Once upon a time :) I had 3 blog posts on this topic of Christ and Krishna. Long story short, they got lost. Decades later I bumped into them! Tho it will take time, I am now posting them to this blog. Since they are long, I will divide them up, therefore there will be more then three. Starting here, number one.
Christ & Krishna Part Ia
What do Hare Krishna devotees believe about Christ? Do they believe in Jesus at all? What is Christ's connection to Krishna, if any? ....You may be able to add many more questions to the list. I have created this web page to answer just that. I hope it helps. Thanks. ~ Priitaa devi dasi
Jesus Christ Was A Guru - by Srila Prabhupada
"I offer my respectful obeisances unto all the Vaishnava devotees of the Lord. They are just like desire trees who can fulfill the desires of everyone, and they are full of compassion for the conditioned souls.' He takes responsibility for all the conditioned souls. That is the idea is also in the Bible. Jesus Christ took all the reactions of the people and sacrifice his life. That is the responsibility of the spiritual master." - From book: Perfect Answers, Perfect Questions, Ch. 6
"A Vaishnava should follow the example of such Vaishnava's as Haridas Thakura, Nityananda Prabhu and also Lord Jesus Christ." From scripture: Srimad Bhagavatam 4:6:47
"The Sanskrit word avatara literally means "he who descends." One who descends from the spiritual universe into the material universe through his own will is called an avatara. Sometimes Sri Krsna descends Himself, and sometimes He sends His representative. The major religions of the world--Christian, Hindu, Buddhist, and Moslem -- believe in some supreme authority or personality coming down from the kingdom of God. In the Christian religion, Jesus Christ claimed to be the son of God and to be coming from the kingdom of God to reclaim conditioned souls. As followers of Bhagavad-gita, we admit this claim to be true." Raja Vidya book, Ch. 6, Knowledge of Krishna's Appearance and Activities
"Lord Jesus Christ, for instance, was God Conscious, Krishna Conscious but he was not satisfied in keeping his knowledge within himself." Path Of Perfection, Ch. 5
"Lord Jesus Christ, he is saktyavesa-avatara, God's son. And he tolerated so much. These are the examples of mahatma. Don't misunderstand that we are preaching mahatma's are only in India. No." SP, Srimad Bhagavatam 5.5.3, Vrindavana India, October 25, 1976
"Jesus Christ was such a great personality-the son of God, the representative of God. He had no fault. Still, he was crucified. He wanted to deliver God consciousness, but in return they crucified him-they were so thankless. They could not appreciate his preaching. But we appreciate him and give him all honor as the representative of God.
Of course, the message that Christ preached was just according to his particular time, place, and country, and just suited for a particular group of people. But certainly he is the representative of God. Therefore we adore Lord Jesus Christ and offer our obeisances to him.
Once, in Melbourne, a group of Christian ministers came to visit me. They asked, "What is your idea of Jesus Christ?" I told them, "He is our guru. He is preaching God consciousness, so he is our spiritual master." The ministers very much appreciated that.
Actually, anyone who is preaching God's glories must be accepted as a guru. Jesus Christ is one such great personality. We should not think of him as an ordinary human being. The scriptures say that anyone who considers the spiritual master to be an ordinary man has a hellish mentality. If Jesus Christ were an ordinary man, then he could not have delivered God consciousness. ~ SSR/Science of Self Realization
PICTURES
I wish I had a scanner. (sigh) The pictures above do not adequately show what the ones I had at home revealed. These are just the closest thing to it I could find on the net. However, they do reveal a degree of what I am about to describe. That's why I included them here. Anyway, with no scanner, all I can do is describe the pictures I myself had.
There are two noteworthy ones, starting with the above Byzantine style of painting. What's so important about them? Read on.
A Byzantine painting is a mosaic of Jesus "based" on the Holy Shroud of Turin. I obtained a brochure which contained within it such a painting (not shown here). It had been circulated by devotees at the time. Now, if you don't believe the Shroud was Christ, that is your right but it is also another topic. Simply, it is not the subject matter of this web site.
While Byzantine are paintings and not the Shroud itself, we need to remember the artists copied details of the Shroud very carefully, making sure not concocted any markings. After all, the artists were devout Christians!
In the pictures I own (not shown on this site), a Byzantine painting of the Holy shroud, there is a very clear "V" mark down the center of the forehead. (Much more obvious than the ones above.) It took me by surprise. I did a double take. Yes, it WAS there!
