Leonardo Machado
Tavares:
“It is not up to
us to convert
people to
Spiritism, but
to raise better
individuals”
The young
confrere
Leonardo Machado
Tavares
(picture)
started really
young in the
Spiritist works.
Born and raised
Recife (PE), the
youngster, which
is about to
graduate from
the Medical
School in
Pernambuco, was
born to
Spiritist
parents and
since he has
been working in
activities
connected to the
Spiritist Group
Investigadores
da Luz (NEIL).
Currently,
Leonardo speaks
in lectures and
writes his own
songs, having
already released
four CDs.
Besides
travelling to
the cause of
Spiritism, He
takes part in
Spiritist
meetings in his
hometown and
helps with articles in various Spiritist
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journals, like
this magazine,
where he has
been a valuable
asset. |
In his opinion,
the Spiritist
servers have
worked hard
spreading the
word about the
Doctrine, as he
says in the
following
interview where
he also talks
about other
interesting
topics.
O Consolador:
How did you
start off in
Spiritism?
I started off in
Spiritism
helping
Campanha do
Quilo (food
campaign) and
also preaching
the Gospel to
kids, when I was
13. At 15, when
I studied music
at Conservatoire
Pernambucano of
Music, I started
writing several
orchestral songs
inspired in the
Spiritist
Doctrine,
finishing the
Symphony n.1 in
C minor – “The
evolution of
worlds” (for the
orchestra) – in
which, in early
2006, I had the
opportunity to
release an
album.
At
17, I
gave my first
lecture.
I also had the
opportunity to
become the
monitor, for
some time, of
the Systematized
Study of the
Spiritist
Doctrine (ESDE).
O Consolador: In
the Spiritist
scene, what else
have you been
doing?
I deliver
Spiritist
lectures,
conferences and
seminars, not
only in
Pernambuco, but
also Ceará and
the UK, in
London. I write
songs with
Spiritist
techniques and I
have already
released four
albums since
2006. I also
help with
Spiritist
articles to
various
Spiritist and
non-Spiritist
journals, such
as the magazine
Reformador;
The
International
Magazine of
Spiritism,
Jornal do
Comércio
from Pernambuco
and to this very
magazine- O
Consolador.
We write
Spiritist books,
having released
our first
“Quando a Terra
imita os céus” –
at Saraiva
bookstore in
Recife in
June/07, and
there are others
in the making. I
established in
2004 a group
called Grupo
União Carlos
Gomes, where I
teach classical
music emphasized
to Spiritism,
for free. We
also work
through
psychography and
mediumistic
appointments, at
Núcleo Espírita
Investigadores
da Luz,
currently in
charge of the
programs at the
Spiritist centre
as a director.
O Consolador: Is
it true you were
born to
Spiritist
parents?
Yes. I had the
opportunity,
along with my
elder brothers,
to be born to a
Spiritist
family, since my
folks have been
Spiritist for
over 30 years.
We have also
been linked to
the Spiritist
group Núcleo
Espírita
Investigadores
da Luz (NEIL)
since we were
kids, by the
way, this year
the group is
turning 70 years
old.
O Consolador:
From the three
aspects of
Spirtism –
scientific,
philosophical
and religious –,
which one is
more appealing
to you?
As I consider
the Spiritist
Doctrine
wonderful, I
like the fact it
can actually
explain these
three aspects. I
would not be
able to say
which of them I
like best,
because I love
science –
Genesis was
certainly the
book that called
my attention the
most. I Love
philosophy,
having written a
book in which I
compare Socrates
to the
Spirtitist
teachings, and
it is going to
be released
soon; and I
admire Jesus and
His message.
To me, Spiritism
is the
Christianity
reborn.
So, this triad
of the Gospel of
Jesus has been
really
meaningful in
these 150
years.
O Consolador:
What are your
favourite
Spiritist
authors?
Allan Kardec,
Léon Denis,
Emmanuel, André
Luiz, Victor
Hugo (by Divaldo
and by Zilda
Gama), Manoel
Philomeno de
Miranda and
Joanna de
Ângelis.
O Consolador:
What are the
most important
books for those
who are starting
off in Spiritism?
Allan Kardec’s
books; the
classic ones,
mainly Léon
Denis and
Gabriel Delanne;
Brazilian
Spiritist
Federation (FEB)
series “A
vida no mundo
espiritual”
(Life in the
spiritual
world), by André
Luiz; “Paulo e
Estevão” and “A
caminho da Luz”
(In the search
of light), by
Emmanuel; and “Devassando
o Invisível”
(Understand the
invisible), by
Yvonne A.
Pereira.
O Consolador: If
you went to a
distant place,
away from
Spiritist
activities,
which books
would you take?
Allan Kardec’s,
the Bible and
some books by
Léon Denis.
O Consolador:
The
disagreements in
the Spiritist
scene are
reduced to a
few. One of them
talks about the
fundamentalist
Spiritism. To
you, is
Spiritism a
religion?
I agree with
Allan Kardec,
who wrote the
books. Spiritism
is not in fact a
religion, since
there is no
hierarchy, nor
boss; but,
without a shadow
of a doubt, it
has a strong
religious
character,
because all its
function is to
spiritualize the
individual and
reconnect him to
the Creator. One
can never
forget, though,
that the
Spiritist
Doctrine is
Christianity
back at its
sheer purity and
strength in our
lives and in our
hearts.
