Roerichism

Roerichism' (Russian: Рерихи́зм) is a spiritual, cultural and social movement centered on the Teachings transmitted by Nicholas Roerich. and Helena Roerich. It draws ideas from Agni Yoga, Theosophy, Eastern and Western religions, and Vedic and Buddhist traditions, molding them into the Russian culture and Russian cosmism.

Nicholas Roerich and Banner of Peace — Symbol of Roerichism

Theosophy

Main article: Theosophy

Theosophy was established in New York City in 1875 with the founding of the Theosophical Society by Helena Blavatsky, Henry Olcott, and William Quan Judge. Blavatsky and Olcott relocated to India, where they established the Society's headquarters at Adyar, Tamil Nadu. Blavatsky described her ideas in two books, Isis Unveiled and The Secret Doctrine. The Mahatma Letters to A. P. Sinnett is a book published in 1923 by A. Trevor Barker.

According to Theosophical teachings, the letters were written between 1880 and 1884 by Koot Hoomi and Morya to A. P. Sinnett. The letters were previously quoted in several theosophical books (e.g. The Occult World by Sinnett), but not published in full.The letters were important to the movement due to their discussions on the theosophical cosmos and spiritual hierarchy. From 1939, the original letters were in the possession of the British Museum but later the British Library.

Roerich Pact and Banner of Peace

UN and Banner of Peace

Signing of the Roerich Pact in White House 15 April 1935 (in centre: FDR)

Svetoslav Roerich, Sathya Sai Baba & Devika Rani Roerich

190 px Skumin at the grave of George de Roerich at the Novodevichy Cemetery (Moscow) in 2014. From Wikimedia Commons, the free media repository

The Roerich Pact and Banner of Peace movement grew rapidly during the early nineteen-thirties, with centers in a number of countries. There were three international conferences, in Bruges, Belgium, in Montevideo, Uruguay, and in Washington, D.C. The Pact itself declared the necessity for protection of the cultural product and activity of the world—both during war and peace—and prescribed the method by which all sites of cultural value would be declared neutral and protected, just as the Red Cross does with hospitals. Indeed, the Roerich Pact was often called The Red Cross of Culture,

NOW, THEREFORE be it known that I, Franklin D. Roosevelt, President of the United States of America, have caused the said Treaty to be made public to the end that the same and every article and clause thereof may be observed and fulfilled with good faith by the United States of America and the citizens thereof. IN TESTIMONY WHEREOF, I have caused the Seal of the United States of America to be hereunto affixed. DONE at the city of Washington this twenty-fifth day of October in the year of our Lord one thousand nine hundred and thirty-five, and of the Independence of the United States of America the one hundred and sixtieth.

FRANKLIN D. ROOSEVELT

By the President: Cordell Hull Secretary of State

Ideas of Roerich Pact still are not implemented in the international law, especially its principle of the almost unlimited preference of the preservation of cultural values to the military necessity.

The World Organisation of Culture of Health (WOCH)

Main article: World Organisation of Culture of Health

This organization was founded in the year 1994. Victor Skumin was elected to the post of the President-founder of the World Organisation of Culture of Health — International social movement "To Health via Culture" (Russian: Междунаро́дное обще́ственное Движе́ние «К Здоро́вью че́рез Культу́ру»). The organization operates in accordance with the registered in Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation Charter. Key element of a Culture of health is implement innovative health programs that support a holistic approach to physical, mental and spiritual well-being both inside and outside the workplace.

In the Russian Orthodox Church the social activities of this international organization qualifies as an ideology of the Agni Yoga and New Age (NA),

The ideology of the NA serves outstanding contemporary philosophers: Gregory Bateson, Ken Wilber, Paul Feyerabend. On a grand scale is the creation and support of international organizations, contained in the ideology of the NA. In Russia and in Ukraine, International movement "To Health via Culture", based on the teachings of Agni Yoga, operates and has a great publishing activity.

The relationship between the Skumin's doctrine of culture of health and Rerikhism is also confirmed by some scientists, such as Goraschuk V. P., Professor of Kharkov National Pedagogical University. In 2004, he wrote in his thesis for a Doctor’s degree on speciality "general pedagogics and history of pedagogics",

V. Skumìn developed the problems associated with a culture of health in the context of philosophy of Roerich.

The anthem of WOCH ("To Health via Culture") consists of four stanzas. The capital letters each of the four stanzas form the word AGNI. Another hymn by Skumin is termed "Urusvati". Helena Roerich, known as the Tara Urusvati in Agni Yoga and Rerikhism. The hymn begins with the phrase, "The fire of the heart ignites Urusvati, she teaches the spirit take-off on the wings of the grace".

Skumin elaborated on the conceptions of spiritual evolution and proposed (1990) a classification of Homo spiritalis (Latin: "spiritual man"), the sixth root race, consisting of eight sub-races (subspecies) — HS0 Anabiosis spiritalis, HS1 Scientella spiritalis, HS2 Aurora spiritalis, HS3 Ascensus spiritalis, HS4 Vocatus spiritalis, HS5 Illuminatio spiritalis, НS6 Creatio spiritalis, and HS7 Servitus spiritalis.

The Journal of the World Organisation of Culture of Health (″World Health Culture Organization″) is based in Novocheboksarsk. In 1995, Victor Skumin became the first editor-in-chief of the journal To Health via Culture. The journal received an International Standard Serial Number (ISSN) 0204-3440. The main topics of the magazine are the dissemination of ideas of culture of health, holistic medicine, Roerichism, and Agni Yoga.

The Organization also has its own publishing house (To Health via Culture), who has the right to publish the books with the International Standard Book Number (ISBN).

Roerichs artistic works speak about the internal needs of the individual and about the ways of their realization. Roerich's paintings are a kind of Teaching of Life, on the spiritual development of mankind, about culture and its role in human life. This is a conversation about the Eternity. German-born New Age and ambient musician Karukesh (Bruno Reuter) believes that Roerich's paintings have healing properties. The same opinion was expressed earlier by Dr. Skumin.|

See also

• Agni Yoga (religious doctrine)
• Culture of health
• New Age
• Russian cosmism
• Victor Skumin
• Spiritual evolution
• Theosophy
• Transhumanism
• World Organisation of Culture of Health

External links

• Agni Yoga. en.wikipedia.org.
• Roerichism. en.wikipedia.org.
• Roerichism. science.wikia.com.
• Agni Yoga. World News.

Video

• Roerich. The Call Of Cosmic Evolution. youtube.com.
• Lewis Keizer. Nicholas and Helena Roerich. youtube.com.
• Agni Yoga. youtube.com.