Some may argue the point that since it's smaller on the above paintings maybe I am exaggerating. But small does not mean nonexistent. [UPDATE: My husband was an artist, served at F.A.T.E. studios. I had association with some artists. They do not make a scribble or small mark or such so-called mistakes. It is intentional.] Or one may argue that they themselves do not 'really' see it, so they at least find it doubtful. However, lets look to the experts. Not I, or the devotees who gave me the brochure, are the only persons to have noticed it. See what research scientists have to say about this:
Referring to the Byzantine paintings ~
"Researcher Paul Vignon, noticed "on the forehead between the eyebrows of this work a starkly geometrical |_| shape....When he turned to the equivalent point the Shroud face, there was the same feature, equally as geometric, and equally as unnatural because it appeared to have noting to do with the image itself.......... Ian Wilson, The Shroud of Turin - The Burial Cloth of Jesus Christ? (1978)
"Artists have copied certain characteristic details, technically known as Vignon markings, after the scientist who analyzed fifteen of them, such as a transverse steak across the forehead of the Shroud image, a V-shape at the bridge of the nose, two curling stands of hair in the middle of the forehead, a hairless area between the lower lip and the beard, and so forth. In some of the earliest copies...as many as thirteen of the fifteen details are discernible." ~ Noel Currer-Briggs, The Shroud and the Grail - A Modern Quest for the True Grail (1987)
Modern Christians have been unable to figure out what this geometric "V" is down Christ's nose and forehead. As a result, they have come up with a few idea's, though these idea's, probably innocently, do not take Vaisnavism (Krishna religion) into account.
The devotees of Lord Sri Krishna know what that mark is. For those who are unfamiliar, all Vaishnava's wear a clay marking down the center of the forehead which extends onto the bridge of the nose. We anoint our bodies as temples of God. Therefore we can understand why it was described as "unnatural." It is a Holy clay that is applied daily. Interesting that Christ was known as the "Anointed one."
While the transverse streak across Christ's forehead is not as deep, (not on Shroud or paintings), from the description we get here, it should be known there is a Sampradaya (lineage) called "Sri" (Shri). They are also devotees of Krishna but instead, wear one single line of tilaka across their forehead. Now, I am not claiming this is exactly what is on his forehead for certain, only another possibility many don't know about.
In addition, some claim the single line might be part of a "cross" marking. As a devotee of Krishna, some readers may be surprised that I have no problem with this. Currently, when we think of anything Christian, we tend to think of 'modern' Christianity, as that has been our life experience. With examination of Christ's original teachings we can see that what is now presented as his religion, and what he taught at the time, are often different. Jesus broke away from the old synagogues because they were not properly following, and were twisting scripture. Thus Christ started his 'new' religion called 'Christianity,' which was really the old religion improved upon. First, by emphasizing following rules and regulations correctly; then of course, he added many other elements that were of a much higher, more spiritual nature. Matter of fact, it is quite likely that original Christianity taught by Jesus, was one of the closest things for his people at that time to Vaisnavism. Remember, he appeared as the Messiah with a specified mission from God to save his people, the Jews. (Though he would save anyone, as we now know.) Therefore, if Christ should happen to have markings of the "cross" as a type of tilaka on his forehead, I have no problem with it. It represented the beginnings of Bhakti, or love and devotion to God/Krishna.
Next, there are others who claim the lines across the forehead are merely cloth markings, as any cloth would do, such as a bed sheet. Especially the single, more faint line going across, though maybe the others. Trying to remain unbiased and scientific, I took this into consideration. It's a possibility though seems very slim. And even if it is just a 'wrinkle' from cloth, in all my life I have never gotten a wrinkle from a bed sheet or any cloth that took the form of tilaka. Most haven't. All these various mystical images are not material ones like they would on our material body. Christ's body is forever transcendental. Thus, even from their point of view that it could be an indentation from cloth, I find it to be a spiritual one.
With that said, the geometric or "V" shape appears to be given most importance, showing up more strongly on the Shroud itself as well as the forehead marking the Byzantine artists more often picked of the two they would include on their paintings. Interesting how this correlates with the type of tilaka more widely used by Krishna devotees. Again, though admittedly this is my personal belief, I merely wish it to be taken into consideration since Christians who examine the Shroud usually don't know about it, or some, if fundamentalist, would do their best to deny or hide it.
In my humble opinion, Christ had a tilaka mark on his forehead. While I am inclined to believe that if he wore it than, he wore it always, even if sometimes hidden by use of 'water' tilaka, at least we have evidence that when Jesus thought he was about to be crucified to the death he made sure to have spiritual anointing tilaka markings on his forehead! Probably Holy clay.
We always do what we believe in the most when on our deathbed. Although I personally feel Jesus survived the crucifixion, (which is proven on my third web page), he still ran a close second to death. Therefore he took no risk, as well as set a good example.
(UPDATE: Additional info on the Shroud in my third site, Christ & Krishna Part III If you still don't believe it's Jesus, or simply want more, read this. - YET TO COME, CHECK BACK.)
