Theos Casimir Bernard

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Theos Casimir Bernard
Born December 10, 1908
Los Angeles, California
Died unknown, probably mid-September, 1947 (age 38)
Himachal Pradesh, in the Punjab region of India
Cause of death unknown, perhaps shot
Nationality American
Education University of Arizona (LLB, BA); Columbia University (MA, PhD)
Known for being an accomplished practitioner of Yoga and Tibetan Buddhism, a scholar of religion and explorer
Spouse Viola Wertheim, Ganna Walska, and Helen Graham Park
Children none
Parents Glen Agazia Bernard (father)

Theos Casimir Bernard (December 10, 1908 – unknown, probably mid-September, 1947) was an accomplished American practitioner of Yoga and Tibetan Buddhism, a scholar of religion and explorer.

Theos Bernard pioneered Indian and Tibetan studies at Columbia University. He was the third American to ever set foot in Lhasa, Tibet, and the first American to be initiated into the rites of Tibetan Buddhism. He published several accounts of the theory and practice of the religions of India and Tibet, including his PhD dissertation on Hatha Yoga. He was the founder of the first Tibetan Buddhist research institute in America, and he also compiled a Tibetan grammar and planned for the systematic translation of Indian and Tibetan literature into English.[1]


Contents

[edit] Scholar degrees

Theos Bernard graduated from the University of Arizona first in 1931 with a LLB degree and again in 1934 with a BA. [1]
From the Columbia University he received an MA in philosophy in 1936, and in 1942, he entered Columbia University for a second time to pursue his PhD. Completed in 1943[2], less than a year later, his dissertation Hatha Yoga: The Report of a Personal Experience , was subsequently published and served to introduce the practices of Yoga to an American audience.[1]

His MA thesis was:

After considering other names like Tantrik Yoga: A Clinical Report , he seems to have choosen the following title for his PhD dissertation:

[edit] Life

Although Theos Bernard claimed[4] that he was born in Tombstone, Arizona, Paul G. Hackett states[1] that he was born in Los Angeles, California.

Theos Bernard had hoped to become an athlete while being a young man, but he suddenly suffered a serious attack of infectious rheumatism that almost killed him and made him suffer from ill-health for many months on. While convalescing in the Dragoon Mountains, Arizona, he dedicated plenty of time to read books about oriental philosophy that his mother possessed. After reading that "There is infinite energy available to anyone, if you know how to obtain it. And this is part of the science of Yoga" in Lily Adams Beck's Story of Oriental Philosophy , he became convinced that Yoga was the only discipline that could give him a solution for his health. He then started reading about Yoga eagerly and talked to everyone that could knew about it or who had been in India. Some time later, "a person that has just arrived from India" met him for just one night, in which he opened to Theos Bernard a whole world of Yoga philosophy and practices, becoming his first guru. Through the years that followed, Theos Bernard perfected his Yoga practice under the guidance by mail of that guru.[4]

After finishing his studies in the University of Arizona, he traveled to India to perfect his studies. He arrived to Calcutta around September 1936, at the end of the Monsoon season, only to find that his guru had recently passed away. Then, a friend of his former guru introduced him to a Tantric Yoga teacher that took him under his guidance. This teacher, called "Tantrik friend" by Theos Bernard, was a man of strong theoretical knowledge, much versed in Yoga, but not a practitioner himself. After two weeks, pleased with the knowledge that Theos Bernard demonstrated, introduced him to a teacher with actual practicing knowledge, called Swamaji by Theos Bernard. This last teacher was in charge of initiating him into Yoga, in preparation for the final goal of the Yoga practice: to awaken his Kundalini. When the initiation was completed, it was decided that he should travel throughout India to familiarize himself with the people and beliefs of the country. After visiting many cities and places, he finally found a great teacher, whom Theos Bernard references only by his title, Maharishi, who was a former student of the first guru that Theos Bernard had met for just one night in the USA, and that for that reason knew about Theos Bernard beforehand. It was this Maharishi that after a complete training of around three months, guided Theos Bernard to awaken his Kundalini.[4]

