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- Certain spiritual teachers and philosophers have made their way into a kind of pantheon of Russian superheroes because of what they have contributed to understanding the great hermetic mysteries that are so near to the Russian heart (see Understanding the Hermetic Tradition).
Although they were not native to Russia, Nicholas and Helena Roerich are two of these Russian superheroes. The Roerichs offered an inspiring path for spiritual growth and life similar to what in America is called "global awakening" — a philosophy that encompasses all peoples and faiths. They saw that different religions simply looked at the same Truth in different ways — but that this different way-of-looking was the cause of all war.
It is said that the Roerichs were eminently likable; that they attracted others through their appearance, manners, simplicity, and generosity. Certainly, they were great artists, creating wonderful paintings and writings. They also were known as philosophers, speakers, teachers, scientists, patrons of the arts, public figures, and cultural workers. But it was probably their greatness of Soul, an ineffable Quality that radiated from their every word and gesture, that caused them to be taken so closely to the Russian heart.
In the final analysis, they were conveying, in a beautiful and captivating form — through art, writing, Eastern practices, and even socio-political projects — the thoughts and leadership of the Ascended Masters.[1]
Nicholas Roerich's Paintings
 Nicholas Roerich's paintings have influenced people throughout the world. There is a special feeling, a reflection of the energies of the spiritual world, that is experienced when viewing them. Many people come from around the world to Russia's Roerich Museum just to see this work.
Nicholas's vivid paintings depict the symbolism and allegory of the spiritual life (for more about these symbols, see The Tarot Arcana). He reached out from the ordinary to the realm beyond for self-expression, and indicated much more in his paintings than he ever spoke or wrote about.
For example, he painted himself, his son, George, and his wife, Helena, standing behind three masters who carry the light of teaching in Shambhala. In "Treasure of the Mountains," there is a meeting in a crystal cave, and among the masters is Helena Roerich. These paintings are said to record events in his travels to the Himalayas. The idea that the Roerichs actually visited Shambhala is consistent with their connection to the Spiritual Hierarchy.
 Many of Nicholas's paintings feature hidden treasure in the mountains or in water, symbolizing the search in high places for the truth that is hidden within the soul — or the way in which we look deeply into our emotions for the flow of the hidden treasure of the emotions or movement of Love.
Often, the focus of a Roerich painting is a gem — the hidden treasure or gem of the soul that is hidden within one's self.
In "The Path," Christ leads the way through the peaks of the Himalayas, a metaphor for the hazardous journey of the spiritual seeker.
 And Nicholas's depictions of women, as in "She Who Leads," "Madonna Laboris," and "The Mother of the World," prefigure the coming importance of the role of women in culture and society.
As an aid to understanding the symbols and meanings that lay behind his work, Nicholas wrote Flowers of Morya, a collection of poems that evoked some of the images in his paintings.
Roerich's vision of the spiritual world through his painting is said to be charged with a magical or mystical force that profoundly affects the viewer. This legacy keeps on doing its long-term work on the Russian heart and spirit.
Helena Roerich's Writings
Helena Roerich devoted her life to her writings. She was deeply involved in theosophy, a modern movement arising out of Hindu and Buddhist teachings. She wrote many books, including The Foundations of Buddhism, and Letters, a volume of her correspondence, much of which is about her guidance from the Spiritual Hierarchy. She wrote about karma, explaining the accelerated payment of accounts that occurs for every Warrior of Light, and how suffering may be transmuted into Flowers of the Spirit. She also wrote about the Spheres of Existence, the Planetary Spirits of our Solar System, and the Power of the Light.
She felt that pursuit of Truth was the focus of her life. She refused to be photographed or to speak in public, believing that the attention on her person would draw away from the message of her work.
Agni Yoga
 Agni Yoga, a practice introduced by the Roerichs, is a form of Raja or "mental" yoga. Agni means the creative and destructive spiritual fire, and the practice refers to fire, or fiery yoga, a method of bringing spiritual fire into consciousness. It is about the power of thought — the one energy that underlies all energy, the most powerful force in the Universe.
 The Fiery World, sometimes called the Highest World, is the world of the Spirit, the realm beyond the astral. Fiery energy is accumulated through striving toward perfection in work and devotion. The accumulation of fiery, or spiritual, energy makes possible ascension into the higher spheres. Certain nerve centers that open and increase spiritual perception are activated through this realm.[2]
The practice of Agni Yoga brings spiritual consciousness into the moment. But there are no mantras, asanas, or meditations, and there is no teacher, no master. Helena Roerich wrote:
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Many are still convinced that it is permissible to approach the higher Sources through dead rituals and repetitions of senseless mantrams [whose] value lies only in rhythm, born in a flaming heart.