The second picture I have is very clearly a carving of Christ with a child next to him, and we all know that Jesus loved the children! What's so different about this one? Here, the child (boy) has a tuft of hair at the back of his shaven head. This too is the marking of a devotee of Krishna by most male devotees, as this tuft of hair is called a sikha. It distinguishing us from impersonalists, who shave their entire head; whereas Vaishanva's leave this tuft indicating our difference, that we believe in a Personal God. Incidentally, the Shroud also shows a streak of hair much longer than the rest. Though this was an accepted Christian tradition as well. However, one can't help but wonder the various places it may have had it's (various) beginnings. Could there be some connection to the Essene's - a group Christ was significantly affiliated with for a period of time? Keep reading to learn about them.
UPDATE - I found it on the net!! The same picture I have had for .... 20 years or more! I wish it were a bit larger thus clearer, but still, the long tuft of hair in the back can clearly be seen.
THE LOST YEARS OF JESUS
Years ago when my child was in devotee nursery school I meandered over there a few minutes early. After all, school was about to be let out and I lived next door. Having struck up a bit of a friendship with the mataji (mother) in charge, we began to speak of an interesting magazine article she ran across. It revealed that Jesus lived in India! And Tibet! This was such compelling news then that I asked if I could xerox it, and she said yes. Therefore I don't have the magazine but I have a copy of this editorial. :-) Now it is recognized as excerpts from the book, "The Lost Years of Jesus," though at the time it was new. I wish to share what I saved all these years, with you. And in my humble opinion, it certainly appears that Christ was a devotee of Krishna to me. Read it and decide for yourself
Ancient scrolls reveal that Jesus spent seventeen years in the Orient. From age thirteen to age twenty-nine, he was both student and teacher.
The story of his pilgrimage from Jerusalem to Benares was recorded by Brahmanistic historians.
Today they still know him and love him as St. Issa. Their 'buddha'.
[NOTE: Issa (also spelled Isa but pronounced Isha) is Sanskrit for "God," and in Sanskirt it is explained that Krishna is the one Supreme God, the cause of all causes and all that is. Some also claim it could be "Isavara" or the "Supreme Controller." I'm not a Sanskrit scholar so I can't say, one way or the other. Anyhow, Christ always had the humble servant mentality, thus Issa-messiah or Issa das = servant of the Supreme Being/God or Krishna.]
Sixty three-references to the life of St. Issa are said to be locked up in the Vatican library.
Who knows about the lost manuscripts and why aren't they telling?
Who lifted from the gospels the missing part about the teenager who trekked to the Himalayas and became the Savior of the world?
"I'm sure the Orthodox Church thought they had that book buried a long time ago," Richard Bock told me as he handed over a copy of The Unknown Life of Christ. His interest in the lost years of Jesus began with this travel diary recorded in 1887 by Nicolas Notovitch, a Russian doctor who journeyed extensively throughout Afghanistan, India, and Tibet.
Dick Bock took the same tour in 1975 and produced a documentary film on the lost years. It includes impressive testimony by John C. Trevor, director of the Dead Sea Scrolls Project, and a nuclear physicist named Ralph Graeber. But the most convincing evidence comes from a little Buddhist monk who appears halfway through the film.
"Lord Jesus..." The old man shows one particularly shiny tooth as he speaks. His voice is high, like a tiny child.
I remember the impact of seeing a character like that on camera. I looked at his dark face, his saffron robe, and all those grimacing gods with too many heads and arms and legs. And I wondered how such a man could whisper with so much reverence the holy name of Jesus.
"... Lord Jesus was in India during what are known as the lost years of Jesus," he reports.
Lost years? I called to mind the mimeographed chronology of my Sunday-school coloring book and marginal notes in a New Testament college text. He's right, I thought. The Bible records Jesus age twelve in the temple. Then age thirty at the river Jordan. That leaves eighteen years unaccounted for.
But in India? It was hard to imagine my carpenter-of-Nazareth Jesus bathing in the Ganges, for instance.
Sitting in the lotus posture. I pictured a country where over six hundred million people are still struggling to enter the twentieth century. (They ride painted elephants, don't they?) How can this strange little man possibly know whether Jesus Christ ever set foot in India?
"Lhasa." The monk describes inhospitable territory that is traversed by a solitary road leading to a Tibetan monastery. Here, he says, there are records originally written in the Pali language-"ancient scrolls," he explains, curling his blunt fingers as if to open the rigid parchment before my eyes.
"Near Srinigar in the Happy Valley of Kashmir we find the legend of an extraordinary saint known to the Buddhists as St. Issa," says the monk. "Events in the life of Issa closely resemble that of Jesus Christ, revealing what are thought to be the lost years of our Lord."
It was a surprise to me that Jesus could have spent half his life in the Orient. It was a surprise that I had never wondered where the Master was all that time. To me he was simply "about my Father's business," as Luke wrote.
