(This is the 27th and last chapter of the Nicholas
Roerich’s book Shambhala.)
GURU – THE TEACHER
Once
in Finland I sat on the shores of Lake Ladoga with a farm lad. A middle-aged
man passed us by and my small companion stood up and with great reverence took
off his cap.
I
asked him after: “Who was this man?”
And
with special seriousness, the boy answered: “He is a teacher.”
I
again asked: “Is it your teacher?”
“No,”
answered the boy, “he is the teacher from the neighboring school.”
“Then,
you know him personally,” I persisted.
“No,”
he answered, with astonishment…
“Then
why did you greet him with such reverence?”
Still
more seriously my little companion answered, “Because he is a teacher.”
Almost
a similar incident happened to me on the banks of the Rhine near Cologne. Again
with joyous amazement I saw how some young man greeted a school-teacher.
Nicholas
Roerich's painting teacher
I
recall the most uplifting memories of my teacher, Professor Kuinjy, the famous
Russian artist. His life story could fill the most inspiring pages of a
biography for the young generation. He was a simple shepherd boy in the Crimea.
Only by incessant, ardent effort towards art, was he able to conquer all
obstacles and finally become not only a highly esteemed artist and a man of
great means, but also a real Guru for his pupils in the high Hindu conception.
Three
times he tried to enter the Imperial Academy of Fine Arts and three times he
was refused. The third time, twenty-nine competitors were admitted and not one
of them left his name in the history of art. But only one, Kuinjy, was refused.
The
council of the Academy was not of the Gurus, and certainly was short-sighted.
But the young man was persistent and instead of uselessly trying, he painted a
landscape and presented it to the Academy for Exhibition. And he received two
honors without passing the examination.
From
early morning he worked. But at noon he climbed up to the terraced roof of his
house in Petrograd where, with the shot marking each midday, thousands of birds
completely surrounded him. And he fed them, speaking to them and studying them
as a loving father.
Sometimes,
very rarely, he invited us, his disciples, to this famous roof. And we heard
remarkable stories about the personalities of the birds, about their individual
habits and the ways to approach them. At this moment, this short, stockily
built man with his leonine head, became as gentle as Saint Francis.
Once
I saw him very downcast during the entire day. One of his beloved butterflies
had broken its wing and he had invented some very skilful means to mend it, but
his invention was too heavy and in this noble effort he was unsuccessful.
But
with pupils and artists, he knew how to be firm. Very often he would repeat:
“If you are an artist, even in prison you shall become one.”
Once
a man came to his studio with some very fine sketches and studies. Kuinjy
praised them.
But
the man said, “Well, I am unfortunate because I cannot afford to continue
painting.”
“Why?”
compassionately asked Kuinjy.
And
the man said that he had a family to support and he had a position from ten to
six.
Then
Kuinjy asked him piercingly, “And from four to ten in the morning, what do you
do?”
“When?”
asked the man.
Kuinjy
explained, “Certainly in the morning.”
“In
the morning, I sleep,” answered the man.
Kuinjy
then raised his voice and said, “Well, you shall outsleep your entire life.
Don’t you know that from four to nine is the best creative time? And it is not
necessary to work on your art more than five hours daily.” Then Kuinjy added,
“When I worked as a retoucher in a photograph studio, I also had my position
from ten to six. But from four to nine, I had quite enough time to become an
artist.”
Sometime,
when the pupil dreamed about some special conditions for his work, Kuinjy
laughed, “If you are so delicate that you have to be put in a glass case, then
better perish as soon as possible, because our life does not need such an
exotic plant.”
But
when he saw that his disciple conquered circumstances and went victoriously
through the ocean of earthly storms, his eyes sparkled and in full voice, he
shouted, “Neither sun nor frost can destroy you. This is the way. If you have
something to say, you will be able to manifest your message in spite of all
conditions in the world.”
I
recall how once he came to my studio on the sixth floor, which at that time was
without an elevator, and severely criticized my painting. Thus, he left
practically nothing of my original conception, and in much uproar he went away.
But
in less than half an hour, I heard again his heavy steps, and he knocked on the
door. Again he climbed the long steps in his heavy fur coat, and panting, said:
“Well,
I hope you shall not take everything I said seriously. Every one can have his
point of view. I felt badly when I realized that perhaps you took too seriously
all our discussion. Everything can be approached in different ways, and really,
truth is infinite.”
