Encyclopedia of Spiritual Knowledge

The term Agni yoga was introduced to the western public by the Roerichs — Nicholas and Helena. They learned it in their expedition across Central Asia from mountain dwellers. This term means “Mergence with Divine Fire” or “Path to such Mergence”. Fire in this context is a flame-like state of the Highest Divine Consciousness. The Divine Consciousness can assume this form when It enters Its Creation.

The Roerichs developed the Teachings of Agni yoga and brought them to Russia and other countries of Europe and America. And now the term Agni yoga is firmly associated with their names.

The Roerichs were a remarkable couple: he was a zealous traveler and talented painter; she was his constant companion. Helena Roerichs possessed a prophetic skill — the ability to converse with God. Records of these holy conversations were collected in fourteen volumes titled Living Ethics.

What do these records represent? They are very non-uniform; some parts of the text are hard to comprehend; some parts are not edited literally; profound truths are mixed sometimes with jokes of God or with long series of meaning-less phrases. Why do they look so?

The point is that according to the intent of God these records were not meant for publication in their original form: He suggested publishing only thematic selections of them: “It is right to assign to the followers the task of making selections from the books of the Teachings. … The Teachings of Living Ethics are needed in different layers of people. First, one may select simple ideas and then proceed with those requiring some basic knowledge.” (Fiery World, III:530).

The reason for the qualitative diversity of the text is the following. God, with the purpose of training the prophetic skill of Helena Roerich, insisted that she make systematic, everyday records: “Why do I insist on making records everyday? — To maintain the rhythm. He who has realized the value of constancy is near the Fiery Gate already. One has to strive for constancy in everything. This results in indefatigability and invincibility” (Fiery World, III:486).

Yet, it did not happen always that there was material actual for the current moment. And then Helena Roerich, waiting for words from the Lord, was given almost meaningless series of beautiful phrases. It is a typical case of prophetic contacts.

And such jokes as: the legs feel cold because the entire energy was used for kindling the heart — were meant only for encouraging the tired travelers in hard moments.

Another point that needs to be mentioned about these texts is the broader meaning of the terms fire and fiery, which was expanded to psycho-energetical processes and phenomena. It was done with the purpose of filling the readers with the spirit of struggle. However, to understand these Teachings correctly, one has to differentiate the concepts of the Divine Fire — and the “fiery” manifestations of the psychical activity of people.

The texts of Living Ethics and expressive paintings of Nicholas Roerichs are filled with “fiery” energy. It was one of the most distinctive features of the spiritual movement initiated through the Roerichs.