Ani

The Assault An ignominious act was committed at Izgrev on the 4th of May 1936. All day, Peter Dunov was grim and concentrated. After lunch, he sent home the sisters who took care of the cooking. A musician disciple came for a brief talk. They went into the lecture hall. Meanwhile, a stranger crossed the glade, approached the reception room and smashed the window with his fist. Having seen that there was no one inside, he went to the lecture hall. His hand was bloody from the broken glass. As soon as he saw the Master, he assaulted him and beat him up atrociously. Strangely, there was no one around to come to the Master's help. Probably that was what the Master had wanted, having come to this world to protect and not to be protected. The attacker was later arrested and a police officer took him to Izgrev. They asked Dunov how to punish him. "I forgive him," he answered. However, after the attacker had apologized, he addressed him with the words: "I forgive you but pray that God may forgive you." The consequences of this shameful episode were only to be observed much later. On the 27th of May the same year, the Master played for the first time the March of the Forces of Light on his violin. Despite its rhythm, it was not about the glorious march of the noetic beings but rather about the hardships they had to suffer in overcoming the darkness of matter. About a month after the assault, the first signs of paralysis were noticed: first in the right arm, then in the right leg and finally in the speech. On the 10th of July, with an enormous effort of the will, the Master took his disciples to the Seven Lakes. It was a strenuous climb, and the whole camp shared his suffering for days. The Master's condition was the sole subject of discussion in every tent. He remained silent, enduring his suffering with patience. From the 7th of August, the Master's condition gradually began to improve. He started leaving his tent and joining the disciples round the evening fire. The camp was hilarious. The usual vigorous routine was quickly re-established. On the 14th of August, the group returned from the camp. The disciples never forgot the Master's example in bearing hardships without a word of complaint.

The Camp by the Seven Lakes The year was 1929. After the usual excursion to Moussala, the Master took his disciples to other places in the Rila Mountain. The peak was too harsh for some of those who accompanied him in the mountains. That year, the group found a better camping site - the Cirque of the Seven Rila Lakes. On the 21st of August, the Master delivered there his lecture "Absolute purity". The group was sitting by the Fifth Lake. In the magnificent temple of nature, there could be no more appropriate subject than the Creator of that admirable scenery. The Master told them: "If you wish to know God, you must be pure. Each of you must be pure in every way: physically, mentally, and spiritually. It is up to you to retain absolute purity all your life. Life itself, however, is in God's hands. Thank God for everything you have: light, air, water, and bread. What more do you need? To learn!" "You have come to the mountain to learn something. You will study the plants as a botanist does. You will study them as a doctor does so that you may find out their medicinal properties. You will study the minerals as a mineralogist does. If you cannot get to know the outside world, how can you get to know the inner one?" The next summer, the Rila camp was much more crowded. Tents were pitched by the Second Lake, too. There, the Master opened his Mountain School and delivered many lectures in the open. In the morning, the whole group greeted the rising sun from the Prayer Mount. The songs had a special ring there, and every prayer was an intimate conversation with God. The Master's words were a revelation, they took them to the world of the Spirit. "We have come to this high place in the mountain where the air is pure to absorb its sacred thoughts. Anyone can absorb them but he must have an open soul. We have come here, to an altitude of 2230 m, to cast off our ordinary thoughts. You must benefit from the clean air, assimilate from it pure Divine thoughts. The air carries the Divine thoughts." Peter Dunov by the second lake. This was what the Master told his disciples on the 19th of August 1930 by the fountain near the Second Lake. They had all taken part in the building of that fountain. The water issued from below the rock and flew out of two marble hands. The disciples built for it a white stone trough and called the marble hands "the hands that give" - a symbol of the New that became deeply engraved in the memory of anyone who passed there. The Master's words were carved in the rock: "Brothers and sisters, mothers and father, teachers and disciples, and all of you servants of life, open your hearts for kindness and be like this fountain." There was a large boulder next to it. The Master liked swaying it with his finger, although the boulder weighed more than a ton. How he did it remained a mystery. The disciples witnessed other inexplicable incidents, too. The Master, however, never discussed the powers he commanded. Here on earth, he was "brother of the small". The disciples built a small hut by the Second Lake where the kitchen was installed. They ate communal meals, sitting in a circle in the large clearing by the lake. For the Master, there was a small wooden table that was always covered with a white tablecloth. The musicians often gave concerts there. They enjoyed playing the Master's works in an arrangement for more instruments. The Master approved of that; he was glad that the disciples were developing their talents. The music had a special ring in the magnificent concert hall of nature. The camp needed cleaning and tidying. Firewood was gathered from the dwarf pine-covered valley of the First Lake. Communal work was a joy for the disciples. The Master did his share of the chores, too. This work was part of the learning, a practical side of the School. After the daily routine, the evenings were the most pleasant part of the experience. They passed by the fire where parables were told and discussions took place. The camp by the second lake. The fountain "The hands that give". The inscription by the source. Often the Master and the disciples walked to the other lakes, stopping by each and talking. The Master particularly enjoyed finding small springs of water which abounded in that area and cleaning them up. He also taught the disciples to do so. This symbolic act was something they remembered for the rest of their lives. The Master took every opportunity to build a connection between them and nature with its driving forces. The Master gave new names to the lakes. He used names from the ancient "Vatan" language spoken by the earliest humans. "You will call the first lake 'Maharzi', meaning 'the big repose'. That is physical life. The second lake you will call 'Elbour', meaning 'the Lord has the power'. The third lake you will call 'Balder-Daru'; this means 'He Who brings all good'. The name of the fourth lake is 'Twins'. The fifth lake's name is 'Mahabour', i.e. 'the great and the powerful'. The sixth lake is 'the Heart'. The seventh lake you will call 'the Head' or 'Shemhaa'. That is the name of Wisdom." The Master gave names to two more lakes: the Lake of Purity and the Lake of Contemplation. One day, by the Lake of Purity, he demanded the disciples to do the following exercise: "Today we will wash ourselves in the name of the great laws that govern life. Wash your hands, head, and feet in the lake, saying the words: 'In the name of Divine Love, I wash my hands, head, and feet. In the name of Divine Truth, I wash my hands, head, and feet." Hikers occasionally passed through the camp. Intrigued by the 200 tents by the lake, they often stopped for a talk, and sometimes stayed for days. They sought to talk with the Master. Their questions were often related to the mystical atmosphere of that place: "Are there intelligent beings beyond visible nature? Yes, there are. Those are the noetic beings. Have you ever seen the noetic beings? Yes, I can see them all the time. What do they look like? They are clad in light and shine brightly." Rila - the Sphinx peak. The Master's tent was pitched high above the lake. From there, he had a beautiful view to the valley and the surrounding peaks. Seventy-two stone steps led from the lake to the tent. It was in the clearing by the tent that the Master usually gave his Sunday talks - usually but not always; lectures were held in many places in the Rila; any beautiful and convenient place could do as a 'lecture hall'. In 1939, a large group of foreign followers of the New Teaching arrived in the camp. There were French, Finnish, Estonians and Latvians among them. They shared the communal life and eagerly studied Bulgarian. Before leaving, they told the Master: "Since we came to Bulgaria, first to Izgrev and then here to the Rila Mountains, we've been feeling as if we were already in heaven. Here we found out true motherland: the country of love, light and true joy. Master, thank you for this bliss!" Professor Lemonier of the University of Toulouse added his impressions of Rila: "The important lesson that we learned here was the key role of music, songs, and the Paneurhythmy. In the anxiety of our industrial countries, in our artificial and gloomy towns music and the Paneurhythmy are the best means to strengthen the spirit and unite the souls." The same year, the Rila camp was visited by Pastor Metodi Markov. He was deeply impressed by his meeting with Peter Dunov. "If today we could speak of saintliness, Dunov is a saint. He is also a Magi, in the sense this word has been used in the East, a truly wise man and a profound mystic!" The highly educated Methodist pastor foresaw the future: "Dunov is yet to be appreciated as a preacher, a pastor, and a priest, as a hiker and as a Bulgarian, as a speaker, a teacher, a theologian and a sociologist; as a psychologist, an ethicist and a philosopher; as a prophet, an organiser, a vegetarian, a teetotaller, a healer, an economist, a financier, a scientist, a believer, a musicologist and a patron of arts. He has been involved in all these activities and has brought them to fruition." Rila: the Dry Lake and the peaks Irechek and Moussala. The lake Aleko and the Moussala summit. The third lake "Balder Dam" - "He, who gives the good things" -with the Haramiata peak. Rila: the lake Strashnoto. The summer camps in the Rila Mountains were held till 1942. The Master's Word poured forward in a beautiful language whose images were permanently imprinted on human minds, creating in them favourable conditions for the new and progressive thought of the Age of the Aquarius. The lectures "The beauty of life", "The new culture", "The ascending path", "Eternal renewal" and "ABC of understanding" were engraved in the memory of the mountain. In the words that were said there, the future generations will discover the key to the temple of Living Nature. Paneurhythmy. The second lake "Elbour" - "the Lord has the power" -with the camp and the prayer hill. The "Contemplation lake.