And
sometime in the greatest secrecy, he entrusted one of his disciples to bring
some money anonymously from him to some of the poorest students. And he
entrusted this only when he was completely confident that this secret was not
revealed.
It
happened once that in the academy, revolt against the Vice-President Count
Tolstoy arose, and as no one could calm the anger of the students, the
situation became very serious. Then finally at the general meeting came Kuinjy,
and every one became silent.
Then
he said: “Well, I am no judge. I do not know if your cause be just or not, but
I personally ask you to begin your work, because you have come here to become
artists.”
The
meeting was ended at once, and every one returned to the classrooms, because
Kuinjy himself had asked. Such was the authority of the Guru.
From
where his conception of real Guruship, in the refined eastern understanding
arose?
I
do not know.
Certainly
in him it was a sincere self-expression, without any superficial intention.
This was his style and in the sincerity of this style, he conquered not only as
artist but also as a powerful vital type, who gave to his disciples the same
broad inflexible power to reach their goal.
The concept of Guru in India
Long
afterwards in India, I saw such figures of Gurus and I have seen the faithful
disciples who without any servile obeisance, but rather with great enthusiasm
of spirit, venerated their Gurus with that full sensitiveness of thought which
is so characteristic of India.
I
have heard a lovely story about a small Hindu who found his Teacher. He was
asked;
-
“Is
it possible that the sun would grow dark to you if you would see it without the
Teacher?”
The
boy smiled and answered:
-
“The
sun would remain as the sun but in the presence of the Teacher twelve suns
would shine to me.”
India’s
sun of wisdom shall shine because on the shores of a river there sits a boy who
knows the Teacher.
In
the same teachings of India it is said:
Blessed are you, India! Because you alone
have guarded the concept of Teacher and disciple. The Guru can dispel the
attack of sleep. The Guru can raise up the drooping spirit. Woe to him who has
dared to lay claim falsely to some one as his Teacher and who lightly
pronounces the word Teacher, while honoring himself! Verily flowers that spirit
which understood the path of ascent; and he fails who drooped in duplicity of
thought.
One may ask a Hindu boy if he wishes to
possess a Guru. No word is needed in reply. Because the boy’s eyes will express
desire, striving and devotion. The fire of Aryavarta will glow in his eyes. The
stream of the Rig-Vedas will glow on the slopes of the mountains.
Who can describe in words the entire
procession of the Teachers?
Either there is the realization of it, as a
serpent of knowledge or lacking this, there is darkness, sleep, obsession.
There is no need to terrify but one should tell all who have approached Yoga.
“Your support is the Teacher. Your shield is devotion to the Teacher. Your destruction
is indifference and duplicity.
He who smiles alike on friends and foes of
the Teacher is unworthy. He who does not betray the Teacher, even by reticence
when speech is needed, may enter the step of the threshold.”
Thus
speaks Agni Yoga which foresees the splendid future of humanity if humanity
will master its possessions.
Not
only in India but in the whole East we have the same conception of the Teacher.
Certainly in many Eastern countries, now the storm of the coming civilization
roars. You can imagine how many misunderstood conceptions may harm this supreme
feeling of the hierarchy of knowledge. So many symbols and beautiful signs are
swept away through such superficial mechanization of life. And still, even in
the most remote places you can distinguish this instinctive understanding of
Guruship.
Reflections of Nicholas Roerich
How
can one express in the customary words the dignity, the noble understanding, of
accepting the chalice of knowledge?
The
sense of conviction is the most hidden quality of high creation in art. The most
skilful criticism cannot explain why we believe and cherish many of the Italian
and Netherland Primitives, why so much in modernism cannot be explained and
still convince.
This
quality’of inner rhythm, of inner contacts of color and line, this hidden law
of dynamic proportions cannot be fully expressed by the conventional phrases;
and still they exist and they govern our creations.
Certainly
there exists some inexpressible conceptions. I remember how in one
philosophical society one of the most important contemporary poet-philosophers
ceased to attend the meetings. And when he was asked the reason, he shrugged
his shoulder, “Because they speak of the unspeakable.” And still everything
unspeakable and unconvincing in common conversation, becomes clear and
convincing under the benevolent touch of the master.
