Jesus Lived in India- by Holger Kersten

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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