lunes, 17 de diciembre de 2012

EL COMUNISMO ÉTICO DE OSCAR NIEMEYER



The Ethical communism of Oscar Niemeyer
Leonardo Boff
Theologian-Philosopher
Earthcharter Commission


I did not have many encounters with Oscar Niemeyer, but those I had were long and intense. What would an architect and a theologian talk about, if not of God, religion, injustice against the poor, and the meaning of life?

In our conversations, I sensed someone with a profound saudade of God. He envied me because, even though he considered me an intelligent person, I still believed in God, something he could not do. But I would calm him down by saying: what is important is not to believe or not to believe in God, but to live ethically, with love, solidarity and compassion for those who suffer most. Because at the dusk of life, that is what counts. And in this respect he was very solid. His gaze would be lost in the distance, with a soft glow.

He was once very impressed when I told him this phrase from a medieval theologian: «If God exists as things exists, then God does not exist». And he asked: «what does that mean?» I replied: «God is not an object that can be found anywhere; if it were so, God would be part of the world and not God». But then he would ask: «and what is that God?» And almost in a whisper, I told him: «God is like a species of powerful and loving Energy that creates the conditions so that things may exist; God is more or less like the eye: that sees all but cannot see Itself; or like the thought: the strength through which the thought thinks, can not be thought». He remained thoughtful, but continued: «Christian theology says that?» And I replied:«Christian theology says that, but it is ashamed of saying it, because then it should be silent instead of talking; and it is always talking, especially the popes». But I comforted him with a line attributed to the great Argentinean, Jorge Luis Borges: «Theology is a curious science: in her all is true because all is invented». Niemeyer was amused by that. And he found very graceful the beautiful trouvaille of a sweeper of Rio de Janeiro, the famous Gari Sorriso: «God is the wind and the moon; the dynamic of growing, applause for the one who climbs up and help for the one who is descending». I suspect Oscar would have no difficulty accepting that God, who is so humane and so near us.

He smiled softly and I took the opportunity to say: «Is it not the same with your architecture? In architecture all is simple and beautiful, not because it is rational, but because all is invented and the fruit of the imagination». He agreed with that, adding that he found more inspiration for architecture by reading poetry, novels, and fiction, than by giving himself to intellectual elucidation. I said to him: «in religion it is more or less like that: the greatness of religion is fantasy, the utopic capacity of projecting kingdoms of justice and heavens of happiness. And great modern religious thinkers such as Bloch, Goldman, Durkheim, Rubem Alves and others do not say anything different: our error was to place religion within reason, when its natural niche is found in the imagination and the principle of hope. There religion reveals its truths and can inspire in us the meaning of life».

To me, the greatness of Oscar Niemeyer is not only his genius, which is recognized and praised around the world, but his conception of life and in the depth of his communism. To him, «life is a gust of wind», light and fleeting, but one to be lived with total integrity. Above all, life to him was not pure enjoyment, but creativity and work. He worked up to the end, like Picasso, producing more than 600 works. And, since he was a complete being, he cultivated the arts, literature and sciences. He had began to study cosmology and quantum physics late in life. He was filled with admiration and amazement at the immensity of the universe.

But above all, he cultivated friendship, solidarity and the esteem of everyone.«Architecture is not what is important» he repeated many times, «what is important is life». But not just any life; a life lived in search of the necessary transformation to overcome injustice against the poor, one that improves this perverse world, a life that translates into solidarity and friendship. In theJornal do Brasil, 21/04/2007, he confessed: «The fundamental is to recognize that life is unjust, and that only by lending each other a hand, as brothers and sisters, can we live life better».

His communism is very close to the communism of the early Christians, as written about in The Acts of the Apostles, chapters 2 and 4. There is said that, “Christians put everything in common and there were no poor among them”. Consequently, it was not an ideologic communism, but ethical and humanitarian one: to share, to live with sobriety, as he always lived, to divest oneself of money, and help those who need it. Everything should be in common. To a journalist who asked him if he would take a pill to have eternal youth, he coherently replied: «I would accept it if it were for all the world; I do not want immortality only for myself».

A moment that stayed with me, occurred at the beginning of the 1980s. Oscar was in Petropolis, and invited me to have lunch with him. I had returned that day from Cuba, where, at the request of Fidel Castro, with Frei Betto, we had dialogued for several years with different echelons of government, (always watched over by the SNI) to see if we could extract them from their dogmatic and rigid conceptions of Soviet Marxism. Those were tranquil times in Cuba. With the support of the Soviet Union, it could carry out its splendid projects of health, education and culture. I shared with him the fact that, no matter where I had gone in Cuba, I never found favela-like shanty towns, but a dignified and industrious poverty. I told him a thousand things about Cuba that, according to Frei Betto, was at that time, «a Bahia that had flourished». His eyes would shine. He almost did not eat. He was filled with enthusiasm, at seeing that, somewhere in the world, his dream of communism could, at least in part, become embodied and be good for the majorities.

