N icholas De Roerich, Mystic

i\N OUTLINE OF HIS WONDERFUL ACCOMPUSHMENTS

By THE lMl'ERATOR
THE past six
I! months or more
hundreds of our
members and
many hundred:! of
readers and
friends have asked
that we reveal
some facts regard-
ing the life and
acc-omplishments
of Ni<:holas de
Roerkh, the Eu-
ropean legate of
our ender in America, and the repre-
sentative at large of the Great White
Brotherhood. I am happy to present
briefly such faets as are a matter oE
record in our own archives, believing
that these few inteNsting facts, coupled
with .f:he character that reveals itself in
his spiritual and pmctkal messages
published from time to time in this maga-
zine, 'Will enable the discerning mind to
accurately estimate the true inner and
outer personality of this <>utstanding
character.
Had this man lived with the same
outer personality and with the same
worldly attainmen-ts four OJ: flve hundred
years ago, and if the same homage had
been paid to him throughout the world
as is belng paid to him now, we Wl>Uld
read in various xecords a St(lry that
would cause US t>O look upon Frater
Roerkh as one oi the . truly great
masters. We would J>oint with 50llle
degree of pxide to the fact that a great
Four hundred nven
castle had been built and dedicated to
his honor. to his ar;c:otnplishments, and
to his name, and that throughout the
world there were s!lent, mute testimonle.s
Q his greatness 1n many directions. He
would be: venerated !n our organization
and in Gther mystical channels as one
whose name should be spoken with
extreme respect and whose writings and
every expressed thought should be cate-
fnlly analyzed. and taken seriously under
consideration.
But because Frater Roerich is o this
cycle of life, still with us and one of us,
and so dose to us, we fail to see the
greatness that distance, tune, and
spective will unquestionably add to the
qualities that now make him a be:loved
companion.
Instead of a castle or a chateau, a
cabhedral or a tomb, having been erected
to .the honor, name, and accomplishment.'!
of Frater Roerich, there was erected on
Riverside Drive: in New York, ln the:
most impressive site m the midst o the
ultramodern section o that city, a huge
edlll.c e in the form a f a modern building
called the Roerich Museum in which are
not only preserved a great number of his
paintings. but a large portion of his
odental collections and the rare gifts
given to him by potentates, mystics.
masters, and humble admirers in all
parts of the world. The building as a
monument to him was conc-eived by his
friends, bmlt and completed in his
absence and dedicated to him with the
cooperation and respectful admiration of
The
RMknu:km
Dip1t
December
1933
many of the leading dtb;ens of New
and the entir., United Stat,;,s. In
this building are typical Tibetan
bel:s furnished with sacred relics from
Tibet, and .other rooms and halls of an
oriental nature in which Rosicruci.an
mel!tings have been held, and
Roerich has openly and publicly avowed
his devotion to the grut interests and
at:tivities of the Great White
hood and the Rosicrudan Order. It is
unusual that such a monument to the life
of a great man sh<!!Jld be conceived and
completed while the man himself is still
in th.e very prime of his power and active
among us in his sublime services. But
throughout the world there are other
monuments to his name and to his
ness. and of these I will speak.
By jncident of place of birth. Nicholas
K. de Roeri_ch might be called a Russian.
He is a descendant of a St:andinavian
family that settled in Russia dudng -the
time of Peter the Great. He was bom in
1871 and from 1893 to 1897 he was a
student at the Petrograd University. and
during this same period was a devoted
student in Professor Kuindji's dass. He
became President of a Society knoWII as
"The World of Art," composed of the
great -in art among whom were
Sireov, Vroubel, Somov, Bakst, Benois,
and others well-known in He
also was elected <:>f the Society
fot the Encouragement of Arts," and
v:as also elected to membership in the
Paris "Salon d'Automne." and the
Rheims Academy. The list of his other
connections with art and literary so-
cieUes would be too long to pre$ent in
this brid biography.
Fratet' Roerich not <:>nly absorbed and
acquired all of the Russian elements of
arl and literature, but he car.ried in his
blood through his ancestors .the oriental
tendencies of the Scandinavians, whlch
they inherited also ftom -their contacts
with odentals. All these elements wete
blended ln the minds and consciousness
oE this evolving mystic wlth a clarity of
conception that Is revealed today in his
heart and writings.
In the year 1907, Frater Roerich was
Srat inspired to devise, compose, and
mystically prepare the unusual scenery
fo:t Wagner's opera "Valkydes." The
suct:ess of this unusual work awakened
in him a desire to blend the fundamental
principles-of art, music, and literature in
a combination of sympathetic expres5ion
and emotional manifestation, and this
h-as teally been the keynote of -his pro-
fessional activities ever since. He is
co:r!sidered in nearly all of the European
countries as a in a new
bran.;h of art, that which harmonizes the
creations of music with the .9plrit of
dramas and the subtle power of art.
