The Jesus of the New Age Movement (by Ron Rhodes)
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Articles
"The
Jesus of the New Age Movement"
Part Two in a
Two-Part Series on New Age Christology
by Ron
Rhodes
In her
best-selling book, Out on a Limb, Shirley MacLaine recounts how
a friend once said to her: "You know that nothing is recorded
in the Bible about Christ from the time he was about twelve
until he began to really teach at about thirty years old.
Right?" "Yes," MacLaine replied, "I had heard about that and I
just figured he didn't have much to say until he got older."
"Well, no," her friend responded, "a lot of people think that
those eighteen missing years were spent traveling in and around
India and Tibet and Persia and the Near East. They say he
became an adept yogi and mastered complete control over his
body and the physical world around him[he] tried to
teach people that they could do the same things too if they got
more in touch with their spiritual selves and their own
potential power."[1]
Did Jesus travel to the East to study under gurus? Did He
become "the Christ" as a result of what He learned and
accomplished there? Are there mystical "gospels" that have been
suppressed by the church, keeping us from knowing the real
Jesus? In this article, we will look at these and other
important questions related to the Jesus of the New Age
movement. We begin by examining the claims of a controversial
Russian writer.
THE LIFE OF
SAINT ISSA
As the story goes, in
1887, Nicolas Notovitch - a Russian war correspondent - went on
a journey through India. While en route to Leh, the capital of
Ladakh (in Northern India along the Tibetan border), he heard a
Tibetan lama (i.e., monk) in a monastery refer to a grand lama
named Issa (the Tibetan form of "Jesus"). Notovitch inquired
further, and discovered that a chronicle of the life of Issa
existed with other sacred scrolls at the Convent of Himis
(about 25 miles from Leh).
Notovitch visited this convent and was told by the chief lama
that a scroll did in fact exist which provided details about
the Prophet Issa. This holy man allegedly preached the same
doctrines in Israel as he earlier did in India. The original
scroll, the lama said, was written in the Pali language and
later translated into Tibetan. The Convent of Himis possessed
the Tibetan translation, while the original was said to be in
the library of Lhassa (the traditional capital of Tibet).
Notovitch eventually persuaded the lama to read the scroll to
him, and had it translated from Tibetan by an interpreter.
According to Notovitch, the literal translation of the scroll
was "disconnected and mingled with accounts of other
contemporaneous events to which they bear no relation," and so
he took the liberty to arrange "all the fragments concerning
the life of Issa in chronological order and [took]
pains to impress upon them the character of unity, in which
they were absolutely lacking."[2] He went without sleep
for many nights so he could order and remodel what he had
heard.
From the scroll, Notovitch learned that "Jesus had wandered to
India and to Tibet as a young man before he began his work in
Palestine."[3] The beginning of Jesus' alleged journey
is described in the scroll this way:
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 began to be a place of meeting for
rich and noble people, desirous of having for a 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.[4]
According to Notovitch, the scroll proceeds to explain how,
after briefly visiting with the Jains, young Issa studied for
six years among the Brahmins at Juggernaut, Rajagriha, Benares,
and other Indian holy cities. The priests of Brahma "taught him
to read and understand the Vedas, to cure by aid of prayer, to
teach, to explain the holy scriptures to the people, and to
drive out evil spirits from the bodies of men, restoring unto
them their sanity."[5]
While there, the story continues, Issa sought to teach the
scriptures to all the people of India - including the lower
castes. The Brahmins and Kshatriyas (higher castes) opposed him
in this, and told him that the Sudras (a lower caste) were
forbidden to read or even contemplate the Vedas. Issa denounced
them severely for this.
Because of Issa's controversial teachings, a death plot was
devised against him. But the Sudras warned him and he left
Juggernaut, establishing himself in Gautamides (the birthplace
of the Buddha Sakyamuni) where he studied the sacred writings
of the Sutras. "Six years after, Issa, whom the Buddha had
elected to spread his holy word, had become a perfect expositor
of the sacred writings. Then he left Nepal and the Himalayan
mountains, descended into the valley of Rajputana, and went
towards the west, preaching to diverse peoples the supreme
perfection of man."[6] Following this, we are told,
Issa briefly visited Persia where he preached to the
Zoroastrians. Then, at 29, he returned to Israel and began to
preach all that he had learned.