El Shadai Every Thursday, the Master took his disciples to the Vitosha Mountain. They would leave Izgrev at 2 a.m. in order to meet the sunrise above Simeonovo. There were no buses and they would walk all the way in the silence of the night, each absorbed in thought. The Master would lead the group, surrounded by a few disciples. The others would follow them. Sometimes they would take a short break. They would exchange quietly a few words, wait for the rest of the group and continue on their way. At dawn, the Master would stop and the disciples would surround him. They would watch the sun rise and then walk further up into the mountain. There was a wide clearing near Prisoite where they would set up their camp. The Master named it El Shadai, meaning "a place where the soul is nurtured by the Mother Nature". A fire would be made and a communal meal would be eaten. The Master often gave talks at El Shadai, shorter or longer, depending on the conditions and the state of the group. The disciples' interest was very important to what he was planning to say. "Ask, and it shall be given you": this was the rule he applied. It was at El Shadai that the disciples first heard "I am a stranger in this world..." - the Master's most insightful song. It was created apparently spontaneously. On the 16th of June 1941, a disciple addressed Dunov: "Master, tell us something you have never told us before." The Master was silent for a second and then sang softly: "I am a stranger in this world. I know no one beside Thee. Thou, my Lord, and my God has created all things for me. I offer my gratitude unto Thee. Upon Thee, Lord, have I placed my confidence. May my prayer rise to Thee." Such a deeply felt confession could only be made high in the mountains, in a high and clean place.

Mountain Revelations IN 1929, PETER DUNOV took his disciples for the first time to a summer camp in the Rila Mountains. This naturally created conditions for the appearance of the Word in yet another form. In the Rila, The Master clad the Knowledge of Life in new garments. The mountain talks were poetic spiritual revelations. They had a touch of mysticism, of the special intuitive power that can be felt in the high mountains. Sometimes Dunov was sparing of words, putting his thoughts is short symbolic formulas: "Take when a good man gives you. Give when a wise man asks you." Those concise maxims he called occult rules. They contained the essence of his teaching. In the mountain talks, Peter Dunov often offered his disciples phrases for contemplation or advice in the form of symbols: "Go where the light goes. Descend where water descends. Work where the Spirit works." He never strayed from his original mission: to lead the souls to perfection. "In life, there is an internal process called growth. The result of this process is the perfection of the human spirit." The Rila. A lecture to the disciples. The Rila. The second lake. Lunch by the second lake.

First Encounters with the Mountain The connection with nature is essential for modern man. The confused rhythm of life in large cities, the noise, and the polluted air prevent us from leading a healthy life. Excursions in the mountains charge us with vital energy. It can best be felt high in the mountains where the influence of human civilization is the smallest. Being part of nature, man needs a continuous connection with it to preserve his vital balance. Peter Dunov took every opportunity to go to the mountains, alone or with his disciples. In the early years of his work, while traveling the country, he would visit certain places: from Varna, he would go to Tashli Tepe, from Bourgas to Biaz Bair, from Aitos to Paspalata, and from Sliven to Koush Bounar. He was usually accompanied by a group of disciples. After the sunrise, they would do exercises together. These were the Master's small lessons. They were later re-taught in other forms, and the small excursions developed into mountain camps. Excursions to the Summit of Moussala With the opening of the School, Peter Dunov put his disciples to more serious trials. In the second half of July 1922, he led a large group to the summit of Moussala. His purpose was instructive: "If one can conquer Moussala, he will be able to overcome many other difficulties as well," he said. After the excursion, his recapitulation was: "We climbed Moussala, 104 men and women, aged 15 to 70. We went up the southern side and came down the northern side. We made the first attempt at the New Teaching, trying to see what it could give the human soul." For the summer excursions to the Moussala, the group usually traveled to Cham Koria with a truck. From there, they climbed up through pines and scrubs and streams and flowers. The Master would go slowly, talking with the disciples, telling them about the rocks and the trees - giving, if fact, lectures on everything they saw on their way. A distance any hiker would cover in a couple of hours, they walked a whole day, sometimes even two days. They spent the night in the open. The Master's purpose was not to climb the peak and return. He wanted the disciples to spend more time on the mountain, fill themselves with energy and have the magnificence of Nature imprinted on their memory. They went up so as to be able to greet the sunrise on the summit. The rising sun presented a majestic picture. It was the reward for their efforts and ennobled their hearts. After the opening of the School, it became a tradition to make an excursion to Moussala in July, before the August convention. They set up a camp at the foot of the peak and climbed it early in the morning to greet the rising sun from the mountaintop. The weather conditions were not always favourable. On the 12th of July 1925, after a strenuous climb in a rainy and foggy weather, the disciples stopped for the night by the first lake. That night they all sat awake by the fire, just below the peak. "You thought this year we would have a fine weather as usual. You were so sure of it that you took no coats. I told you to get sweaters," the Master said. Some of the disciples were discouraged by the bad weather and doubted whether they would be able to climb the peak the following morning. "Say T can do it'," the Master advised them. "When you concentrate, it is as if you wrap up your body and you keep warmer." The next morning the whole group climbed the peak.

Essence To a non-initiated observer, Paneurhythmy looks like this: pairs standing in a circle and doing rhythmic movements to the accompaniment of music played by musicians standing in the circle's centre. An observer with a taste for music would find it pleasantly melodious. An observer with some knowledge of astrology would see in that living circle with its centre a symbol of the sun. An ordinary observer would only see in it another circle dance. Paneurhythmy is very different to observers and participants. To those who perform it, it is the most soothing and harmonizing experience for soul and body. The movements of each of the 28 exercises of the living circle symbolize the creative powers of nature. Anyone who stands in the circle of Paneurhythmy moves in the rhythm of a life of joy, inspiration, and creativity. That is the life of the Intelligent Nature, the life of Reality. That life is also expressed in another set of exercises known as "Sun rays." The participants stand in 12 lines of six couples each (symbolizing the rays of the sun), facing the centre. The movements are accompanied by vital music to the rhythm of the Bulgarian dance rachenitsa which, according to Dunov, originated from ancient sanctuaries. Step by step, the participants form a living Pentagram in which the five principles of truth, equity, love, wisdom, and virtue intertwine and symbolically exchange energies. They help the souls find the way to their true home, the sun. Performing the Paneurhythmy In order to benefit from the exercises of Paneurhythmy, to achieve a real contact between the mental, the spiritual and the physical world, each participant should concentrate on the sacred act of its performing. Any distraction or distortion of the movements may have negative consequences. Paneurhythmy is not just a dance of joy and good humour. Indeed, these emotions are the result of its performing but this result is not easy to achieve. Anyone who joins the living circle should know that he takes a responsibility. He becomes a part of the whole and undertakes to observe lovingly and conscientiously the rules of that sacred game. The power of Paneurhythmy lies in its correct performing. It is beneficial only to those who realize that it is a conscious effort to elevate all humans, and who do it attentively and lovingly. Effect The effect of Paneurhythmy is that it charges you with positive natural energy. It harmonizes the functions of the separate organs in the physical body. Through it, the excess energy is released, while the exercises restore the missing prana. Through the contact with vital natural energies by means of the Paneurhythmy, healing processes are initiated in the human body. The various movements of Paneurhythmy rhythmically put in tune all bodily systems and have a beneficial effect on them. A general revival of the cells begins, all glands are activated and one feels alert, vigorous and young. Paneurhythmy takes one to a zone of vital activity from which energy can be drawn for a better life.