But what surprised me most was that this Buddhist acted like he knew Jesus. Not so much historically or theologically. But personally. To hear him speak of "Lord Jesus"-it felt just like Christmas when it suddenly seems appropriate to think of the Mighty God in an intimate and deeply loving sort of way.
I'll never forget Richard Bock's documentary starring the little Buddhist Christian. It changed my image of Jesus-and it began to change my image of myself.
That's what I told Mr. Bock when I went to him for research. He said that he had shared the same experience.
Isn't it true, we agreed, that our outer search for the lost years of Jesus is reflective of something going on within each one of us. When we look to find truth in ourselves, we are encouraged "by coincidence or fate or God," as Bock put it, to search for the truth of Jesus' life.
When I began to read Dick's dog-eared copy of The Unknown Life of Christ, I realized that Notovitch had followed nothing more than a childhood hunch that there was something "majestically colossal" about India. His book tells of the startling discovery of the Issa legend-very much by coincidence, no doubt by fate, and most certainly by the hand of God.
It's a great story. The aristocratic Dr. Notovitch and his coolies. "Sahib, take the gun!"
It reads like an old Geographic, rich in the delightful minutiae of bungalows and centipedes, tinned goods, portly lamas, silence and wonder.
Notovitch wandered through the picturesque passes of Bolan, over the Punjab, down into the arid rocks of Ladak, and, "as curiosity led me," beyond the celebrated Vale of Kashmir into that inviolable secrecy of the Himalayas. Land of the Eternal Snows.
During his investigation of this "marvelous country," Notovitch learned that there existed in the library at Lhasa ancient records of the life of Jesus Christ. In the course of a visit to the great convent Himis, he located a Tibetan translation of the legend and carefully noted in his carnet de voyage over two hundred verses from the curious document known as "The Life of St. Issa."
The legend recorded by Dr. Notovitch appears to be a collection of eyewitness accounts, a book of tales told by indigenous merchants arriving from Palestine where they had happened to be on business during the controversial execution of a man known as the "king of the Jews." This type of word-of-mouth news service is still popular in the fantastic bazaars of Calcutta and Bombay.
One of the narratives tells of an Israelite by the name of Issa, "blessed by God and the best of all," who was put to death by Pontius Pilate, the governor of Judea. Another detailed account traces the lineage of Issa and closely parallels Matthew's scrupulous chapter-one genealogy of Jesus Christ.
Dr. Notovitch never doubted the authenticity of these chronicles, diligently recorded in the Pali tongue by the Brahmanic and Buddhistic historians of India and Nepal. He determined to publish a translation of the Issa legend in at least one of the European languages and addressed himself enthusiastically to a number of respected ecclesiastics, "begging them to revise my notes" and give him an honest opinion.
Cardinal Rotelli opposed the publication of the legend for the ostensible reason that it would be premature. Meeting in Paris, Rotelli told Notovitch that "the Church suffers already too much from the new wave of atheistical thought." In Rome, Notovitch showed the Himis manuscript to a cardinal who was au mieux with the pope. "What would be the good of publishing this?" said the prelate. "You will make yourself a crowd of enemies. If it be a question of money which interests you..."
The cardinal did not succeed in bribing Dr. Notovitch. But to this day nobody has ever heard of St. Issa. I wondered why. (I would have loved to color Jesus riding a painted elephant.)
There was, as Notovitch put it, a "picturesque situation" at the Himis gonpa the day his caravan arrived. "The doors of the convent opened wide, giving access to some twenty persons disguised as animals, birds, devils, and monsters of every kind." It was a religious mystery play. Culture shock for a Russian orthodox.
"My head was in a whirl," Notovitch confessed. "Young men, dressed as warriors, came out from the temple. They wore monstrous green masks. Making an infernal din with their tambourines and bells, they gyrated round the gods seated on the ground…." The prolonged spectacle was rewarded by an invitation from the chief lama for a drink of "tchang" in honor of the festival.
Notovitch seated himself on a bench opposite the venerable lama. "What signification have all these masks, costumes, bells, and dances-?" he asked diplomatically.
The lama outlined for Notovitch a short history of Tibetan Buddhism, ending with a keen indictment of the priest class, so-called Brahmans, who had made the holy doctrine a matter of commerce. "Our first holy prophets, to whom we give the title of Buddhas, established themselves of old in various countries of the globe," he said. "Their preachings aimed before all at the tyranny of the Brahmans..." Here Notovitch seized an opportunity to broach the subject so near at heart.
During a recent visit that I made to a gonpa," he began, "one of the lamas told me about a certain prophet, or, as you would say, a Buddha of the name of Issa. Can you tell me anything relative to his existence?"
