Roerichism or RerikhismPhilip Walters. Religion, State & Society. Volume 28, Issue 1, 2000. Quote from the Editorial: "'Rerikhism' is an example of a thoroughly Russian new religious movement". (Russian: Рерихи́зм, Рерихиа́нство, Ре́риховское движе́ние) is a spiritual, cultural and social movement that emerged in the United States in the first half of the twentieth century, though it has been described as a "thoroughly Russian new religious movement", due to its close connection with Russia.
The movement centers on the Neo-Theosophical religious doctrine of Agni Yoga, or the Living Ethics, transmitted by Helena Roerich and Nicholas Roerich. Agni Yoga draws ideas from Theosophy, Eastern and Western religions, Vedic and Buddhist traditions, molding them into Russian culture, too. Agni Yoga is the spiritual foundation of Roerichism.
This movement played a significant role in bringing knowledge of Asian religions to the Western world. Roerichism has an international following and has many thousands of adherents. Some international and regional organizations, whose activity is based on the ideas of Roerichism, arose many years after the death of all the members of the Roerich family.
Teachers and their teachings Roerichism is a spiritual, cultural as well as neo-Theosophic New Age movement centered on the teachings transmitted by Helena and Nicholas Roerich. It draws ideas from Theosophy, Eastern and Western religions, and Vedic and Buddhist traditions, molding them into Russian culture and Russian cosmism.
Helena Roerich
Helena Roerich (1879–1955), a Russian theosophist, writer, and public figure, developed in the 20th century, in cooperation with the Teachers of the East (Masters of the Ancient Wisdom), the philosophical teaching of Living Ethics (Agni Yoga).
Helena was born in the family of Ivan Shaposhnikov, a well-known Saint-Petersburg architect. Helena's mother belonged to an ancient Golenischev-Kutuzov family, traceable to Novgorod at the end of the 13th century. Significant members of this family included Prince () Mikhail Kutuzov, field marshal of the Russian Empire; Arseny Golenishchev-Kutuzov, poet of the end of the 19th century; Ilya Golenishchev-Kutuzov, a philologist and poet; and Modest Mussorgsky, a well-known composer. It was a nobiliary family, distinguished not only for its nobility but for its cultural traditions too. Helena was in frequent communication with artists and scientists of the era, such as Vladimir Bekhterev, Alexander Blok, Sergei Diaghilev, Arkhip Kuindzhi, Vladimir Solovyov, Vladimir Stasov, Igor Stravinsky, and Mikhail Vrubel.From Resolution of
In 1901 Helena married Nicholas Roerich. From that time they were inseparable in their life and their spiritual-creative paths. She became his companion-in-arms in all his public and cultural undertakings. The Agni Yoga Society was founded by Nicholas and Helena in 1920 in the United States. Together with her husband she participated in the heroic Transhimalayan expedition in Central Asia (1924–1928). After the Roerich family settled in Kullu Valley, in the Himalayas, they established the Himalayan Institute of the Scientific Studies, and its honorary president was the foundress Helena Roerich.
The years in India were the time of the most intensive work of Helena. Here she completed a major part of the books of the Agni Yoga series. She published fourteen volumes of that series. On the frontispieces of the volumes there is no author's name, since Helena Roerich considered that the sacred wisdom contained therein can not be the author's property. She considered herself an author of three books only, published under different pen-names: "The Foundations of Buddhism" (1927), "The Cryptograms of the East" (1929), "The Banner of the Reverent Sergius" (1934). She maintained very active correspondence with many people from Europe, Asia and America. Two volumes of her letters (Letters of Helena Roerich) were published in Riga in 1940. Helena also did the translations. She translated into Russian extracts from the book The Mahatma Letters to A.P. Sinnett (The Chalice of the East) and also two volumes of The Secret Doctrine by Helena Blavatsky.
Nicholas Roerich
Nicholas Roerich (1874–1947) was a Russian painter, writer, archaeologist, theosophist, philosopher, and public figure. He is perceived by some people as a spiritual teacher and guru.
He studied at the Karl May School, at the Imperial Academy of Arts, and at St. Petersburg University from 1893 to 1898, and simultaneously at the Law University as well. He wrote,"From 1890s, I saw accurate symbolisms of their people's morals shown in the main directions of philosophy, cultural memorials, monuments, literature and religions from ancient India, China, Tibet and Mongolian culture". For forty-two years Roerich lived in Russia, in India for twenty years, in the United States for three years, in Finland for two years, in France for one year, in England for one year, in China for two years, in Tibet for half a year and in Mongolia for seven–eight months. Roerich twice toured through Central and Eastern Asia, in 1924 and 1934, and following his travels in Mongolia's Gobi, in the Altai Mountains and the Himalayan Mountains, he wrote the books "Heart of Asia" and "Altai-Himalaya". In order for humankind to coexist peacefully, he initiated the Roerich Pact during World War II for the purpose of protecting world cultural values, together with well-known international figures (Albert Einstein, Tagore). Roerich's paintings, so attractive with their combinations of colours, symbols, and secrets, depict hidden ideas and deep meanings. Roerich, knowing the Buddha legend, toured through the Indian and Tibetan mountains looking for the legendary Shambhala. The Roerichs are also famous for introducing Shambhala in the Buddhist teachings of Western countries.