Every
art creation is as a dynamo, charged with infinite uplifting energy, a real
generator of enthusiasm. Certainly this is comparative. Some of the creations
are charged with this primary energy for one hour, and some for eternity—this
is relativity.
But
the most uplifting moment is when the Teacher and the disciples sometime even
in a half-silent way are touching this fountain of the Beautiful. Every one
knows how often, without a word, one rhythmic gesture covers the abyss of
misunderstanding. And is it not the misunderstanding that we have to conquer?
Verily,
where can there be evil, especially in the vast field of Beauty?
Certainly
there can be ignorance and ugliness born of ignorance; there can be the
offspring of ignorance, misunderstanding. In our day, of so much confusion and
corruption, when the spirit is bound with heavy chains of conventionality, how
we need to watch each beginning of misunderstanding, and how we must extinguish
these ugly parasites which grow so rapidly and pervert the most beautiful
garden into a jungle of refuse.
And
who can heal this disease of ugliness? Only the Teacher. In what aspect can he
act? As a Guru. Is it so difficult and so inapplicable for our day?
I
am happy to speak to Teachers. All of you know better than any one else the
inner meaning of the sacred conception of Guru and teacher. If we all know it,
one may ask then, why speak of it? But we also know the strength of prayer; we
know the meaning of incantation, we know the charm of chants; then, let us know
what is the meaning of Guru, what is the meaning of a teacher of life and still
in the best moments of our life we shall repeat this high conception. Because
in repeating it, we are cementing the space with the best stones of the future.
Evolution,
young generation, future heroes of a country, future martyrs of wisdom and
beauty, we know our responsibility before you! With every affirmation of the
Beautiful and of the highest, we are creating the quality of the future life.
Is it possible to create this future life and some happiness for the coming
generations, without joy and enthusiasm? And from where does this flame of
enthusiasm, of incessant creative ecstasy come? Certainly it comes from the
flowers of the field of beauty. If we shall take from life all expressions of
beauty, we shall change the entire history of humanity.
The
teachers of art—are they not the teachers of synthesis?
In
old teachings, art and beauty are explained as the highest conceptions. You
recall the story from the Upanishads, when during the search for Brahma, Brahma
was found in the smile of the beautiful Ima.
Lakshmi,
the Goddess of Happiness, is the most beautiful goddess. Ugliness really has
nothing to do with happiness. In our service to art and to beauty, is it not
the most gratifying and uplifting feeling, to know that we serve the real synthesis
of the coming evolution?
And
in spreading the seeds of beauty we are creating the beautiful life. Where and
how can we amalgamate all the strange formations of the conglomerate of
contemporary life?
Verily,
verily, only the veil of beauty can cover and magically transform the grimace
of misunderstanding into the enlightened bliss of real knowledge. Not only for
Teachers but for the pupils, also, life is so complicated.
How
to find the balance between the healthy body and the ugliness of exaggerated
sports? How to compromise the highest grace of the dance with the dullness and
conventionality of some of the extreme modern dances? How to pacify the noble
striving for music, with some of the disturbing jazz of today?
(Cid's observation: here Nicolás Roerich is being very
superficial because true beauty is internal, not external. And that he does not
like unconventional sports, dances and music of his time, that does not mean that
these activities are "ugly".)
How
to connect the highest spiritual factor with the lowest state of matter? Are
these antitheses quite unapproachable, or can a true unifying basis be found,
not alone in dreams and thought but here also on earth?
Modern
thought demands facts. The most calculating positivism, wants to draw heaven to
earth. Let us recall what one of the most positive contemporary philosophers,
Prof. Nicholas Lossky, in his remarkable studies, “Matter and Life,” he says:
After all that has been stated, it is not
difficult to give a conception of the most characteristic traits of the
teaching of matter in the system of organic world perception. If matter
originates in the highest existence—existence, which is also capable of
creating forms of reality other than matter—then the laws of material nature
are conditioned to a far greater extent than physicists admit. Naturally one
doubts, that the formula of each law should permit a wide range of conditions, most
of which are even still uncrystallized; thus the law is not always an exact
one, in other words it is usually too broad.
For instance, to expect that under all
conditions, water will boil at one hundred degrees is to take the complexity of
nature too little into account; in addition to the necessary temperature, a
normal atmospheric pressure is needed, chemical purity of the water, etc. The
physicist recognizes these incalculable additional conditions, but as he deals
with matter alone he has become accustomed to think of all these conditions as
being purely physical.
