Recognizing that Darjeeling is considered one of five major planetary inlets for spiritual energy in the Ageless Wisdom writings of Alice Bailey, students of the teachings from a variety of groups have, over the years established a series of service projects in the Darjeeling District of India.
In the 1990’s an Australian animal rights activist who was a student of the Ageless Wisdom visited Darjeeling and, with the help of locals, established the Darjeeling Himalayan Goodwill Unit of Service and Animal Shelter Trust (later changed to the Darjeeling Goodwill Animal Shelter Trust) with the goal of establishing two projects: a much needed animal shelter together with work to promote the universal spiritual principles underlying the Ageless Wisdom and World Goodwill.
A shelter was established in Kalimpong (the second town of the Darjeeling District) and, in Darjeeling, a Goodwill Reading Room offered books and literature from the Lucis Trust and other universal sources of wisdom teaching. During these early years several local people became involved in the two projects. More recently a second Animal Shelter has been established near Darjeeling town.
The Community of Living Ethics in Italy (inspired by the teachings of Agni Yoga and Alice Bailey, and by the work of Psychosynthesis) were impressed to build a relationship with the work in Darjeeling and Kalimpong. In 2005 the Community joined the Darjeeling trust, funding the purchase of Crookety House, the former home of Helena Roerich in Kalimpong. Crookety was subsequently opened as the Himalayan Centre for Agni Yoga, with a museum dedicated to Helena Roerich and the Agni Yoga teachings.
The Community also took the lead in moving the Goodwill Reading Room to a new Goodwill Centre where, over the years, numerous projects have been offered to the local community connected to Art, Science and Religion, the 3 sphere of the Banner of Peace. These include regular art classes for children, psychosynthesis training, and annual Goodwill Weeks that have involved schools, colleges, officials and servers from diverse fields. Every year, during the Scorpio full moon a service meditation meeting is held for the local community, introducing the idea of group meditation for world service. Well attended events organized by the Goodwill Centre have included major exhibitions of Nicholas Roerich’s artwork as well as four SDG Trainings for Multipliers jointly sponsored by the Centre, Gaia Education and the Himalayan Institute of Goodwill and Living Ethics.