Jawaharlal Nehru's tribute to Roerich,
Roerich's sons Nicholas and Helena had two children: George (1902 – 1960) and Svetoslav (1904 – 1993).
George de Roerich
In August 1902 their eldest son, George, was born in Okulovka, Novgorod Oblast. After finishing his studies at Karl May School, he entered the Indian and Iranian department of Oriental Languages at London University in 1918. Under the Indologist Edward Denison Ross he studied Sanskrit and Pali. Later he became a world-renowned scientist, orientalist, and guru. George is known for his contributions to Tibetan dialectology, his monumental translation of the Blue Annals, and his 11-volume Tibetan-Russian-English dictionary with Sanskrit parallels. After spending almost thirty years in India, George returned in 1957 to Russia. His return and acquisition of Soviet citizenship was courageous as the USSR's opinion on his family was rather distorted. Because of his effort, bans were lifted on everything associated with Roerichism and the legacy of research left by the family was preserved. The first of Nicholas Roerich's exhibitions was organized in Moscow in 1958, then spread to Leningrad, Riga, Kiev, Tbilisi, and other cities. He was able to dispel myths about the family's philosophy of Agni Yoga or Living Ethics in the USSR. George died on 21 May 1960, and his ashes were placed in Moscow, at the Novodevichy Cemetery. Svetoslav Roerich is the author of the memorial to this outstanding Russian scientists.
Svetoslav Roerich
Their younger son, Svetoslav, was born on 23 October 1904, in Saint Petersburg. In 1914–1916 he studied at the Karl May School. Since 1920 he lived in the United States. Svetoslav entered the Columbia University, where he graduated with a bachelor's degree from the department of architecture. Since 1923 he was a director of the International Centre of Art "Corona Mundi" in New York which was founded by Nicholas Roerich. In 1928 Svetoslav moved from the United States to India (Darjiling), to his family. Studying the culture, art and philosophy of India he created many paintings. Together with landscapes he painted many portraits, including the portraits of Nicholas Roerich, Jawaharlal Nehru and Devika Rani – Svetoslav's wife. One of the most beautiful ones is a portrait of his mother Helena Roerich, the woman of exceptional spiritual and physical beauty. Svetoslav headed the department of folk art and pharmacopoeia at the Institute of Himalayan Studies "Urusvati". In 1989 up to the initiative of Svetoslav the Soviet Foundation of the Roerichs was established in the USSR; at the base of it there were the study and spread of the ideas of Agni Yoga. In 1991 he gave the archives of his parents and his eldest brother, which were kept in India until that time, to the Foundation. On 30 January 1993, Svetoslav died in Bangalore.
Agni Yoga as the spiritual foundation of Roerichism
Religious doctrine Agni Yoga is a religious doctrine transmitted by the Helena and Nicholas Roerichs from 1920. The followers of Agni Yoga believe that the teaching was given to the Roerich family and their associates by Master Morya, the guru of Helena Roerich and Helena Blavatsky, a founder of the Theosophical Society. In the sixteen volumes of the Teaching of Living Ethics that have been translated into English from the original Russian, as well as in the letters of Helena Roerich, the Agni Yoga teaching is also referred to as the Teaching of Living Ethics, the Teaching of Life, the Teaching of Light, or simply as the Teaching.
Being based on the ancient knowledge of the East and the achievements of modern science in the West, Agni Yoga concerns peculiarities of the cosmic evolution of humanity and creates a new system of perception. The Teaching pays particular attention to the cosmic laws that determine the motion of planets and growth of natural structures, birth of stars, and also human behavior and the development of the universe. The authors of the Teaching state that these laws influence the historic and social processes in human life and unless humanity realizes this life can't be improved. According to Agni Yoga, the universe is the immense spiritual-energy system in which a man plays the most important role. Moral perfection, strict observance of ethical laws and comprehension of the key factor of culture in the development of human society are basic principles of spiritual and historical development of humanity. It is impossible to build a better future without respecting knowledge and culture.
A man, according to the Teaching, influences the cosmic processes greatly. Particular attention is paid to the consciousness of a man and the culture of thinking, since thought is energy, capable of filling space and effecting its surroundings. A man is directly responsible for the quality of his thoughts, words, and deeds, because not only his spiritual and physical health depend on them, but also the condition of the entire planet. Calling people to live in accordance with cosmic laws, Agni Yoga opens unlimited possibilities for the spiritual transformation of life, the expansion of consciousness, and the acquirement of high moral standards.
The Agni Yoga Society
The Agni Yoga Society was founded in 1920 by Helena and Nicholas Roerich. It is a non-profit educational institution incorporated in 1946 under the laws of the State of New York, and is supported entirely by voluntary contributions and membership dues. This organization was located in the building called "Master Apartments". The aims of the Society are embodied in the philosophy that gives it its name — Agni Yoga — as contained in the books of the Agni Yoga series published by the Society. In them is found a synthesis of ancient Eastern beliefs and modern Western thought, and a bridge between the spiritual and the scientific.