Elena Ivanovna Roerich (1879-1955) - philosopher, traveler, honorary president and founder of the Urusvati Institute of Himalayan Studies in India.
The fate of Elena Ivanovna, in terms of the scale of her achievements, does not fit into the size of everyday ideas. There were many things in her life: rich external events, creative achievements in the most various areas, vibrant travels, the geography of which covered several continents, many meetings and an inner life of enormous intensity and completeness.
Man has always neglected what is mysterious, forgetting to have the key to every secret. He must be free from conditions and circumstances that block him and are specific to everyone. The Book of Nature is full of subtle signs that you must be able to read. Only the blind do not see these signs of fire, only an insensitive doctor does not distinguish illness from fire.
Those who incite wars must think about the abyss where they are throwing the planet. Its destruction is also threatened by wars involving several nations. Nobody understands war as a global disease, but everyone sees that even local conflicts are blocking positive events the entire planet. It is time to reflect on the damage done to the subtle world and better understand the relationship that unites the two worlds.
The main work of Helena Roerich's life is fourteen books of the philosophical teaching of Living Ethics, created in collaboration with the Teachers of the East. It presents a synthesis of the wisdom of the East and modern scientific achievements West.
Books (27)
Letters to America. In 4 volumes. (1923-1952)
The collection brings together in 4 volumes letters from Helena Roerich to American correspondents (mainly to the staff of the Nicholas Roerich Museum in New York and, first of all, to Z.G. Lichtman-Fosdick), now stored in the Museum’s archives .
This book, in accordance with the intention of Helena Roerich and the Teacher who inspired her work, is an integral part of the Agni Yoga series of books. Published in his first English version entitled "At the Eastern Crossroads", it was first published on Italian V full version, translated directly from Russian. The book contains extraordinary prophetic writings that reveal the secrets contained in the Great Manuals of mankind.
Often the so-called apocrypha preserves many real episodes removed from official texts. Of these unexpected stories and through parables scattered among the peoples of Asia, we recognize those images that still live in the minds of the peoples. From Alta to Ceylon, people dream of great masters, recalling the features of their lives from ancient times and adapting stories to the character of their country. Collecting these cryptograms of great thoughts means casting a glance into the soul of nations.
This collection of letters to the inner circle of her closest students reveals a unique picture of the esoteric and cultural-educational work of Mother Agni Yoga.
At the threshold of the New World
The book includes diary entries and works of E.I. Roerich, stored in the archives of the ICR, as well as her letters to Z.G. and D. Fosdick, heads of the Nicholas Roerich Museum in New York.
The scholar will find useful explanations and ideas on the topics of Teaching with Focus special attention medicine, structure inner man and the student in in a broad sense this word. The spiritual journey of two great artists and creators of the world -. Dreyer lays out life path a family whose existence was dedicated to teaching living ethics. This book is the first of the necklace, completely dedicated to awakening energies of latent qualities in our hearts. We thought we would start with courage because we feel like the changes that need to happen within us and then in modern world, require all the impulse and energy that this quality can do.
These documents are unique material that illuminates the creative evolutionary process in which the Cosmic Hierarchs participated together with E.I. Roerich.
Letters from the mountains In two volumes
Correspondence of Helena and Nicholas Roerich with Richard Rudzitis.
Compiled by: Vladimir Lobach
The two-volume correspondence of Helena and Nicholas Roerich with the chairman of the Latvian Roerich Society Richard Rudzitis includes more than 420 letters, telegrams and other documents covering the period from 1932 to 1940.
To create a collection of notes that is easily accessible to anyone who wants to get closer to internal work, and at the same time, for group leaders who want to organically contain various plans from which quality can be discovered and excited, courage faces different approaches.
Freedom is the fundamental note of those who have met themselves and moved decisively into the future, without experiencing the pastures and blackmails of the world. This mental state, which forces the consciousness to take full responsibility for life, throw off any alibi and dissolve us from all fear. It is an act of love when love matures in freedom and true love creates freedom.