According to Notovitch's "scroll," by the end of Issa's
three-year ministry, Pilate had become so alarmed at his
mushrooming popularity that he ordered one of his spies to
accuse him falsely. Issa was then imprisoned and tortured by
soldiers to force a confession which would permit his being
executed. The Jewish priests tried to act in Issa's behalf, but
to no avail. Issa was falsely accused and Pilate ordered the
death sentence:
At sunset the sufferings of Issa came to an end. He lost
consciousness, and the soul of this just man left his body to
become absorbed in the Divinity. Meanwhile, Pilate became
afraid of his action and gave the body of the saint to his
parents, who buried it near the spot of his execution. Three
days after, the governor sent his soldiers to carry away the
body of Issa to bury it elsewhere, fearing otherwise a popular
insurrection. The next day the crowd found the tomb open and
empty. At once the rumor spread that the supreme Judge had sent
his angels to carry away the mortal remains of the saint in
whom dwelt on earth a part of the Divine Spirit.[7]
Following this, some merchants in Palestine allegedly traveled
to India, came upon some people who had known Issa as a casual
student of Sanskrit and Pali during his youth in India, and
filled them in on Issa's demise at the hands of Pilate. And, as
the story concludes, The Life of Saint Issa was written on a
scroll - author(s) unknown - three or four years
later.
Reactions to
Notovitch
This alleged
manuscript generated a number of lively responses. Let us
briefly look at a sampling of these.
F. Max Muller. In October 1894, preeminent Orientalist
Max Muller of Oxford University (who himself was an advocate of
Eastern philosophy and therefore could not be accused of having
a Christian bias) published a refutation of Notovitch in The
Nineteenth Century, a scholarly review. Four of his arguments
are noteworthy: (1) Muller asserted that an old document like
the one Notovitch allegedly found would have been included in
the Kandjur and Tandjur (catalogues in which all Tibetan
literature is supposed to be listed). (2) He rejected
Notovitch's account of the origin of the book. He asked how
Jewish merchants happened, among the millions of India, to meet
the very people who had known Issa as a student, and still more
"how those who had known Issa as a simple student in India saw
at once that he was the same person who had been put to death
under Pontius Pilate."[8] (3) Muller cites a woman who
had visited the monastery of Himis and made inquiries about
Notovitch. According to a letter she wrote (dated June 29,
1894), "there is not a single word of truth in the whole story!
There has been no Russian here. There is no life of Christ
there at all!"[9] And (4) Muller questioned the great
liberty Notovitch took in editing and arranging the alleged
verses. Muller said this is something no reputable scholar
would have done.
Notovitch promptly responded to Muller's arguments in the
preface to the London edition of The Life of Saint Issa which
was published the following year (1895). But his response did
little to satisfy his critics. He said: (1) The verses which
were found would not be in any catalogues because "they are to
be found scattered through more than one book without any
title."[10] (But in his first preface he said the
Convent of Himis contained "a few copies of the manuscript in
question."[11]) (2) Regarding the unlikeliness of
Jewish merchants encountering those who knew Issa as a child in
India, Notovitch said "they were not Jewish but Indian
merchants who happened to witness the crucifixion prior to
returning home from Palestine."[12] (Even so, it would
still be unlikely that - among the millions in India - the
merchants would come upon the precise people who knew Issa as a
child.) (3) As for editing and arranging the verses in The Life
of Saint Issa, Notovitch said that the same kind of editing was
done with the Iliad and no one ever questioned that. (But how
does this legitimize Notovitch's modus operandi?) (4) As to the
refusal by the lama of Himis to affirmatively answer questions
about the manuscript (as he apparently did with the lady who
wrote Muller), Notovitch says this was because "Orientals are
in the habit of looking upon Europeans as robbers who introduce
themselves in their midst to despoil them in the name of
civilization."[13] Notovitch succeeded only "because I
made use of the Eastern diplomacy which I had learnt in my
travels."14 (This was a convenient rationalization, for
Notovitch could always point to a lack of "Eastern diplomacy"
on the part of a European challenger whenever a monk refused to
corroborate the Issa legend.)
