From: khoo hock aun (hockaun@pc.jaring.my)
Date: Tue Feb 10 2004 - 13:30:47 GMT
Mark wrote:
>
> Are you telling us all that It's now officially OK to be a Christian and:
> 1. Not believe in God. 2. Not believe in Jesus. 3. Not believe in the
virgin
> birth. If so, i may be going to church this Christmas!
> [ Scott:] Again, you need to disabuse yourself of this notion of the
> automatic Christian. They come in all shapes and sizes, just like
Buddhists
> and MOQists.
Dear Scott and Mark,
If I may intervene - there is a speculative and of course controversial
proposition about Jesus having
lived in India. The following rather long synopsis of "Jesus Lived In India"
by Holger Kersten
was written by Dr Ramesh Manocha & Anna Potts:
" The Russian scholar, Nicolai Notovich, was the first to suggest that
Christ may have gone to India. In 1887, Notovich, a Russian scholar and
Orientalist, arrived in Kashmir during one of several journeys to the
Orient. At the Zoji-la pass Notovich was a guest in a Buddhist monastery,
where a monk told him of the bhodisattva saint called "Issa". Notovich was
stunned by the remarkable parallels of Issa's teachings and martyrdom with
that of Christ's life, teachings and crucifixion.
For about sixteen years, Christ travelled through Turkey, Persia, Western
Europe and possibly England. He finally arrived with Mary to a place near
Kashmir, where she died. After many years in Kashmir, teaching to an
appreciative population, who venerated him as a great prophet, reformer and
saint, he died and was buried in a tomb in Kashmir itself.
The first step in Christ's trail after the Crucifixion is found in the
Persian scholar F. Mohammed's historical work "Jami-ut-tuwarik" which tells
of Christ's arrival in the kingdom of Nisibis, by royal invitation. (Nisibis
is today known as Nusaybin in Turkey) . This is reiterated in the Imam Abu
Jafar Muhammed's "Tafsi-Ibn-i-Jamir at-tubri." Kersten found that in both
Turkey and Persia there are ancient stories of a saint called "Yuz Asaf"
("Leader of the Healed"), whose behaviour, miracles and teachings are
remarkably similar to that of Christ.
The many Islamic and Hindu historical works recording local history and
legends of kings, noblemen and saints of the areas thought to be travelled
by Jesus also give evidence of a Christ like man; the Koran, for example,
refers to Christ as "Issar". Further east, the Kurdish tribes of Eastern
Anatolia have several stories describing Christ's stay in Eastern Turkey
after his resurrection. These traditional legends have been ignored by the
theological community.
Kersten also suggests that prior to Christ's mission in the Middle East, he
may have been exposed to Buddhist teachings in Egypt. After his birth in
Bethlehem, his family fled to Egypt to avoid Herod's persecution.
Surprisingly some scholars now acknowledge that Buddhist schools probably
existed in Alexandria long before the Christian era.
More clues are drawn from the Apocrypha. These are texts said to have been
written by the Apostles but which are not officially accepted by the Church.
Indeed, the Church regards them as heresy since a substantial amount of the
Apocrypha directly contradicts Church dogma and theology. The Apocryphal
'Acts of Thomas', for example, tell how Christ met Thomas several times
after the Crucifixion. In fact they tell us how Christ sent Thomas to teach
his spirituality in India. This is corroborated by evidence found in the
form of stone inscriptions at Fatehpur Sikri, near the Taj Mahal, in
Northern India. They include "Agrapha", which are sayings of Christ that
don't exist in the mainstream Bible. Their grammatical form is most similar
to that of the Apocryphal gospel of Thomas. This is but one example giving
credibility to the idea that texts not recognised by the Church hold
important clues about Christ's true life and his teachings.
In tracing Christ's movements to India and beyond, Kersten also discovered
that many of his teachings, which have been gradually edited out of the
modern Bible were originally Eastern in nature. Principles such as karma and
re-incarnation, for example, were common knowledge then, and seem to have
been reaffirmed by Christ. Imagine the implications that this discovery
holds for Western Christianity and its churches, who have kept Christ in
their doctrinal top pockets and have constrained the entire Western culture
within the narrow teachings of blind faith, organised religion and original
sin!
Further clues are cited from The Apocryphal Acts of Thomas, and the Gospel
of Thomas which are of Syrian origin and have been dated to the 4th Century
AD, or possibly earlier. They are Gnostic Scriptures and despite the
evidence indicating their authenticity, they are not given credence by
mainstream theologians. In these texts Thomas tells of Christ's appearance
in Andrapolis, Paphlagonia (today known as in the extreme north of Anatolia)
as a guest of the King of Andrappa. There he met with Thomas who had arrived
separately. It is at Andrapolis that Christ entreated Thomas to go to India
to begin spreading his teachings. It seems that Christ and Mary then moved
along the West coast of Turkey, proof of this could be an old stopping place
for travellers called the "Home of Mary", found along the ancient silk
route. From here Christ could easily have entered Europe via France. He may
have even travelled as far as the British Isles, for in England there is an
ancient oak tree called the "Hallowed Tree" which (says local legend) was
planted by Christ himself.