Paneurhythmy The non-traditional methods the Master applied in his work with the disciples culminated in his most original creation: the Paneurhythmy. It is a sacred dance, a combination of movement, music, and words. It is performed in a circle, in couples, at specially composed music. The meaning of this dance can be traced to the etymology of the word Paneurhythmy: "a sublime cosmic rhythm". It consists of three parts: the actual "Paneurhythmy" including 28 exercises, "Sunrays" and "Pentagram". The Paneurhythmy can be performed by an indefinite number of people. The music can be played on a variety of instruments, in line with the law of freedom. The violin, however, dominates: it is the instrument that most resembles the human voice. The Paneurhythmy is performed early in the morning, in the open, so that pure air and light may penetrate freely the human body and renovate it. From the early days of spring to the end of the summer positive energies are in action in nature. During that time, the performing of Paneurhythmy creates conditions to utilize those energies. "Each exercise is a psycho-physiological act. Every thought, every energy needs to be embodied in order to find expression." The Master also said: "The universal harmonic movement of all Being is Paneurhythmy. When one performs these movements, he is in harmony with all Being." "The movements in Paneurhythmy are full of meaning. They have magical powers and an effect on the whole world, not only on us. These movements are borrowed from nature, from the entire Universe, and are in harmony with the cosmic rhythm." The Paneurhythmy was created gradually. The Master taught the disciples the first exercises in 1932. They were all studied at Izgrev, and rapidly became a morning routine for all its inhabitants. As a connection with the energies of nature, the Paneurhythmy was most effective when performed high in the mountains. It's practicing during the summer camps in the Rila Mountains became a healing ritual for all who performed it consciously. Putting up your hand means calling for the help of the intelligent forces. Opening your hand while your arm up means that wisdom opens up to radiate light. Your arm should be raised at an angle of 45°. When you move it back, it should be also at an angle of 45°. This is how the electromagnetic energies can flow properly and you attain harmony. Clapping your hands means that human love and wisdom combine to create something that is good. Every exercise is a psycho¬physiological act. Every energy, every thought need to materialize in order to be expressed Raising one of your hands means accepting something. Moving it down means giving. One hand helps the mind, the other the heart. Stepping on either leg stimulates the chakras, and positive and negative, creative and constructive flows are exchanged The movements of Paneurhythmy are intelligent. They have a magical power and influence the entire world, not only those who perform them, because they are borrowed from nature, from the universe, and are in harmony with the cosmic rhythm. Putting both hands up symbolizes that you are ready for work. The arms should be straight. This is how you get in touch with the forces of nature. Moving your arms upwards means evolution, heading from the physical to the divine world. Moving them downwards means involution, from God to earth. When we go to God, we need to take something to Him. Moving down means bringing down the good things God gave us to take to earth, a blessing for ourselves and others. The front part of the hand symbolizes the divine world, the central part - the spiritual world, and the back part - the physical world. When you move your hand, project your mind into it. Keep your fingers together, do not spread them out Cover of the first publication of Paneurhythmy, 1938. The meaning of the Paneurhythmy exercise is to harmonize, regulate and transform the energies that function in the human organism. Each movement is a projection of divine thought. The head'should be exactly between the Sun and the Earth, i.e. strictly perpendicular to the Earth. The exercises should be performed with concentration, with the limbs outstretched. This state symbolizes blessing! Mali is the centre and the transformer of the energies of the sun and the earth. This transformation requires exercises based on a profound knowledge of man and the cosmos and their relationship. If you move your arms correctly, you will deal intelligently with the world of humans. If you move your legs correctly, you will deal well with the animal world. If you have the right position of the spine and the connected muscles, you will know how to deal with the plant world and how to draw on its fluids.

Morning Talks In the fall of 1930, Peter Dunov started a cycle of talks at dawn. These became known as "morning talks". The first one took place on the 21st of September at 5 a.m., and was entitled "Absolute truth". Together with the rising sun, it filled the audience in the hall with new energy. The energy that was radiated by the Master's Word was immensely powerful. The listeners could feel the vibrations of an invisible Presence, manifested in Peter Dunov's words: "I am different from you in my notion of God. By "I" I mean all intelligent beings, not me sitting here on this chair." That was not Peter Dunov speaking; that was the Master who carried the Knowledge needed for the coming Age of Free Human Thought. The first of the morning talks was a praise of Truth. "As disciples, you must speak the Truth. A disciple is not allowed to lie. A lie is twice a sin." "I abhor lies. Anything can be forgiven but a lie never. Where there is a lie, nothing works right. The lie is followed by death. He who lies, himself breaks the coherence of his life." "You would say, you can't do without lies. You can. You will do without lies from now on. The lie is not an inherent quality of man. It has been adopted from another culture. You cannot love it. It is of animal origin." "Absolute truth: this is the ideal of the new teaching. Absolute truth: this is the ideal of the new humankind. Keep this ideal in our souls." The morning talks were given every Sunday from 5 a.m. in the lecture hall at Izgrev. They were open to all. At that time of the day every person - no matter his age, level of awareness or education - is capable of understanding the truth. The knowledge that was to remain engraved in the world's spiritual heritage ought to be accessible to all, regardless of any external factors or human arbitrariness. Everyone had free access to the energy of the Word that came with the dawn. The morning talks combined science, education, poetry and a thorough interpretation of life problems. They were a synthesis of all methods that the Master applied in his work with the disciples. In the last period of his life, he addressed the most subtle aspects of the human soul: "What I am saying applies only to the mystics who wish to understand not only the external but also the inner aspect of Christianity." Human perfection remained invariably the main subject of all talks and lectures delivered by the Master. Indefatigable in his aspiration to awaken the desire for it in his disciples, in his morning talks he resorted to the language of science, religion, and symbols alike. If the disciples' attention strayed, he would tell them anecdotes, share his own experience or quote great thinkers. All his efforts were focused on imparting to them the main principles of life: "Seek to achieve broader views and variety in life. Be independent in your thinking. Look for the knowledge that furthers your growth."

Interest in the cultural life in Sofia Peter Dunov was well informed about the city's cultural life. Musicians often visited him to invite him to their concerts. Others held performances at Izgrev before they made their stage appearance in the town. Art is a creative act of the Spirit. It conveys lofty ideas and assists spiritual development. The Master sometimes told his disciples: "I often go to concerts. I listen to prominent musicians playing Bach or Beethoven. Their interpretations are different." "The musicians were sent here as servants of God." On the concerts, the Master heard and understood what very few were capable of understanding: "Not the whole of a person is in his body. A great part of it is outside. When a good violinist plays and inspires his audience, this is due to the Divine Energy he draws upon through the powers of his non-material self." "I listened to Marteau playing a classical piece but it did not turn out too well. He was playing it accurately but something was missing. In some pieces, when played, there are special vibrations, like a tide. Einstein calls that 'infusion'. That was missing in Marteau's playing. He was unable to infuse his soul. The second piece, he played it well, the infusion was rapid. The third one was also played well. Marteau is a good performer but when they pay him he loses half of his power." "Last night (the 12th of October 1938) I went to a concert. A young Bulgarian played, a 12-year-old, quite talented. He got a lot of applause. He plays well; he touches the strings in such a way that every note comes out properly. All great musicians who listened to him said: 'He plays better than us! He is gifted.' I say: 'He developed the gift that God bestowed upon him." "Whatever our contemporary violinists, thanks to them humanity becomes nobler." "A good musician evokes good and noble thoughts in his audience. He is a bearer of art and transforms people. Musicians and all artists are sent here as servants of God! What they gain will be left to the world but that does not mean they belong in this world!"

The Supporting Pillars of the White Brotherhood Usually, after the annual conventions in August, Peter Dunov invited the leaders of the brotherhood's study circles from all over the country to a meeting. Thus, he was informed about the brotherhood's life, its problems and the ways in which the new principles were adopted and applied. He relied on these leaders, for they had an important function. They were the connection between him and all brothers. Their life had to be exemplary, they were the servants and supporting pillars of society, solving the problems as they arose with enlightenment and wisdom. Each of them was expected to possess qualities such as intelligence and nobility. In 1927, the meeting of the leaders took place in Sofia at an unusual time, from the 22nd to the 26th of April, coinciding with the celebration of Easter. The invitation came from the Master. Fourteen persons gathered in his home at 66 Opalchenska St. on Thursday, the 21st of April. The discussions began the same evening. It was reported that in the village of Kayali near Bourgas the mayor had banned the brotherhood's gatherings. The Master's comment was; "These things happen in our work. They have the power; let them brandish it." Apprehensions were expressed that the Church would unite against the Brotherhood. Replied the Master: "There cannot be unity in the Church. It operates on the same principles as the political parties, and they only care about their interests. What new can the clergy contribute in its present state? They have no methods, no people, theirs is not education but taming. Don't bother about the clergy and resist with your thought." Peter Dunov after one of his lectures. Someone spoke critically about the situation in the Brotherhood. The Master did not deny: "Many have joined our brotherhood out of interest, playing a role and serving two gods; beware and learn to recognize who serves whom. You need to develop your intuition so that you may find out what sort of people you face." The Master's advice to the leaders was: "When you struggle with your opponents, always be kind and have kind thoughts. Always be connected with God and be faithful. You have work to do. You need to be united, courageous, selfless and full of faith. The internal courage you will need, not external, for internal is your struggle. You need living faith. You will learn to sing 'Faith bright, faith strong'." The next day the Master spoke longer. His words showed concern about the leaders' mission: "You are the bearers of our teaching which is now coming into the world; you have to overcome! How? With love! You are leaders and sometimes you have differences with those you lead. The first quality you need is a thorough understanding of life. You have now come to a point of a standstill. I have been watching you. How many of you have the respect of their children? You will apply the new teaching in practice! The vineyard is now bearing fruit and there is no one to harvest it... The teaching of Christ must be applied!"