Assuming (wrongly) that his response to Muller laid criticism
of his work to rest, Notovitch suggested that in the future his
critics restrict themselves solely to the question: "Did those
passages exist in the monastery of Himis, and have I faithfully
reproduced their substance?"[15]
J. Archibald Douglas. J. Archibald Douglas, Professor at
Government College in Agra, India, took a three-month vacation
from the college and retraced Notovitch's steps at the Himis
monastery. He published an account of his journey in The
Nineteenth Century (June 1895), the bulk of which reproduced an
interview with the chief lama of the monastery. The lama said
he had been chief lama for 15 years, which means he would have
been the chief lama during Notovitch's alleged visit. The lama
asserted that during these 15 years, no European with a broken
leg had ever sought refuge at the monastery.
When asked if he was aware of any book in any Buddhist
monastery in Tibet pertaining to the life of Issa, he said: "I
have never heard of [a manuscript] which mentions the
name of Issa, and it is my firm and honest belief that none
such exists. I have inquired of our principal Lamas in other
monasteries of Tibet, and they are not acquainted with any
books or manuscripts which mention the name of
Issa."[16] When portions of Notovitch's book were read
to the lama, he responded, "Lies, lies, lies, nothing but
lies!"[17]
The interview was written down and witnessed by the lama,
Douglas, and the interpreter, and on June 3, 1895, was stamped
with the official seal of the lama. The credibility of The Life
of Saint Issa was unquestionably damaged by Douglas's
investigation.
Nicholas Roerich. In The Lost Years of Jesus, Elizabeth Clare
Prophet documents other supporters of Notovitch's work, the
most prominent of which was Nicholas Roerich. Roerich - a
Theosophist - claimed that from 1924 to 1928 he traveled
throughout Central Asia and discovered that legends about Issa
were widespread. In his book, Himalaya, he makes reference to
"writings" and "manuscripts" about Issa - some of which he
claims to have seen and others about which people told him.
Roerich allegedly recorded independently in his own travel
diary the same legend of Issa that Notovitch had seen
earlier.
Per Beskow - author of Strange Tales About Jesus - responded to
Roerich's work by suggesting that he leaned heavily on two
previous "Jesus goes East" advocates: "The first part of his
account is taken literally from Notovitch's Life of Saint Issa,
chapters 5-13 (only extracts but with all the verses in the
right order). It is followed by 'another version' (pages
93-94), taken from chapter 16 of Dowling's Aquarian
Gospel."[18] (We will consider the Aquarian Gospel
shortly.)
Edgar J. Goodspeed. Notovitch's The Life of Saint Issa
refused to die; it was republished in New York in 1926. This
motivated Edgar J. Goodspeed, Professor at the University of
Chicago, to publish a Christian response. He commented that "it
is worthwhile to call attention to [The Life of Saint
Issa] because its republication in New York in 1926 was
hailed by the press as a new and important
discovery,"[19] even though first published over thirty
years earlier (1894).
Three of Goodspeed's arguments are noteworthy. (1) Goodspeed
suggests a literary dependency of The Life of Saint Issa on
Matthew, Luke, Acts, and Romans. This would not be odd except
that The Life of Saint Issa was allegedly written three or four
years after the death of Christ, whereas Matthew, Luke, Acts,
and Romans were written two or three decades later. An example
of this dependency relates to how The Life of Saint Issa
attempts to fill in the silent years of Jesus between the ages
of twelve and thirty: "these two ages are taken for granted by
the author of this work, who unconsciously bases his scheme
upon them. We know them from the Gospel of Luke alone, and the
question arises: 'Has the author of Issa obtained them from the
same source?'"[20]
(2) Notovitch describes Luke as saying that Jesus "was in the
desert until the day of his showing unto Israel." This,
Notovitch says, "conclusively proves that no one knew where the
young man had gone, to so suddenly reappear sixteen years
later." But, says Goodspeed, "it is not of Jesus but of John
that Luke says this (1:80), so that it will hardly yield the
conclusive proof Notovitch seeks. At this point in Luke's
narrative, in fact, Jesus has not yet
appeared."[21]
(3) Goodspeed comments that The Life of Saint Issa does not
purport to have been deciphered and translated by a competent
scholar: "The lama read, the interpreter translated, Notovitch
took notes. He could evidently not control either the lama or
the interpreter, to make sure of what the Tibetan manuscripts
contained."[22]
Throughout the twentieth century, many individuals have
responded positively to the work of Notovitch, including Janet
and Richard Bock (makers of the film, "The Lost Years of
Jesus"), Swami Abhedananda, Sai Baba, Paramahansa Yogananda of
the Self-Realization Fellowship, and Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh.