Volume I of the correspondence includes letters from 1932-1937.
Volume II of correspondence includes letters from 1938-1940.
Bowl of the East. Selected Letters of the Mahatmas
The book represents selected letters from the Mahatmas of the East to the Englishman A.P. Sinnett.
The letters themselves, which are truly unique documents of the era, are kept in London, in the British Museum. Fragments from them were translated by Elena Ivanovna Roerich (who took the pseudonym Iskander Khanum) and collected in a separate book, “The Cup of the East,” which was first published in 1925.
Innocence is the answer to the fundamental question that each of us more or less consciously poses: what is my basic relationship to every living thing: competition and confrontation? Difficulty, sarcasm, hostility? weirdness and coldness? Fear and suspicion? or support, friendship, warmth and cooperation? This answer lies and operates in the depths of our being, and it is here that we must go and find out. Our implicit relationships with others always accompany us, determine our relationships with everyone, and color our lives.
It's not good to look at it: we will understand a lot about ourselves. Subject invisible worlds makes it possible to highlight the path that, according to Agni Yoga, people make in their endless existence, moving from an embodied to a disembodied state. Another purpose is to give those who wish to make this journey with increased awareness and preparation the guiding principles set forth in the 18 books of this teaching.
Banner of St. Sergius of Radonezh
Elena Ivanovna Roerich’s book “The Banner of St. Sergius of Radonezh” first saw the light in 1934, when the hard times godlessness.
The shrine of the Russian land, the Trinity-Sergius Lavra, was destroyed, like most other churches and monasteries. It seemed as if the lamp had gone out for centuries, but the ways of the Lord are truly inscrutable. Another miracle happened. St. Sergius Lavra was declared a museum and thus saved. In 1946, the relics of St. Sergius were returned to the monastery, and worship resumed. The candle of hope was lit again, the spiritual revival of Russia began.
The purpose of this essay is to illustrate, with theoretical and practical data, the formation, structure, life and activities of a group of disciples who undertake to work in favor of the hierarchical plan. Six-pointed star geometry teaches the superior science of connections.
With its help, the conscience unites, as in a crystal, forming an energetic and luminous structure great power. This second volume of the Seeds necklace new culture"is dedicated to the Hierarchical Plan. The concept of the divine plan is fundamental in the teachings of the Tibetan Teacher and Agni Yoga. This is implied by the progressive manifestation of the Will which characterizes the Life of our planet, the purpose of which it tends towards the evolutionary process of which we are a part. The plan conceived by these higher beings, also known as the Spiritual Hierarchy or White Brotherhood, is presented here as a real operational project with stages and rhythms, known to man, whose task is to facilitate its implementation.
Sheets of the Garden of Moria. Call
The teaching of Agni Yoga, or Living Ethics, transmitted by the spiritual Teachers of Shambhala to the Roerich family, is rightfully considered the most significant esoteric teaching modernity.
This publication represents the most full meeting texts of Agni Yoga and, in addition, contains detailed and convenient reference material, which explains the most difficult aspects this teaching. There is continuity between the books of Agni Yoga, but nevertheless, each book in this series is an independent work.
The work presented is to demonstrate and express the Meta chosen in its own way individual quality. Traveler to the heart of the Zodiac. Sign after sign, the tourist can choose the artistic stimulus with which she is most resonant, or even use them all together to match the quality of heart closest to the zodiac sign of the moment. This path can also turn into self-education and personal growth stimulation of undeniable originality and effectiveness thanks to the great import of Beauty that art brings.
Helena Roerich
Elena Ivanovna Roerich (before Shaposhnikov's marriage) was born in February 1879 in the family of an architect. From childhood, she showed versatile talents: she easily mastered several foreign languages, was very musical, and drew well. After graduating from the Mariinsky Gymnasium with a gold medal, Elena Ivanovna entered one of the St. Petersburg music schools. She was considered a gifted pianist and was predicted to have a great musical future.