The Reception Room The small cabin where Peter Dunov had lived before the hall's construction was transformed into a reception room. From 1927, he lived in a small room over the hall, the small external staircase to which was between the entrances to the hall and the reception room. The room was referred to as 'the upstairs room', a reminiscence of the summer house in Tarnovo. It was furnished with a bed, a cupboard, a table, a desk, and a small book-case. That was Peter Dunov's abode. Strikingly modest and ascetic. He never complained of that. He was always happy with the little he had. Over the 'upstarts room' was a small sunny veranda where he would spend hours when the weather was good. In his lectures, he spoke extensively of the beneficial effect of sunlight. The veranda was a place where he was always alone. The Izgrev centre was becoming more and more lively and colourful. A small glade was the centre of its life, and whoever came from the town, went there first. Many of the visitors were curious; they went there to see what the White Brotherhood was like. Others were ill and in need of consolation. People of all ranks, trades, age, and religion went to Peter Dunov to ask for advice or simply to talk with him. He met them in the reception room. Above the entrance, they saw an emblem: an anchor with the words "Truth is the Head of Your Word" inscribed in a circle. The emblem was made by Bertoli after the Master's instruction. That was the formula that Dunov placed between himself and his visitors. They went to him in search of the Truth, and if they understood the truth, their visit had not been in vain. Mrs. Dora Meteva, the wife of one of the richest men in Sofia, used to drive around in a large Buick. Once a child threw himself suddenly in front of the car, turning a deft somersault on the hood. This was a trick the child often played on rich ladies, demanding money afterwards. He was not hurt but Mrs. Meteva suffered a bad shock and could not restore her peace of mind. A friend sent her to Izgrev to see the Master. She was very surprised when, just as she had got there, the Master met her with the words: "You did not kill him, did you?" His kind eyes dispelled her fear and anxiety. She could never explain how he had guessed the purpose of her visit. The great in service to the small: this is what happened in the Master's reception room. Sometimes he told his disciples about his visitors. "A man comes to me and asks: 'How can I become a disciple, how can I learn the secrets of nature, how can my eyes open?' I look at him and say: 'It's too early for you. You need more time, come later!' If I tell him to give away all his money, he will answer; T need to think about it'. I can see he is not ready, so I save time and tell him; 'This is not the right thing for you.'" "Once a gentleman came to ask me if I was an honest person. I told him: 'My friend, tell me, are you honest? You must be a saint to ask about my sins, but you are full of faults. A sinner putting a sinner to the test!' They have no reason to test us. We belong to eternal life. Our purpose on earth is eternal life, we have come here to find conditions in which we may study Love and Wisdom. This is our purpose." "Another gentleman came to see me and discuss some important issues. I told him I was busy, asked him to put off the conversation. I can't come again, just five minutes, he begged. I agreed to receive him for a few minutes. He came into my room and talked for three hours without stopping. He kept talking, and I listened. When he was done and rose to go I offered him to come along for a walk. That day I passed an examination in patience!" "This has happened more than once. Someone comes and starts telling me the story of his illness. Ten minutes pass, a quarter of an hour passes, an hour passes and he keeps talking about his illness. I give him advice and he leaves. Another one comes and starts giving me his story. I have to spend another hour listening to him. Then a third one comes, and a fourth one... Do I have to tell them: 'Don't speak now?' Thus, I have tested my endurance." Dunov was also visited by ambitious persons who expect him to appease their selfishness. He had the patience for them, too. "A year ago a sister came, she said the spirits were speaking to her. She was writing poetry. She told me she wanted my opinion'. While she was reading I realized anyone could write such poems but she thought they had been inspired by some magnificent spirit! Great Masters speak to their disciples only when the disciples are ready to understand their teaching." Still other visitors were sent there by the authorities and were convinced their mission would not be exposed. Dunov, however, reacted sharply: "It is shameful to lie. They look me in the eye and lie to me, and say disgusting things. I have never heard such despicable lies. A would-be politician came here, a learned man, to test me. I told him: There, mister, tell us the truth openly, there's no point to testing me. Talking of testing, I know about your past and I know what you are after, and I know who sent you, and I know what they think. I want the truth said openly. If you think there's anything wrong about me, if you believe that what I have got in my room is too much for me, you can have half of it. Indeed, you can have all of it. We must speak the truth, don't you understand that?" This was why the anchor emblem was over the entrance of the reception hall. One had to pay a high price to be received by Peter Dunov: the Truth! The emblem of the Brotherhood

The Lecture Hall After the lectures in 1926 were delivered in the open, the decision was finally taken to start the construction of a lecture hall at Izgrev. It was to be completed by the next convention the following summer. The project development and the preparation were entrusted to Alfieri Bertoli, an Italian-born member of the Brotherhood. The Master suggested large French windows that would not obstruct the flow of light. After August 1926, Peter Dunov would often stay at Izgrev for the night. He lived in the small cabin that was used for storing food during the conventions. This is where he spent the winter. For the lectures, he would go to 14 Oborishte St. with his young listeners, or back to his first home in Opalchenska St. In July 1927, shortly before the convention in August, a dozen of carpenters from a village near Aitos, also members of the Brotherhood, arrived in Izgrev and erected the building in just two weeks. The presence of the Master gave them great joy and inspiration. He participated in the construction, once again affirming the idea of brotherhood and putting it into practice. After a Sunday lecture at Izgrev. The 1927 convention was held in the new hall which still had no window panes. There, on the 19th of August, the Master gave his lecture "The path of the disciple". His advice to the disciples was that they ought to find their path: "Those of you who wish to take the path of the disciples need to have a lofty ideal. I will instruct you on the path of the disciple. It must be a path of Love, a path of Light, a path of Peace, a path of Joy. Can you take this path, not sometime in the future but now, at this moment?" The hall gradually became the most attractive place where the Word could be heard almost daily. The Master spoke sitting at a small desk on a platform. Next to him, on a small table, were the Bible, The Testament of the Colour Rays, and a volume of lectures. On the walls were symbolic pictures. The image of Christ was invariably among them. This hall saw the most important part of Peter Dunov's activity. Everyone was welcome; the access was unrestricted. For years, the hall was the site of lectures, concerts, and talks - the only classroom where the Science of Life was taught. The Failed Incendiary Attempt In 1927, an organization calling itself Defence of the Homeland vowed to fight with Bulgaria's 'enemies': communists, anarchists, socialists, and Dunovists. As it failed to crush the first three 'enemy forces', it decided to destroy the Dunovists by setting fire to their centre. One night a group of the organization's activists stole into Izgrev, carrying cans of gas, hoping to set the wooden cabins on fire and get away in the dark. The Master, however, caught them by surprise. At exactly 10 p.m. he put on the lights in the hall, then all lights outside in the glade. His method of warding off the attack was not quite traditional, quiet but efficient. The lights were on all night and the fire was prevented.

The 1926 Convention in Sofia After 1925 when the citizens of Veliko Tarnovo rejected Peter Dunov's activity, the summer conventions were held at Izgrev. A wooden platform in the glade with a desk and a chair for the Master were the "facilities" the participants saw upon their arrival in August 1926. There were more than a thousand of them, living in tents. Their life was impeccably organized. The experience of the conventions in Tarnovo proved extremely useful. There was even a "lost and found" desk. All participants were eager to put the new ideas into practice. The Master opened the convention with the words; "You have come not only to see me but to see God. If He reveals Himself to you, that is magnificent. God revealing Himself to us, that is the meaning of life." From the 22nd to the 29th of August, the Master delivered nine lectures, including "The luminous path to knowledge", "The birth of freedom" and "Good and perfection". After the 1926 convention, at the Master's request, a meteorological unit was established at Izgrev. Georgi Radev made daily observations. He followed the appearance of sun-spots and reported them to the Master. The results of his observations were mapped meticulously. Next to the meteorological unit was the sun-dial, also introduced by the Master as a means of practical scientific activity for the disciples. The School at Izgrev was well organized and provided good conditions for scientific and educational work. In that, Peter Dunov was the forerunner of many subsequent groups known collectively as New Age. "For years they have been talking and writing about the quickly expanding religious movement known as the White Brotherhood. It is interesting because it is original, Bulgarian: founded and headed by a Bulgarian, and impressively viable. This movement evokes at least three different reactions in Bulgarians. Some regard it with curiosity, others with suspicion, fear and hatred, and still others with a hope to satiate their thirst for knowledge of God. This is why I wanted to meet these compatriots, to meet and hear their Master Dunov. I went to their convention with an unprejudiced mind to find out the truth. It was on the 26th of August. We reached Boucher's Glade around 5 p.m. and were welcomed cordially. We found ourselves in a clearing surrounded by a pine forest. There were benches amidst the trees and beyond them, to the east, we could see many tents. We were told there were 1460 participants in the convention. Some were sitting on the benches in the shadow of the trees, reading, or writing, or engaged in placid discussion. A large group were listening to a debate on a topic that evidently was of interest to them all. Others were taking some rest in the tents. Still others, like us, walked around the wide clearing and talked. The majority of these people were dressed in white, illustrating the idea of a White Brotherhood. Nice name. And a nice symbol, too, easy to display externally but less so to apply internally - for how can you know if a person's soul is white? We met a couple of acquaintances, ex-Evangelists. There was an American among them. She was wearing a white kerchief. Happy with her new faith, she suddenly started preaching to me in English. Like everybody else, she was speaking with admiration of the Master. This is how they call Dunov among themselves, the Master. "Oh, Mr. Vatralski, you should hear him speak! I am American, I have listened to great preachers but I have never seen anyone like the Master!" We were invited to dinner. The vegetarian meal was simple and frugal but there were so many smiling faces around the table, so many kind words, and good feelings. I noticed Peter Dunov at one of the tables, sitting quietly and unobtrusively on a white pillow placed on a small white chair, while the rest of us were seated on the grass or on rugs. Although he was silent, all eyes, all the attention were focused on him. After dinner, we went around the camp. Everywhere in the tents and around them, there was perfect orderliness and tidiness. One could hardly believe we were in Bulgaria. More than a thousand people of all ages and ranks had inhabited the place for about a week and there was no garbage, not a single peel or a piece of paper anywhere. That perfect order showed not only discipline but exquisite conscientiousness, too. The most interesting and the most special thing about the White Brotherhood is their Master, Dunov: the founder, the leader, and the heart of this mysterious and intriguing movement. I first saw Mr. Dunov at the diner, and then I listened to two of his lectures In conversation, Mr. Dunov is sparing of words. He speaks briefly, slowly and measuredly. When he addresses an audience, however, he livens up and is far from restrained in speech. As a speaker, he has I no academic air, his phrases are not crisp and fluent and his sense of humour is not overly keen. However, he is original and well-read in Hindu and Christian literature. His words betray exquisite insight and unique originality. Dunov never quotes anyone except himself. I have found Dunov's teaching much more Christian than I had expected from the rumours. Its essence consists of Love, Wisdom, and Truth. This teaching is as ancient as the mountains and as pure as light. From its kernel, lofty ethical principles derive. Has there ever been a priest in any church who has given to his congregation a more noble and more Christian rule than the motto of this year's convention: "Always be faithful, truthful, pure and kind!" This is the reason why his followers call him 'Master', not 'Mr. Dunov'. The Master, with a capital 'M', the one and only in the world. One need not be a follower to realize that Dunov has already become a historical figure and has gained a rank of invulnerability. He cannot be harmed by anyone. No persecution will turn him aside. Even death cannot put an end to his mission. If he died a violent death, that would only foster the movement. The Bulgarian Mr. Peter Dunov is neither 'Peter' nor 'Mister' anymore. He is Dunov, and it is now up to history to criticise or glorify him. He is bound to get much of both. His great deed, the historic brotherhood he founded and gave life to, will make Bulgaria known all over the world. This is the result of all truth in life. The White Brotherhood is a bird hatched from Christian dogmata who, with its freed strong wings, will precipitate Bulgaria's arrival in the Kingdom of God on earth. They accuse Dunov of saying he was a reincarnation of Christ. I never heard him say that, nor did I find it in his writings. If I believed in reincarnation, however, I would have thought that he was the reincarnation of the Priest Bogomil whose life and teaching awakened and regenerated the Western world. By calling the White Brotherhood "new Bogomils", their enemies inadvertently predict their great and salutary historical mission. For the old Bogomils, being enlighteners before the Renaissance and reformers before the arrival of the Reformation, gave the world the most important impetus to culture and growth. You priests, although he may not be following you, do not stand in his way. To those among you who are straight of heart, he may give powerful help in regenerating and improving life. To those who are evil and ignorant, he is doubtlessly a nuisance. But you are only wasting your efforts in vain. You cannot harm him. Therefore, I say with the words of the One with Whose name we all like to adorn ourselves: "Forbid him not: for he that is not against us is for us." Stoyan Vatralski from Who and What Are the White Brotherhood (the Dunovists) Plovdiv, Troud, 1926.