"The name of Issa is held in great respect by the Buddhists," replied the lama. "But little is known about him save by the chief lamas who have read the scrolls relative to his life.
"The documents concerning his existence-brought from India to Nepal and from Nepal to Thibet--are written in the Pali language and are now in Lassa. But a copy in our language-that is, the Thibetan--exists in this convent."
"Would you be committing a sin to recite these copies to a stranger?" Notovitch ventured.
"That which belongs to God belongs also to man," said the lama. "I am doubtful where the papers are to be found. But if ever you visit our gonpa again, I shall be pleased to show them to you."
Dr. Notovitch was doubtful when he would consider returning to the wilderness of Hindustan. He remembered the "carnivorous inhabitants" of Kangra. And Zodgi-La, where his caravan tiptoed across projectures in the rock no more than a meter wide. "My heart stood still more than once during my perilous journey."
But, as fortune would have it, a violent fall from his horse furnished Notovitch with an unexpected excuse for an immediate return to the monastery. His fractured leg was bound in an extemporized splint -"one coolie supporting my leg while another led my horse by the bridle."
The caravan arrived back at Himis late that evening.
"Hearing of my accident, everyone came out to meet me," Notovitch recalled. "I was carried with great care to the best of their chambers under the immediate surveillance of the superior, who affectionately pressed the hand which I offered him in gratitude."
The affable lama kept Notovitch entertained throughout the following day with endless stories. At last, "acceding to my earnest entreaties," he brought out two large yellowed volumes and read to him the biography of St. Issa. Notovitch enlisted a member of his party to translate the Tibetan while he carefully noted each verse in the back pages of his journal.
The legend begins with the crucifixion.
The earth has trembled and the heavens have wept because of a great crime which has been committed in the land of Israel.
For they have tortured and there put to death the great and just Issa, in whom dwelt the soul of the universe,
Which was incarnate in a simple mortal in order to do good to men and to exterminate their evil thoughts
And in order to bring back man degraded by his sins to a life of peace, love, and happiness and to recall to him the one and indivisible Creator, whose mercy is infinite and without bounds....
At this time came the moment when the all-merciful Judge elected to become incarnate in a human being.
And the Eternal Spirit, dwelling in a state of complete inaction and of supreme beatitude, awoke and detached itself for an indefinite period from the Eternal Being,
So as to show forth in the guise of humanity the means of self-identification with Divinity and of attaining to eternal felicity,
And to demonstrate by example how man may attain moral purity and, by separating his soul from its mortal coil, the degree of perfection necessary to enter into the kingdom of heaven, which is unchangeable and where happiness reigns eternal.
Soon after, a marvelous child was born in the land of Israel, God himself speaking by the mouth of this infant of the frailty of the body and the grandeur of the soul.
The parents of the newborn child were poor people, belonging by birth to a family of noted piety, who, forgetting their ancient grandeur on earth, praised the name of the Creator and thanked him for the ills with which he saw fit to prove them.
To reward them for not turning aside from the way of truth, God blessed the firstborn of this family. He chose him for his elect and sent him to help those who had fallen into evil and to cure those who suffered.
The divine child, to whom was given the name of Issa, began from his earliest years to speak of the one and indivisible God, exhorting the souls of those gone astray to repentance and the purification of the sins of which they were culpable.
People came from all parts to hear him, and they marveled at the discourses proceeding from his childish mouth. All the Israelites were of one accord in saying that the Eternal Spirit dwelt in this child.
When Issa had attained the age of thirteen years, the epoch when an Israelite should take a wife,
The house where his parents earned their living by carrying on a modest trade began to be a place of meeting for rich and noble people, desirous of having for son-in-law the young Issa, already famous for his edifying discourses in the name of the Almighty.
Then it was that Issa left the parental house in secret, departed from Jerusalem, and with the merchants set out towards Sind,
With the object of perfecting himself in the Divine Word and of studying the laws of the great Buddhas.
According to the legend, Issa left his father's house secretly at age thirteen. He joined a merchant caravan and arrived in India "this side of the Sind" sometime during his fourteenth year.
Young Issa, the Blessed One, traveled south to Gujarat, through the country of the five streams and Rajputana, then on to the holy cities of Jagannath and Benares where Brahman priests taught him Vedic scripture.
Issa continued north into the Himalayas and settled in the country of the Gautamides, followers of the Buddha Gautama, where for six years he applied himself to the study of the sacred sutras. He left India in his twenty-sixth year, traveling to Persepolis, to Athens, to Alexandria.
Issa was twenty-nine when he returned to Israel--and reentered the familiar gospel of St. Luke, chapter three. His baptism by John in the river Jordan.
Criticism of "The Life of St. Issa" recorded by Nicolas Notovitch began soon after its original publication.