It was great my surprise when, two days later, an article by him appeared in the Folha de São Paulo, with a beautiful drawing of three mountains with a cross above. Above it, it said: «Coming down the highland of Petropolis to Rio, I, who am an atheist, prayed to the God of Brother Boff that the situation of the Cuban people may one day be a reality in Brazil». That was the warm, soft and radically human generosity of Oscar Niemeyer.

I have an everlasting remembrance from him. From Darcy Ribeiro, who was a friend-brother of Oscar, I acquired a small apartment in the Alto de Boa-Vista neighborhood, in the Enchanted Valley. From there, the entire Barra de Tijuca can be seen, up to the end of the Recreio de los Bandeirantes. Oscar remade that apartment for his friend, in such a way that, Darcy (who was small in stature) could always see the sea. He made a platform about 50 centimeters high, and, since it could not be otherwise, with a beautiful curve for a corner, as a sea wave on the body of a beloved woman. There I retire when I want to write or meditate a little, because a theologian also must take care to save his soul.

On two occasions, he offered to design a model of a small church for the place where I live, Araras in Petropolis. I declined because I considered it unjust to revalue my property with the work of such a genius as Niemeyer. After all, God is neither in heaven nor on Earth, but there where the doors are open.

Life is not destined to disappear with death, but to be transfigured alchemically through death. Oscar Niemeyer has only passed to the other side of life, to the invisible side. But the invisible forms part of the visible. Because of that, he is not absent, but present, if invisible. But always with the same sweetness, softness, friendship, solidarity and love that always characterized him. And wherever he is, he will be fantasizing, projecting and creating worlds that are beautiful, curved and filled with lightness.

12-15-2012
Free translation from the Spanish sent by
Melina Alfaro, volar@fibertel.com.ar, 
done at REFUGIO DEL RIO GRANDE, Texas, EE.UU.
****************************************************************
Por favor circule ampliamente este artículo. ¡Gracias!
El comunismo ético de Oscar Niemeyer
2012-12-15


No tuve muchos encuentros con Oscar Niemeyer, pero los que tuve fueron largos y densos. ¿De qué iba a hablar un arquitecto con un teólogo sino sobre Dios, sobre religión, sobre la injusticia de los pobres y sobre el sentido de la vida?

En nuestras conversaciones sentía a alguien con una profunda saudade de Dios. Me envidiaba porque, considerado por él una persona inteligente, aun así creía en Dios, cosa que él no conseguía. Pero yo lo tranquilizaba diciéndole: lo importante no es creer o no creer en Dios, sino vivir con ética, amor, solidaridad y compasión por los que más sufren. Pues al atardecer de la vida, lo que cuenta son esas cosas. Y en este punto él estaba muy bien situado. Su mirada se perdía a lo lejos con un leve brillo.

Una vez se impresionó sobremanera cuando le dije esta frase de un teólogo medieval: «Si Dios existe como existen las cosas, entonces Dios no existe». Y él replicó: «¿qué significa eso?» Le respondí: «Dios no es un objeto que puede ser encontrado por ahí; si fuese así, sería una parte del mundo y no Dios». Pero entonces, preguntó él: «¿y qué es ese Dios?» Y yo casi susurrando le dije: «Es una especie de Energía poderosa y amorosa que crea las condiciones para que las cosas puedan existir; es más o menos como el ojo: ve todo pero no puede verse a sí mismo; o como el pensamiento: la fuerza por la cual el pensamiento piensa, no puede ser pensada». Él se quedó pensativo, pero continuó: «¿la teología cristiana dice eso?» Y respondí: «lo dice, pero tiene vergüenza de decirlo, porque entonces debería callar más que hablar: y se pasa la vida hablando, especialmente los papas». Pero le consolé con una frase atribuida a Jorge Luis Borges, el gran argentino: «La teología es una ciencia curiosa: en ella todo es verdadero, porque todo es inventado». Le hizo mucha gracia. Y más gracia encontró en una bonita trouvaille de un barrendero de Río, el famoso Gari Sorriso: «Dios es el viento y la luna; es la dinámica del crecer; es aplaudir a quien sube y ayudar a quien baja». Sospecho que Oscar no tendría dificultad en aceptar a ese Dios tan humano y tan próximo a nosotros.

Sonrió suavemente y yo aproveché para decir: «¿No es lo mismo con su arquitectura? En ella todo es bonito y sencillo, no porque sea racionalismo sino porque todo es inventado y fruto de la imaginación». En esto estuvo de acuerdo, añadiendo que para la arquitectura se inspiraba más leyendo poesía, novela y ficción que entregándose a elucubraciones intelectuales. Y le dije: «en la religión es más o menos lo mismo: la grandeza de la religión es la fantasía, la capacidad utópica de proyectar reinos de justicia y cielos de felicidad. Y grandes pensadores modernos de la religión como Bloch, Goldman, Durkheim, Rubem Alves y otros no dicen otra cosa: nuestro error fue colocar la religión en la razón cuando su nicho natural se encuentra en el imaginario y en el principio de la esperanza. Ahí ella muestra su verdad y nos puede inspirar un sentido de vida».

