About the Society
The Agni Yoga Society, Inc. was founded in New York in 1920 by Nicholas Roerich (1874–1947) and Helena Roerich (1879–1955). Nicholas was a Russian artist, explorer, and peace activist, while Helena authored and recorded the entirety of the Agni Yoga series in Russian. The Society was formally incorporated under New York State law and has held 501(c)(3) nonprofit status since May 1946.
For over a century the Society has served as the primary publisher of English translations of the Agni Yoga series — fourteen volumes totalling approximately 5,000 pages. The Society operates on the principle that the teachings should be available to everyone: all fourteen books are freely readable and downloadable on the Society's website.
Unlike many organizations connected to spiritual traditions, the Agni Yoga Society deliberately maintains no formal classes, schools, or hierarchical structures. It does not charge for access to the teachings and holds no obligatory membership.
Mission
The Society describes its aims as embodying a "synthesis of ancient Eastern beliefs and modern Western thought," building "a bridge between the spiritual and the scientific." Agni Yoga — also called Living Ethics (Russian: Zhivaya Etika) — is presented not as a yoga of physical or ascetic discipline, but as a path lived in daily life through conscious thought, ethical action, and service to the common good.
The Agni Yoga Series
All fourteen books were written in Russian by Helena Roerich and translated into English by the Society. They were composed between 1924 and 1938:
- Leaves of Morya's Garden, Vol. I: The Call (1924)
- Leaves of Morya's Garden, Vol. II: Illumination (1925)
- New Era Community (1926)
- Agni Yoga (1928)
- Infinity, Part I (1930)
- Infinity, Part II (1930)
- Hierarchy (1931)
- Heart (1932)
- Fiery World, Part I (1933)
- Fiery World, Part II (1934)
- Fiery World, Part III (1935)
- Aum (1936)
- Brotherhood (1937)
- Supermundane (1938)
Additional Publications
Beyond the core series, the Society publishes several companion volumes:
- Letters of Helena Roerich, Volumes I & II
- On Eastern Crossroads (under the pen name Josephine Saint-Hilaire)
- Foundations of Buddhism
- Mother of the World
- Mother of Agni Yoga
- Agni Yoga Companion and Glossary (study aids)
Current Leadership
- Gvido Trepsa — President
- Jean Fletcher — Secretary
- Tamara Kachanov — Treasurer