Sunday, September 19, 2010

The Word ?

It is in human nature to ignore and wish away what that we feel is not convenient to us, our beliefs and perceived well being. We are well adept in closing our eyes to the many possibilities that life throws up. Our conditioning has much to do with this. Since we are taught to be subservient and comply with the system. Not to ask inconvenient questions. What attracted me to Hollger Kersten’s book “Jesus Lived in India” ,published by Penguin was the audacity of inquisitiveness, a profane trait as seen by many. C has now begun reading the book. The good thing about her, she is not shackled by icons and fear of malediction. I bought the book after seeing it with a woman who claims to be a devout catholic. I was certain that when she told me that she read the book it was a monolithic lie. Because people of her genre are a frightened lot, they cannot but wear blinkers.




Many European travellers to Kashmir have recorded the possibility- of Jesus living in India.
Suppression of truth, search for knowledge and light has always been practised down history. And the author of this book quotes ample conjectures that points to culpability of not only the Church but also of the apostles some of whom may have allegedly misrepresented facts in narrating the life crucifiction and resurrection of Jesus. 

According to the Old Testament Moses led the Jews from Egypt to the Promised Land, (which they usurped from the Palestinians to become later the modern day Israel). But according to the evidence bared by  Hollger Kersten this Promised Land was not Palestine but the valley of Kashmir.The first set of evidence is that several locales mentioned in the Old Testament carry strong similarities in name and description to places in and near the Kashmir valley. Secondly the native Kashmiri people bear strong resemblances to Jews in physical characteristics. Thirdly the customs of Kashmir is having fascinating similarities to those of the Jews. The book has to be read to understand how a group settled in Kashmir.
Then come the galvanizing parts of Kersten’s disclosures- Jesus spent much of his teen and youth in a Monastery in India, studying Buddhism. He then went back to the Middle East where he preached all the knowledge and wisdom he gathered in the orient. The conjecture cannot be shooed away, because after being born and reared in a faith (Judaism) which literally embraces the dictum, “an eye of an eye, and tooth for a tooth”, Jesus was known to have preached compassion, forgiveness and repentance, traits clearly alien to his people but ascribed to the oriental religion of Buddhism. If not for the influence of alien faith and religion, from where and how did he imbibe these laudable principles and wisdom? Another vital point that the self proclaimed biblical historians could not explain was the whereabouts of Christ from his adolescence to the very late twenties. It is known from the bible and other historical documents that Christ was seen back in Palestine in his thirtieth year.


 Last but not the least, Jesus survived the Crucifixion, not just in Spirit but also in body and then returned to India and continued to spread his message. He finally died in Kashmir in ripe old age.  His tomb exists in Kashmir still. "In the middle of Srinagar's old town stands the building known as 'Roza Bal',which is constructed over the burial place of 'Yuz Azaf',who  the evidence strongly suggest is none other than Jesus". The harrowing period of the crucifiction ,the fascinating rescue and medical care ,escape to safety of the east along with his Essene  disciples are all  well explained with proof and evidence.


While Kersten acknowledges that many Christians may accuse him of fleecing Christianity of its core message that Christ died on the cross to salvage humanity by bearing on him our sins, the author argues that this was not the factual message that came from Christ but from the apostles who gave us their interpretations of Christ’s life and preaching. Jesus on the other hand, preached love, tolerance and harmony! His life in itself conveys that central message. It was Paul who made out Jesus died on the cross to bring salvation to mankind.

Kersten opines that if a DNA test could be conducted on the shroud of Turin that is believed to have been used to drape the body of Christ (later scientifically proved to be hoax) and on the remains in the tomb a conclusive proof for his claims can be found, but that may seldom happen in our times.Kersten argues that the scientific testing on the authenticity of the shroud was questionable.


Through out the book, the  author based his theory on facts, legends, the scriptures including Koran and lot of historical postulations and evidence. When one carefully note the volume of evidence and historical materials that are described and laid bare in the book, these theories cannot be rubbished as that of an apostate.
This book  may be blasphemous for many but for the inquiring  the book is a treat and of much history and why not’s..
This also reminds of a work of fiction by Irving Wallace ’The Word’, where the officialdom moves mountains to stop the revelation of a Bible long lost and found.


The faithful might brand the book iconoclastic perversion, but only that they speaketh with eyes closed.
 

15 comments:

Tomz said...

