Deborah Tabacof, renowned psychologist and activist, known for her work on the main Brazilian television programs, launches her most recent book entitled “Um Lama Tibetano na Amazônia”. The work recounts her remarkable experience in 1996, when she led a group that took a Tibetan Lama to explore the lush Amazon rainforest. In addition, the book portrays his experience at the NGO Saúde e Alegria in 1989, a prominent environmental organization in Brazil, and records the historical enthronement of the Brazilian Lama Michel Rinpoche.
With a preface by Lama Caroline, from England, and by filmmaker and Buddhist Anna Muylaert, who accompanied Débora and Lama Gangchen on their journey along the Tapajós River, in Pará, the book is divided into five parts. The first part, entitled “Diários da Palhaça”, describes Débora’s trajectory from her training as a dancer to her involvement with the circus and psychology, passing through the Rio Abierto Institute, in Argentina, where she became a body psychotherapist. She then recounts her move to Santarém, in Pará, where she worked as a circus artist and educator at Projeto Saúde e Alegria, an initiative dedicated to indigenous and riverside communities.
The second part of the book, entitled “Diários de uma Buscadora”, presents accounts of Débora’s travels to Tibet, Kathmandu and India, including the witness of the enthronement of the first Brazilian Lama, Michel Rinpoche. The third part, titled “A Shared Desire,” inspires readers to form community-based workgroups. The work also explores the journey of Self-healing NgalSo, through the practice “Making Peace with the Amazon”, launched by Débora in Santarém in 1996 and which today is practiced globally in favor of the forest.
In the final section of the book, entitled “Confluences”, possible common origins and connections between Andean, Tibetan and Brazilian indigenous peoples are discussed. Actress Marisa Orth, who accompanied Débora on a trip to Mendoza, Argentina, also shares her impressions. The book seeks to answer the question about the bridge that can unite the different cultures of the three Americas, emphasizing the importance of expanding common awareness and the feeling of belonging to a community.
“A Tibetan Lama in the Amazon” presents an engaging and inspiring narrative, enriched by accounts of cross-cultural and interior experiences. The work reflects Débora Tabacof’s commitment to the connection between spirituality, the environment and self-healing, offering an invitation to reflect on the role of each individual in building a more harmonious and conscious world.
In the exciting fifth and final part of “A Tibetan Lama in the Amazon”, Débora Tabacof addresses the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and the departure of the master Lama Gangchen, pointing out a path of horizontal collective organization for the coming times. With a personal tone, Débora says goodbye to the readers and the master, also sharing the mantras she learned to purify the five elements – Earth, Water, Fire, Air and Space – allowing readers to chant and feel the energies of Buddhism. This book is the first in a series in which Débora Tabacof intends to explore the intersection between pop culture and spirituality.
Débora Tabacof holds a degree in Psychology from PUC in São Paulo and was a pioneer as a psychologist in reality show programs in Brazil, having worked at Casa dos Artistas 1 in 2001. She chose Lacan’s theory as the basis for her studies and professional practices. Over the years, she participated in all editions of Casa dos Artistas on SBT and A Fazenda on Record, specializing in serving artists and celebrities. Débora Tabacof was present in more than 50 reality shows, offering support to participants before and after media exposure, always preserving confidentiality. In 2019, she was involved in projects such as The Four, Power Couple, Top Chef, Dancing Brasil and A Fazenda, in addition to having signed the dramaturgy of the winning project to promote dance in 2019, by Grupo Pausa, directed by dancer and choreographer Beth sticks,
In addition, Débora is trained at the Sistema Rio Abierto, a human development school based in Buenos Aires, and works as a teacher trainer. She is the founder of AACHAA-Association of Healing Arts Himalayas Amazonia Andes, to which she voluntarily dedicates her time, combining the practices of Tibetan Buddhism with her experience working in the Amazon rainforest through the Health and Joy project.
How did the idea of writing the book “A Tibetan Lama in the Amazon” come about and what was your motivation for sharing this experience?
The idea of writing the book “A Tibetan Lama in the Amazon” started many years ago, as I felt a historic responsibility to document something truly unprecedented: the first time in known history in which a Tibetan lama, holder of a traditional lineage of Buddhism, came from Tibet to the Brazilian Amazon region. I believed that this history should be recorded in writing, and not just known digitally through images or documentaries. As a Lacanian psychoanalyst, I understand the power and importance of registering the word and the symbolic in culture to transmit and establish an idea. My motivation was to inscribe this story and ensure that its importance was not forgotten. I see that this story carries a crucial message about the relationship between our habits, thoughts and our way of existing, and how the environment influences us and is influenced by us. In Buddhism, this is called interdependence and it is fundamental for us to find effective solutions to the climate crisis, of which the preservation of the Amazon is essential. Having a master with a specific thought and philosophy can collaborate in listening and learning the knowledge of the people of the forest, in search of joint solutions.