In order to get important Tibetan manuscripts, Theos Bernard traveled to Tibet, and at the holy city of Lhasa he was accepted as a reincarnation of Padma Sambhava[5], a saint of the Tibetan Buddhism. This enabled him to take part in many special religious ceremonies and to discuss Tibetan teachings with some of the leading lamas at famous Tibetan monasteries.[6] He was then able to get the manuscripts he wanted and many other important books, documents and testimonies of the Tibetan Buddhism and culture, who presently are part of a few collections in universities of the USA (see section 'External links'). Documenting his experiences in pictures, Bernard left a historical record of an age-old civilization on the brink of political upheaval,[7] recording Tibetan civilization at the height of its development and before the Chinese invasion of 1949 and subsequent Cultural Revolution had destroyed it.[8]

Returned from his 1936/37 trip to India and Tibet, he studied at Columbia University and earned a doctorate in philosophy. His treatise on Hatha Yoga was first published in 1944 by Columbia University Press and has since been frequently reprinted. It covers all the traditional aspects of Hatha Yoga and correlates his personal training with the major Indian texts: the Hatha Yoga Pradipika, the Gheranda Samhita, and the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali.[6]

[edit] Circumstances of his probable death

Together with his third wife, Helen Graham Park, he returned to India in 1947, this time seeking "rare manuscripts" in the hills of Spiti near Ladakh. Entering the Punjab en route to his destination, his party of Muslim porters was rumored to have been attacked by Lahouli tribesman. Conflicting reports about his whereabouts circulated for several months, and though his wife waited for him in Calcutta, he never returned.[2]

The New York Times, reported the news in the following way:[9] [2]

“ U.S. Tibetan Scholar Is Missing In Punjab After a Tribal Attack

Theos Bernard, Author, Feared Dead by Wife Who Reports Incident in New Delhi

NEW DELHI. Oct. 30 (AP) - An American student of Tibetan culture has been missing since mid-September on a trip to a Tibetan monastery and may be dead, his wife said today.

He is Theos Bernard, 40, of New York and Santa Barbara, Calif., son of G. A. Bernard of North-Ridge, Calif. Interviewed here, Mrs. Bernard said shepherds had told of seeing Lahouli tribesmen attack her husband's party and kill his Moslem servants. That was in the Himalaya Mountains of northern India, she said, between Sept. 12 and Sept. 14. Mrs. Bernard said she had learned that her husband then was short of food and she feared that he might also have lost his heavy clothing to the raiders.

Mr. Bernard set out Aug. 20 from the out-of-the-way Kulu Valley of the northern Punjab. Six days after that, Hindu-Moslem rioting broke out in the valley and she herself had to flee 124 miles on foot southward to Simla. She passed through New Delhi today in his way to Calcutta, where she said she would await word of her husband.

[...]

 ”

In the preface of posthumously editions of one of his books[10] there is the following note by the editors:

“ This account of the death of the author was related by Mr. G. A. Bernard, the author's father:

"In 1947, Theos Bernard was on a mission to the KI monastery in western Tibet in search of some special manuscripts. While on his way, rioting broke out among the Hindus and the Moslems in that section of the hills; all Moslems including women and children in the little village from which Theos departed were killed.

"The Hindus then proceeded into the mountains in pursuit of the Moslems who had accompanied Theos as guides and muleteers. These Moslems, it is reported, learning of the killings, escaped, leaving Theos and his Tibetan boy alone on the trail. It is further reported that both were shot and their bodies thrown into the river.

"To date we have not been able to get any authentic information on the entire circumstances of his death, nor have we any line on the effects Theos had with him. That region of Tibet is so very remote that it is unlikely we shall ever learn the full details."

 ”
Ki Monastery (also called Kye), destination of Theos Bernard's last known trip.
Ki Monastery (also called Kye), destination of Theos Bernard's last known trip.

