The Teaching of Peter Dunov Around the World

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The Teaching of Peter Dunov Around the World

Peter Dunov's new ideas attracted attention outside Bulgaria after 1925. The teaching spread through foreigners who had visited him here in Bulgaria and had been strongly impressed by him, Bulgarians who traveled abroad and spoke about the Master, and through books, magazines and newspapers published in Bulgaria and distributed abroad.

A personality of the Master's rank could not remain unnoticed by the greatest minds of his time.

Researchers of the life of Leo Tolstoy say that in 1910 he left for Bulgaria. He never got there because he fell ill and died during the trip, reads the biography by Biryukov. Quite a few researchers believe that Tolstoy's intention had been to meet with Peter Dunov in whom he recognized the Universal Master.

Leo Tolstoy.

In 1910, one of the Master's future disciples of the name of Boyan Boev studied with Rudolph Steiner. Steiner once told him: "Slavdom has a great mission to fulfill. It, and Bulgaria in particular will make an enormous contribution to the spiritual uplifting of humanity. I have nothing to teach you. Go back to Bulgaria; the Universal Master is already working there."

Rudolph Steiner

In 1926 in Japan, the religious movement Omoto, known for its progressive spirit of unification, acknowledged the Bulgarian White Brotherhood as ideologically related.

"I am just a sage. The Master is in Bulgaria," said the movement's leader Onisaburo Deguchi.

Onisaburo Deguchi

Peter Dunov's new ideas attracted interest in Czechoslovakia, too. The Die Gloke magazine published his biography, and in his book Das Reich Glottes auf Erden the philosopher Rudolph Burkert described him as "a prophet of the white race"..

In 1927 in Italy, Aldo Lavinini published in the Il Messagero della salute magazine an extensive biography of Peter Dunov and admired his work.

In 1928, Agnesa Hoffmann of the Catholic Liberal Church in the Netherlands visited Bulgaria, wishing to meet Peter Dunov, credited with being one of the Masters. She said: "I came to meet with the Master Peter Dunov. Humanity has but a few masters."

In 1929, the foreign publications on Peter Dunov's teaching and his activity in Bulgaria became more numerous.

In Japan, the Omoto magazine wrote: "The movement of the White Brotherhood is something new and original that the Bulgarian nation has contributed to the world. It is an occult movement based on the ideas of real Christianity."

In Germany, the Reformblatt newspaper published an article entitled Heralds of the New Culture. It said about the White Brotherhood: "The true value of this movement is not only in its ideas but in its inflexible will to implement them in life." Peter Dunov was described as "a magnificent figure, radiating kindness". Das Wort and Das Neue Licht also wrote of the Master and the White Brotherhood.

In Italy, Peter Dunov's ideas quickly gained ground. The Alpha newspaper - publication of the Association of Psycho-Experimental Sciences in Palermo, described him as "a mystical apostle of Christianity in its full power and grandeur". In Locarno, the Yoga Publishing House published nine selected lectures by Peter Dunov in Mara Belcheva's translation, with a foreword by Professor Gino Sordelli. Sordelli wrote that the lectures indicated "the road to the blessing which is the purpose of life and the ideal for every person". An Italian Academy of Science, Literature, and Art was opened in Venice on the 24th of October 1929. In his address at the inauguration ceremony, the Academy's Director, Professor Luigi Bellotti proclaimed Peter Dunov its supreme patron.

In Romania, the pacifist writer Reljis launched an international discussion on the subject of global peace. He addressed outstanding public and religious figures of his time such as Romain Rolland, Rabindranath Tagore, and Albert Einstein. He also wrote to Peter Dunov, who wrote back: "Love is a fundamental law in the divine world, and the peoples are the organs of its manifestation on earth. The organs of an organism have no right to fight between themselves. Thus, a nation fighting with another nation excludes itself from the whole organism. War is an anachronism, an abnormal state."

In Argentina, the Bulgarian emigrant Rasho Todorov founded a branch of the White Brotherhood. They studied Dunov's lectures and sang his songs in Bulgarian. Magdalena de Pita also spread the teaching through articles in various newspapers and a volume of Dunov's aphorisms. She wrote: "The teaching of Peter Dunov is based on love; it is about a new life." Dunov's lectures were translated into Spanish, and from Argentina, they spread in other countries of South America: Chile, Paraguay, Mexico, and Peru.

In 1930, along with the countries mentioned above, the teaching spread in the United States, England, and Hungary.