In his travels through Persia (today's Iran) Christ became known as Yuz Asaf
(leader of the Healed). We know this because a Kashmiri historical document
confirms that Isa (the Koranic name for Christ) was in fact also known as
Yuz Asaf. The Jami - uf - Tamarik, Volume II, tells that Yuz Asaf visited
Masslige, where he attended the grave of Shem, Noah's son. There are various
other accounts such as Agha Mustafa's "Awhali Shahaii-i-paras" that tell of
Yuz Asaf's travels and teachings all over Persia. It seems that Yuz Asaf
blessed Afghanistan and Pakistan with his presence also. There are for
example two plains in Eastern Afghanistan near Gazni and Galalabad, bearing
the name of the prophet Yuz Asaf. Again in the Apocryphal Acts of Thomas,
Thomas says that he and Christ attended the Court of King Gundafor of Taxila
(now Pakistan), in about 47AD, and that eventually both the King and his
brother accepted Christ's teachings. Kersten claims that there are more than
twenty one historical documents that bear witness to the existence of Jesus
in Kashmir, where he was known also as Yuz Asaf and Issa.
For example the Bhavishyat Mahapurana (volume 9 verses 17-32) contains an
account of Issa-Masih (Jesus the Messiah). It describes Christ's arrival in
the Kashmir region of India and his encounter with King Shalivahana, who
ruled the Kushan area (39-50AD), and who entertained Christ as a guest for
some time. {Christ's life in India, after the crucifixion, challenges
current Church teachings at their very foundation. The theology of Saint
Paul, the major influence on modern Christianity, is empty fanaticism in the
light of this discovery.|
The historian Mullah Nadini (1413) also recounts a story of Yuz Asaf who was
a contemporary to King Gopadatta, and confirms that he also used the name
Issar, ie. Jesus. There is also much historical truth in the towns and
villages of Northern India to prove that Jesus and his mother Mary spent
time in the area. For instance, at the border of a small town called Mari,
there is nearby a mountain called Pindi Point, upon which is an old tomb
called Mai Mari da Asthan or "The final resting place of Mary". The tomb is
said to be very old and local Muslims venerate it as the grave of Issa's (ie
Christ's) Mother. The tomb itself is oriented East-West consistent with the
Jewish tradition, despite the fact it is within a Muslim area. Assuming its
antiquity, such a tomb could not be Hindu either since the Hindus
contemporary to Christ cremated their dead and scattered their ashes as do
Hindus today.
Following Christ's trail into Kashmir, 40km south of Srinagar, between the
villages of Naugam and Nilmge is a meadow called Yuz-Marg (the meadow of Yuz
Asaf, ie. Jesus). Then there is the sacred building called Aish Muqam, 60km
south east of Srinagar and 12km from Bij Bihara. "Aish" says Kersten is
derived from "Issa" and "Muqam" place of rest or repose. Within the Aish
Muqam is a sacred relic called the 'Moses Rod' or the 'Jesus Rod', which
local legend says, belonged to Moses himself. Christ is said to also have
held it, perhaps to confirm his Mosaic heritage. Above the town of Srinagar
is a temple known as "The Throne of Solomon", which dates back to at least
1000BC, which King Gopadatta had restored at about the same time as Christ's
advent. The restoration was done by a Persian architect who personally left
four inscriptions on the side steps of the temple. The third and fourth
inscription read: "At this time Yuz Asaf announced his prophetic calling in
Year 50 and 4" and "He is Jesus -- Prophet of the Sons of Israel"! Herein
lies a powerful confirmation of Kersten's theory.
Kersten suggests that Christ may have travelled to the South of India also,
finally returning to Kashmir to die at the age of approximately 80 years.
Christ's tomb, says Kersten, lies in Srinagar's old town in a building
called Rozabal. "Rozabal" is an abbreviation of Rauza Bal, meaning "tomb of
a prophet". At the entrance there is an inscription explaining that Yuz Asaf
is buried along with another Moslem saint. Both have gravestones which are
oriented in North-South direction, according to Moslem tradition. However,
through a small opening the true burial chamber can be seen, in which there
is the Sarcophagus of Yuz Asaf in East-West (Jewish) orientation!
According to Professor Hassnain, who has studied this tomb, there are carved
footprints on the grave stones and when closely examined, carved images of a
crucifix and a rosary. The footprints of Yuz Asaf have what appear to be
scars represented on both feet, if one assumes that they are crucifixion
scars, then their position is consistent with the scars shown in the Turin
Shroud (left foot nailed over right). Crucifixion was not practised in Asia,
so it is quite possible that they were inflicted elsewhere, such as the
Middle East. The tomb is called by some as "Hazrat Issa Sahib" or "Tomb of
the Lord Master Jesus". Ancient records acknowledge the existence of the
tomb as long ago as 112AD. The Grand Mufti, a prominent Muslim Cleric,
himself has confirmed that Hazrat Isa Sahib is indeed the tomb of Yuz Asaf!
Thus Kersten deduces that the tomb of Jesus Christ Himself is in Kashmir!
The implications of Kersten's discovery are monumental. Christ's life in
India, after the crucifixion, challenges current Church teachings at their
very foundation. The theology of Saint Paul, the major influence on modern
Christianity, is empty fanaticism in the light of this discovery. Threatened
also are the doctrines of obedience to the Church, original sin, salvation
through blind faith and the non-existence of reincarnation, etc. Yet these
ideas underlie the morality and ethics, (or lack of them), that govern the
entire Western social structure, from the legal system to medical health
care schemes. It is no wonder that the modern Churches and their secular
interests refuse to consider such a proposition as Kersten's!"
Rgds
Khoo Hock Aun
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