They also write about her beauty and charm, about her subtle noble traits her face, about her soulful gaze and radiant, almond-shaped dark brown eyes. Living in the capital, Elena Ivanovna led a secular lifestyle and had many fans vying for her hand. But she preferred the young talented artist and archaeologist Nikolai Konstantinovich Roerich to all of them.
Reflection on the United Nations serves as the key to seeing the energies of the seven rays to understand the revolution that humanity is making, which will one day lead to the elimination of selfishness and the full expression of the fruits of altruism.
The author, who has dedicated his life to the United Nations, examines all these reasons for optimism and belief that his rich life experience gave even in difficult and dramatic situations. Moreover, it gives an excellent indication of what needs to be done so that humanity, still fragmented and suffering, but potentially capable of transformation, can learn about the new values needed to build a global village and realize them.
Elena Ivanovna first met her future husband in the summer of 1899, when she was visiting her aunt in the Novgorod province in an estate near the Balogoe station. This meeting decided it all future fate. They married in the fall of 1901 and have been inseparable since then. In their first years life together Elena Ivanovna traveled with her husband to dozens of ancient Russian cities, participating in all his archaeological excavations(in one of these expeditions, in the fall of 1902, their first-born Yuri was born, and two years later a second son, Svyatoslav, appeared in the family).
In Robert Mueller, he is fascinated by his insightful ability to describe the future of humanity and the planet. A leap of several decades is an awareness of the interdependence of peoples, nations and individuals, which forces new generations to cultivate this awareness. Close to the greatest spiritual teachings of the twentieth century, from Teilhard de Chardin to Alice Bailey, Müller traces in this book a synthesis of his own experience evidence of events that changed the world in the last century and points the way to a new world order you will outline.
In this collection of eighty journalistic articles, the author reflects on the major issues facing society at the turn of the new millennium. The book discusses issues that have great value for our lives and for our future, such as drugs, ecology, human rights, peace, the United Nations, women, school, work, economics of religion, information, science and others. These reflections indicate that the contradictions of human behavior are becoming increasingly apparent, but are also beginning to express those impulses of responsibility and solidarity that make us hopeful for the future global society, which is formed and in which we must learn to live.
After the revolution of 1917 and the separation of Finland, the Roerichs, who had lived in the Finnish city of Serdoble since 1916, unexpectedly found themselves abroad. The ten-year period of their nomadic life has come. Together with an exhibition of paintings by Nikolai Konstantinovich, they visited the capitals Scandinavian countries and then went to England. On March 24, 1920, in London, their significant meeting took place with one of the Great Teachers, Morya. Just as the Mahatmas changed the fate of Blavatsky in their time, they transformed the entire life of the Roerichs. From this meeting began their ascetic mission to convey to humanity the ancient Spiritual Teachings, which Elena Ivanovna called Living Ethics, or Agni Yoga.
His family, wife Catherine, is very famous. Lieutenant, Field Marsal Kutuzov - Elena's grandfather. Graduated from the Marine high school with a gold medal, then music school, where she especially stands out for her musical abilities. Here the path to the Conservatory opened, but life established a different one. Elena married Nicholas Roerich, then became the mother of two sons, and then went on research purposes to Russia, Europe, America, and India. After the Trans-Himalayan expedition, which lasted almost five years and was accompanied by numerous tests of physical and spiritual strength, Helena Roerich became the founder of the International Himalayan Institute scientific research"Urusvati".
At the direction of the Teachers, Elena Ivanovna and Nikolai Konstantinovich first went to the USA, where in December 1920 Roerich’s paintings were first shown. The exhibition was a huge success (in two and a half years it visited 28 American cities). At the same time, Roerich gave series of lectures on art. In November 1923, his permanent museum opened in New York. In the same year, the long-time dream of Nikolai Konstantinovich and Elena Ivanovna came true - they went to India. Having reached Bombay in December 1923, the Roerichs began to prepare for a large expedition to the little-explored areas of Southeast and South Asia. “The purpose of the trip was to penetrate into the mysterious regions of Asia, into the secrets of philosophy and culture of the vast continent,” Roerich later wrote. He dreamed of finding Shambhala during these wanderings - spiritual center planets, the place where earthly world comes into contact with space. Studying the myths and traditions of many peoples, Nikolai Konstantinovich came across many references to this fairyland and was deeply convinced that Shambhala was located somewhere in the inaccessible regions of the Himalayas or Tibet.