The Izgrev Centre Between themselves, the disciples started to refer to the glade where they used to gather as Izgrev ("sunrise"). This place had a special force of attraction. It quickly became the sole site of daily meetings and discussions. There, the disciples would greet the sun and do physical exercises in the early morning, and then each would go about his own business in town. Peter Dunov would also go back to his home in 66 Opalchenska St. where he received visitors during the day. The first wooden cabins at Izgrev. The pure air and the beautiful surroundings attracted so many young people to Izgrev that on the 22nd of March 1922, the day of the Brotherhood, they pitched the first tent there. The first enthusiastic settlers planted pines and fruit trees with the evident intention to live there permanently. Two winters passed in hardships but they did not give up. These were the first enthusiasts who after 1924 erected with their own hands a small wooden cabin and covered its walls with paper. They lived an ascetic life that was part of the School. The idea of communal life was attractive. Before long, there were a dozen similar houses in the glade. The Master recommended wood as more hygienic than bricks and cement. Good for the young followers - wood was cheaper... Most of them were university students, many came from well-to-do families but their idealism was so pure that they gave up their parents' support and worked in their spare time to earn their living. Every Sunday, after the morning exercises at Izgrev, the Master went back to 66 Opalchenska St. This was extremely inconvenient but as usual, he accepted it quietly and humbly. The Sunday lectures were attended by many and it was his duty to continue this educational activity. In the meantime, the disciples deliberated a construction project at Izgrev. They only waited for the right conditions and for the Master's go-ahead. Dunov also had ideas about the houses and their arrangement but he deliberately allowed his disciples freedom of action, Boris Nikolov, one of the first settlers at Izgrev, recalls: "Izgrev was not magnificent, nor grand, only clean and full of light. Izgrev is, above all things, life, not the place itself. Later on, it would acquire a special significance in Dunov's activity, "a living centre on which the thought of Sublime Intelligent Beings is focused."

God, Nature, and Man ALTHOUGH TO THE MASTER "God is not an entity that is subject to proof", at his disciples' insistent requests, he kept defining Him in new and new ways. He sought to explain God in an understandable way for all levels of awareness. For the religious, he used religious language, for the scientist, scientific language, for the poet, poetic language, and for children, children's language. The Master often interpreted Nature as the material expression of God. To him, it was the visible image of those forces who had created and who were sustaining Eternal Life. By studying its laws and by getting to know its forms, anyone could get to the meaning of life. The Master often interpreted the symbolic language of Nature. It was everywhere around in the visible world but one ought to have opened his spiritual senses to be able to perceive it. Learning from Nature was a motto the Master recommended strongly. According to the Master, man is a microcosm in the macrocosm. All forces, both external and internal, are focused on him. Man as a transformer and conveyor of energy is the focal point of the entire universe. Man as a form-man as a spiritual presence and man as a potential deity - these were the issues Peter Dunov addressed on the eve of the 21st century. God God is the Eternal Creating Principle of Being Who engenders all forms. The Living God I am talking about abides in us and we abide in Him. He is the One Who works continually in the world, Who builds and mends it. God manifests as shadowless light, uninterrupted life, unchangeable love, faultless knowledge and unlimited freedom. He is the sublime Soul which follows, observes, and never excuses. He records everything and judges what is right. Even when a saint errs, He notes it. God marks justly and chronologically your every deed, your every mistake, and thus determines your future life. There is no being with a mind more alert, a heart more sympathetic, and a will more powerful, to which nothing is impossible. There is no nobler, holier, purer, wiser and more powerful being than God. He is everywhere. He is in the sky, in all the suns, and on earth, in everything: in the air, in the water, in the rocks, in the plants, in the beasts and in the humans. There is nothing in the world in which God is not. Everything inside and outside us, everything that surrounds us, is a background behind which is God, the greatest artist. He is hidden because he has decided to accord us free will. Today, the notion of God needs to be considered in a new light. The idea people now have of Him is wrong. We believe that God is the great reality in the world, the thing man cannot do without. The life which pulsates in us, that is God. The reason for us, that is God. Izgrev: the meteorological unit. Nature The living Nature in its entirety is a manifestation of intelligent forces, of noetic beings of different ranks who dwell in perfect harmony and unity. We call noetic, living nature the part which is manifested. What has not yet manifested we call the soul of Being? The noetic, the eternal, the sacred, the non-manifested - that is God, the Primordial Principle of life. It is connected with the visible, which is why some refer to Nature as the body of God. This is just a metaphor; Nature is the manifested and God is the invisible, the boundless, the eternally manifesting and never fully manifested. We regard Nature as something magnificent, not only because of its organization but because of the intellect, the supreme reason for it. Through the visible Nature, God made His plan perceivable by us. God thought long and then manifested in visible forms. The entire universe is the result of Divine Thought. It is expressed in a variety of shapes, constituting "the living language of Being", or the living language of things. This is one of the most euphonious languages. It is a written language, but it is not written in books, for the books of nature are alive. The language of nature is the language of God. Man Man is a powerful accumulator of cosmic energies. The brain, the lungs, the heart and the stomach are the main power receivers through which man absorbs these cosmic energies. The hands and the fingers are conduits of cosmic energies. If you place your hands on your head, chest or stomach, you can receive through them the respective energies and transmit them to another person. Every man is a conductor of Divine Energy. Man is at the same time a dynamo which, at different times, generates different energies. You see the stars as distant gleaming spots in the sky. However, every star of the Milky Way or any other galaxy has its respective receiver in the human brain. Thus, man is able to converse with the entire space. He is part of a magnificent organism, of a purposeful system, and is subject to the laws which govern the processes and the phenomena in that system. He is free inasmuch as he acts in harmony with these laws. Man is a small universe. The functioning of energies in man follows the pattern of their functioning in the universe. Man, as he is, presents a problem that requires a solution. I regard man not only as a personality but as a complex manifestation as well. As such, he is an embodiment of cosmic Wisdom, which is the thing you love about yourself and which guides you through life. The human organism is nature's model of a perfect system the imperfections in whose functioning are only due to the disruptions caused by man himself.