Eventually the M-oscow Art Theatre,
and the Ancient Theatre, wete enriched
with his special scenic work. and in re-
cent years .he completed the scenery for
Korsakov's "Tsar Saltan," a falry tale,
in accoxdam:e with a reques.t by Sir
Thomas Beecbam.
Frater Roerich diligently pursued the
mystical indinations which were rapidly
developing within his consciousness, and
dominating his thinking. The great
masters of mystical thought in Europe,
who saw his att and were impressed by
the marvelous mystical interpretations in
it made it their buainesa to contact him
and to draw him 1nto their cil:cles that he
might find .the proper opportunity to
low that urge which was undoubtedly
causin!J him much unrest. He readily
accepted the oppoxtunities that -were
sentecl, and made t:ompanions of -the
leaders of mystical thought. and on the
inner cirde of profound students who
were workers in the outer world for the
Great White Brotherhood. It was onlv
natural ihat Rosicruciarusm should hav'e
made its strong appeal to him for in the
very days that he was a atudent in the
universities or academies of Russia. he
came in contact with the leaders of
thought who were secretly active in
Roskrudani.sm. In those days Russia
was indeed a great empire of silent,
Se<:l'et Roslcrucian work, .for the Czar
was truly tolerant of the activities of
this great organh:ation, and. on a number
of occasions exercised -pxerogatives that
gave the organization unusual protection
inasmuch as the Rosicrucians in that
country, as in every other country, re-
f!'ained fr<:>m any political activities but
contributed very largely to the advance-
ment of culture and the advancemem of
superior learning.
Just when Frater Roericll made his
!lrat contact with the Ros.icrucian
Pour hundred <:lt;ht
Brotherhood is not revealed in our
archives. and the fads are not available
at the present time because aU of the
valuahle records of Rosicrucianism in
Russia were transferred during the days
nf the war to secret archives in China
and elsewhere. and ate stili in
safety and in preservation for the future..
Through h!s mystical studies and
rapid development it became evident to
his instructors and companions that in
this incarnation the Frater was to con-
tinue his :work of a previous period.
That he was destined and decreed to be-
come one of the great masters o the
Great White Brotherhood was accepted
as an indisputable fact by all who knew
him. It was not therefore, to
find this man bnbued with an inherent
desire and an unconquerable urge to
leave his native land and to wend his
way into India. Persia. China, and
Tibet, and to remain in dose seclusion in
the monasteries of these lands in prepa-
ratiOll for his active future.
It is easy for the writer to understand
the changing emotions, the complex
urges, and the divetsified activities of
this great mystic, He was born more
than a student, and he carried over from
the past a vast knowledge and a great
-wisdom ln the fields of mysticism,
:physics. and true oriental occultism. He
likewise carried into the present from
the past a highly deveioped ability to
express his thoughts in various mediums
of art. and in written and spoken words.
To better express his thoughts he ih.ad :to
become a student of the newer
guages, and of the tongues of the
Western world. To express his enJ()J
tion.s and understaud.ing in at! he had
to learn the newer ways of .painting, and
drawing, and the use of modern medi-
ums, while retaining the technique and
the masterful subtilitles of Jais previous
oriental art. And from day to day and
from hour .to hour thls man of unusual
qualities found himself being swayed by
inner urges fltst with the desire to write
and teach, then with the unquenchable
desire to study and delve deeply Into the
greater mysteries. and then to pomay
on canvas, or on board, Ol." on stone or
plaster, and on every CQ:Il.Ceivable serv-
iceable material the marvelous pictu:ces
which his eyes lreheld in all of his
FoWl hundrt<l .nine
neys, or which his inner consciousness
drew from the past and impressed upon
Ws outer mind.
And so Frater de Roerich journeyed
from land to land, from temple to temple,
from monastery to monastery, and
.tuary to sanctuary, studying, investigat;..
ing, teaching. writing, and painting. As
with his and his writtngs hls
art was given to the public {o those who
would understand and appreciate, and
who would benefl.t by it. He, therefore.
proceeded to make marvelous mystical
pictures, and spiritual decorations that
would be a'Pp.topriate for cathedrals,
churches, museums, and art galleries,
and he donated these heely in most
cases, and in other cases accepted only
such as would enable him to
car>:y on his great wo.rk and provide him
with the mealL'! for fu16.lling his Divine
mission. Many of the cathedrals and
private chapels in Russia were among
the first to be adorned with his numerous
mural and wall paintings. Then in Japan
and China he created J,Uarvelous pictures
which are enth usiasfically admired by
the public. There is no museum or art
gallery in Russia that does not contain
Frater Roericb's paintine-s, and decora-
tive designs, and throughout the whole
of Europe there are hundreds of build-
ings that contain hjs pictur-es or repro-
ductions of his art, and great pieces of
his marvelous mystical interpretations.