You mentioned the NGO Saúde e Alegria as a significant part of your experience. Can you tell us more about your work at this organization and how it influenced your trajectory?
I worked at the Saúde e Alegria Project in 1989, where I was coordinator of the Education and Arts Center and also director of the circus called Círculo Corongo de Saúde e Alegria. This experience was fundamental, as it showed me a social reality very different from the one I knew as a psychology student at PUC in São Paulo and who worked with dance groups in Vila Madalena. I was exposed to a reality that broadened my social and environmental awareness, in addition to sharpening my sensitivity to see the other and other ways of living and facing life and the world.
My work with this organization involved strengthening community ties so that social work could thrive. In the Saúde e Alegria Project, we obtained significant results in the reduction of infant mortality and in the reduction of problems such as diarrhea and malnutrition, with low-cost interventions and smaller operations, which mainly involved education, health and art. The circus was used to mobilize communities, the school was a center for disseminating basic health knowledge, and children were encouraged to eat better and value their local culture. This approach contributed to the development of the region, as can be seen in the map on the back cover of my book.
I am happy to be the first person to document, in a book, the effective action of the Saúde e Alegria Project in the Santarém region, covering the Tapajós, Arapiuns and Amazonas rivers. This experience was fundamental for my worldview and my commitment to otherness and the understanding and appreciation of different cultures within their own reality.
In the book, you address the connection between pop culture and spirituality. How do you see this intersection and what is the importance of this seam in today’s society?
I make a clear distinction between spirituality, religiosity and religion. In this way, spirituality is linked to a perception beyond the material aspect of life. It involves vibrational, dimensional aspects and an understanding that there is existence in a wider, cosmic scope. I believe that this worldview, which includes these openings of consciousness, is especially relevant at this time. Firstly, for the opening of one’s own conscience and, also, for researches in search of solutions for stress and anxiety. There are healing possibilities through emotional treatments, psychic cures and a differentiated perception of reality. This interests me both as a researcher and as a therapist, as I seek to create opportunities for people to perceive themselves in new ways.
Furthermore, I observe that we are experiencing a digital revolution that has marked our lives. I was born in 1964 and I always believed that something great would happen in my life. This expectation is not something original, many generations have this thought. However, something great really happened: the internet, the digital world. This experience of working online, each one in their own home, in their own private space, but sharing a mental space and a common communication space, is remarkable. I see in this an opening for a perception of spaces and new forms of communication that characterize the contemporary world. This energetic awareness is what I call spirituality. It is the Buddhist view of reality, a deeply traditional and tantric view, that supports and sustains me in everything I say and practice. Therefore,
It is important to point out that the subject of media exposure is very different from what I am addressing in my first book. I hope to approach the subject of confinement from the perspective that I introduce in “A Tibetan Lama in the Amazon”, using the concept of the space element brought by Lama Gangchen, from Tibetan Buddhist philosophy, as a fifth element. I intend to explore this theme in relation to Lacanian concepts of topology and the understanding of the space element in Tibetan Buddhism. It’s a broad topic that I plan to explore in a forthcoming book.
How was your experience as a psychologist in reality shows, dealing with exposure and the emotional process of participants before and after media overexposure?
This subject of media exposure is very different from what I am addressing in my first book. I hope to address the topic of confinement from the perspective of Lama Gangchen, a Tibetan lama in the Amazon, by introducing the concept of the space element from Tibetan Buddhist philosophy as a fifth element. I intend to explore Lacanian concepts of topology and my understanding of the space element based on Tibetan Buddhism. It’s a vast topic that I plan to explore in an upcoming book. By mentioning the fifth element, I am referring to Western philosophy which recognizes four elements: earth, fire, air and water. Tantric Tibetan Buddhism brings the element of space as the fifth element, which is the stage or container that houses the other four elements. I want to study this fifth element in relation to the language of reality television. What happens on a reality show? The person changes space, moving from an open environment to a confined space. This change of space, including other changes, raises questions about how a person utilizes their inner space. However, I am not specifically addressing reality TV in my current work, which is the book “A Tibetan Lama in the Amazon”.
What was the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on your life and on the work you develop with AACHAA – Association of Himalayan Healing Arts Amazonia Andes?
