The notes below are designed to give prospective readers an idea of what to expect from the book, and to aid in making a decision on whether to buy it.
The Great Oom, Robert Love
About Pierre
Pierre Bernard was the first American yogi. “Great Omm” was his nickname. He was born in 1876 in Leon, Iowa (population 1,300). He moved to Lincoln Nebraska and met Sylvia Hamait from Calcutta. He studied and learned from Sylvia, his guru.
He was a bit sleazy. Had an orgy room, Opus Diem, seduced people, and tricked very rich people.
At age 21 he did the Kali Mudra demo in San Francisco. Self-introduced hypnotism - tortured while asleep and no pain. Hypnotism was the rage of the 1800s.
Blanc Devries was Pierre’s soul mate.
Bought farm: baseball, Anne Vanderbilt, etc.
He fell into a depression.
Had elephants at his place.
“The captain has to go down with the ship.” He died at age 79. No large debts, no taxes due.
General Notes
Swamis were reverse missionaries. They came in 1893 to World Parliament of Region. Sami Vivekanda.
Tantric orders were secret societies and blood cults. 7 levels, 7 years, 14 hours/day. Scriptures called tantras, material were expansions of the divine.
2 types: Right hand: mild. Left hand: 5 sins: wine, meat, fish, drugs, and sex.
Kaula ceremony: sex act in a chakra circle. Matchmaking done at 7th level. Very sleazy.
Gertrude Leo was a girl who would dance and take care of the priests. They cannot marry because they are taking care of god.
Yoga first mentioned in Rig Veda 3,500 years ago. Upanishads, Bhagvada Gita (karma and jana), and Yoga Sutras.
Shakti is the female goddess of Shiva.
Tantric yoga was the combo of monism and psychical yoga.
Cornerstones of yoga are the Vedas, yoga sutras, yoga samhita.
Exercise increased in importance and breathing more key.
Tantra yoga approaches life as an art and experience and imagine.
Isvar - Vedic think tank.
Bertrand was an ambassador for yoga.
He then boarded elephants and clubs with lectures.
Club’s 10 commandments:
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Keep physically fit
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Cultivate goods habits
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Remove unnecessary stress
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Accept reality
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Plan a daily schedule
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Live in terms of we, not I
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Cherish a sense of humanity
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Know yourself
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Be yourself
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Improve yourself.
Nephew Theo Bertrand was known as the White Lama.
No children. No school. Never sad.
“Live while you can, don’t worry until you are half dead.”