that citizenship and spirituality, so
present in the capital of Brazil and in the challenge facing
contemporary men and women in search of citizenship and
inner peace, are absolutely fundamental in the quest for
peace on Earth.
In conclusion
As
we can see, the civic and spiritual vocation of Brasília
and of the central Brazilian plateau, is not a product of
touristic marketing, nor a creation of those who look for
a city devoted simultaneously to citizenship and spirituality.
Brasília brings together, nowadays, the most varied
archetypes, cultures, religions and philosophic ideas. As
far as the Plano Piloto is concerned, one can affirm that
it is surrounded by a truly spiritual belt, located on L2
and W3 avenues, South and North, along numerous civic monuments,
temples and community groups in and around Brasília.
The birthplace of Brasília is known as a melting
pot of ethnicities, cultures and beliefs, as not only persons
from all parts of Brazil came to live in Brasília
but embassies from all over the world. Thus rich, middle-class
and poor, of most varied backgrounds, look for something
more significant in this city, besides secular power that
is endemic herein. The afflux of these groups to Brasília
is as a surrender to the signs here manifested, that single
out Brasília as a world chacra and power point. Therefore,
rather than ending our pilgrimage on parallel 15, that has
Brasília as the central gateway to this Sacred Route,
in search of the new world, we are initiating a new proposal,
that involves intensive research of magic and physical signs,
based on the esoteric traditions of these new and old memories,
and we are looking for the clues necessary to find the missing
key and the true interpretation of the same, yet with our
feet firmly planted on the ground. In conclusion we recall
the words of the ascended master, El Morya, in 1957:
“The
pilgrims looking for the way and for spiritual enlightenment
will be, from now on, directed to South America, as they
were, of old, directed to the East .To this end the lords
of Nature forces and those of the Elemental Kingdom are
providing a natural way of access to that which, up to now,
has not been yet revealed as the focus of Spiritual Enlightenment…”
José Roberto Bezerra Mariano, author of Dom Bosco’s
Way
Call: 61 9675-6549 or 85 3334-1112
Suzel Saraceni – Route coordinator
Call: 61 9978-8363 or 3344-6335
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