Zen Peacemaker Affiliate
Caminho-de-Luz-com-fundo logo lrg
Comunidade de Saberes e Práticas Filosóficas e Espirituais "Caminho de Luz"
Comunidade Caminho de Luz is a Brazilian religious organization dedicated to the study, practice, and promotion of diverse philosophical and spiritual traditions, with a special emphasis on the confluence of Afro-Amerindian religions (particularly Umbanda) and engaged Buddhist spirituality. Our core mission is to foster a just, compassionate, and harmonious society grounded in the principles of interdependence, decoloniality, and engaged spirituality that is both socially and ecologically conscious. We seek to create spaces for learning, healing, and compassionate action, integrating academic research and university extension projects to build bridges between ancestral wisdom and contemporary challenges.
Tell us a bit about how your group was concieved
Our organization was founded on June 8, 1971. It was originally established under the name "Centro Espírita de Umbanda Caminho de Luz" and was formally restructured and renamed in 2023 to reflect the expansion of its scope while honoring its original roots and lineage.
When did your organization form? June 8, 1971
Tell us about one exciting project, program, or other offering you are currently working on.
A recent initiative that profoundly embodies the Three Tenets is the ECOS de Bauru project, a research-intervention developed by our spiritual leader for his doctoral thesis at the University of São Paulo (USP). The project's most significant and lasting impact is its evolution into the "Círculos Ubuntu" (Ubuntu Circles) initiative, launched in 2025. This new phase trains a cohort of faculty and staff as "guardians" of circles, aiming to build a sustainable, university-wide culture of care. The project embodies the tenets as follows: Not Knowing: The Círculos Ubuntu are designed as spaces where participants suspend judgment and expertise to listen from the heart. The entire facilitator training is built on this principle, preparing guardians to hold space for emergence rather than directing outcomes. Bearing Witness: The project is deeply grounded in Council Practice, a methodology designed for Bearing Witness and one of the core practices of the ZPO. Through the use of a talking piece and ritualized structure, circles become safe containers for authentic sharing and deep listening. The training explicitly cultivates mindfulness and compassion, drawing on the work of Joan Halifax to prepare guardians to be present with the diverse and often difficult experiences shared in the circles. Taking Action: The Círculos Ubuntu are a direct Compassionate Action addressing the need for belonging and care within the university. A core component of the training is developing "literacies for diversity and inclusion," equipping guardians to facilitate dialogues on systemic issues like racism, gender diversity, and neurodiversity. The project is a strategic initiative aligned with USP's official mental health policies, with plans to scale across the institution. Its impact is the creation of a resilient, distributed network of care that empowers the community itself to transform its culture from within.
How do the Three Tenets inform your social engagement?
Comunidade Caminho de Luz is structurally and spiritually aligned with the Three Tenets, which are explicitly integrated into our community's foundational practices and guiding documents. This deep alignment is informed by our spiritual leader, Rafael Casali Ribeiro, who is a formal member of the Zen Peacemakers Order (Cohort 3). His formation directly shapes our community's ethos of engaged spirituality. Not Knowing (Não-Saber): We embody Not Knowing by approaching our spiritual work with radical humility. Our Umbanda services are predicated on creating a sacred space where the wisdom necessary for healing emerges from the encounter itself, rather than from preconceived plans. Our community's formation for facilitators of care, like in the Círculos Ubuntu project, is explicitly grounded in the principle of Not Knowing as a foundation for authentic listening and dialogue. Bearing Witness (Testemunhar): The heart of our work is Bearing Witness. Our weekly rituals ("giras") are acts of collective witnessing to the pain, struggles, and joys of all who seek help. The principle is a formal part of our pre-ritual consecration, where we commit to "testemunhar com o coração" (bear witness with the heart). This practice of presence, of holding space for another's truth without judgment, is the foundation of the spiritual counseling and healing we offer. Taking Action (Ação Compassiva): For us, Taking Action is the compassionate response that naturally arises from Not Knowing and Bearing Witness. Our founding mission includes providing spiritual assistance to all, aiming for collective well-being. This is formalized in our rituals, where we vow to serve through "Ação Compassiva." This action manifests not only as free spiritual care but also in projects that aim to foster a culture of care in wider society, extending our mission into secular spaces like the university.
For more information: caminhodeluzterreiro@gmail.com
Comunidade de Saberes e Práticas Filosóficas e Espirituais "Caminho de Luz" -
São Paulo