Helena Roerich was inspired to create large quantity cultural and philosophical societies in the cities of America, Europe and Asia, aimed at expanding the minds of people on the basis of the spineless doctrine of Shambhala. It is enough to note that her epistolary heritage includes about 200 works. Only one part of them was published. He was one of the small ones human incarnations, through which higher spiritual powers. She became a living wire, which transmitted the voice to humanity to the Master of Shambhala, and is still considered by European scientists to be the middle of the myth.
The journey seemed to split into two parts: first, the path lay to the northeast from India to Altai, and then again to the southwest to India through the highlands of Tibet. In four years the research has overcome huge distance- more than 25 thousand kilometers, traveling mainly on horses and camels. They had to cross 35 high mountain passes, sometimes rising to a height of over 7 kilometers. In the first years of their travels, they visited Sikkim, Kashmir, Ladakh, Karakorum, and Tien Shan. Somewhere along the way (the exact location is not indicated) the Roerichs visited the reserved country of the Mahatmas. In the notes of Nikolai Konstantinovich one can find a message about conversations with the Great Teachers, but information about it is extremely scanty. He only reports that here “all guesses received a basis, all fairy tales became reality.” In June 1926, the Roerichs reached the Soviet Central Asia and from here we made a trip to Moscow. They were enthusiastic about the ideas of building a new society proclaimed by the leadership of the USSR, and they really hoped that the spiritual wisdom of the East would be useful in this endeavor.
It was a clear hearing, and not some vague inspiration from above, that lay at the basis of her collaboration with the Master of Shambhala, who betrayed Caesar's most cherished language, unknown to the general masses or world scientists. The spiritual name of Helena Roerich, given by the Great Teachers, is “Ursvatsi”, which means “Light Morning Star" Helena Roerich for culture: is there anything higher and wonderful than cooperation in the name of the great good and culture of peoples! K. gives in one of his articles wonderful definition Cultures; he says: The ignorant man must first become civilized, then educated; becoming educated, he becomes smart, then follows the refinement and implementation of the synthesis, which ends with the acceptance of the concept of culture.
Among many other materials and paintings, the Roerichs gave the Soviet government a message from the Mahatmas and a casket containing sacred Himalayan soil. From Moscow the expedition went to Altai, and then through Buryatia to Mongolia. The Roerichs stayed in Urga, preparing for the second part of the journey - through the Tibetan Plateau. This was a particularly difficult part of the journey. The Roerichs went through places completely unknown to world science and collected unique material: the most valuable samples ancient culture, art, rich collections - archaeological, geological, botanical.
A non-specialist, no matter how high his specialization, can be called a carrier of culture. Culture is a synthesis, culture first understands and knows the foundations of existence and creation, because it is a tribute to the creative fire that is life. But who understood the basics of Genesis? It is time for national leaders to begin supporting all statewide educational initiatives. Let women and the entire younger generation stand up for the defense of culture against all restrictions and persecution, let them, at all costs, preserve the cult vitality.
Elena Ivanovna shared all the difficulties with her husband and sons. Nikolai Konstantinovich later wrote: “Elena Ivanovna traveled all over Asia on horseback with us, froze and starved in Tibet, but she was always the first to set an example of cheerfulness for the entire caravan. And the greater the danger, the more cheerful, ready and joyful she was... No one ever noticed her loss of spirit or despair. But there were many reasons for this of various nature" In 1928, the Roerichs returned to India and settled in the picturesque Kullu Valley, among the mighty mountains above the swift Beas River. For processing huge amount Based on the collected materials, the Himalayan Research Institute was founded here.