With regard to Covid, I believe this experience will require a lot of reflection for a long time, as it affected many layers. On the one hand, in the Amazon, communities were served by health projects, which made a big difference, with the distribution of masks and possibilities for treatment in hospitals. Indigenous and riverside communities that received adequate medical care were able to do well. It is important to recognize that indigenous and riverside communities should not be romanticized or considered trapped in the past. They are contemporary subjects, with their preserved culture and their own ethical, moral, cultural and spiritual values. Covid brought to light the indigenous and riverside reality of the Amazon, which needs health care, education and legality, respecting its culture. This is Asha’s view of Covid in personal terms. We are going through a digital revolution that is striking in our lives, both personally and collectively, with perspectives that never existed before in terms of communication. As a psychoanalyst, I have an online practice, but I also conduct face-to-face sessions to consider aspects of the body that are somewhat excluded from the digital revolution. The characteristic of the digital world is that everyone is in their own home, occupying the same space. It is something incredible that we are experiencing, and I believe that Covid has boosted this possibility of being together in a common virtual space. However, there is a negative aspect to this story, which is the manipulation of minds through social networks, a subject that we cannot ignore. We are going through a digital revolution that is striking in our lives, both personally and collectively, with perspectives that never existed before in terms of communication. As a psychoanalyst, I have an online practice, but I also conduct face-to-face sessions to consider aspects of the body that are somewhat excluded from the digital revolution. The characteristic of the digital world is that everyone is in their own home, occupying the same space. It is something incredible that we are experiencing, and I believe that Covid has boosted this possibility of being together in a common virtual space. However, there is a negative aspect to this story, which is the manipulation of minds through social networks, a subject that we cannot ignore. We are going through a digital revolution that is striking in our lives, both personally and collectively, with perspectives that never existed before in terms of communication. As a psychoanalyst, I have an online practice, but I also conduct face-to-face sessions to consider aspects of the body that are somewhat excluded from the digital revolution. The characteristic of the digital world is that everyone is in their own home, occupying the same space. It is something incredible that we are experiencing, and I believe that Covid has boosted this possibility of being together in a common virtual space. However, there is a negative aspect to this story, which is the manipulation of minds through social networks, a subject that we cannot ignore. As a psychoanalyst, I have an online practice, but I also conduct face-to-face sessions to consider aspects of the body that are somewhat excluded from the digital revolution. The characteristic of the digital world is that everyone is in their own home, occupying the same space. It is something incredible that we are experiencing, and I believe that Covid has boosted this possibility of being together in a common virtual space. However, there is a negative aspect to this story, which is the manipulation of minds through social networks, a subject that we cannot ignore. As a psychoanalyst, I have an online practice, but I also conduct face-to-face sessions to consider aspects of the body that are somewhat excluded from the digital revolution. The characteristic of the digital world is that everyone is in their own home, occupying the same space. It is something incredible that we are experiencing, and I believe that Covid has boosted this possibility of being together in a common virtual space. However, there is a negative aspect to this story, which is the manipulation of minds through social networks, a subject that we cannot ignore. and I believe that Covid has boosted this possibility of being together in a common virtual space. However, there is a negative aspect to this story, which is the manipulation of minds through social networks, a subject that we cannot ignore. and I believe that Covid has boosted this possibility of being together in a common virtual space. However, there is a negative aspect to this story, which is the manipulation of minds through social networks, a subject that we cannot ignore.
You mentioned the “Making Peace with the Amazon” meditation practice. How can this practice contribute to environmental awareness and connection with nature?
Tibetan lamas are heirs of ancient wisdom, which goes back many centuries. A lama in Tibet needs to demonstrate extensive knowledge and have a comprehensive philosophical background, covering areas such as astrology and herbal medicine. Knowing this history and these conditions makes the information that a Tibetan lama performed a practice within the principles and teachings of the philosophy of Tibetan Buddhism, especially directed towards nature, even more meaningful. This practice is mainly focused on making peace with the Amazon, considering its historical importance and the severity of the climate crisis and environmental problems.
How do you see the union of the different peoples and cultures of the three Americas mentioned in the book? How can this union be achieved and what are the benefits of a common conscience and a sense of belonging to a community?