A trenchant note from the author "To the Publishers" in the later English translation counters allegations that he never entered Tibet, "that I am an impostor," and that the Himis manuscript never existed at all.
Notovitch argues that the Vatican library contains sixty-three manuscripts in various Oriental languages which refer to the Issa legend-documents brought to Rome by Christian missionaries from India, China, Egypt, and Arabia. He even suggests that one of the missioners may have been the apostle Thomas-yes, "doubting Thomas," the empiricist.
That is possible. According to the Catholic Encyclopedia, St. Thomas evangelized India and the territory between the Persian Gulf and the Caspian Sea. The apocryphal Acts of Thomas describe him as a carpenter who preached the gospel and performed miracles. He could not have preached in his native Greek to men who spoke only Pali or Sanskrit. So it is possible, even probable that he wrote or edited the historical narratives we now know as "The Life of St. Issa."
Notovitch says that he believes in the authenticity of the Buddhist narrative "because I see nothing that can contradict or invalidate it from a historical or theological point of view."
"Before criticizing my' communication." He suggests, "any learned society can equip a scientific expedition having for its mission the investigation of these manuscripts on the spot."
In 1922, a punditic disciple of Ramakrishna named Swami Abhedananda took Notovitch up on his offer.
Abhedananda lived in North America for a quarter of a century, traveled extensively, and was acquainted with Thomas Edison, William James, and Dr. Max Muller. He was fascinated by Jesus and skeptical of Notovitch.
Abhedananda journeyed into the arctic region of the Himalayas, determined to find a copy of the Himis manuscript or to expose the fraud. His book of travels, entitled Kashmir 0 Tibetti, tells of a visit to the Himis gonpa and includes a Bengali translation of two hundred twenty-four verses essentially the same as the Notovitch text. Abhedananda was thereby convinced of the authenticity of the Issa legend.
In 1925, another Russian named Nicholas Roerich arrived at Himis. Roerich, the towering artist, was also a profound philosopher and a distinguished scientist. He apparently saw the same documents as Notovitch and Abhedananda. And he recorded in his own travel diary the same legend of St. Issa.
Nicholas Roerich was a man of strong and definite personality. His writing is characteristically intimate and eloquent.
Speaking of Issa, Roerich quotes legends which have the estimated antiquity of many centuries.
... He passed his time in several ancient cities of India such as Benares. All loved him because Issa dwelt in peace with Vaishas and Shudras whom he instructed and helped. But the Brahmins and Kshatriyas told him that Brahma forbade those to approach who were created out of his womb and feet. The Vaishas were allowed to listen to the Vedas only on holidays and the Shudras were forbidden not only to be present at the reading of the Vedas, but could not even look at them.
[NOTE: What is being discussed above is the caste system. Briefly, it consists of 1) brahmana as the priestly or first class persons, 2) Kshatriya's or warriors as second class, 3) Vaishya's or farmers and mercantile workers (including businessmen), and lastly 4) Shurdra's or the laborers. While it can be noticed that even if such names are removed, these different natured persons exist in all societies, the kali yuga caste system is about rubber stamp everyone according to birth and not giving credit according to qualification. Thus, no one was allowed to learn how to elevate themselves. Prabhupada has spoken out strongly against this. He has always taught that anyone can elevate themselves who has the desire to do so.
Now, Jesus was not against all brahmana's, only those under the bodily concept of life. For that matter, Jesus himself studied under (qualified) brahmanas. Here is an excerpt from "The Life of St. Issa," a book almost identical to this excerpt "The Lost Years." Many translations are exactly the same, only that there are more details:
"But he (Jesus) left the misguided admirers of Djaine and visited Juggernaut, in the province of Orsis, where the remains of Vyasa-Krishna rest, and where he received a joyous welcome from the white priests of Brahma. (Chapter 5,3).
They taught him to read and understand the Vedas, to heal by prayer, to teach and explain the Holy Scripture, to cast out evil spirits from the body of man and give him back human semblance (Chapter 5,4). "
--- Djaine is in reference to the Buddhists. Next, it's interesting that, Jesus accepted the name "Issa" or "Issa das," which translates as "servant of the One Supreme God or Lord Krishna."]
Issa said that man had filled the temples with his abominations. In order to pay homage to metals and stones, man sacrificed his fellows in whom dwells a spark of the Supreme Spirit. Man demeans those who labor by the sweat of their brows, in order to gain the good will of the sluggard who sits at the lavishly set board. But they who deprive their brothers of the common blessing shall be themselves stripped of it.