It must be noted that the Ki monastery never was in western Tibet but in the Spiti Valley, fully included at that moment in the northern state of Himachal Pradesh, in the Punjab region of the then new India. A few weeks before the events mentioned in the news, it was still part of the British Punjab.

The riots were probably inscribed in the great killings that took place at the time of the partition of the British Punjab, that followed the Partition of India along religious lines, in mid-August, 1947. The predominantly Hindu and Sikh areas were assigned to the new India and predominantly Muslim areas to the new nation of Pakistan. The plan included a partition of the Muslim-majority provinces of British Punjab and British Bengal. In such a way, the Punjab province was split into East and West Punjab. East Punjab became part of India, while West Punjab became part of Pakistan. The Punjab region bore the brunt of the civil unrest following the end of the British Raj (British India), with casualties estimated in the hundreds of thousands or even higher.

It can be reasonably assumed that the events mentioned in the news about Theos Bernard's fate happened in the state of Himachal Pradesh, in the then new India, given that both the Kulu Valley, the origin of his last known trip, and the Spiti Valley, his destination, are in that northern state. Those events happened less than a month after the Partition of India.

[edit] Family

His father was Glen Agazia Bernard (1884-1976).[11]
Theos Bernard was a nephew of Pierre Bernard[2], one of the pioneer teachers of Yoga in the United States, who perhaps introduced him to the subject. Through Pierre Bernard, he was also a distant relative of Pir Vilayat Inayat Khan[12], a Sufi teacher.
He married[2] Viola Wertheim (1934-1938)[13][14], Ganna Walska, and Helen Graham Park[15].
He had no children.