In Kullu, Elena Ivanovna continued the work that had begun before the expedition on the 14-volume series of books “Living Ethics, or Agni Yoga,” created on the basis of conversations and telepathic contacts with the Great Himalayan Teachers.
Agni means Fire in Sanskrit. It symbolizes the spiritual, psychic energy of consciousness, thinking, the impulse of life, creativity, aspirations, the subtlest spiritual manifestations that affirm the best human actions. Yoga means union with the subtlest energies, higher spheres cosmic life-creativity.
Helena Roerich called this grandiose work a synthesis of all religions and all yogas, necessary for the present time. She wrote: “The teaching is not given for the dusty bookshelves, but for application in everyday life.” The first book in the “Call” series was published in America in 1924. Together with the next two, “Illumination” (1925) and “Community” (1927), it serves as an introduction to the remaining volumes. The presentation here is in the form of parables, aphorisms and poems. The teaching itself is systematically presented in the books: “Agni Yoga” (1929), “Infinity” (1930), “Hierarchy” (1931), “Heart” (1932), “Fiery World” (1933–1935), “Aum” ( 1936), “Brotherhood” (1937), “Elevated” (remained unpublished). As volumes of Living Ethics appeared, they were published in Russian in Paris, Riga and Ulaanbaatar. However, they were not published in the Soviet Union during the Roerichs’ lifetime.
The Agni Yoga cycle continues and refines Blavatsky’s teachings. In a sense, it can be called the ethics of theosophy, since Helena Roerich’s main attention was focused on ethical issues. As for the cosmology and cosmogony of Agni Yoga, they are generally quite close to what the “Secret Doctrine” reveals to us. Elena Ivanovna wrote that each of the seven states of cosmic spirit matter forms its own plane of existence or world. There are seven of these worlds: divine, monadic, atmic (or nirvana), buddhic, mental (or fiery), astral and physical. Between highest point of our Universe - the Triune God and man there is an unbroken chain of various degrees and hierarchies of invisible beings. The highest of them are the seven Spirits of the Lord, the seven Fires or Flames. Each of them stands at the head of vast hosts intelligent beings who share His nature and act under His control. These seven great hosts of invisible beings create and rule the worlds.
People are fiery creatures. The emanation emitted by the human spirit and the spiritual energy developed by it is fiery energy - highest manifestation Cosmic Fire(Agni). The Western concept of the soul in Agni Yoga corresponds to two mental bodies: the astral (body of feelings) and mental (body of thoughts). Together with physical body they constitute a concrete personality. A personality is, as it were, a resident of a given incarnation; it does not know about the eternal and cares only about the personal.
The immortal part of a person, concentrated in the triune monad atman-buddhi-manas, corresponds to the Western concept of spirit (atman is the will, buddhi is straight-knowledge or spiritual mind, manas is the intellect). They constitute individuality - the immortal, true Self of a person. After the death of a person, it ascends to the higher worlds, and then, in accordance with the laws of karma, it is embodied in new identity. However, the law of karma is not something absolutely certain. It is regulated and governed by law free will. Thanks to this, every person can change their destiny for the better or for the worse.
Helena Roerich wrote: “Energy and will are the rulers of karma. He who has renounced himself, strives for the common good, devoted in battle, joyful in work, acquires for a moment the illumination of an arhat, making him the master of his karma.” One of the main qualities here is the ability to resist evil without evil. (“Do not make enemies - this is a testament to you,” says Agni Yoga. “Know your enemies, beware of them, stop their actions, but do not have malice.”) We must also remember that karma is mainly created not externally, but inner life a person - his thoughts and feelings.
The fundamental theme of Helena Roerich is the fight against evil. The personification of the cosmic nature of evil, according to Agni Yoga, is Lucifer - one of the eight Mahatmas who incarnated on Earth 18 million years ago. At first he participated in the development of human consciousness. But after he had to incarnate into dense earthly shells, the spirit of Lucifer could not stay at its previous height - it broke down and fell. And then he began to fight against his Great Brothers, interrupted their connection with the cosmic Hierarchy and placed himself at the center of the world. This isolation from higher spiritual forces, isolation within the physical world is extremely dangerous. By cosmic law, when humanity on our planet finishes its evolution on Earth, it must leave it and go to another planet. After all, humanity is the branches of a giant tree, the trunk of which is the Hierarchy of Light. Because of Lucifer, people almost forgot about it.