Evidence abounds that the Issa legend is alive and well
today.
Max Muller, J. Archibald Douglas, and Edgar J. Goodspeed have
all presented solid refutations of the legend. These should
challenge any serious Issa advocate to reevaluate his or her
position. I shall offer further arguments later. But first, it
is necessary to examine additional features in the New Age
profile of Jesus.
THE AQUARIAN
GOSPEL OF JESUS THE CHRIST
Another major source
for the New Age Jesus is The Aquarian Gospel of Jesus the
Christ, written by Civil War army chaplain Levi Dowling
(1844-1911). The title page of this "gospel" bears the words:
"Transcribed from the Book of God's Remembrances, known as the
Akashic Records." (Occultists believe the physical earth is
surrounded by an immense spiritual field known as "Akasha" in
which is impressed every impulse of human thought, will, and
emotion. It is therefore believed to constitute a complete
record of human history.) Hence, unlike Notovitch whose
conclusions were based on an alleged objective ancient
document, Levi's book is based on an occult form of subjective
(nonverifiable) illumination.
The bulk of Levi's gospel, first published in 1911, focuses on
the education and travels of Jesus. After studying with Rabbi
Hillel (a Jewish scholar), Jesus allegedly traveled to India
where he spent years studying among the Brahmins and
Buddhists.
Jesus supposedly became interested in studying in the East
after Joseph (Jesus' father) hosted Prince Ravanna from India.
During his visit, Ravanna asked "that he might be the patron of
the child; might take him to the East where he could learn the
wisdom of the Brahms. And Jesus longed to go that he might
learn: and after many days his parents gave consent." So "Jesus
was accepted as a pupil in the temple Jagannath; and here he
learned the Vedas and the Manic laws."[23]
Jesus then visited the city of Benares of the Ganges. While
there, "Jesus sought to learn the Hindu art of healing, and
became the pupil of Udraka, greatest of the Hindu
healers."[24] And Jesus "remained with Udraka until he
had learned from him all there was to be learned of the Hindu
art of healing."[25]
Levi proceeds to chronicle a visit to Tibet, where Jesus
allegedly met Meng-ste, the greatest sage of the East: "And
Jesus had access to all the sacred manuscripts, and, with the
help of Meng-ste, read them all."[26]
Jesus eventually arrived in Egypt, and - in what must be
considered a climax of this account of the "lost years" - he
joined the "Sacred Brotherhood" at Heliopolis. While there, he
passed through seven degrees of initiation - Sincerity,
Justice, Faith, Philanthropy, Heroism, Love Divine, and THE
CHRIST. The Aquarian Gospel records the bestowal of this
highest degree: "The hierophant arose and said, upon your brow
I place this diadem, and in the Great Lodge of the heavens and
earth you are THE CHRIST. You are a neophyte no more; but God
himself will speak, and will confirm your title and degree. And
then a voice that shook the very temple said, THIS IS THE
CHRIST; and every living creature said, AMEN."[27]
Later, following his three-year ministry as THE CHRIST and his
subsequent death, Jesus' resurrection is described by Levi in
terms of a "transmutation" which all men may accomplish. He
made many appearances to people all over the world to
substantiate this transmutation. For example, he appeared to
the "Silent Brotherhood" in Greece and said: "What I can do all
men can do. Go preach the gospel of the omnipotence of
man."[28]
THE READINGS
OF EDGAR CAYCE
Like Levi, Edgar
Cayce claimed the ability to read the Akashic Record while in a
trance. During his life, he gave over 16,000 readings, 5,000 of
which deal with religious matters. It was from the Akashic
Record that Cayce set forth an elaborate explanation of the
early years of Jesus.