In the National Gallery in Rome, in the
Louvre and the Luxembourg Museums
in Parls, ln the publfc art galleries in
Vienna. Prague, Venice. Milan, Malmo,
Brussels, London, Stockholm, Copen-
'hagen, and other large dties of Europe
his art work is considered as the most
mystical interpretations of life. New
York and Chicago, as welllJ.S San
cisco. and some other cities of Amerka
have examples of his mastershlp, and we
are pxoud of the fact that the AMORC
Museum at Rosicrudan Park has also
been the recipient of the expressions of
his rare talents.
It is only natural that he :should
become a connoisseur of art and a
lector of old paintings and prints, as weJI
a.s a .pxoducl':r of them. And it is only
natural alw that he should have col--
lected sacred, symbolical exhibits of the
ancient past, especially that past period
in the development of man's higher self
The
RoJU:rtfdan
Digul
De(:ember
1933
during which Roerich lived in one of his
incarnations and -was familiar wlth
man's problems and unfo!dment. There-
fore, he devoted himself very extensively
to the collecting o 611cred, symbolical
objects of a vexy ancient period, and in
his collection of rare objects are over
seventy..,fl.ve thousand pieces .pertaining
to the stone age of man alone. He has
made many marvelous pictures depicting
in an usually sympathetic and reveal-
ing manner the aborigines in the ar.;tk
regions invoking the sun whkh was a
livin9' entity to them and to the giruy of
which they built their sh.rine:; Oil the bills
in their attempt to express the mystical
emotioDl! within -them. Many have
looked at these pictures of that period
and are mystified by the spirit of some-
thing ln them that is so impressive, d.o
not iealize that Frater Roeric.h was por-
traying incidents of a life so familiar
to him.
After Frater Roerich had made so
many murals and paintings on canvas,
revealing the mya:tical side of human life
in the past and the present in all ()f 1:he
centers of human development through-
out Europe, Asia, and Africa, he became
the great prophet and in addition to his
prophetic s be proceeded to paint
pictures whillh are prophetic of man' .s
great future development. Among these
prophetic paintings may he mentioned
the one called ''The Lurid Glare," which
la.ter on became the symbol of Belgium.
Among artists throughout t:he wo:dd
Frater Roericb's art is looked upon as
being unique in technique, color, and
exyression. Within the past Iew months
while at the Great White Brotherhood
monasteries and temples jn India and
Tibet he made another mystical picture
which he intended should he preserved
in the Vatican at Rome. When it was
finished and delivered with hls compli.-
ments to the V .stican at Rome the Pope
and other high oflkials of the church
were deeply impressed l>y the mystical
symbollsm, and by the weirdnes$ or
strange subtle influences that seemed .to
emanate from the huge: canvas. The
Pope was moved to express his deep and
profound appreciatlon, and to communi-
cate his appredation to Fralle' Roeric:b
and accompany lt with his Papal bless-
ing. In other c:ass his paintings have
been worshipped by persons whG have
felt themselves irresisl!ihly drawn by
some spiritual Influence to ..almost pro,s.-
trate befo-re the canvas.
There is a 5.imple.ness in composition in
his pictures that is almost primitive,
while on the other hand tbere Is at >the
same time a highly advanced .teclinique
that appears tG be the style and mediod
of a new school-a future school of
greater art.
Yet Roerich does not claim to-
be: the foundtt of a new school of art,
and does not claim that other artist5-
should ever attempt to follow his ideas.
or to- look upon him as a leader In this.
regard. In some of his of
Saints and sacred legends such as 'Pro-
copius th-e Righteous Blessing the Un-
known Travelers," and "Saint Tiron.
Discovering t.be Swotd Sent To Him
From He-aven," there seems to breathe
forth the .power that is overwhelming.
The onlookers are held spellbound hy
these pictures even when -they are merely
passing by them. and have not had their
attention called to them. The guards in
the Louvre and the Lu:orembourg
Ienes in l'.a..ris have told me that it <s:
seldom indeed that an adult peJ:son.
paases by any o the Roerich fktures.
without stopping, standing stil rever-
entlaJ1y, and lost temporarily
in a concentrated attitude of spiritual
reverence. And clt.ildren seem to stand
and loGk at the pictures with
ment, viondel'IIIent, and that degree of
childlike fascination that rev-eals an
inner impression of some kind.