Nothing external, without the inner striving, can be of real value. Rituals, if they are beautiful, can assist in creating a certain exalted mood, but it is impossible to look upon them as an independent, self-sufficient condition for spiritual ascent.[3]
Agni Yoga is difficult, and appeals particularly to the Russian spiritual temperament, because it is not simplistic. It requires the great devotion and high intent that Russians expect of any worthwhile spiritual path. It is said that the writings in Agni Yoga can be compared to a string of pearls: Through examination of each pearl, one can come to a comprehension of the entire strand. The concepts bring one to a way of using each moment in life as a vehicle for directing will and energy of thought.
Freedom is attained through the practice of using inner striving to create the essential transmutation. Daily life is viewed as a laboratory for self-observation and improvement. It is a living expression of the Eastern wisdom through which one attains knowledge of truth through personal effort and constant labor.
Agni Yoga has a three-part focus of Love, Beauty, and Action. Love is seen as the motivating power of the Universe, and this idea of Love includes the realization of altruistic Beauty. We learn to apply the "beauty concept" to daily life, looking for inspiration at the beauty of the Universe. Then Action comes as a result of acting in accordance with our perception of Beauty. And beauty is always there, Agni Yoga teaches. If we fail to perceive it, the fault is in our perception.
In practicing Agni Yoga, one learns to see and feel which character aspects need changing. Feelings and thoughts then lead to constructive development in the physical world and through service to one's fellow man.
Like most of the Roerichs' work, Agni Yoga was an application of the teachings of the Spiritual Hierarchy. The Roerichs saw it as a modern approach to spirituality — a way of applying Truth and Beauty in Action.
The Roerich Pact
One of Nicholas Roerich's greatest achievements was the signing of the Roerich Pact, an international peace treaty protecting cultural treasures throughout the world. The Pact is based on respect for cultural creativity and was signed in the White House in 1935. Roerich created the Banner of Peace, a flag or banner showing three balls in a ring of magenta, emblazoned on a white field. The balls or dots symbolized humanity's past, present, and future.
 The Banner of Peace was a Universal sign implying an awareness of a triune reality, an idea of protection from hostility throughout the world. Roerich had hoped that the symbol could be adopted as a kind of cultural Red Cross, as protection from hostility throughout the world. The idea was to use the banner to protect cultural treasures from human destructiveness in times of peace and war.
The Roerichs thought that art and cultural pursuits could bridge political differences. A Western painter could learn the techniques of a Chinese painter, and in this way bridge cultural differences. By focusing on learning the skills of refinement, beauty, and art, the techniques and thought patterns of all cultures would be inherently respected. They thought that beauty and knowledge created a sincere language that could unite all nations.
The Roerichs believed that peace through international collaboration was necessary for the survival of mankind. Helena Roerich wrote:
In our age, it is already realized that if humanity desires to evolve successfully, it must accept a certain international collaboration, although at the present stage, the collaboration is manifested more powerfully through mechanical and material achievements than in spiritual unity. However, science marches ahead with such gigantic strides that the next step will soon be realized, that of collaboration with the Cosmos. ... [N]o man, realizing his place in the Cosmos, will remain in his own little coop. Only then will spiritual unity come into being.[4]
The Roerichs and Russia
It is probably impossible for those of us who have come out of such a different spiritual heritage to comprehend in any truly meaningful way the impact that Nicholas and Helena Roerich have had upon the minds and hearts of the Russian people.
But we can begin to glimpse just a corner of the total picture when we learn that for many people, traveling to see Roerich's paintings is considered a Spiritual Pilgrimage.
If we ever do come to an appreciation of how our Russian friends see the Roerichs, we also will be closer to appreciating the Great Mystery itself — which, as Dr. Victor Vergun implies,[5] may just mean coming at last to the realization that we do not understand that we do not understand that we do not understand...
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This article was created through information gleaned from two sources:
Daniel Entin is the director of the Roerich Museum in New York. He may be reached at or by phone at 212-864-7752. The Roerich Museum, Roerich.org, is located at West 107th Street, New York, NY.
Yegor Falev is Professor of Philosophy at Moscow State University. He may be reached at .
More information about Agni Yoga can be obtained through the Agni Yoga Society at AgniYoga.org.
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Footnotes:
- The Ascended Masters are beings who lived many earthly lives and, having achieved release from the "karmic wheel," have chosen to remain in the ethers, guiding humanity from the "Other Side." Saint Germaine (aka Merlin) are two of the best-known Ascended Masters. The Roerichs were in contact with Morya (also El Morya), an Ascended Master whose earthly incarnations, according to tradition, include Solomon and King Arthur.
- Letters of Helena Roerich, Vol. 2
- Ibid.
- Ibid.
- See Dr. Vergun's article,Bread in the Palm of Your Hand.
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