The person we know as Jesus, Cayce tells us, had 29 previous
incarnations: "These included an early sun worshipper, the
author of the Book of the Dead, and Hermes, who was supposedly
the architect of the Great Pyramid. Jesus was also Zend (the
father of Zoroaster), Amilius (an Atlantean) and other figures
of ancient history."[29] Other incarnations include
Adam, Joseph, Joshua, Enoch, and Melchizedek.
This particular soul did not become "the Christ" until the
thirtieth incarnation - as Jesus of Nazareth. The reason Jesus
had to go through so many incarnations is that he - like all
other human beings - had "karmic debt" (sin) to work off.
Jesus received a comprehensive education. Prior to his twelfth
year, he attained a thorough knowledge of the Jewish law. "From
his twelfth to his fifteenth or sixteenth year he was taught
the prophecies by Judy [an Essene teacher] in her home
at Carmel. Then began his education abroad. He was sent first
again into Egypt for only a short period, then into India for
three years, then into that later called Persia. From Persia he
was called to Judea at the death of Joseph, then went into
Egypt for the completion of his preparation as a
teacher."[30] During his alleged studies abroad, Jesus
studied under many teachers (including Kahjian in India, Junner
in Persia, and Zar in Egypt), and learned healing, weather
control, telepathy, astrology, and other psychic arts. When his
education was complete, he went back to his homeland where he
performed "miracles" and taught the multitudes for three
years.
JESUS THE
CHRIST AND HIS TEACHINGS
There are many
differing views regarding how Jesus attained "Christhood." As
we have seen, Levi said Jesus went through seven degrees of
initiation, the seventh being THE CHRIST. Cayce said Jesus
became "the Christ" in the thirtieth incarnation. Many modern
New Agers say the human Jesus merely "attuned" to the cosmic
Christ, or achieved at-one-ment with the Christ by raising his
own "Christ-consciousness." But, however, Jesus attained
"Christhood," New Agers agree that he was a teacher par
excellence of New Age "truths."
New Agers generally do one of two things with the teachings of
Jesus. Some merely reinterpret the gospel sayings of Jesus to
make it appear that Jesus was actually teaching New Age
"truth." Others add that long-lost (New Age) sayings of Jesus
have been rediscovered. These "rediscovered" sayings can have
one of two sources: reputed ancient extracanonical writings
(like the "Gnostic gospels" which were allegedly suppressed by
the early church and rediscovered at Nag Hammadi in 1945) and
the Akashic Record. Let us now consider samplings of each of
these.
The Gospel Sayings of Jesus. According to New Agers, we must
all seek first the kingdom of heaven (Matt. 6:33), recognizing
that the "kingdom" has reference to our inner
divinity.[31] For indeed, Jesus said "Ye are gods"
(John 10:34). The parable about those who foolishly build a
house on sand (Matt. 7:24-27) teaches us that those who fail to
recognize their divinity will not be able to stand against the
storms of life.[32] But if we come unto Jesus, we will
find rest, for his yoke (i.e., yoga) is easy and his burden is
light (Matt. 11:28-30).[33]
"Newly Discovered" Sayings from Extracanonical Sources. Jesus
taught a form of pantheism according to The Life of Saint Issa,
for he said that "the Eternal Spirit [God] is the soul
of all that is animate."[34] He also taught that all
humans have unlimited potential: "I came to show human
possibilities; that which I am, all men will be."[35]
And, according to the Gnostic gospels, Jesus spoke of "illusion
and enlightenment, not of sin and repentance."[36]
Indeed, man can save himself: "If you bring forth what is
within you, what you bring forth will save
you."[37]
"Newly Discovered" Sayings from the Akashic Record. According
to Levi's Aquarian Gospel, Jesus was just a way-shower: "And
all the people were entranced, and would have worshipped Jesus
as God; but Jesus said, I am your brother man just come to show
the way to God; you shall not worship man."[38] Jesus
also taught pantheism and monism: "The universal God is one,
yet he is more than one [i.e., he takes many forms];
all things are God; all things are one."[39] Jesus also
tells us that "the nations of the earth see God from different
points of view, and so he does not seem the same to every
one."[40]
THE ORTHODOX
CHRISTIAN RESPONSE
A Christian response
to the New Age rendition of Jesus may begin with the
observation that the accounts of Jesus going East have
irreconcilable contradictions. This fact alone should make any
objective investigator suspicious of the reliability of these
documents.
