I just read, with great relish ,the Book named “JESUS LIVED
IN India, by Holger Kersten ( Penguin Books).
This is a book that will be very interesting for all
Christians ( and non-Christians with even academic interest in that faith ),
especially those who erroneously believe that the current versions of the holy
book contains and records all that is worth knowing about Jesus Christ. The
book mainly deals with “THE HISTORICAL JESUS” as opposed to “The Religious Jesus”.
The latter aspect is ( sadly) what almost all Christians concern themselves
with. Since Jesus did live on this earth, then the historical Jesus is as
important and his religious contributions, no doubt.
The author convinced me as a reader on the following .......
·
That Jesus spent the missing years from age 12
to 30, in India; specifically in Kashmir. Even today there are places,
monuments and ------ with names alluding to |Jesus , his mother Mary, and even
Moses, in Kashmir ( the Indian part of Kashmir). The book’s basics are founded
on two European researchers who visited relevant locations and read Budhist
historical recordings which are available for us to inspect. The place 'Baramulla' ( 12 Mullas or priestly persons) is probably
a reference to Twelve Disciples of Christ.
·
Jesus used the SILK ROUTE to reach Kashmir. Very
many of Jesus’ admonitions and teachings
came from Buddhist teachings and beliefs. Many of those are quoted by him
verbatim. There is no doubt in any one’s mind that Buddhism dated centuries
before Christ.
·
Jesus did not actually die on the Cross. Joseph
of Arimethea and even one of the Roman Centurions ( the latter being a secret
admirer and follower of Jesus) planned ahead and got release of his body before
he actually died ( but was in a mild coma, due to loss of fluids and and a sedative administered through a
sponge dipped in “a liquid”). The
Centurion fed Jesus a liquid containing
a combination of Poppy Alkaloids ( known even at that time as a sleep inducing drug). In that stupor,
when Pilate was convincingly informed that Jesus had indeed died ( whereas he
did not) gave permission for Jesus to be dismounted from cross. With alacrity
Joseph of Arimethea and his confidants got him down ( before Jesus regained
consciousness) wrapped him in cloth ( the shroud of Turin is that cloth)
impregnated with herbal poultice known for preventing infection of wounds and
with quick wound healing properties and went through the charade of “burying
him”
·
The Shroud of Turin has been proved to be
genuine over the years and it showed blood stains which showed that Jesus was
alive but anesthetized with herbal drugs. Corpses do not bleed.
·
If he was a SPIRIT who rose from the dead and
walked through locked doors, why was it necessary to roll off the stone
covering the grave ?
·
If he was SPIRIT ( the risen Jesus) how could he
show wound marks to Thomas ( the doubting Thomas) How can spirit being have
bodily scars of wounds and holes where nails and spears were driven in ?
·
The “angels” said to have been sitting inside
the Grave after Jesus had gone, were actually “Essenes” a Jewish Community (
Pre- Jesus) who had almost all the characteristics of later day Christians but
without the redeeming teachings of
Jesus, much of which in any case was borrowed from Buddhism, from India.
·
Jesus therefore did not ‘resurrect’ but he was ‘ resuscitated’,
after the effect of anesthetics wore off and the poultice nearly healed his
wounds. That is why Thomas could put his finger in to the deep woulds and get
convinced that it was indeed Jesus that he was talking to.
·
After ‘rising’ ( risen from dead was a figure of
speech), Jesus with his mother left the region of Palestine, because if he was
found alive his tormentors would arrest him and kill him. So he took the ‘silk
route’ again with mother Mary as well as a few of his disciples ( surely Thomas was included in the team) and returned to
India ( Kashmir).
·
Mary’s tomb is still venerated at a place in
today’s Pakistan called ‘Murrie’. Jesus lived in Kashmir till old age ( 80 or
so) and died peacefully and is buried there. The tomb is still there for all to
see.
·
The well known fact of St. Thomas Christians of
South India fits- in well here as Jesus could direct Thomas to go to South
India from North India ( rather than from west Asia) to spread his gospel, and
the Thomas could easily reach there and do his job. Therefore we have had
Christians in Kerala / Tamil Nadu region from AD 52.
·
The christian order of worship and order of
Church as a concept as we know as well
as christian belief are all the creation of St Paul. So what we Christians
practice is PAULISM and not JESUSISM or
Christism. I personally feel convinced about this expose`
Notes:
The book in no way
reduces the importance of Jesus. We all know that the plain factual history of
Jesus has not been explored. HIS life was always been treated with religious fervor and total unquestioning belief
in the Bible, till today. With due deference to Bible, we should have studied
the birth to death life history ( keeping apart his religious teachings and
acts) of the man which got sidelined for some reason or the other, by many
Other chapters that
should have been in the Bible ( i.e Mary Magdalene’s as well as Gospel of St
Thomas, which were later discovered as the originals of other ‘included’
chapters were discovered earlier) were ignored. Why ? I am referring to the Dead
Sea Scrolls and Nag Hammadi relics. The religious councils and their adherents
ignored them. The book in review here explains that the ‘resurrection’ was in
fact ‘ resuscitation’ . However for
increased impact ( as was the wont of religions that arose before and after Christianity the the council of Constantine and other ‘councils’ wanted the
“ascent of the person in earthly body” story to stay, for added impact and
consumption of the common people who did not understand anything of all this
any way. The Church leaders have an agenda in their favor for all of us to
believe whatever they dish out.
I have in my simple
thinking noted very early in life that Jesus NEVER said he was God or
god.Accordingly when asked “ Lord how should we pray” ? , he said “ OUR FATHER
WHO ART IN HEAVEN..... FOR EVER AND EVER” etc. Jesus COULD have said if he wanted : “ pray to
me, The Christ”. He did not do so. More over Jesus explained many times that he
was “ son of God” just as all of us are Sons and Daughters of God.
In my personal opinion
Jesus was the most perfect human being blessed by God a million times more than
any other being and is worthy of all of us to submit to him as the greatest
GURU for all times. It is appropriate here to define GURU ( GU-RU). The one
that removes darkness and brings in light. Darkness being ‘lack of knowledge’
and light being ‘good knowledge’.
In my opinion, the
priest class has misled us through millenia and are still at it. Two of class
mates who are priests freely but in person agreed to that view. No wonder that
large numbers of youth are LEAVING the ritual ridden main line church
denominations and forming smaller groups where they sing and worship without
set rituals and litany in Syriac or Latin and other mambo jumbo, which most
people do not understand.
The ‘communion’ also
has to be understood in the context of Christ’s visits to India and the
‘sacrifice’ routine that existed in the region at that time ( and even today in
many places of worship).
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