The tantra approach is quite futuristic. There is no nostalgia for the idea that there were better times or a world without suffering. It is not about idealizing the past, but about integrating traditional knowledge and a form of consciousness deeply connected to nature, as developed by original cultures. When I speak of culture, I am not referring only to the fact that they are natural and pure beings, but to the fact that they have developed a culture less associated with the consumerist greed that capitalism imposes and demands, in favor of a more satisfactory position in relation to the elements and nature. There is a conscious containment of greed and ambition in the name of preserving natural resources, so that these resources remain accessible to all, like a park or reserve. It is important to note that often environmental degradation is greater in poorer regions. Therefore, the balance between poverty and wealth requires a change in values and social and economic organization, which traditional and original societies, especially in Brazil, bring with them. If we listen to the indigenous people speaking, we will realize that they place a lot of emphasis on this containment of greed and personal ambition, as this is related to the problem of selfishness within Buddhism, which is the inability to see the other. This is a point in common between cultures and offers a way out of the environmental crisis, through a mental and psychological change, which can find a source of inspiration in the original cultures, both from the Himalayas and from Latin America. the balance between poverty and wealth requires a change in values and social and economic organization, which traditional and original societies, especially in Brazil, bring with them. If we listen to the indigenous people speaking, we will realize that they place a lot of emphasis on this containment of greed and personal ambition, as this is related to the problem of selfishness within Buddhism, which is the inability to see the other. This is a point in common between cultures and offers a way out of the environmental crisis, through a mental and psychological change, which can find a source of inspiration in the original cultures, both from the Himalayas and from Latin America. the balance between poverty and wealth requires a change in values and social and economic organization, which traditional and original societies, especially in Brazil, bring with them. If we listen to the indigenous people speaking, we will realize that they place a lot of emphasis on this containment of greed and personal ambition, as this is related to the problem of selfishness within Buddhism, which is the inability to see the other. This is a point in common between cultures and offers a way out of the environmental crisis, through a mental and psychological change, which can find a source of inspiration in the original cultures, both from the Himalayas and from Latin America. we will notice that they put a lot of emphasis on this containment of greed and personal ambition, as this is related to the problem of selfishness within Buddhism, which is the inability to see the other. This is a point in common between cultures and offers a way out of the environmental crisis, through a mental and psychological change, which can find a source of inspiration in the original cultures, both from the Himalayas and from Latin America. we will notice that they put a lot of emphasis on this containment of greed and personal ambition, as this is related to the problem of selfishness within Buddhism, which is the inability to see the other. This is a point in common between cultures and offers a way out of the environmental crisis, through a mental and psychological change, which can find a source of inspiration in the original cultures, both from the Himalayas and from Latin America.
You share mantras in the book to clean up the five elements. Can you explain how these mantras work and how the energies of Buddhism can be accessed through them?
I explain in my book that the basis of tantric Buddhist philosophy is practice. What does it mean to have a practice? It means making a daily commitment to meditation. Meditation is not something vague and silent, it is analytical, psychological and physical work that allows you to access the inner world and make conscious decisions. When you practice meditation, you open up internal space and use the sounds, the mantras, that are offered to you to understand the functioning of the five elements and direct them. Each element can have an angry/unbalanced aspect or a peaceful/beneficial aspect. For example, fire, at its core, is neutral, but it can be used beneficially, such as cooking food, digesting, among other more esoteric uses. In Buddhism, there is a wisdom that is different from Western wisdom and science. Fire can also take on a destructive aspect, burning houses, causing damage and destruction. Likewise, if we observe, water and air also follow this dynamic. The air, for example, is unbreathable in New York today. People are advised not to leave their homes. The air, which in its positive aspect is essential for our life, when polluted, becomes unbreathable and lethal.
What is the core message you would like readers to take away from your book? What impact do you hope to have with this work?
The message I would like readers to take home is, first, that the first thought upon waking up should be how we can spend our day benefiting as many beings as possible. It is a training so that the initial thought, which normally turns to survival and one’s own benefit, is transformed into thinking about how to act in each moment of the day to create more benefits around us. This is the most important message. This is what I learned in the Amazon, in the arts and in the synergy and commitment between several people to reach a common goal. By aiming to benefit the whole, we end up receiving indirect individual benefits. In the practice of self-healing, it is said that if you want abundance, be generous. That is, you act according to the result you want for yourself.
In addition to the book launch, do you have any other projects or initiatives going on? What are your future plans as a psychologist and activist?
Well, I consider myself an extremely lucky and fortunate person for having had true teachers and masters in my life. I feel deeply committed to organizing and sharing the knowledge I have gained. In my first book, I did this in relation to Tibetan Buddhism. Now, in my second book, I intend to address the Rio Aberto system, which I learned from Maria Dela Palcos, the founder. I’m going to tell a lot about her story in my current book. I have the desire to organize and explore the concept of the Center of Energy and the Body of Light, which I learned through Rio Aberto. I also have a project to write a book on the psychology of fame, based on my work as a reality television psychologist since 2001. Those are my projects that I hope to accomplish. Also, in my personal life, I currently have the opportunity to live in the countryside and work online. I continue to be involved in reality shows and in my teary psychoanalysis clinic, always trying to help people. Being a human being that benefits others is my main goal and I am very satisfied with my progress so far.
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