The Opponents from the Protestant Circles Protestant circles criticised Dunov even more vehemently. Evangelist preachers would not forgive his free interpretations of the Scriptures. They expected him to join them and walk the trodden path that Christian preachers had been following for 2000 years. They often asked him: "Are you a Christian? Do you believe in Jesus Christ?" "I do, but today more is requested from man: to learn what Christ brought to him. To put the primer down and take the reader. Once he is done with the reader, he must take the grammar book, the arithmetic, physics and chemistry textbooks. Man must develop his mind and will and learn the ultimate meaning of life. Man's life must be beautiful and good, in appearance as well as in essence, as Christ said 2000 years ago: "Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect." Deunov's lectures were always attended by Evangelist preachers. They had a lot to learn from the holder of a doctoral degree in theology who had walked a long path of Christian growth. Sometimes, during the lectures, Dunov could sense the thoughts of his opponents. They blamed him for deviating from the Scriptures. Loving truth as it was, he would answer them immediately: "Now someone would argue that everything we say must be contained in the Scriptures. When we discuss the great truth that builds a human life, the ways in which we can phrase our thoughts are countless. Humanity has outgrown many modern religions, they are incompatible with the development of the human soul and do not meet the current needs of the human heart and mind. However, religious people believe and wish to persuade us that religious forms tolerate no change. This is not true. Only God is unchangeable, everything else in the world changes. This is a great truth!" "Man's salvation is not his main purpose in life. His main purpose is his perfection."

The Police Investigation Around 1924, Ivan Tolev, publisher of the occult magazine Vsemirna Letopis ("Universal Chronicle") fell out with Peter Dunov over the Brotherhood's refusal to provide financial support for the publication. The subscribers were few and could not cover the expenses. Tolev insisted that Peter Dunov recommend the magazine to his disciples. Comments appeared in the press, and the authorities launched an investigation. On the 21st of July, 1925, Peter Dunov was summoned for questioning. Then he was asked to write a witness statement.' In that document, he gave an accurate and justified response. Interrogation Protocol My name is Peter Konstantinov Dunov, from Varna, aged 60, of Bulgarian nationality, with a clean record, a teacher by profession. I hereby declare that: My teaching is based on three main principles: Divine Love, Divine Wisdom, and Divine Truth. From these three principles, it follows that we need absolute peace, mutual understanding between people and mutual help for universal benefit. My teaching excludes any violence and demands absolute purity of thought, feeling, and action. One of the most important requirements to all its followers is flawless morality. In order to be able to adopt and apply all truths of the teaching of Christ, a disciple of the Divine School must be pure in a physical, moral and spiritual sense. Any violation of this requirement is an important obstacle to his development. A disciple must be flawless in any respect, both to himself and to others, to society and to the state. I recommend the observance of the established laws and regulations. Every imperfection and flaw in the social and the state order can be corrected by means of self-perfection, for it has been said: "Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect." The Church must always be in full accord with the Divine Love, Wisdom, and Truth. I am not involved in politics because it is not among our objectives. Only people who are yet to study life go into politics. I only preach what is good and wise. Knowledge of life is required to grasp Divine Wisdom and to understand Divine Truths. This knowledge is taught to those who study and grow by their own will. If they are mentally and morally sound, they easily learn the lessons; if they are not, they can give up this task which is beyond their powers. I neither call nor force or detain anyone against his will. My teaching applies the law of reasonable freedom. Whoever comes will not be rejected; whoever wants to go will not be stopped. No one is coerced; I help them all as they desire, with advice, instructions and rational means, following the laws of the Living Intelligent Nature. All this I do without self-interest. The Lord whom I serve provides for my subsistence. In view of the above, I declare that any complaints, testimonies, and criticism against me, no matter where they come from, are absolutely groundless. My teaching, elaborated in more than six volumes, and my life are open to all and this statement can be verified any time; therefore, no defense is required. This teaching assures the physical health, moral purity and spiritual growth of all its followers, and my life is admittedly exemplary. The minor exceptions and delays in development are evidently due to atavistic reasons. That is to say, if among my many listeners there are one or two cases of spiritual hesitation or taint, this is due to themselves or their parents. Their previous and present life demonstrates that clearly. But they are not my disciples although they may have come to me. This is all I have to say.

The Meeting with Alexander Stamboliiski Prime Minister Alexander Stamboliiski personally addressed Peter Dunov and invited him for a meeting. In July 1922 the Brotherhood was camping in the Sokolets area in the Rila Mountains, at the foot of the highest summit, Moussala. On the 26th of July the Master, accompanied by Petko Epitropov, rode down to Chamkoria (today's Borovets resort). Around 5 p.m., Stamboliiski welcomed his guests in front of his residence. Petko Epitropov took notes of the conversation between the two prominent Bulgarians. "Stamboliiski: I wanted to meet you because there has been much stir in the press and in the Synod of the Eastern Orthodox church about you and your teaching. I would like to know about your teaching, about the principles you follow. Are you a religious sect, or some sort of a society? Do you believe in Jesus? Do you believe in the Eastern Orthodox Church? Do you believe in the icons, in the rituals? Do you have your own rituals in your society and in your teaching? How many members do you have? Dunov: We follow the teaching of Love, the teaching of Christ, which is Love, Wisdom, and Truth. We seek the truth of soul, light of mind and purity of heart. We try not only to believe in these principles but live them and manifest them in society, preparing thus to be of help to all humanity. We are not opposed to the Orthodox Church but its ministers have strayed from the path of their calling and serve the dark lodge of their leaders, deceiving the entire Bulgarian people and turning service into a trade. Stamboliiski: This is true. No priest is there because this is his calling; it is just a career, a way to gain a position. Now they want to divert you and us from the church. But I know this; when there are too many sinners in a country, they lay their sins at the door of the pure. Dunov: At first our society started working with the Church to elevate it, but the persecution to which the clergy subjected us made us abandon this work. Besides, we could see that they were unwilling to take part in our service or to accept the supreme divine principles taught by Christ the Saviour and His disciples. As regards the icons and the rituals, these have been adopted by the Greek church which never went deeper into Christianity than its superficial glitter. Inside the Eastern Orthodox Church, there is a lot of darkness and discord; what it has adopted and applies to Christianity is obsolete. Young people are not satisfied with old traditions, they want something modern, capable of giving them light and scope for thought. Stamboliiski: You are right. Young people cannot be satisfied with what the priests have to offer them, and their wicked deeds discourage the young to go to church. Dunov: The Church is in need of a reform, and the reform would consist in changing the ministers. They should serve with purity and sinlessness, in the name of the spirit and the Truth. The young generation should be given the food that its development demands. Stamboliiski: Why don't you declare a war on the Church? Dunov: We are not proponents of war. Stamboliiski: They accuse you of meeting the sunrise and worshipping it. Dunov: The rising sun has a psychological effect. The members of our society go out about half an hour or an hour before the sunrise, each of them concentrates and restores his internal peace and harmony. They benefit from the first rays of the sun which have a vitalizing and refreshing effect. The soft light of the rising sun extends the heart and the mind. It is highly beneficial and we wish to take advantage of it." Chamkoria, 1921. On the 30th of July, only a few days after the meeting with Stamboliiski, Peter Dunov delivered a lecture in the forest in Chamkoria. That lecture was a brilliant substantiation of the New Teaching. In it, the Master first answered in full detail the questions posed by Stamboliiski for the spiritually more advanced part of the audience. Again his arguments were based on a passage from the Scriptures: "Then Peter took him, and began to rebuke him, saying, Be it far from thee, Lord: this shall not be unto thee." In this passage, Peter suggests that Jesus should yield to His enemies to avoid suffering. This was a symbol of the meeting with Stamboliiski who had tried to suggest that Peter Dunov escape trouble by obeying the clergy. The Master, however, was adamant: "They say it is not the right time, and that if we apply our teaching we will suffer, that we will be rejected by society and lose. I say no! This is the right time. There are two ways in which this teaching can be implemented. The one is through education in schools, and the other through the mothers. Tell me, what does it gain, the society that may reject us? What will the members of this society gain one day by rejecting us? One day they will be dead." A year after their meeting, Alexander Stamboliiski was assassinated in a coup d'etat. At the time of the events, Peter Dunov was in Tarnovo, with the Ilarionov family. As he was reading at the table, he suddenly spoke; "They killed Stamboliiski." "Is it in the newspapers," the host asked. "No, the crime is taking place now."

