80:(June 25th, 1923 – March 19th, 1998), also known by several other names such as Hamsananda Sarasvati, Imam Mahdi Manarah, Melkitsedeq, and "His Holiness Lord Hamsah Manarahthe(Manarah)", is the founder of the Aumist movement. He was born in Martinique. Bourdin spent time in the French Civil Service before engaging in a spiritual journey that led him to Aumism. Bourdin founded the Aumist movement in the mid-to-late 1900s after immersing himself in many religions; namely
160:" wielding a sword and shield, constructed in 1987. In 1990, a 33-meter statue of Bourdin was constructed at Mandarom. The legitimacy of the building permit was later challenged, and eventually, in June 2000, the statue was deemed illegal after a long legal dispute. As a result, it was demolished by the authorities on 6 September 2001. The sect denounced the demolition of Bourdin's statue, saying that it was comparable to the destruction of the
459:
20:
516:
196:
In 1994, Florence
Roncaglia, a former member of the Aumists accused Bourdin of molesting her in the 1980s when she was 15. On June 12, 1995, a raid on Mandarom took place and Bourdin was arrested. He was released on June 30, 1995. Bourdin remained awaiting trial until his death in 1998. Others came
68:
The
Aumists believe that the Earth is itself a living being, and that every animal is connected to a group soul. Aumists are told not to cause animals to suffer. They also believe in several "ages" of time, like the Golden Age, Silver Age, Bronze Age, Iron Age, and Copper age. Aumists also reject
104:
in 1961 where he was initiated as a sannyasin and received the name
Hamsananda Sarasvati. This marked the beginning of a spiritual journey, where Bourdin spent time learning from and practicing multiple religions. Bourdin returned to France in 1962 where he spent that winter in a cave in
45:" sound used in Hindu meditation, which is said to be the sound that gave birth to all other sounds. There is debate about whether Bourdin's founding of the Ashram (Holy City) of Mandarom in 1969 marked the beginning of the Aumist movement.
190:
180:
In a 1996 report released by a commission of the French government, the
Aumists at Mandarom were included on a list of 172 "dangerous" cults. The French government's anti-cultism was heightened after the suicide-homicides at the
592:
553:
204:. The Aumists also faced opposition from ecologist groups, who objected to the Aumists' construction of temples and in particular the 33-meter statue of Bourdin.
193:(ADFI). Between 1992 and 1995, Mandarom was raided by French police officers on several occasions where Bourdin and other members were repeatedly arrested.
622:
128:
After his death in March of 1998, Bourdin was prohibited from being buried at
Mandarom by the French government. His body was then to be buried in
125:
of
Mandarom. At a ceremony on August 22, 1990, years after the foundation of the Aumist Movement, Bourdin was crowned "Cosmoplanetary Messiah".
582:
37:
in the French Alps, it has approximately 400 members, down from 1200 at its peak. It is a synthesis of a number of religions, most prominently
281:
500:
546:
404:
388:
152:. Bourdin progressively built a number of temples and statues between 1977 and 1990. Amongst these is a 22-metre statue of Buddha
587:
572:
539:
185:
in 1994. In the 1990s, French television networks publicly attacked the
Aumists and government-backed anti-cultists like
118:
33:
is a minor religious sect founded in 1969 by
Gilbert Bourdin (1923–1998). Centered on the "holy city" of Mandarom, near
597:
577:
267:
197:
forward and in 2000 two people were paid a total of 250,000 French Francs by the Victim
Compensation Commission.
182:
263:
136:, vetoed that burial as well. Bourdin's body was ultimately buried on April 6, 1998, in a small cemetery near
617:
493:
273:
61:
Evolution is a law which dictates that every being must have the attainment of a higher level as its purpose
117:
In 1967, Bourdin founded the
Association of the Knights of the Golden Lotus, which later became the
607:
602:
97:
486:
353:
186:
133:
109:. There, he taught yoga to his very first disciples and afterwards published multiple books on
277:
161:
523:
470:
148:
The holy city of Mandarom Shambhasalem was founded in 1969, about 50 kilometres northwest of
345:
93:
81:
24:
334:"Holy Mountains and Anti-Cult Ecology: The Campaign Against the Aumist Religion in France"
77:
612:
200:
In the late 1990s, the government created a "Mission to Fight Cults", presided over by
566:
357:
157:
333:
201:
375:
169:
19:
458:
349:
137:
34:
515:
101:
417:
466:
153:
106:
38:
165:
89:
149:
129:
122:
85:
444:
18:
262:
Zoccatelli, PierLuigi (2004). "Notes on the Aumist Religion". In
391:, Associated Press (WorldWide Religious News), 6 September 2001.
110:
522:
This biographical article about a French religious figure is a
189:
carried out a campaign against the group, organized by the
42:
527:
474:
407:, Reuters (WorldWide Religious News), 6 September 2001.
191:
Association de Défense de la Famille et des Individus
405:"'Cosmoplanetary' French statue plunges to earth"
156:, constructed in 1981, and a 21-metre statue of "
64:Final truth on "the ultimate goal to be reached".
