Temple of the Way of Light
A Healing Retreat & Sustainability Education Site in the Heart of the Amazon
- Tres Unidos, Loreto, Peru - 360 ft/110 m
- 247 acres/100 hectares
- Healing Center/Education Center/Residential Community
The master plan outlines the big picture, including a base map, energy systems and water systems.
About the Temple
The Temple of the Way of Light is a healing retreat center in the heart of the Amazon Rainforest focusing on the traditional healing practices of the indigenous Shipibo people. At the Temple curanderos, or healers, use plant spirit medicine to help people with a wide variety of ailments. Part of the Temple’s mission is to create a more self-sufficient, resilient facility and to teach others, both locals and foreigners, what they learn. To accomplish this goal the Temple has founded the Chaikuni Permaculture Institute, which will work to implement the Temple’s master plan and educate others. Alianza Arkana, a non-profit organization working with indigenous people throughout the Amazon, will serve as a vector to spread information about systems vetted at the Temple to those who need it most.
Master Planning Process
Creating this master plan involved taking a hard look at the Temple’s systems for potable water, food production, fertility management, etc. One key feature of the plan is a gravity-fed water system providing for potable and non-potable uses on-site. The Temple will also prominently feature extensive, multi-use agroforestry plantings providing beauty, food, fiber, fuel, medicine, and other products for use onsite or local sale or trade. As much of the site is perched on a giant mound of sand, a detailed, multi-faceted approach to fertility management was incorporated as a core feature of the design.
Follow-Up & Implementation
Immediately after completion of the design, the Terra Phoenix team conducted a series of workshops at the Temple to help get the ball rolling on agroforestry system establishment, aquaculture system creation, and sourcing and propagation of key plant species. Douglas Bullock also returned again to work with staff and volunteers to propagate perennial vegetables and guide the installation of aquaculture systems.
So far the Temple has:
- created a spring box to capture clean, clear drinking water to supply the site’s needs
- implemented new greywater procedures and systems to keep wild creeks healthy
- constructed a new facility to provide workshops
- planted several hundred fruit trees
- begun propagating perennial vegetables and creating a nursery space
- installed fish ponds & taro loi's in the aquaculture system
- formalized the Chaikuni Institute of Permaculture
For a more complete and up-to-date list of progress at the Temple, check out their page on Implementing the Master Plan.
Currently, the Temple is actively seeking experienced permaculturists to help with implementation. For more information about the Temple, contact them through the vacancies page of the Chaikuni website.