[NOTE: Jesus was not against Deity worship. What is being criticized here are the hypocrites. Prabhupada has explained that if we do not follow the regulative principles and take nice care of the Deity, and if we see the Deity as stone, then eventually the God will leave. If those in the temples where Jesus visited were only putting on a show of religiosity but within only viewed the Deity as metal or stone, then Jesus saw through this. And if they did not respect, what to speak of honor, the other devotees of Krishna merely because they were laborers, etc., then they were not religious but committing an offense called vaisnava aparadha.]
Vaishas and Shudras were struck with astonishment and asked what they could perform. Issa bade them "Worship not the idols. Do not consider yourself first. Do not humiliate your neighbor. Help the poor. Sustain the feeble. Do evil to no one. Do not covet that which you do not possess and which is possessed by others."
[NOTE: Just wanted to reiterate that Jesus was not against Deity worship, but he was against idol worship. There is a difference, though it would require an entire web page for that. Maybe someday. :-) For now we can sum up that when the Deity is in accordance to eternal, transcendental scripture and not a man-made concoction, this is nondifferent from God. As touched on above, Jesus lived in and preferred the temples in Jagannatha Puri, India, or "Juggurnaut." Very well known Krishna Deities are there, which makes me wonder if some of the temples Christ previously lectured in were demi-god temples. Additionally, it is also stated in "The Aquarian Gospel of Jesus the Christ" that he was a student in Jagannatha Puri!]
Many, learning of such words, decided to kill Issa. But Issa, forewarned, departed from this place by night.
Afterward, Issa went into Nepal and into the Himalayan mountains ....
"Well, perform for us a miracle," demanded the servitors of the Temple. Then Issa replied to them: "Miracles made their appearance from the very day when the world was created. He who cannot behold them is deprived of the greatest gift of life. But woe to you, enemies of men, woe unto you, if you await that He should attest his power by miracle."
Issa taught that men should not strive to behold the Eternal Spirit with one's own eyes but to feel it with the heart, and to become a pure and worthy soul....
"Not only shall you not make human offerings, but you must not slaughter animals, because all is given for the use of man. Do not steal the goods of others, because that would be usurpation from your near one. Do not cheat, that you may in turn not be cheated ....
"Beware, ye, who divert men from the true path and who fill the people with superstitions and prejudices, who blind the vision of the seeing ones, and who preach subservience to material things. "...
Then Pilate, ruler of Jerusalem, gave orders to lay hands upon the preacher Issa and to deliver him to the judges, without however, arousing the displeasure of the people.
But Issa taught: "Do not seek straight paths in darkness, possessed by fear. But gather force and support each other. He who supports his neighbor strengthens himself
"I tried to revive the laws of Moses in the hearts of the people. And I say unto you that you do not understand their true meaning because they do not teach revenge but forgiveness. But the meaning of these laws is distorted."
Then the ruler sent to Issa his disguised servants that they should watch his actions and report to him about his words to the people.
"Thou just man, "said the disguised servant of the ruler of Jerusalem approaching Issa, "Teach us, should we fulfill the will of Caesar or await the approaching deliverance?"
But Issa, recognizing the disguised servants, said, "I did not foretell unto you that you would be delivered from Caesar; but I said that the soul which was immersed in sin would be delivered from sin."
At this time, an old woman approached the crowd, but was pushed back. Then Issa said, "Reverence Woman, mother of the universe,' in her lies the truth of creation. She is the foundation of all that is good and beautiful. She is the source of life and death. Upon her depends the existence of man, because she is the sustenance of his labors. She gives birth to you in travail, she watches over your growth. Bless her. Honor her. Defend her. Love your wives and honor them, because tomorrow they shall be mothers, and later-progenitors of a whole race. Their love ennobles man, soothes the embittered heart and tames the beast. Wife and mother-they are the adornments of the universe."
"As light divides itself from darkness, so does woman possess the gift to divide in man good intent from the thought of evil. Your best thoughts must belong to woman. Gather from them your moral strength, which you must possess to sustain your near ones. Do not humiliate her, for therein you will humiliate yourselves. And all which you will do to mother, to wife, to widow or to another woman in sorrow-that shall you also do for the Spirit."
So taught Issa; but the ruler Pilate ordered one of his servants to make accusation against him.
Said Issa: "Not far hence is the time when by the Highest Will the people will become purified and united into one family."
And then turning to the ruler, he said, "Why demean thy dignity and teach thy subordinates to live in deceit when even without this thou couldst also have had the means of accusing an innocent one?"
From another version of the legend, Roerich quotes fragments of thought and evidence of the miraculous.
Near Lhasa was a temple of teaching with a wealth of manuscripts. Jesus was to acquaint himself with them. Meng-ste, a great sage of all the East, was in this temple.
Finally Jesus reached a mountain pass and in the chief city of Ladak, Leh, he was joyously accepted by monks and people of the lower class .... And Jesus taught in the monasteries and in the bazaars (the market places); wherever the simple people gathered--there he taught.