Each of the accounts differ, for example, regarding the
beginning of Jesus' trek. The Life of Saint Issa portrays Jesus
departing secretly from his parent's house with some merchants
on their way to India so he could perfect himself by studying
the laws of the great Buddhas. Levi's Aquarian Gospel depicts
Prince Ravanna from India asking Jesus' parents if he can
escort Jesus to India where he can learn Indian wisdom. Cayce's
reading of the Akashic Record has an Essene teacher sending
Jesus to India to study astrology and other psychic
disciplines.
What is particularly revealing is that both Cayce and Levi
allegedly obtained their "revelations" by reading the Akashic
Record, yet their readings blatantly contradict each other.
Since both Cayce and Levi are highly respected in New Age
circles, how do New Agers account for the obvious failure of at
least one of them to properly "read" the Akashic Record?
Furthermore, if one of these top-rated New Age seers cannot be
trusted, which one can be?
Not only do the accounts disagree with each other, they all
disagree with the gospel accounts in the New Testament. And the
New Testament has solid, irrefutable manuscript evidence -
something that should be considered by those wanting to replace
it so easily with Gnostic gospels or alleged ancient
manuscripts claiming that Jesus went East.
The New Testament gospels are based on eyewitness testimony.
Moreover, they were written very close to the time of the
events which they report. It is crucial to recognize that the
four canonical gospels are all dated much earlier than the
Gnostic gospels. The earliest Gnostic gospels date from A.D.
150 to 200. The New Testament gospels date from A.D. 60 to 100
- approximately one century earlier. Clearly, the New Testament
gospels are the authentic and reliable source for information
on the life and teachings of Jesus.
On the other hand, all of the "Jesus goes East" accounts
contain historical inaccuracies, several of which have already
been mentioned. Other examples include: (1) Levi's Aquarian
Gospel said Herod Antipas was ruler in Jerusalem. Antipas,
however, never ruled in Jerusalem but in Galilee. Dowling meant
to say Herod the Great. This is especially significant since
Levi's transcriptions are claimed to be "true to the letter" in
the introduction of his Aquarian Gospel![41] (2) Levi's
reference to Jesus visiting with Meng-ste was probably meant to
be the great Chinese sage, Meng-tse (tse, not ste). Dowling
apparently didn't realized, however, that Meng-tse died in 289
B.C.
The deeper one probes, the clearer it becomes that the Jesus of
the New Age movement lacks any basis in history. To many, The
Life of Saint Issa appeared to provide this. However, the world
still awaits bona fide hard evidence that can be physically
examined by all interested parties. Even a photograph would be
helpful. But as Notovitch lamented: "During my journey I took a
considerable number of very curious photographs, but when on
arrival at Bombay I examined the negatives, I found they had
all become obliterated."[42] I don't want to be
cynical, but
In order to find a New Age Jesus in authentic documents, New
Agers are forced to deal with the language of the New Testament
in a manipulative fashion. Tal Brooke comments: "It is a little
like the problem of the Marxist who wishes to change the common
understanding of the United States Constitution so that a
gradualist skewing of word meaning can enable a socialistic
interpretation of words whose intended meanings in the original
were clearly different."[43]
Though the New Testament does not directly address this issue,
there are strong indirect evidences that Jesus never traveled
East for eighteen years. First, Jesus was well-known as a
carpenter (Mark 6:3) and as a carpenter's son (Matt. 13:55).
