A Talk before the Agni Yoga Society, April 26, 1979, by Daniel Entin
Presented before the Agni Yoga Society, December 15, 2015
1.Being, as we are, in the midst of a rapid deterioration of ethics; seeing, as we do, the enormous destructiveness directed at Culture because of this deterioration, what can we ourselves do, or expect others to do, that would be of use? What can we expect of others in a time of crisis?
In the writings of Professor and Madame Roerich, many relevant themes are touched upon, many recommendations made indicating paths to follow. Time and again, they both point out the poisonous effect of ignorance, which results in enormous outbursts of self-absorption and greed, and the necessity for education as the way to turn humanity in a new direction.
"The words of Lord Buddha that ‘ignorance is the greatest crime because it brings all miseries to humanity’ should be, by now, assimilated by the consciousness of people....as there is no such thing as immobility in nature, all ignorant humans must retrogress, followed by the usual degeneration and decomposition. Are we not already witnessing such things?... Many people begin to wonder whether such sad abnormalities are not due to wrong education and upbringing. Generally speaking, modern education is lacking a cultural basis.” Letters of Helena Roerich I, October 21, 1931, p. 108
2. “In the education of children we still forget the development of the creative power. First men seek to instill into the child a mass of conventional concepts. First he is taken through a full course of fear. Then the child is acquainted with all the family quarrels. Then he is shown films, those criminal films in which evil is so inventive and brilliant, and good so dull and ungifted. Then the child is given teachers who, unfortunately, being often without any love for their subject, reiterate the deadening letter thereof. Further, the children are shown all the vulgar headlines in the daily press. Next the child is plunged into the sphere of so-called ‘sport’ that its young head may grow accustomed to blows and broken limbs. And this is how the youth’s time is first occupied; he is given the most ignoble and perverted formulas. And after that, besmirched and rusted, he may begin creative work.” Nicholas Roerich, Adamant. pp. 32-33
3. “It is not the comfort of youth that we should be concerned with, but with equipping them better for the life struggle which is an immutable cosmic law. That is why, in the structure of the New Epoch, the main factor of the national welfare will be the education and upbringing of people. It is urgently necessary to pay attention to the betterment and broadening of school programs, especially those of the elementary and high schools. Woman must raise her voice and insist on one program for the education of both sexes. From very childhood, respect for knowledge should be taught. In schools, this true and only propeller of evolution should be pointed out through concrete historical examples. It is necessary to reach a state where the aspiration to and respect for science enter our flesh and blood and become an inalienable part of our daily life. Only then will it be possible to say that the nations have entered the path of culture. Only then will the bearers of knowledge be considered as true treasures, not only of any one particular country but of the whole world. Then it will be possible to speak about the acceleration of evolution and bringing into life the dreams of communication with the far-off worlds. Thus, we may repeat the words of a thinker and leader who said, ‘First, all should learn; second, all should learn; third, all should learn; and then see that knowledge does not become a dead letter, but is applied to life.’” Letters of Helena Roerich II, August 24, 1936, p. 245
4. “It is so important, beginning with the school bench, to acquaint children with the Golgotha of all the martyrs of science and thoughts, and, chiefly, with those grave consequences which humanity reaped because of the refusal to accept at the proper time this or that scientific discovery, this or that expansion of the mental horizon. Solicitude about the expansion of consciousness and the corresponding horizon must become the care and goal of education, otherwise humanity will not emerge from the zone of self-extermination, destructive uprisings and wars.” Letters of Helena Roerich II, March 17, 1938, p. 452
5. Of course, today’s school education and home education are not sufficient. “…it is time to understand that school education, as it is established in most cases, not only does not contribute to the moral upbringing of youth but acts inversely....not much better is the situation in home education under the conditions of the modern family....Many lofty concepts are completely out of habitual use, having been replaced by everyday formulas for the easy achievement of the most vulgar comforts and status.” Letters of Helena Roerich II, April 19, 1938, p. 456
6. In this same letter, it is recommended that kindergartens be established to give that “spiritual food” which is lacking, where reverence for heroism can be taught, where the sacred laws of existence can be presented in narratives, and plays, where are taught arts, handicrafts, choral singing, folk dances, and where discussion and the offering of opinions are encouraged, to develop thinking. For older children, analysis of actions and thoughts would be taught, by the keeping of diaries and the daily resolving to change this or that mode of thought or behavior. Even more, the love of nature will be taught, and through excursions the children would become acquainted with various forms of labor, science, and art. Also recommended is the establishment of cooperative libraries.