Para mí la grandeza de Oscar Niemeyer no está solamente en su genialidad, reconocida y alabada en el mundo entero, sino en su concepción de la vida y en la profundidad de su comunismo. Para él «la vida es un soplo», leve y pasajero, pero un soplo vivido con total entereza. Ante todo, la vida para él no era puro disfrute, sino creatividad y trabajo. Trabajó hasta el final, como Picasso, produciendo más de 600 obras. Y, como era un ser completo, cultivaba las artes, la literatura y las ciencias. Últimamente se había puesto a estudiar cosmología y física cuántica. Se llenaba de admiración y de asombro ante la grandeza del universo.

Pero más que nada cultivó la amistad, la solidaridad y el aprecio a todos. «Lo importante no es la arquitectura» repetía muchas veces, «lo importante es la vida». Pero no cualquier vida; la vida vivida en busca de la transformación necesaria que supere las injusticias contra los pobres, que mejore este mundo perverso, vida que se traduzca en solidaridad y amistad. En el Jornal do Brasil del 21/04/2007 confesaba: «Lo fundamental es reconocer que la vida es injusta y solo dándonos las manos, como hermanos y hermanas, podemos vivirla mejor».

Su comunismo está muy próximo al de los primeros cristianos, referido en los Hechos de los Apóstoles en los capítulos 2 y 4. Ahí se dice que “los cristianos todo lo ponían en común y no había pobres entre ellos”. Por lo tanto, no era un comunismo ideológico sino ético y humanitario: compartir, vivir con sobriedad, como siempre vivió, despojarse del dinero y ayudar a quien lo necesitase. Todo debería ser común. A un periodista que le preguntó si aceptaría la píldora de la eterna juventud, le respondió coherentemente: «la aceptaría si fuese para todo el mundo; no quiero la inmortalidad sólo para mí».

Un hecho, que se me quedó grabado, ocurrió a principios de los años 80 del siglo pasado. Estando Oscar en Petrópolis, me invitó a almorzar con él. Yo había llegado ese mismo día de Cuba donde junto con Frei Betto dialogábamos desde hacía años, a petición de Fidel Castro, con distintos escalones del gobierno (siempre vigilados por el SNI) para ver si los sacábamos de la concepción dogmática y rígida del marxismo soviético. Eran tiempos tranquilos en Cuba que, con el apoyo de la Unión Soviética, podía llevar adelante sus espléndidos proyectos de salud, de educación y de cultura. Le conté que, por todos los lados por donde había ido en Cuba, nunca encontré favelas sino una pobreza digna y laboriosa. Le conté mil cosas de Cuba que, según Frei Betto, en esa época era «una Bahía que había resultado». Sus ojos brillaban. Casi no comía. Se llenaba de entusiasmo al ver que, en algún lugar del mundo, su sueño de comunismo podría, al menos en parte, ganar cuerpo y ser bueno para las mayorías.

Cuál no sería mi sorpresa cuando, dos días después, apareció en la Folha de São Paulo, un artículo suyo con un bello dibujo de tres montañas con una cruz encima. A cierta altura decía: «Bajando la sierra de Petrópolis a Río, yo que soy ateo, rezaba al Dios de Frei Boff para que esa situación del pueblo cubano pudiese un día ser realidad en Brasil». Esa era la generosidad cálida, suave y radicalmente humana de Oscar Niemeyer.

Guardo un recuerdo perenne de él. Adquirí de Darcy Ribeiro, de quien Oscar era amigo-hermano, un pequeño apartamento en el barrio Alto de Boa-Vista, en el Valle Encantado. Desde allí se avista toda la Barra de Tijuca hasta el final del Recreio de los Bandeirantes. Oscar reformó aquel apartamento para su amigo, de tal forma que, desde cualquier lugar, Darcy (que era pequeño de estatura) pudiese ver siempre el mar. Hizo un estrado de unos 50 centímetros de altura y, como no podía ser de otro modo, con una bella curva de esquina, como ola de mar sobre el cuerpo de la mujer amada. Allí me recojo cuando quiero escribir y meditar un poco, pues un teólogo debe también cuidar de salvar su alma.

En dos ocasiones se ofreció a diseñar la maqueta de una iglesita para el lugar donde vivo, Araras en Petrópolis. Lo rechacé pues consideraba injusto revalorizar mi propiedad con la obra de un genio como Niemeyer. A fin y al cabo, Dios no está ni en el cielo ni en la tierra sino allí donde las puertas están abiertas.

La vida no está destinada a desaparecer con la muerte sino a transfigurarse alquímicamente a través de la muerte. Oscar Niemeyer solamente ha pasado al otro lado de la vida, al lado invisible. Pero lo invisible forma parte de lo visible. Por eso no está ausente, sino presente, aunque invisible. Pero siempre con la misma dulzura, suavidad, amistad, solidaridad y amorosidad que permanentemente lo caracterizó. Y ahí donde esté estará fantaseando, proyectando y creando mundos bellos, curvos y llenos de levedad.

Leonardo Boff
12-15-2012

Fuente:

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