Ihmisyyden tunnustajat

IHMISYYDEN TUNNUSTAJAT is an independent, unregistered group of people. It is a part of the Finnish theosophical movement and was founded by MARTTA HORJANDER (1930 -). The main objective of Ihmisyyden tunnustajat is to promote and try to put into practice the values and ideals of PEKKA ERVAST's theosophical view of life; such as the cause of peace according to the original Christianity and the brotherhood of all men.

VÄINÖLÄ -commune in Vilppula is a workcenter and home for over 30 members of Ihmisyyden tunnustajat. The commune was first set up in a little village of Ahosenniemi (situated in eastern Finland) in 1978 from where the commune moved to Konginkangas in 1981 and then to Vilppula in 1985. If you are interested in discussing theosophical matters or want to be acquainted with the commune you can visit Väinölä every day and also see the Unarmed Finland -art exhibition (open 10-18) with about 300 works of art (paintings and sculptures) by some members of the commune. You can also have a cup of coffee or tea in a small home caf‚ and by agreement hear some live music and poetry or see small plays and other performances made by the commune members. In summer time you can visit the Väinölä summer theatre every Sunday in July and August.

THEOSOPHY (divine wisdom such as that possessed by the gods). Theosophy is the name for the international spiritual movement began by H.P.Blavatsky (1831-1891) and some others in 1875 at New York, a movement which emphasizes the unprejudiced study of all religions and conceptions of life. It's main ideas are:

• The Universal Brotherhood of Humanity without distinction of race, creed, sex, social class, nationality or colour.

• Reincarnation. Life is a cycle of development which can be seen in all nature and in man. That is why the immortal spirit of every human being will be born again as a man or woman to reach the distant goal of human perfection.

• Karmic law (the law of cause and effect). We are responsible for our deeds which are reflected not only in our present life but also in the future. In life itself it means that no effort to good will ever be in vain.

PEKKA ERVAST (1875-1934) was the man who started the Finnish theosophical movement in the beginning of this century. When studying his books (approximately 70 works) you meet a warm-hearted and broad-minded person with very profound thoughts of life and death. As well as Madame Blavatsky also Pekka Ervast points out that the real Christianity begins from unarmament. In his theosophical researches he found that the five commandments of the Sermon on the Mount are the basis of self-improvement and that they would have a practical effect on every aspect of life if we followed them. The commandments are:

• Be not angry
• Be pure even in thy thoughts
• Swear not
• Resist not evil
• War not but love all men.

Pekka Ervast studied deeply the Finnish national epic, Kalevala, and gave a fresh view to it in his book The Key To Kalevala.

KALEVALA Like the Vedas, Edda-poems and The Iliad And Ulysses Kalevala, too, consists of mythological runes (= traditional poems) which were kept alive for centuries in the songs of traditional rune singers. Compared to other national epics of the world it is clearly seen that the heroes in Kalevala use more the power of the word than that of the sword. So theosophically seen Kalevala opens us the psychological and transcendential world in man and in the universe. According to Ervast Väinämöinen, the main character of Kalevala, was a seer and a man of peace who symbolizes the Finnish national spirit and the fact that Finland could become predecessor in being an unarmed nation.

PEACE, is it only a beautiful word? We all need ideals into our lives and one of them could and should be the noble idea of the brotherhood of all men. Theosophists believe that you cannot change the world but you can change yourself. That is why the cause of peace concerns us all and our everyday lives. The brotherhood of all men can for example mean, as it means to us, that a person becomes a conscientious objector. Even though the role of women is different from that of men, it is not at all less important as educators and creators of the public opinion. The first step towards unarmament would be making the obligatory military service free so that the conscientious objectors would not be treated as criminals any longer.

VÄINÖLÄ COMMUNE There are over thirty of us living under the same roof and in the same household trying to carry out the ideal of brotherhood. Living in a commune can be very rich, challenging and spiritually developing because working together for same ideals and goals is always meaningful. We don't belong to the Finnish Lutheran Church neither take part in politics. This doesn't mean, however, that we would not keep up with times, on the contrary, we believe that the alternative life style movement like ours at the moment has a greater effect in society than for example voting.

GOD We asked Martta Horjander about God: "The whole being is life in God. God is spirit. God is love, eternal, infinite goodness. This all is inside the man himself in his inner spirit of life. When one seeks after the truth and improves oneself in the spirit of truth following the Sermon on the Mount so the Christ in us will be born as St. Paul said."

ACTIVITIES IN VÄINÖLÄ Among other things: - summer theatre in July and August on Sundays at two o'clock - in winter time: public lectures on Sundays at twelve - The Unarmed Finland -art exhibition: open every day 10-18

LITERATURE:

In English:
H.P. BLAVATSKY:
The Key To Theosophy
Isis Unveiled: Vol.I-II
The Secret Doctrine: Vol. I-III

PEKKA ERVAST:
The Sermon on the Mount
The Esoteric School Of Jesus
The Key to the Kalevala

In Swedish:
H.P. BLAVATSKY:
Praktisk okkultism

PEKKA ERVAST:
Bergspredikan
Paulus och hans kristendom

In German:
PEKKA ERVAST:
Kleiner Rosenkreuz-Katechismus

INQUIRES:
Väinölän yhteisö
Väinöläntie 15
35700 Vilppula
Finland

phone:	+358 3 471 3390
fax:	+358 3 471 6557
E-mail:
WWW:	www.ihmisyydentunnustajat.fi

WELCOME!

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