“He (Buddha) especially made a point of often telling parents to teach their children all sciences and arts and thereby help the growth of their consciousness. He likewise constantly pointed out the vital necessity of travel. Therein he saw a really instructive purpose, for travel, tearing man away from his daily circumstances, develops in him mobility, resourcefulness, and adaptability—indispensable qualities preparatory to the process of expansion of consciousness.” Helena Roerich, Foundations of Buddhism, p. 49
7. Besides the education of our children, attention must be paid to our own education and the use to which it is put. We must tread carefully, choose carefully. “Like bees we gather knowledge. And we pack our load into odd honeycombs. At the expiration of the year we examine our ‘treasures.’ But who has managed to slip in so much that is unnecessary? How have we managed to impede our path so much?” Adamant, p. 22
8. There is also, of course, another way of education—from within. “In calm, true knowledge comes. The thoughts of men are a mesh of truth and falsehood. True perception is marred by false perception, true imagination distorted by false imagination, true memory clouded by false memory. The superficial activity of the mind must cease and a silence succeed the restlessness—then in that calm, in that voiceless stillness, illumination comes upon the mind. And a right knowledge becomes the infallible ‘source of right action.’ ” Adamant, p. 73
9. Because of the fundamental importance of education the teacher becomes equally important. In Fiery Stronghold, pp. 142-3, Professor Roerich stresses this: “The teacher exists for continuous constructiveness and for the affirmation of human dignity. Who else will tell the young generation of the most beautiful, of the most creative, of the most powerful, of the most heroic and of progressive cognizance? Verily, we expect from the teacher the knowledge of the highest conceptions. We expect from him endless patience, incessant labor and continuous improvement.... If in the time of its greatest welfare the nation must give the greatest care to the amelioration of educational problems, then during the time of material and spiritual crises, the conditions of educators must be definitely safeguarded.”
“And we shall remember that the ridicule of ignorance is only a torch of achievement. If we try to eschew egotism, if we shall strive toward the path of the Beautiful, not only for ourselves but also by all possible means to open it to our nearest ones, then we shall have already fulfilled the next task of the enlightening of Culture.” (from the Last Message of Roerich, a letter to Youth’s Art and Culture Circle, Newsletter 1948)
10. “O, knowledge, when wilt thou come to humanity? You can hear the crowd roar, whether for a wedding or for a calamity. In both cases the crowd displays its ignorance. Verily, there should be more schools in which people are taught the meaning of life, and in which teachers act not as sycophants of truth, but as representatives of Truth. People must learn to protect their teachers when they are abused by tyrants. The teachers should renounce riches, but their fellow-citizens should provide them with an environment conducive to knowledge. Do not assume that the significance of the teacher will soon be understood. Thousands of years will pass, and still the teacher will not be fully accepted.”
Thus spoke the Thinker, and these words are true in every age. Supermundane I, 190
11. The Thinker also said, “In the human organism rhythm and harmony lie dormant, but we must awaken them; for this, music must become an important part of our education. Without rhythm and harmony we will not enter the Highest Realms. The Universe exists by motion, which is regulated by rhythm, but people do not realize that the beat of the heart is a symbol of the movement of the Universe.” Supermundane I, 195
12. There are many dreams that could be transformed into reality, even though they now seem unrealizable. For example, people dream about education for all, yet there is much illiteracy throughout the world. And as long as slavery and barbarism remain in many areas, how can one dream about universal education? But We will say, not only can one dream, one must. Space must be filled with commands to begin campaigns for education.
One should not look upon illiteracy as an obstacle but as a reminder of the urgent need for education. How can we be proud that many schools already exist, when humanity has not yet outlived the shame of slavery, and education has not been sufficiently fostered? Supermundane II, 321
13. It is hard to express certain ideas in words. It is hard to explain the difference between the power of calmness and the oppressive force of aggression…. Calmness should be cultivated everywhere in the world.
Urusvati quite correctly stresses the building of character in the young. Indeed, it is more important than a strictly intellectual education, for only the building of good character can lay the foundations of calmness and productive labor in life. Supermundane II, 367
14. Urusvati knows the importance of education. It is the nourishment of everything lofty and refined. People can understand that a careful upbringing provides many opportunities for a proper education, but education alone will not complete one’s upbringing. Every child comes into earthly life with an already formed character. It is possible to ennoble and elevate this essential character, but its basic nature cannot be changed…. We would not be distorting the truth if We said that the human essence is formed in the Subtle World. All family and earthly influences are but external and supplementary, since the seed of one’s nature has already been acquired during the subtle sojourn. Fortunately, a mother can sense this essence, sometimes even before birth, and begin to work zealously and sensitively to prepare the child for its earthly life.
But how seldom we meet with such a consciously careful upbringing! Even the best teachers sometimes find themselves in such difficult conditions that they have no possibility of paying attention to the individual qualities of their pupils. In some families the question of upbringing is not considered, and the children are left to themselves with no caressing hand and no parental voice to tell them about the marvelous world.
We insist that teachers be provided with better conditions of life, so that they may devote themselves fully to the most refined methods of upbringing. But such circumstances do not yet exist, although even now the complexity of life and of scientific discoveries demands careful thinking in setting children on their path. Supermundane II, 425