[edit] See locations on map

Useful suggestion: Open each view of the Google Map that you will find below in a different window or tab in your browser, to easily change between the article and the views (right-clicking on a link will probably display, depending on your browser, a menu that will allow you to open the view as suggested).
Other suggestions: When the map is displayed:
Click on a point of interest in the list of locations to the left of the map ("Lhasa", or "New York, USA" for instance), to see its location in the map.
To zoom in or out the entire map, use the vertical tool in the left side of the map or the mouse wheel.
To zoom in to a specific point in the map, double-click with the left button on the point. To zoom out from a specific point of the map, double-click with the right button on the point.
You can drag the map in any direction.
You can also show labels or not (click on the "Satellite" button), or change to different map styles ("Map" or "Terrain" buttons -use this last one when taking a close look to the Mount Everest, for instance-). Explore other options.
  • Click here to see some of the important places in the life of Theos Bernard, all over the world.
  • Click here to see some of the places that Theos Bernard visited in his 1936 trip throughout British India.
In British India he visited[4], in the following order: Calcutta where he arrived to India, Allahabad, Benares, Agra, New Delhi, Lahore, Srinagar in Kashmir, Peshwar, Kyber, Uddipur, Bombay, Hyderabad, Mysore, Bangalore, Madras, Madurai, Trichinopoly, and Ceylon.
As he specifies, some of the cities are on the Ganges basin. See the main cities along the Ganges plains visited by Theos Bernard:
Calcutta, Allahabad, Benares, Agra, New Delhi.
He visited[16], in the following order:
In the NE of British India: Kalimpong, Tista river, Gangtok, Karponang, Changu lake, Nathu La (Nathu pass).
In Western Tibet: Chumbi Tang (Chumbi valley), Yatung, Gautsa, Phari, Dochen lake, Kangmar, and just north of it, the Red Idol gorge with the Nyang river, the Gyantsé plains and Gyantsé valley, Gyantsé, mount Nöjin, Karo La (Karo pass), Ta-t'ang ("The Horses' Plain"), Nargatsé, on the banks of the Yam-dok-tso (aka Scorpion Lake or Yamdok Lake or Turqoise Lake, or Palte Lake, after the Palte village), Yarsi, Padee, Tamalung.
In Central Tibet: Kambu La (Kambu pass), Tsangpo-chu, "the famous Chaksam Cho-ri" ("The Holy Hill of the Iron Bridge") monastery, Chu-shu in the Chu-shu County, Lhasa River, and finally Lhasa.
The Potala Palace in Lhasa
The Potala Palace in Lhasa
In Lhasa: Drepung monastery , Potala Palace, Chak-po-ri (Medical College), Dalai Lama's Norbu Lingha ("The Jewelled Park"), Tsug-lag-Khang or Jo-Khang (the chief temple in Tibet, aka "the House of the Master", or the "Cathedral"), Rammoche (reputed to be the second most holy temple of Tibet), the banks of the beautiful Kyi-chu (Lhasa River).
Other places in Tibet mentioned or seen by him, but not visited: mount Chumolhari, Palte, Sam-ding ("Restful Meditation") monastery, Shigatsé, Jelup La (Jelup pass), and two places famous for having copies of the Tengyur: Derge in Eastern Tibet, and Narthang near Shigatsé, Re-ting Monastery, Saskya (in Sa'gya County, Western Tibet, "the original centre of Tibetan culture"), the great Chang-Tang (Northern Plain) of Tibet.
Places in China mentioned by him: Pekin, Nanking.
See excellent photographs and interactive maps in The Tibet Album: British Photography in Central Tibet 1920-1950 website, with more than 6000 photographs.
  • Click here to see some of the places relevant to the last known trip of Theos Bernard.
The relevant places mentioned in section 'Circumstances of his probable death' are: Spiti near Ladakh, Punjab, Himalaya Mountains, Kulu Valley, Simla, New Delhi, Calcutta.
The Ki monastery, in the Spiti Valley, that a few weeks before the events mentioned in the news, it was still part of the British Punjab.
Los Angeles, California, Tombstone, Arizona, Dragoon Mountains, Arizona, New York. He also mentions[4] having visited the following cities for their public and private libraries: San Francisco and Chicago.
London, where touring after his 1936/37 trip to British India, Nepal and Tibet, he gave lectures that gained to him the nickname of "White Lama"[2].
Although Theos Bernard did not visit Mount Everest, it is present in the maps because he mentions[4] it regarding a test designed to estimate the will power of men going to climb it, and also because it is an important geographical marker. Try changing to satellite view and zooming in or out.

[edit] Publications

The following are Theos Bernard's publications. The legend "See preview" indicates that there is an available preview in Google Books.

  • Bernard, Theos C. (1939), Heaven Lies Within Us: the Attainment of Health and Happiness Through Yoga, New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, pp. 326 .
  • Bernard, Theos C. (1939), Penthouse of the Gods - A Pilgrimage Into the Heart of Tibet and the Sacred City of Lhasa, New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, pp. 344 . See preview
This book has also been published under a slightly different name, Land of a Thousand Buddhas: A Pilgrimage Into the Heart of Tibet and the Sacred City of Lhasa 
  • Bernard, Theos C. (1944), Hatha Yoga: The Report of a Personal Experience, New York: Columbia University Press, pp. xii, 68; plus XXXVI plates (introduction: 12, main text: 68; plus 36 plates) . This is the published version of his PhD thesis (See section 'Scholar Degrees').
  • Bernard, Theos C. (1945), The Philosophical Foundations of India, London: Rider . See preview
This book has also been published under a slightly different name, Hindu Philosophy .
  • Bernard, Theos C. (1946), A Simplified Grammar of the Literary Tibetan Language, Santa Barbara, California: Tibetan Text Society, pp. 65 .