Victory over evil requires the exertion of all spiritual forces. For for a long time His apostasy, Lucifer acquired many followers on Earth, who formed the secret “Black Lodge”. She opposes the lodge of the White Brothers - the Mahatmas and their followers. The main centers of dark forces in physical world multimillion-dollar metropolises serve. But the bulk of the forces of Darkness are concentrated in the invisible psychic (astral) world. It is from there that they influence our feelings and thoughts. The companions of Lucifer strive to suppress everything spiritual, replacing it with deadening materialism. They plant popular culture, promoting violence, eroticism, nurturing base instincts. Currently, the struggle of the White Brothers with Lucifer has reached unprecedented severity. She goes with particular fury in the invisible astral world, but is reflected on Earth by the disorder of life, social and interethnic conflicts, natural disasters and disasters.
By suppressing a person, evil finds support in him physical nature. The most cruel internal enemy of a person is the “self,” associated with concentrating attention on one’s temporary personality to the detriment of the immortal spiritual Self. “The mind of man has gone far ahead, created miracles of technology, and the heart of man has frozen at the level of the Stone Age - it has remained stone,” says Agni Yoga . To deprive dark forces opportunity to act on oneself, a person must cleanse his feelings and thoughts from everything bad and evil, tune them to the bright and spiritual. "Not physical means“They will give persistence in the face of evil,” wrote Helena Roerich, “but the spirit and fire of the heart create armor against the tricks of evil.”
Communicating with higher worlds, a person strengthens his spirit. This usually happens during prayer. In Agni Yoga, a lot of attention is paid to prayer. “No need for spells, no need for begging, no need for dust of humility, no need for threats,” it says. “Prayer is awareness of eternity.” In a broad sense, this is the life of the spirit, for the human spirit is the conductor higher energies. Sincere prayer does not require special place and time. It is not necessary for her to go to the temple, perform rites and observe rituals. “There is an opinion that prayer is something different from everyday life: meanwhile, it is the basis of life,” wrote Helena Roerich. People who fulfill the duty assigned to them by fate serve not only people, but also God. By by and large it doesn’t matter which God a person turns to. You need to pray to the one you believe, because all religions ultimately lead to the same thing - the awakening of the spirit.
In addition to the multi-volume Agni Yoga, Elena Ivanovna has written such wonderful books as “Cryptograms of the East”, “Fundamentals of Buddhism”, “Reverend Sergius of Radonezh”. She worked a lot as a translator. In this area, first of all, it should be noted that fundamental works, How full translation into Russian of Blavatsky’s “Secret Doctrine” and publication in Russian in the book “The Chalice of the East” favorite letters Mahatmas. Elena Ivanovna believed that this spiritual literature was extremely necessary to the Soviet people. Until their death, the Roerichs hoped to return to Russia, but external circumstances prevented this. In December 1947, Nikolai Konstantinovich died. After his death, Elena Ivanovna left Kullu and moved to the Indian city of Kalimpong. Here she died in October 1955. Almost forty years passed before her spiritual heritage became available to the Russian people. Although now is a completely different era, it has not lost any of its relevance and, apparently, will not lose it for a long time. It is no coincidence that Haydock, a close friend of the Roerichs, wrote: “Elena Ivanovna is the herald of a new cycle in human evolution and corresponding to this cycle of new thinking and behavior of people. She is the link connecting humanity with the Hierarchy of light residing in Shambhala.” Followers of the Roerichs believe that Elena Ivanovna was the Great Spirit sent to Earth from the White Brotherhood to fulfill the mission of transmitting the teachings of Living Ethics to people at a critical moment in the life of our planet. It is no coincidence that the Teachers called her Urusvati, which means the Light of the Morning Star.