"Self-excommunicated" from the Church From his return to Bulgaria in 1895 to the end of his life Peter Dunov's activity was under continual surveillance, particularly by those who disapproved of it. Well-known journalists kept writing rumours and gossips about his personal life. The most watchful, however, was the Eastern Orthodox church. Although Dunov had open and natural contacts with its representatives, he was often maligned and attacked. But in the dialogue, he valued only the unprejudiced objective thought and the love of truth. He passed over in silence all slander and abuse. The press lashed against him with vicious criticism. He left it unanswered. Instigators came to him. He did not argue with them. He only told his disciples: "Now some priests want to pass judgment on me. To judge me, they should be purer and wiser than me. I tell them: Live not in your own way but in God's way. If you bring brighter light, I am ready to accept it. I am willing to accept all knowledge, I take interest in everything and I am not narrow-minded." On the 14th of May, 1922, he said in his lecture: "Should anyone try to speak the truth today, they would immediately call him a heretic." Then, to avoid hurting the priests who were present, he added tolerantly: "If your teaching yields better results, I will accept it; if my teaching produces better results, I invite you to accept my methods." Peter Dunov's indirect argument with his opponents from the Eastern Orthodox Church became increasingly serious. On the 18th of June, 1922, he tried to explain his work better to his opponents: "Now it is time for culture; we are bringing to Bulgaria a flow, a tide. The Bulgarian clergy, instead of working wisely, instead of using this divine benediction, makes plans how to stop us. They should realize they are placing obstacles for themselves in the first place." The opponents were quick to respond. At their convention in July 1922, the Eastern Orthodox bishops declared Peter Dunov "self-excommunicated" from the Church of Christ. That was fairly oddly formulated, and Dunov never attended the convention to express any such decision. He ignored that, too. "My defense is of God, which saveth the upright in heart," the Scriptures say. The Holy Synod in Sofia

The Role of Music in the School In Peter Deunov's school, music was a means to further the disciples' spiritual qualities. Under its influence, their minds became more open to the philosophical truths that the Master explained in his lectures. Here is what the Master said about the special role that was attributed to music in the classes: "I use occult music so that the great Truth that I want to imprint in your minds may come." Peter Dunov composed original music. He contributed more than 150 pieces to the Bulgarian musical legacy. His most prolific period was the second year from the establishment of the School (1923 - 1924). This is when he wrote a number of songs and musical exercises that he used in both the General and the Special Class. Each song was charged with energies that acted on particular brain centres. This is how the Master explained their essence: "These songs are created by the laws of the music of the future. They are characterized by purity of tone. They liberate man of all confusion and of all inherited faults." As early as in 1922, Peter Dunov practiced musical therapy at the School with an excellent result: "I use music as a means to install harmony among you. Sometimes, when I go back home, I play a song and set things right. When I see you are confused I take my violin and start playing." The Master often talked about the meaning that music conveys, of its positive effect on life in general. "The music transforms the energies of the mind and the heart. It is a contact, a link between two worlds, the physical and the spiritual. Do not cut that link, or you will hinder the development of your mind and heart." The piano in the lecture hall. The Master never parted with his violin. "My happiest moments I have had with my violin. I study it while I play. I study every note, every movement of the bow. I have experimented for hours to obtain the tones that can change my state." "In music, there is immense power. A musician should be aware of the power of his music and its effect on others." "One day I made an experiment with a friend. I started playing the violin, expressing the gentlest notes of my soul. He listened for some time, then caught my hand and said: 'Please stop. I don't know what is happening to me, I just cannot bear this music. Play some Bulgarian dance for me. There is something menacing, something very powerful in this music' I told him: 'In every new thing people are not accustomed to, there is something frightening and threatening'. "One day your ears will open and you will hear the majestic music wafting everywhere in the world, and then you will understand the meaning of life." The awakening of consciousness, the desire to penetrate the secrets of nature was the result of the wave of spiritual development that arrived with the Age of the Aquarius. The Master's music was a driving force in that process. Its vibrations carried new elements which, having once reached the human mind, help it open up to the reality of life.

The General Occult Class The General Class was also opened on the 24th of February 1922. It was open to all, and was attended by a wide circle of listeners. In his first lecture, the Master said: "The new culture needs intelligent people. If you think that with your present ideas and beliefs you can enter the new culture, you are quite wrong." In the General Class Dunov assigned papers to write, tasks to complete and exercises to perform. Each participant studied according to his own abilities and acquired his own experience but each could feel the intense attention of the Master. The Master-disciple connection was very strong and palpable. Problems were solved not only in the classroom; the disciples' life was a series of examinations, and in its course, they had abundant opportunity to learn the action of natural laws. "Do not think that once you are in the occult school, your situation will improve. No, at first it will deteriorate, and only then will it take a turn for the better. You enroll in this School to learn!" the Master admonished them. The Master delivered regularly his lectures to the General Class, every Wednesday for 22 years, to the end of his life. Methods of Work in the Classes The disciples had the best possible conditions in the School to develop their spiritual potential. The Master applied a variety of methods in his work with them but they were all aimed at the extension of awareness and at motivating them to seek self-perfection. The Word The most powerful of all methods. It was the first one to be applied by the Master, and he worked with it for more than forty years. Each of his words was like a seed. Once pronounced, it penetrated human consciousness and awakened the positive forces in it. It carried creative energy that built the qualities of the New Man, the man of the Age of the Aquarius. Music The Word's eternal companion. Every lecture was preceded by a song and ended with a song. Music was not a source of amusement but a method for conscious work. It helped make the Word more understandable. Exercise Movement results from the action of certain forces of nature. If one is familiar with these forces, he can use their energy. The Master taught a variety of physical exercises. Their practicing had a positive effect on the body and the mind alike. The exercises were an important method for the development of certain spiritual qualities in the disciples. Duties This was a special method applied by the Master during the summer camps and on festive gatherings. It was aimed at attracting spiritual energy and surrounding oneself with it. By saying certain formulae and prayers, the disciple let their vibrations into his consciousness and gained spiritual power. Themes At the beginning of every lecture at the School, the Master gave a theme to be elaborated over the following days. He prompted the disciples to use their minds, encouraged their desire to explain a certain fact or phenomenon or to give verbal shape to an original thought. Once set going, the human mind tends to expand its perimeter. The Master used the themes to help his disciples regain the true function of thought: to move, expand and shed light. Discussions Many truths came up in those spontaneous discussions with the Master. Many life problems found a solution. The disciples took every opportunity to initiate such a discussion. Talking with the Master was a profound need; it helped them solve many of their problems. What they learned in an apparently ordinary conversation was sometimes of immense significance, the thing that can only be revealed by Greatness. The Master, on the other hand, used the discussions to stimulate the disciples' thoughts. The discussions were an important method at the school. Excursions The time spent in the open was students' favourite. The excursions in the mountains took them away from the city noise and stress and closer to the magnificent world of nature. The excursions in the mountains were a method that the Master used to help students establish a contact with Intelligent Nature. Observing its beauty, they gradually learned its language. It was not the students, it was the souls that Dunov took to the mountains! Communal Life This method was an opportunity for spiritual growth. In communal life, new relations of mutual help, purity, and love were formed. The communal life of the brotherhood was an important idea in the New Teaching which the students applied with the Master's help. Correspondence From the earliest years of the Master's activity, the correspondence was an important method of communication with his disciples. In his letters, he offered them advice on their individual development and encouraged them to seek spiritual elevation. Self-diminishing The Master continually restricted himself in his relationship with the disciples so that he might reach their minds. Only the great may work by diminishing. The Master could thus get down to the disciples' level and encourage them to grow. The disciples were extremely happy to feel their Master so close to them. Service Even when the Master retired for a while, he never ceased to participate with his thought in everything his students were doing. This was like a religious rite, a Presence that elevated, protected and encouraged in the material world. His positive mental force, when aimed at a particular object, was capable of miracles. With this method, the Master taught his disciples the most important principle: being in service to the Whole instead of looking after one's personal interests. Prayer In order to comprehend the secrets of Being, a disciple ought to have a strong and real connection with the Primordial Principle, with God. This connection is provided by prayer. It is the most powerful method for achievement and spiritual growth. It is a path anyone can take to reach the world of the Sublime Spiritual Life. Prayer was the most sacral method in the Master' school. For him, it was a process of constant connectedness with the Spiritual World. He encouraged his disciples to share this attitude.

Occult Lectures Peter Dunov's scientific explanations of the essence of spiritual phenomena were presented in the weekly occult lectures from 1922 to 1944. In them, he went back to the scientific lecture genre. He described them as lectures because they were intended for a better-educated audience, prepared to unveil the mysteries of the surrounding world. To that audience, the Master could disclose the true laws that govern the human psyche. He described these lectures as "occult", i.e. containing knowledge that is beyond the understanding of the human mind. The subject matter of the occult lectures was entirely scientific. Dunov spoke of the movements of awareness, the economy of energies, the state of the matter, the thought as a power, etc. He explained truths that scientists discovered much later, after his death. The Special Class Peter Dunov initially invited 80 people to join the special class, choosing carefully every one of them. They were to meet high requirements: "Only exemplary persons may be admitted into the Special Class! Those who wish to join the Special Class must study the Truth! For now, it will be open only to those who are not married. This is one of the conditions. This Special Class I call the Class of Purity!" One of the participants, Natalia Chakova, describes enthusiastically the atmosphere in the Special Class: "The Special Class was a class of youth, vigour, health, and self-denial. These were young people: university or high-school graduates as well as students, intelligent, thirsty for knowledge and progress, for creativeness and action. The Master was in his full swing, giving generously of his knowledge: mathematics, astronomy, astrology, chemistry, biology, physics, occult sciences, poetry, music, the science of life, nature, and God. In that class, he spoke of everything, strictly scientifically, illustrating his words with examples from life, with exercises and problems to solve." The Master opened the Special Class on the 24th of February, 1922, with his lecture The Two Roads. As the class was attended by young people, it was later referred to as "the youth special class". Every Friday for 22 years, the Master taught in it the science of spiritual human prosperity. The Youth Camps The systematic and methodical work in the Special Class brought the younger disciples to the idea of organizing a youth summer camp. The Master approved and the First Youth Camp was held in Sofia in July 1923. Papers on a variety of topics were presented and debated. The subject matter included theosophy, occultism, Tolstoism, and the new teaching, i.e. the spiritual aspect of life. The new way of thinking could be felt in these young people's reasoning, in the way of thinking on whose structure the Master had worked systematically and persistently. The Master delivered three lectures at the First Youth Camp. In the first one, he welcomed the participants: "I would like you young people to understand that you are living, conscious souls, assigned an important mission in this world. You are facing one of the greatest of epochs, the epoch of the flourishing of the human soul." In the following years, till 1930, the youth camps were held in early July. These youth forums embodied the motivation and the spiritual potential of the White Brotherhood. Most participants continued to follow that impulse and to play a creative role in society. Nearly all of them were writers, poets, musicians, thinkers or simply men of integrity. In their awakened minds, the Master found the point of support that he needed to turn human thinking towards the light. Peter Dunov's notes on the blackboard in the school.

