Nicholas Roerich (1874-1947) was a Russian painter, writer and spiritual teacher. Nicholas and his wife Helena Reorich were co-founders of the theosophicak Agni Yoga Society. Born in pre-revolutionary St. Petersburg, Russia, he lived around the world until his death in Punjab, India. Trained as an artist and a lawyer, his interests lay in literatury, philosophy, archeology and especially art. To his credit, he was a philosopher, author, explorer, member of the Theosophical Society, member of the League of Nations.
Lotus. 1933
In 1929 Nicholas Roerich was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize by the University of Paris. (He received a second nomination in 1935.) His concern for peace led to his creation of the Pax cultura (the motto of the cultural artifact protection movement, and is symbolized by a maroon on white emblem consisting of three solid circles in a surrounding circle).
Madonna Oriflamma. 1932
Roerich strove to link all scientific and creative disciplines to advance true culture and international peace, citing the power of art and beauty to accomplish such a feat. In honor of his efforts, in 1935 The Roerich Peace Pact was established, which obligated nations to respect museums, cathedrals, universities and libraries as they did hospitals, and became part of the United Nations organizational charter.
Himalayas. 1933
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Between 1925 and 1928, he led an expedition from India, through Tibet, to Outer Mongolia and the Altai Mountain region in Siberia, north of East Turkistan - a journey which covered 15,500 miles across 35 of the world’s highest mountain passes. The purported aim was to study plants, ethnology, and languages, and to paint. His primary purpose, however, was to find Shambhala.
Path to Shambhala. 1933
To reach the fabled land, one needed to perform an enormous amount of spiritual practices. In other words, the journey to Shambhala was actually an inner quest.
Although some will make claim that Shambhalla exists only within your heart and mind there are those that would differ. The idea that Shambhalla is located in the material world is firmly rooted in Tibetan tradition. However the opinions as to its location differ considerably.
Sophia—the Wisdom of the Almighty. 1932
Shambhalla is part of our soul's memory, thus it is imbedded in our collective consciousness. Through the Ages, around the world, stories have been passed down about this mythological kingdom.
Padma Sambhava. From “Banners of the East” series. 1924
The mythical paradise of Shambhalla, sometimes thought to be in a parallel world or dimension , is a land of a thousand names. The Hindus call it "Paradesha" or "Aryavarsha", the land from which the Vedas came from; the Buddhists "Shambala"; the Chinese know it as " Hsi Tien", the Western Paradise of Hsi Wang Mu, the Royal Mother of the West; the Russians knew it as "Belovodye" and "Janaidar", the Christians and the Jews the "Garden of Eden". In the esoteric literature it has become known as "Shangri-La", "Agarttha" or "the Land of the Living".It has the name of "Forbidden Land"; "the Land of White Waters"; the "Land of Radiant Spirits"; the "Land of Living Fire"; the "Land of the Living Gods" and the "Land of Wonders".
Tibet. Himalayas. 1933
The people of Tibet and Mongolia believe that Shambhala is a hidden kingdom with a community where perfect and semiperfect beings live, guiding the evolution of mankind. It is the gateway between the physical and spiritual world, hidden from the non-believer by a psychic barrier. Beneath the land of Shambhalla lies a cavernous underworld.
Burning of Darkness. From “His Country” series. 1924