Hi,

I have heard about this book and many of the arguments pointed out in your post before.

Its is true that Bible does not give any information regarding Christ's activities during the time from his teens to 30th.

There is high possibility for Him to have been staying in the regions of India imbibing the knowledge of compassion and love.

Your blog is very informative and interesting.

I feel pity in not becoming a reader of you before..

Thank you. keep blogging..

A New Beginning said...

There were so many things that happened but does such accounts prove their authenticity in any way...even those innumerable history books cant..is just that a writer or historian shouldnt mould history in such a way that it hurts someone, considering the fact that they are just assumptions.

Arun Meethale Chirakkal said...

Very interesting. I think our time demands more and more of such efforts that of debunking the popular beliefs and myths. Indeed, the so called believers will fight tooth
and nail to prevent it and won’t let the cat out of the bag. Pray for them for they don’t know what they are doing.

RGB said...

And there are a million such books that state many such "facts". But what is the authenticity or credibility of such books, where the core subject is itself based on assumptions of the missing years of Jesus?!

I believe religion and faith are dicey subjects and no one has the right to authoritatively condemn the other based on half-truths or lies!

Balachandran V said...

Duh! Whether Jesus was ever in India or not is as important as whether Aiswarya Rai had Dosa or Iddli for breakfast!
What matters is what Jesus said - and did- and what Christians have done in His name!

anilkurup59 said...

@ Tomz
I would say it is a must read book purely from academic point of view.

@ A New Beginning
Hurt some one? who is hurt and why?

@Arun Meethale Chirakkal
Everyone who can see and accept will know that the version of the book now accepted was chosen from the many versions that were eventually discarded by Constantine the Emperor. And all the rest including the alleged Gospel of Judas disappeared, perhaps destroyed.

@ RGB

Gospels and scriptures too are not historically factual. They also contain half truths and innuendos too. The book I mentioned dosen't ridicule.It goes through various historical facts bits ,evidence still lying around to piece together.Perhaps treading off an oft beaten path is quite haunting isnt it?

@ Bals,

You went off the question here which is just this book.To answer your question hypocrisy has to be shelved by the so called faithful s.

The Holy Lama said...

As long as our quests are about the main characters of a religion, we are far away from truth. The quest should be for essence in teachings, not about the life, nativity or relations. Just think of them as scientists who have put forth hypotheses. It is for us to delve deep and find it it meets our understanding.
All these kinds of books make interesting read and then you leave it on the shelf. You don't go back seeking an answer, warmth or solace.

anilkurup59 said...

@ The Holy Lama,

There are many books that are iconoclastic.It is up to the reader to discern.
And don't you feel it could be quite lonely on a strange path like this , that you close your eyes and wish it away?
I do not know of some one getting solace out of reading a historically
researched book of academic value.Do you?

deeps said...

Good one… I have read this one with lots of expectations….they have even given some photographs in it…. But didn’t find it very convincing unless we read it with a doubting mind… interestingly, we are all after the little information or details available to negate what our faith has made us believe….well, that’s what provoked me to lay my hand on this title ….

sujata sengupta said...

I had no clue about this. Really was informed from the post. Now am itching to do some research my self on his missing years.

anilkurup59 said...

@ Deeps

Myth shrouded in religious flavour and some history may be quite difficult decipher, isnt it so?

Both versions the one that is accepted by the world and this academic book as well cannot be put to any form of known scientific test to confirm which is right which is wrong.
All that the book throws is that of plausibilities in light of certain evidence facts , history etc etc.

@ Sujatha

Yes it is an interesting read . Throws up questions.

kaalpanique said...

i have heard of this theory... there is a theory that the tajmahal was originaly a hindu temple! then ther e is the da vinci code... somehow humans have this inescapable desire to dig and find out wht really happened. despite the fact that it doesn't really matter. but it must be read with an open mind else it just ends up as a thrilling fiction... .

anilkurup59 said...

@ Kalpanique

The Taj is not a theory but a ploy of the rightwing Hindu groups. And historically that is nonsense.The Code was fiction based and laced with history and imagination,
THe book in question though is based on a theory and evidence to extrapolate, is still a theory like the Bible itself. And Jesus will alone be in a position to clarify dounbts.

sm said...

if someone says he is god
then he is everywhere.

anilkurup59 said...

@ SM

There are many who claim to that status, dont you think?