O Consolador:
Another topic of
controversy is a
book written in
France y J. B.
Roustaing.
What
do
you make of
it?
Unfortunately, I
haven’t read
this book, since
I was so young;
I preferred to
start from
scratch, which
is Kardec, when
I was 13, my
first Spiritist
book ever.
O Consolador:
What is your
opinion about
standardized
passes?
I see the passes
as something
taught in the
Gospel of Jesus,
when in several
opportunities,
through the
imposition of
hands, He would
give his love
and heal. It’s
worth it to
remember that in
certain
occasions He
would apply
passes not even
moving His
hands, when He
told Pedro, for
example, that,
having touched
someone, He felt
a virtue,
something
special. This
way, the most
important is not
the exterior,
but the
interior.
Passes are
donation of
bioenergy, of
love. So,
many
times,
too much
embezzling
is
actually
ineffective.
It does not mean
that, inside the
Spiritist
Centre, passes
are applied with
no orientation
nor technique by
the passer, but
that the
technique must
be really
simple, just
like was
Jesus’.
O Consolador:
What can you
make of the
discussion about
abortion?
I have been
following the
Brazilian
Spiritist
Federation (FEB)
and the
Association of
Spiritist
doctors of
Brazil, as well
as names of the
Brazilian
Spiritist scene,
such as Divaldo
Franco, Alberto
Almeida and Raul
Teixeira, and
all of them have
an utter
principle in
defending life.
Particularly, I
think that what
is actually
missing is our
personal effort
to give our
opinions when
the
opportunities
come by, based
on Kardec,
obviously.
However,
never imposing
on anyone.
Sometimes, we
get confused and
impose things
and also judge
them.
And
it
can be dangerous.
The most
important is not
to doom abortion
and condemn
those who
practice it, but
above all defend
life itself.
Jesus once said:
“I came for ye
to have life,
and life shall
ye have”. That’s
what we need to
show: after a
while full of
doubts joy of
life will ease
any pain. In
this context, it
is necessary to
make the
teenagers aware,
where lies the
accidental
pregnancy,
discussing their
questions and
fears. To give
youth, according
to their level
of maturity,
opportunities of
work in the
Spiritist
Centre. Bring
them to work for
the good so that
the energy they
possess
abundantly may
be well focused.
This is also a
great work on
behalf of life.
O Consolador:
Euthanasia, as
we know, has no
support from
Spiritism.
Lately, we have
heard about the
orthanasia,
backed even by
Spiritist
doctors.
What
do
you think about
it?
Euthanasia would
be the “good
death”;
a
disthanasia,
making life
longer
needlessly.
Orthanasia
appeared being
the death “right
on time”. It is
hard to tell
when one should
die, isn’t it?
Again, we need
to defend life,
trying to
improve it until
the last second,
be cautious, do
not impose your
desires on the
patient, study
death to get
acquainted with
it, face it as a
natural law and,
above all, don’t
play God.
O Consolador:
What is your
opinion about
the current
state of the
Spiritist
movement in our
country?
Since it is made
up of people,
sure there are
mistakes.
Nonetheless, I
can see that the
good things have
been
overpowering, by
far, the bad
ones, that are
little by little
being forgotten,
as years and
fads go by. We
actually need a
real union,
common sense, do
not judge
others, respect,
love and charity
to one another.
In this sense,
FEB (Brazilian
Spiritit
Federation)
has been
outstanding,
teaching by
example. How can
one be
pessimistic
before the
relentless work
of so many
servers on
behalf of
Spiritism in our
country and the
world?
O Consolador:
How do you see
criminality and
violence in our
country? How can
Spiritists help
in this
situation?
We are going
through a
transitional
period. As for
us, we can
increase the
assistance and
the social
promotion of our
Spiritist
Centres, not
only by
donations, but
also with
spiritual
clarifying,
showing that
love and
forgiveness
taught by Jesus
are possible. It
is not up to us
to convert
people to
Spiritism, but
to raise better
individuals in
our society,
even though we
need to do it in
the light of the
Doctrine, by
being reasonable
with what we
preach. Besides,
the most
important is to
build inner
peace and
harmony in our
homes and our
relationships,
teaching by
example.
O Consolador:
How long do you
think it will
take for Earth
to be promoted
from his current
status, world of
tests and
atonement, to
the condition of
regenerating
world, according
to Saint
Augustin, the
word love
will be written
in all fronts
and a perfect
balance will
ensure
relationships?
It is nearly
impossible to
precise a date,
especially due
to the relation
space-time.
I
hope
it is in
my next
reincarnation.
O Consolador:
About the
problems that
the earthly
society is
facing, what
should be the
top priority for
Spiritism in
Brazil and the
world?
I would like to
answer –
EDUCATION –
written in gold.
But in the wake
of the current
scenario, we
first need
HONESTY. Not
only for the
politicians
(even though
they should lead
by example), but
for all the
voters, who,
many times, vote
for their
personal
interest. Also
for all those
who are dealing
with public
money; all the
entrepreneurs
who look for
huge profits; to
sum up, for all
those who, just
as Machiavelli,
think that the
ends justify the
means.
Honesty
urgently,
remembering
“Yea, yea; Nay,
nay” taught by
the Master
Jesus.
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