[edit] See also



[edit] Notes

  1. ^ a b c d "Theos Casimir Bernard" by Paul G. Hackett. Excellent article and photographs.
  2. ^ a b c d e f "The Life and Works of Theos Bernard" by Paul G. Hackett. Excellent article and photographs.
  3. ^ a b Container List of the "Finding Aid to the Theos Bernard Papers, 1884-1998, bulk 1935-1947" by Paul G. Hackett. The subseries "2:1 . Academic . 1922-1943. Carton 1", part of the "Series 2 . Writings . 1936-1947. Cartons 1-2", contains drafts and final copies of Theos Bernard's MA thesis and PhD dissertation.
  4. ^ a b c d e f Bernard, Theos C., Heaven Lies Within Us: the Attainment of Health and Happiness Through Yoga . See section 'Publications'.
  5. ^ Bernard, Theos C. (2007), Penthouse of the Gods - A Pilgrimage Into the Heart of Tibet and the Sacred City of Lhasa, Benson Press, pp. 424, ISBN 1406744271 .

    "...With the coming, however, to Tibet of Padma Sambhava (whose reincarnation I am believed to be),..."

    chapter "Too good to be true", section 5, p.100.
  6. ^ a b Novelguide.com: Bernard, Theos (1908-1947).
  7. ^ "Theos Bernard in Tibet" by Paul G. Hackett. Excellent article and photographs.
  8. ^ "Theos Bernard Collection - East Asian and Bancroft Libraries" by Paul G. Hackett. Library of the University of California, Berkeley.
  9. ^ New York Times, October 31, 1947.
  10. ^ Bernard, Theos C., Hatha Yoga: The Report of a Personal Experience . See section 'Publications'.
  11. ^ Container List of the "Finding Aid to the Theos Bernard Papers, 1884-1998, bulk 1935-1947" by Paul G. Hackett. The "Series 8 . Glen Agazia Bernard . 1884-1976. Boxes 2, 4, 6, Cartons 5-8", contains materials relating to the life of Glen A. Bernard, the father of Theos Bernard.
  12. ^ Columbia University Health Sciences Library: Archives & Special Collections. This is a link to a .doc file, but you can also see it as html. See the content of "Box 20" and "Box 21".
  13. ^ Adoption History: Viola Wertheim Bernard (1907-1998).
  14. ^ The Personal Papers and Manuscripts - Viola Wertheim Bernard, 1907-1998 The Finding Aids of the Columbia University Health Sciences Library (HSL) Archives and Special Collections.
  15. ^ The Helen Graham Park Foundation.
  16. ^ Bernard, Theos C. (2007), Penthouse of the Gods - A Pilgrimage Into the Heart of Tibet and the Sacred City of Lhasa, Benson Press, pp. 424, ISBN 1406744271 

[edit] External links

Researchers and curators
  • Paul G. Hackett, Ph.D. Religion, Columbia University. His doctoral dissertation Barbarian Lands: Theos Bernard, Tibet, and the American Religious Life , presented the first comprehensive narrative of the life of Theos Bernard. He specializes in Tibetan and Tibetan culture. He also writes articles and gives lectures about Theos Bernard.
  • James Michael Mahar. Arizona State Library, Archives and Public Records.
  • Mona Nagai. University of California, Berkeley.
Research on Theos Bernard's documents and materials
Collections
Photographs
  • The Tibet Album: British Photography in Central Tibet 1920-1950. The Tibet Album website provides unprecedented access to more than 6000 photographs spanning thirty years of Tibet's history. The majority of these photographs were taken by an elite group of men who visited Tibet as civil servants representing the British Government. The photographs are concentrated in south and central Tibet.
  • The Bentley Beetham 1924 Everest Trust. Beetham’s legacy to future generations is his astounding collection of photographs that paint a portrait of Tibet shortly after the turn of the last century; a fateful moment in the history of mountaineering.


Persondata
NAME Bernard, Theos Casimir
ALTERNATIVE NAMES
SHORT DESCRIPTION scholar in philosophy, practitioner of Yoga and Tibetan Buddhism
DATE OF BIRTH December 10, 1908(1908-12-10)
PLACE OF BIRTH Los Angeles, California, United States
DATE OF DEATH September 1947
PLACE OF DEATH Himachal Pradesh, in the Punjab region of Bristish India