That His carpentry played a large role in His life up to the
time of His ministry is clear from the fact that some of His
parables and teachings drew upon His experience as a carpenter
(e.g., building a house on rock as opposed to sand, Matt.
7:24-27). Moreover, the people in and around Nazareth displayed
familiarity with Jesus, as if they had had regular contact with
Him for a prolonged time. At the beginning of His three-year
ministry, Jesus "went to Nazareth, where he had been brought
up, and on the Sabbath day he went into the synagogue, as was
his custom. And he stood up to read" (Luke 4:16). After He
finished reading, "all spoke well of him and were amazed at the
gracious words that came from his lips. 'Isn't this Joseph's
son?' they asked" (Luke 4:22). This implies that those in the
synagogue regarded Jesus as a local resident.
It is important to note that when Jesus stood up to read, He
did so from the Old Testament Scriptures. And the Old Testament
- for which Jesus often displayed reverence (cf. Matt. 5:18) -
(1) contains numerous warnings and admonitions about staying
away from false gods and false religious systems (cf. Exod.
20:2; 34:14; Deut. 6:14; 13:10; 2 Kings 17:35); (2) clearly
distinguishes between the creation and the Creator, unlike
Eastern thought; and (3) taught the need for redemption, not
gnosis (knowledge). It is no coincidence that Jesus is often
seen quoting from the Old Testament in the gospels, but not
once does He quote from (or even mention) the Vedas!
While some in Nazareth were impressed at the graciousness of
Jesus' words, others were offended that He was attracting so
much attention. They seemed to be treating Him with a contempt
born of familiarity. We read in Matthew 13:54-57: "Coming to
his hometown, he began teaching the people in their synagogue,
and they were amazed. 'Isn't this the carpenter's son? Isn't
his mother's name Mary, and aren't his brothers James, Joseph,
Simon and Judas?...Where then did this man get all these
things?' And they took offense at him."
Among those that became angriest at Jesus were the Jewish
leaders. They accused Him of many offenses, including breaking
the Sabbath (Matt. 12:1-14), blasphemy (John 8:58-59;
10:31-33), and doing miracles in Satan's power (Matt. 12:24).
But they never accused Him of teaching or practicing anything
learned in the East. The Jews considered such teachings and
practices to be idolatry and sorcery. Had Jesus actually gone
to the East to study under "the great Buddhas," this would have
been excellent grounds for discrediting and disqualifying Him
regarding His claim to be the promised Jewish Messiah.
It is noteworthy that the self-concept of the New Age Jesus is
that he is just a man who became enlightened in the East,
eventually achieving Christhood. The self-concept of the New
Testament Jesus, however, is one in which He singles Himself
out as God (cf. John 8:58).
It is understandable why the "Jesus who went East" refused to
accept worship (cf. Dowling). The New Testament Jesus, by
contrast, accepted worship on numerous occasions because He
knew Himself to be the one and only God (note especially
Matthew 28:17). Of course, only God can be worshiped (cf. Ex.
20:4-5; Deut. 6:4-5, 13). It is thus significant that even when
Jesus was just a babe, the Magi (from the East) "fell down and
worshiped Him" (Matt. 2:11).
The final word on this matter must belong to God the Father,
for there is no higher authority in the universe. He Himself is
quoted as saying to Jesus: "Your throne, O God, will last for
ever and ever" (Heb. 1:8). It is Jesus - the second Person of
the Trinity - that we as Christians look forward to seeing; 'we
wait for the blessed hope - the glorious appearing of our great
God and Savior, Jesus Christ" (Titus 2:13). And, as Christians,
we exult in the truth that Jesus has a name that is above every
name, and that at His name, every knee will bow - in heaven and
on earth and under the earth (Phil. 2:9-10).
A CLOSING
REFLECTION
What if - despite all
the arguments presented above - a manuscript should one day
surface in India which speaks of Issa? Would this prove that
Jesus did in fact go East during His youth?
