Aumism

thumb|Mandarom, seen from the other side of Lac de Castillon|Castillon LakeAumism is a minor religious sect founded in 1969 by Gilbert Bourdin (1923–1998). Centered on the "holy city" of Mandarom, near Castellane 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 Hinduism. Its name derives from the mystical "aum" 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.

== History == Gilbert Bourdin (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 Shingon Buddhism, Indian Sufism, Jainism, and Tibetan Buddhism. Bourdin was influenced by Indian Guru Swami Sivananda Sarasvati after traveling to Rishikesh 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 Vaucluse. There, he taught yoga to his very first disciples and afterwards published multiple books on yoga, the first of which was titled Naturopathie et Yoga. In 1967, Bourdin founded the Association of the Knights of the Golden Lotus, which later became the Association of the Triumphant Vajra. In 1969, Bourdin founded the Ashram of Mandarom.