Frater Roerich spends much of his_
.time in Tibet and India from which
points he sends forth hiS paintings and
his writings. From time to time he is in
consultation with the great masters and_
leaders o the Great White Brother-
hood, and sits in councils with them. In
the yeaxs ,past he has been a special
legate and representative of the Great
White Brotherhood and the courts in
Europe consulting with Kings, Queens.
and potentates in official and secret mis
si<ms pertaining to and
affairs. Like the great Count St.
:main, the former representative at large.
of the Great Wlr.ite Broth.,rhood, F.rater-
Roeri<:h is highly respected by all o.f the
potentates of the world, and is an
emissary of good will and a messenger
of confidence and hope in the times of
Four hundred ten
trials and trlhulations, bringing to the
troubled minds of the great leaders
prophecies of the future and predictions
of events to come with advice and
recommendations always found to he
liable and dependable because they come
from a sublime source.
From the monastery at Tibet where
the great masters meet and sit m sacred
communion, and .from the point therein
representing one of the greatellt, highest,
most sublime and ancient altars in the
world, F rater Roerkh has sent to us
many sacred articles that have been
upon that altar for ag-t.s, along with
several rings 'worn hy the great masters
and other personal articles as gift9 to the
officers of AMORC and to the museum
here at Rosicrucian Park, These rare
things are on display and may be seen
by our members and our frie.nds. And
from time to time there comes to us in
great sealed envelops through a devious
route crossing many countries and
pires special messages written by Frater
Roerich for this ma g a:oine., and th.ese
messages express not only the ideas of
Frater Roerich as a representative of the
Great White Brotherhood and as a
member of .oul.' Supreme Council of
AMORC but the thoughts and ideas of
the great masters with whom he is
associated.
We should not be surprised,
fore, that Frater Roerich ha!J been an
advocate in years of the
ment of neutral places the
world to be prote-cted U.Dder a banner of
peace whkh has been submitted by him
to all the countries of the wodd, and
which has been almost universally
adopted. That banner is known to the
world at large as the Roerich Peace
Flag and Frater Roerich must take the
worldly acclaim and credit for its
tlon. Such is the obligation of a worldly
representative of the Great White
Brotherhood. But we know that back of
this .flag and back of its symbol, back of
its signifkance, .and back of its power is
the Great White Brotherhood, and that
those countries and those places that
adopt the Hag wJil be given every
tection and every help so long as the
spirit of the lla.g is maintained. And we
are happy in the fact alao that a great
convention held reeently in Washington
brought about the adoption () the Hag
in this country as in many of the coun
tries of Europe, making sure that the
great buildings of art, literature, culture,
and refinement in these lands will be
protected for future civili:oation during
any_periods of war and destruction, The
AMORC buildings in Rosicrudan Park
were the first in the Western part of
America to fly this great flag presented
to us by Frater Roerich himself. and we
are glad that our organization was
represented at the great convention in
Washington when this Hag was adopted
for its specific purpose.
I trust that with this brief outline of the
life and great work of Frater Roerich.
along with tire pieture that was puhllshed
of him in the July issue of this magazine,
our members and friends will fl.nd
greater interest in reading the future
messages from him to be published in
these pages.
.l .. tlflft 1J ltnnnn,nltMIU:IIti:IIIUtiiiUIMtllllltiUUAtlllljtiiUIIUitiiUIIIUjl Ull
! NEW YORK ROSICRUCIAN CHAPTER i
E ::
i Brotherhood, AMORC, New York Chapter. i
_ 53 W. 69th Street. New York City, N. Y..
i Open dally from 1:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., except Saturday and Sunday.
All Rosi.crudan members within the Viduity of New York Cii2' Will be plused to i
learn of the newly_ orkqanized chapt':_. in
1
tbat cityd. l!lallY of
members in New Yor City organizcu a an euective wapter of the Rcsicruci.ali "-
Order, AMORC. active National Rosicruc!an member is entitled to vWt tbt
seuions conducted at this chapter, and avail himself or herself of its many !
: privilege$. By beeDI!l!ng a member of the New York Chapter you may participate In its i
unusual feature., and Pl'Oltt thereby. There is a I'Udlng room, Ofl<"1 daily, wher<! i
5 not only the but the 1!1'lleiat public and all wflo are lntere,sted in ROI!Icruclanlsm i
j and all tbOM: defdrlll.g ID.formatlon and literature may go. You will find there a !
i b05ttU an.d ooe willing to ass!.st you. .
Prom this date Qll you wlll 1bid the add"'sa of the Roskro.<:ian Chapter in New York
list..d in the directory In the back of tbU n1aga:W>e. Vlllit them, make the aC<jtl<ilntance <>f -
i other Roskn.u:iano.
= :
= =
.. (I'IH .... ttH:IHtftt111tl ..
Four huJK1r.ed eleven