In the United States, 19 lectures were published in an English translation, and they were acclaimed by the press. The Rosicrucian society in Oceanside, California, was impressed by the lecture entitled The Great Law: "The author of these magnificent and lofty thoughts has a deep knowledge of the secrets of life."

In the Hungarian newspaper Gyori Hirlap, a journalist who had visited the Master at the Izgrev centre wrote: "Peter Dunov is a very modest person. He leads people in the most natural way, himself being their model. His life illuminates the path of humankind to a spiritual life that would bring it health, strength, and vitality. He wishes to liberate humans before they are convicted. The basics of his teaching are rooted in the teaching of Christ."

The Bulgarian Petar Pamporov, a renowned Esperanto expert, made a trip to Europe with the aim of popularizing the international language and the New Teaching of Peter Dunov. During his stay in Britain, he gave lectures on the Master's ideas in Oxford, London, and Manchester.

Paneurhythmy in England.

The Manchester Guardian carried an extensive article on his activity. Petar Pamporov delivered lectures in France, Germany, Italy, Sweden, Poland, Czechoslovakia and Latvia as well.

In 1931, many of Peter Dunov's lectures were translated and published abroad. The number of the groups where these were regularly studied increased.

In Canada, The Torch - the publication of the Canadian Astrological Society - wrote about the lecture The Great Law. "This brochure is unequaled in the entire American literature. The author has penetrated the mechanisms of the spiritual alchemy of the universe, and shows how each virtue helps build the individual and the collective good of humankind."

In Latvia, three lectures by the Master were published in a volume entitled The Three Basics of Life.

In Yugoslavia, Zivoin Kostic published a book in support of vegetarianism, paying particular attention to the  Brotherhood movement in Bulgaria as followers of this philosophy.

In Japan, the Omoto movement organized an exhibition of the spiritual movements in the world. The Bulgarian White Brotherhood was given a central place.

In Italy, Udine was the next town where Dunov's activity became popular. A group called Sons of the Light was formed there. They drew inspiration from the Master Peter Dunov and described him as "the movement's soul, the supreme moral essence" of their every initiative.

In Brazil, the Reformation magazine, publication of the Brazilian Spiritualist Society in Rio de Janeiro, carried an article by Gabriel Gobron on the White Brotherhood's activity in Bulgaria.

In 1932, at a Theosophical Convention in the Netherlands, Jiddu Krishnamurti rejected the idea to be proclaimed as the World Teacher and confessed to participants at the convention: "The World Teacher is in Bulgaria."

Jiddu Krishnamurti

In the same year in Germany, the Mcnschhcitspartei movement also declared their closeness with the Bulgarian White Brotherhood and their deep respect for its creator Peter Dunov.

In Italy, many of Dunov's lectures were published in Italian in the translation of the prominent Bulgarian poet Mara Belcheva.

Mara Belcheva.

In Argentina, the lecture The New Eve came out in a translation by Magdalena de Pita.

In France, the Mercury universal magazine carried an article entitled Bulgarian Alchemy about the life of Peter Dunov.

From 1933 to 1943, Peter Dunov's New Teaching continually spread and expanded. An increasing number of movements acknowledged the White Brotherhood as the supreme embodiment of ideas they had been looking for years.

Sweden, Switzerland, and Estonia joined the list of countries where there was interest to Peter Dunov.

In Yugoslavia, S. Paunovic who had visited the Izgrev centre personally described Dunov as "professor", and his school at Izgrev as "the free university of the Universal White Brotherhood".

A number of editorials from the Zhitno Zurno (Grain of Wheat) magazine published by Deunov's disciples were translated and published around the world.

In Poland, Angi Pilszova wrote in the Hejnal magazine: "There are many occult schools in the world, but the one in Bulgaria is special, it tries to influence society beneficially by serving as a positive model."

In Switzerland, the press wrote about the volume Speeches of the Master: "Never before have we seen so many truths, so condensed, so vividly and beautifully presented!"

Paramahansa Yogananda visited Greece in 1936 in connection with the foundation of ashrams for his followers. When they were close to the Bulgarian border, a disciple asked him: "Wouldn't you establish an ashram in Bulgaria? It has a beautiful nature, high mountains..." "I have nothing to do there," Yogananda replied. "The Spirit of Truth is working there."

Paramahansa Yogananda.

In France, Peter Dunov's disciple Mihail Ivanov, an ardent follower, and propagator of the teaching, was very active. Gradually, he formed the largest branch of the White Brotherhood outside Bulgaria.