Not far from this place lived a woman whose son had died and she brought him to Jesus. And in the presence of a multitude, Jesus laid his hand on the child, and the child rose healed. And many brought their children and Jesus laid his hands upon them, healing them.
Among the Ladakis, Jesus passed many days, teaching them. And they loved him and when the time of his departure came they sorrowed as children.
Nicholas Roerich's Central Asiatic Expedition lasted four and a half years. In that time he traveled from Sikkim through the Punjab and into Kashmir, Ladak, Karakorum, Khotan, and Irtysh, then over the Altai Mountains and through the Oyrot region into Mongolia, Central Gobi, Kansu, and Tibet. "We learned how widespread are the legends about Issa," he writes. "The sermons related in them, of unity, of the significance of woman and all the indications about Buddhism, are so remarkably timely for us."
Although Roerich was familiar with "The Life of St. Issa" recorded by Nicolas Notovitch thirty-five years before, "the local people know nothing of any published book," he says. Yet "they know the legend and with deep reverence they speak of Issa....
"It is significant to hear a local inhabitant, a Hindu, relate how Issa preached beside a small pool near the bazaar under a great tree, which now no longer exists. In such purely physical indications you may see how seriously this subject is regarded."
I agree with a sensitive Hindu who told Nicholas Roerich that "it is difficult to understand why the wandering of Issa by caravan path into India and into the region now occupied by Tibet should be so vehemently denied."
What's wrong with my children knowing that Jesus went to school, too? What's wrong with explaining to me that my Exemplar pursued a tough inner discipline? That he studied the Upanishads, perhaps even Plato and Pythagoras. He was born without purse or pedigree. He worked hard within the free enterprise of individual integrity.
Jesus Christ earned his grace and truth in the sense that he, like all of us, had to choose to externalize the Within so that the son of man might be the transparency for the Son of God. More than ever before I now know that because he lived I can overcome.
I know him in his holy innocent, bright and obedient boyhood. I know him in his strong, searching youth engaged in the Quest-finding and becoming the Teacher and the teaching as a young adult. I know him in the one fully Self-realized as the Word incarnate, the Healer, the Fiery Baptizer and the One Sent to sacrifice for the many.
Because in all of these Jesus is my example, I, too, will freely work the works of Him that sent me.
~*~
The legend of St. Issa persists to this day among street people and scholars in holy cities and remote villages throughout India and Tibet. But few have ever seen the Himis manuscript. Perhaps no one ever will.
Chinese Communists invaded Tibet in 1947 and what remains of the Buddhist gonyas and their ancient archives is unknown. But even before the Communist occupation, the written "Life of St. Issa" seems to have disappeared.
Richard Bock describes a visit to a monastery in Calcutta where a man named Prajnananda testifies that he had heard from Abhedananda--"from his own lips"--that the manuscripts did exist at Himis in 1922. A few years later, however, those scrolls were no longer there.
"They have been removed," Prajnananda told Bock, "by whom we do not know."
"Dick," I said, "are they in the Vatican?"
"Notovitch thought so."
"Then why doesn't the Church..."
"You have to go back to the early days of Christianity," Bock interrupted. "They wanted a strong church. They thought they had to control the people. So they treated them like children who don't have the capacity to understand a deeper significance. They created a religion for 'commonplace minds', as Notovitch put it."
"Where is the Jesus they know in the East?" I asked. "Where is the striving, the sense of a personal Christhood, so to speak?"
"Jesus lives in the hearts of the Hindus and the Buddhists," Bock said.
That's where Jesus really lives--in the hearts of us all.
In His name I demand to see those manuscripts. Whatever the Vatican thinks is too much for my mentality-let me decide. Let me know all there is to know. Don't let me lose faith because I've been spoon-fed a diluted doctrine that cannot satisfy the hunger of my soul to know that man, that Master Jesus-my Lord.
Anyone interested in reading some excerpts from "The Aquarian Gospel of Jesus the Christ," please see SOON TO BE POSTED, CHECK BACK.
Related or Helpful Links:
With all that's going on in the world at this time, and some people preparing to cook Christmas Dinner, here is a link - not with recipes exactly - but idea's in general to cook at a cheaper cost, along with other help for our times.
Christ & Krishna Blog Post Part_1B: Next part of this blog post. It covers: Expansions Of The Basic Tenets Of Christianity to Krishna Consciousness [Some words in the Bible and their Greek meaning], Vegetarianism in the Bible, Prabhupada talks with Priests, More!
Christ & Krishna Blog Post Part 2: Excerpts from the Aquarian Gospel of Jesus the Christ with some of my personal Krishna C understandings of it, followed by Prabhupada quotes on Jesus, RathaYatra, etc.
Christ and Krishna: Former post on this blog on the topic before I found my web pages.