55:Suffering arises from the fear of moving forward
547:
494:
418:"Mandarom – Aumist Religion – Hamsah Manarah"
58:Pain makes one take "giant steps towards God"
8:
554:
540:
501:
487:
96:. Bourdin was influenced by Indian Guru
399:
397:
371:
369:
367:
213:
52:Death is nothing but a change of state
48:Aumism is founded upon five "truths":
41:. Its name derives from the mystical "
23:Mandarom, seen from the other side of
593:Schools of Buddhism founded in Europe
327:
325:
323:
321:
319:
317:
315:
313:
257:
255:
253:
251:
249:
247:
245:
243:
241:
239:
237:
7:
512:
510:
455:
453:
311:
309:
307:
305:
303:
301:
299:
297:
295:
293:
235:
233:
231:
229:
227:
225:
223:
221:
219:
217:
266:; Petersen, Jesper Aagaard (eds.).
119:Association of the Triumphant Vajra
526:. You can help Knowledge (XXG) by
473:. You can help Knowledge (XXG) by
14:
389:"Statue of Cult Leader Destroyed"
623:French religious biography stubs
514:
457:
113:, the first of which was titled
121:. In 1969, Bourdin founded the
376:"French guru crashes to earth"
1:
583:1969 establishments in France
378:, BBC News, 6 September 2001.
332:Introvigne, Massimo (1999).
269:Controversial New Religions
639:
509:
452:
272:(1st ed.). New York:
183:Order of the Solar Temple
98:Swami Sivananda Sarasvati
588:Alpes-de-Haute-Provence
573:New religious movements
350:10.1023/A:1022073109646
338:Social Justice Research
274:Oxford University Press
469:-related article is a
27:
172:earlier in the year.
115:Naturopathie et Yoga.
69:modern technologies.
22:
100:after traveling to
598:Buddhism in France
578:Religion in France
187:Jean-Marie Abgrall
134:Jean-Pierre Leleux
28:
535:
534:
482:
481:
403:Pierre Thebault,
283:978-0-19-515682-9
162:Buddhas of Bamyan
132:, but the Mayor,
630:
556:
549:
542:
518:
511:
503:
496:
489:
461:
454:
432:
431:
429:
428:
414:
408:
401:
392:
387:Thierry Boinet,
385:
379:
373:
362:
361:
329:
288:
287:
259:
94:Tibetan Buddhism
82:Shingon Buddhism
638:
637:
633:
632:
631:
629:
628:
627:
563:
562:
561:
560:
508:
507:
450:
441:
436:
435:
426:
424:
416:
415:
411:
402:
395:
386:
382:
374:
365:
331:
330:
291:
284:
264:Lewis, James R.
261:
260:
215:
210:
178:
146:
78:Gilbert Bourdin
75:
17:
12:
11:
5:
636:
634:
626:
625:
620:
618:Religion stubs
615:
610:
605:
600:
595:
590:
585:
580:
575:
565:
564:
559:
558:
551:
544:
536:
533:
532:
519:
506:
505:
498:
491:
483:
480:
479:
462:
448:
447:
440:
439:External links
437:
434:
433:
422:www.cesnur.org
409:
393:
380:
363:
344:(4): 365–375.
289:
282:
212:
211:
209:
206:
177:
174:
145:
142:
74:
71:
66:
65:
62:
59:
56:
53:
25:Castillon Lake
16:Religious sect
15:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
635:
624:
621:
619:
616:
614:
611:
609:
606:
604:
601:
599:
596:
594:
591:
589:
586:
584:
581:
579:
576:
574:
571:
570:
568:
557:
552:
550:
545:
543:
538:
537:
531:
529:
525:
520:
517:
513:
504:
499:
497:
492:
490:
485:
484:
478:
476:
472:
468:
463:
460:
456:
451:
446:
443:
442:
438:
423:
419:
413:
410:
406:
400:
398:
394:
390:
384:
381:
377:
372:
370:
368:
364:
359:
355:
351:
347:
343:
339:
335:
328:
326:
324:
322:
320:
318:
316:
314:
312:
310:
308:
306:
304:
302:
300:
298:
296:
294:
290:
285:
279:
275:
271:
270:
265:
258:
256:
254:
252:
250:
248:
246:
244:
242:
240:
238:
236:
234:
232:
230:
228:
226:
224:
222:
220:
218:
214:
207:
205:
203:
198:
194:
192:
188:
184:
176:Controversies
175:
173:
171:
167:
163:
159:
158:Cosmic Christ
155:
151:
143:
141:
139:
135:
131:
126:
124:
120:
116:
112:
108:
103:
99:
95:
91:
87:
83:
79:
72:
70:
63:
60:
57:
54:
51:
50:
49:
46:
44:
40:
36:
32:
26:
21:
528:expanding it
521:
475:expanding it
464:
449:
425:. Retrieved
421:
412:
383:
341:
337:
268:
202:Alain Vivein
199:
195:
179:
147:
127:
114:
76:
67:
47:
30:
29:
445:Aumisme.org
170:Afghanistan
608:Castellane
603:Messianism
567:Categories
427:2021-10-22
208:References
138:Castellane
35:Castellane
358:140520801
102:Rishikesh
84:, Indian
467:religion
154:Maitreya
144:Mandarom
107:Vaucluse
39:Hinduism
166:Taliban
164:by the
90:Jainism
73:Bourdin
356:
280:
150:Cannes
130:Grasse
123:Ashram
92:, and
86:Sufism
31:Aumism
613:Cults
465:This
354:S2CID
524:stub
471:stub
278:ISBN
111:yoga
346:doi
168:in
43:aum
569::
420:.
396:^
366:^
352:.
342:12
340:.
336:.
292:^
276:.
216:^
140:.
88:,
555:e
548:t
541:v
530:.
502:e
495:t
488:v
477:.
430:.
360:.
348::
286:.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