Master and Disciple ACCORDING TO PETER DUNOV, the idea of a "master" and a "disciple includes two processes: the transmission and the perception of knowledge. He who walks the path to Knowledge is a Disciple, and he who conveys Knowledge is a Master. The notion of "disciple" includes also an aspect of awakening and growth. The path of the Disciple is a path of ascension towards perfection. While walking this path, the Disciple needs light. It is that light that the Master provides. The Disciple "The path of the Disciple, this is the New coming into the life of humanity. When a person chooses this path, he adopts a different outlook and understanding of life. He seeks no external wealth, no compassion, no support, no reverence, no esteem. The Disciple has passed through self-denial and is glad for the contradictions he encounters in life, viewing them as problems to solve. The Disciple never criticises nor moralizes. He is not interested in others' mistakes. To him, these mistakes do not exist. The only thing that exists is righteous life, the life of Love. The Disciple's ideals are love, light, peace, and joy! Once his mind has awakened, the Disciple's life is not a life of blessing but of creative work. Grace is only in the aids he receives. The aids come to him by grace but he is required to make efforts and do a lot of work. A Disciple is tested for a long time before being admitted to the Kingdom of God. Whether he will be allowed to enter the Kingdom of God depends on the Disciple's knowledge and wisdom, not on his love. One is not admitted in the Kingdom of God by grace." The Master "The Master is a medium between God and the Disciple. In a universal sense, by Master, we mean the supreme Divine Wisdom which brings real knowledge to the world, all new ideas, all new forms, all new feelings and impulses in life. The coming of a Master into this world is a noetic act of the entire Living Nature. For a great Master to appear, all noetic beings must come together. The conditions for his arrival must be prepared on earth, too. Recognising the Master is a spiritual process. The Master comes not as an external factor in life, but as an internal intelligent act. It is inside, in his own soul that the Disciple knows the Master. When the Master speaks to him in his soul, the Disciple becomes inspired. The True Master, the Messenger of God, is sent to earth with a special mission. He is to reveal the Truth to the humans, and speaks not on his own behalf but on behalf of the One Master. There is but One Supreme Master in the world, although his manifestations may be many. Only he who has no violence in him can be a Master. He is strong but never practices violence. Only he who has no lie in him can be a Master. His sublime wisdom precludes any lie. Only he who has no evil in him can be a Master. His kindness precludes any evil."

The Inauguration of the School Schools of esoteric knowledge, i.e. knowledge of man's internal life, have existed since ancient times. They allow those willing to learn to find their Master and with his help, to develop their abilities. Peter Dunov was surrounded by a wide circle of young people who were full of honest desire to go deeper into the knowledge of life and were intelligent enough to grasp the Knowledge brought by the Age of the Aquarius. Until that moment, the terms "disciple" and "master" had a rather preparatory meaning. Their true sense was revealed in the spiritual university that was never registered by human laws, or, in other words, with the opening of the School in 1920. The event was marked with three lectures: "Meekness and Humility" (for the sisters only), "Electricity and Magnetism" (for the brothers only), and "Torture" (for both the sisters and the brothers). The three lectures were published in a small booklet entitled "Lectures by the Master Delivered at the Occult School of the Universal White Brotherhood". The first two lectures were delivered the same day, on the 22nd of January, and the third on the 5th of February. These lectures elucidated the most important requirements to disciples. Peter Dunov cautioned them right from the start: "Do not believe that being a student at an occult school is easy. The occult school's purpose is not to help you improve your temporary life but to help you do consciously God's will, do His will in all spheres of human life." "This world is one of the greatest schools of the Living God; I know of no greater school, and I call it the foundation of all other schools." These three lectures were a test for the disciples. They were not yet ready for the School. Over the next two years, the idea was maturing in their minds. In 1922, a larger group of students gathered, and their desire for knowledge gave another impetus to the School project. That was the year of its real start. "Now, for all of you who are ready, we think of opening a School where you can develop physically, spiritually and mentally. In that School, there will be papers to write and problems to solve. I want to motivate your minds as disciples. If you are to get to the divine Truth, you need to carry in your souls, hearts, and minds a divine impulse. The world that we call the School of Christ is a great place to learn. I want you to feel that you belong in this school. Only then can you have the right relationships with you. This will not be achieved in a couple of years; it will take us at least twenty years to make the School work as it should. Now you are given an opportunity to study the magnificent science of the White Brotherhood. For twenty years of your lives, you will be observing the results. In this School you will be acquainted with the methods and laws with which the White Brothers rule over Nature; you will get an idea of the greatness of Nature that surrounds us. Now we are founding this mystical occult school. The danger, however, is that occult knowledge may be used for the achievement of personal ends. This is why you need to have the high and steadfast morality of Love, Wisdom, and Truth. In this great School of Christ, you will find the true methods of the New Life your souls are seeking. There is no other way to learn the laws of life and know how to live. The new life you will learn in the School is the path to the White Brotherhood." "In the School, there will be a General Class for young and old alike, and a Special Class for young people of certain age."

Lecture Halls in Sofia The first hall where the Master gave his lectures was the Goumnerov house at 66 Opalchenska St. Gradually, the Sunday became established as lecture day. Some of the Master's most instructive Sunday lectures were delivered there. These are known collectively as "Power and Life". As the room became too small for the audience, Peter Dunov started speaking by the open window so that his listeners might hear him from the yard. No matter the weather, there were always listeners in that yard, standing in the snow in winter and in sun in summer, often even on rainy days. As the audience expanded, older brothers suggested that the hall of the Radical Party near Vitosha Blvd. be rented for the lectures. Stoyan Mihailovski and Ivan Vazov once attended a lecture there. After the lecture, Mihailovski said: "During my university studies in France my professor once asked me whether in Bulgaria there were people who could preserve the just-acquired liberty. Now I can see that we need people like Mr. Dunov who can indicate the right direction in all spheres of life in our young state." After using the Radical Party's hall for a while, for some time Peter Dunov gave his lectures in the place where Rouzha Ivanovich was holding her sewing courses. That was not convenient, either, because that place was also too small for all who wished to attend. In 1919-1920 the lectures took place in a small hall at the Union of Journalists on the corner of Rakovski St. and Graf Ignatiev St. Then, for two years, they were held at the German Club in Evlogi Georgiev St. That hall was much larger than the preceding ones but the Brotherhood felt an increasing need for their own hall. In 1922, the assembly approved Ivan Radoslavov's proposal to grant a plot next to his home for the construction of a lecture hall. While the construction was underway, the lectures took place in another small hall in Tsar Shishman St. In 1923, the construction of the Brotherhood's first hall was completed. It was at 14 Oborishte St, and was spacious and well lit, with a small platform at one end and a small reception room for the Master next to it. There he would converse with visitors after the lectures. The place was open to all; students and non-members were welcome. However, the hall in Oborishte St. also proved to be a temporary solution. The expansion of Peter Dunov's spiritual activity placed increasing requirements. The broad subject matter of his lectures deserved a larger building, functioning as a spiritual university. This idea frequently occurred to the most enthusiastic disciples. The Master, however, was in no hurry. He was reserved for grand human projects and preferred to follow the law of the small that had God's blessing. The Meaning of Life ACCORDING TO PETER DUNOV, the meaning of life is in the life of the Whole. This was the guidance he gave to his disciples, and his own life was an example of that purpose. A person cannot be happy without understanding his life in the context of the Whole. It is everyone's personal task to grasp what is most important for his life and do it. The meaning of every individual life is in the individual's spiritual plan. He has to feel it inside and follow it with patience and perseverance, and his life will be full of joy and happiness. "Life has a meaning inasmuch as one contributes to the Whole. The path to which I wish to introduce you is one of the easiest; it is a path any of you can take to build his life. You will thus have a good life and good circumstances. By working for the Whole, one benefits from its energies. If a person is not aware of the deep meaning of life, he loses the credit of the noetic beings that bring Divine life and knowledge. One must know the meaning of life. It is much superior to what he believes. The purpose of life is the perfection of the human soul. There are about a hundred million suns in the universe. Around each sun, there are 12 planets. A human being must travel them all and spend a hundred million years on each sun and planet. Only then will he know the innermost meaning of life. From lovelessness to love, from death to life, from evil to good, from faithlessness to faith: this is the meaning of Life."