Therefore in establishing the most common
laws, such for instance as the law of the indestructibility of matter, when the
question concerns the general nature of matter, the physicist presumes that
there is no need to include the additional details into the formula of the law.
Even further, to the mind of such a physicist, who tends towards materialism,
any limitation of this law seems inconceivable. And truly, so long as we remain
in the domain of material processes, the annihilation of matter through
physical means, pressure or impetus, seems inadmissible and even inconceivable.
But let us presume that matter is not the
only form of existence in nature, and further, let us presume that matter is
something evolving, subject to the action of the highest principles of the
elements, then the place of matter in nature becomes far less durable than the
mind of a materialist considers.
Thus it is not difficult to conceive also
conditions when the annihilation of a particle of matter is also possible.
Thus
we see that even in the conception of the most positivistic scientist is
clearly expressed the relativity of matter. In this relativity is an open
window for the highest conceptions. Let them approach our earth! Let them
saturate the coming evolution not only as an external transfiguration but also
as the evolution of the innermost being.
The
facts are needed but the understanding of these facts should be without
hypocrisy and superstition. In the field of teaching it is a special joy to
expel not only ignorance but that ugly offshoot of ignorance, superstition, and
the freedom of discipline enters where ugly superstition is destroyed.
The
self-denying study of the facts open to us the highest degree of matter. The
cosmic ray is no longer a fairy tale but has entered the laboratory of the
scientist, and the scientific mind knows how many more rays and forms of energy
can enter our life and can be applied for the upliftment of every hearth.
The
benevolent transfiguration of life is on the threshold; even more, it knocks on
our portals because so many things may be distributed at once without delay.
How many social problems can be solved without hostility, but with only one
condition, that they be solved in a beautiful way. Well, we can evoke the
energies from the space; we can enlighten our life with powerful rays, but
these rays shall be beautiful—as beautiful as is the conception of evolution.
Our
responsibility before The Beautiful is great! If we feel it, we can demand the
same responsibility to this highest principle from our pupils. If we know that
this is a necessity, as during an ocean storm we can require from our
companions the same attention to the keenest demand of the moment.
We
are introducing, by all means, art into all manifestations of life. We are
striving to show the quality of creative labor, but this quality can be
recognized only when we know what is the ecstasy before the beautiful; and this
ecstasy is not that of a transfixed image, but this is motion, this is
all-vibrating Nirvana, not the falsely-conceived Nirvana of immobility—but the
Nirvana of the noblest and most intensive activity. In all ancient teachings,
we have heard about the nobility of action. How can they be noble, if they are
not beautiful? You are the teachers of art; you are the emissaries of beauty;
you know the responsibility before the coming generation, and in this is
manifested your joy and your invincible power. Your actions are the noble
actions.
And
to you, my young unseen friends, we are sending our call. We know how difficult
it is for you to begin the struggle for light and achievement. But the
obstacles are only new possibilities to create beneficent energy. Without
battle, there is no victory. And how can you avoid the venomous arrows of dark
enmity? By approaching your enemy so closely that he shall lack space even to
send an arrow. And after all, nothing enlightened may be achieved without
travail. So, blessed be labor! And blessed be you, young friends, who are
walking in victory! The Gurus of the past and future are with you.
Gurus,
to you, my invocation and my reverence!
OBSERVATIONS
Here Nicolás
Roerich makes associations that are not correct because a school or painting
teacher is not the same as a Guru (who in India is a spiritual teacher), and
alsos is not the same the Masters of Wisdom (since his book is titled:
Shambhala).
All of them
teach, but they cannot be classified in the same way because there are great
differences in the evolutionary development that they have reached, and
therefore also in the work that these humans carry out towards humanity.
And the
veneration that Nicolás Roerich promotes towards the instructors is also
incorrect because although it is true that they must be respected, on the other
hand they must not be revered.
Since as master
Kuthumi specified:
We do not ask to be adored. The disciple must
not be chained in any way. He leaves devotion and service to be only for that
Supreme Spirit of which we are all a part. (Letter to Annie Besant)
And master Pasteur
added:
A true teacher is not interested in the love
that others express to him, in the listening that they give him or in the fidelity
towards his teaching. All he cares about is humans evolving, even if they
despise him for it. (Conference of 06.11.90)
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