Christians acknowledge that news of Jesus eventually reached
India and Tibet as a result of the missionary efforts of the
early church. It is conceivable that when devotees of other
religions heard about Jesus, they tried to modify what they
heard to make it appear that Jesus and His teachings were
compatible with their own belief systems. It is possible that -
sometime between the first and nineteenth centuries - these
unreliable legends were recorded on scrolls and circulated
among the convents in India. This would not be unlike the
distorted versions of the life of Jesus that emerged among the
early Gnostics (and recorded in the Gnostic gospels).
But for such a manuscript to be convincing, it would have to
have the same kind of irrefutable manuscript evidence as the
New Testament, the same quality of eyewitness testimony, and be
written very close to the events on which they report like the
New Testament. Until such an authoritative document surfaces,
is it wise to base one's eternal destiny on a manuscript that
has as little evidential support as Notovich's?
Douglas Groothuis issues this challenge: "Should any supposed
record of Jesus' life come to the fore, let it marshal its
historical merits in competition with holy writ. The
competitors have an uphill battle against the
incumbent."[44]
NOTES
1 Shirley MacLaine,
Out on a Limb (New York: Bantam Books, 1984), 233-34.
2 Nicolas Notovitch, The Life of Saint Issa, cited by Joseph
Gaer, The Lore of the New Testament (Boston: Little Brown and
Co., 1952), 118.
3 Nicolas Notovitch, cited by Per Beskow, Strange Tales About
Jesus (Philadelphia: Fortress Press, n.d.), 59.
4 Nicolas Notovitch, ed. The Life of Saint Issa, in Elizabeth
Clare Prophet, The Lost Years of Jesus (Livingston, MT: Summit
University Press, 1987), 218.
5 Ibid., 219.
6 Ibid., 222-23.
7 Ibid., 245-46.
8 Max Muller, "The Alleged Sojourn of Christ in India," The
Nineteenth Century 36 (1894):515f., cited by Edgar J.
Goodspeed, Modern Apocrypha (Boston: Beacon Press, 1956,
10.
9 Ibid., 11.
10 Notovitch, cited by Goodspeed, 11.
11 Ibid., 11-12.
12 Notovich, in Prophet, Lost Years, 30.
13 Ibid., 103.
14 Ibid., 103.
15 Ibid., 108.
16 J. Archibald Douglas, "The Chief Lama of Himis on the
Alleged 'Unknown Life of Christ'" The Nineteenth Century (April
1896) 667-77, cited by Prophet, 36-37.
17 Goodspeed, 13.
18 Beskow, 62.
19 Goodspeed, 14 emphasis added.
20 Ibid., 5.
21 Ibid., 9.
22 Ibid.,
23 Levi, The Aquarian Gospel of Jesus the Christ (London: L. N.
Fowler & Co., 1947), 48.
24 Ibid., 50.
25 Levi, cited by Gaer, 134.
26 Levi, Aquarian Gospel, 66.
27 Ibid., 87.
28 Ibid., 251. 253.
29 Philip J. Swihart, Reincarnation, Edgar Cayce, and the Bible
(Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1978), 18.
30 Anne Read, Edgar Cayce: On Jesus and His Church (New York:
Warnera Books, 1970), 70.
31 David Spangler, The Laws of Manifestation (Forres, Scotland:
Findhorn Publications, 1983), 23-24.
32 Spangler, Reflections on the Christ, (Forres, Scotland:
Findhorn Publications, 1981, 61.
33 Mark L. Prophet and Elizabeth Clare Prophet, The Lost
Teachings of Jesus 3 (Livingston, MT: Summit University Press,
1988), 273[74.
34 Notovitch, in Prophet, Lost Years, 229.
35 Nicholas Roerich, Himalaya (New York: Brentano's 1926),
cited by Prophet, 305.
36 Elaine Pagels, The Gnostic Gospels (New York: Random House,
1979), xx.
37 Ibid., 126.
38 Levi, Aquarian Gospel, 54.
39 Ibid., 56.
40 Ibid., 56.
41 Levi, Aquarian Gospel, 12.
42 Notovitch, cited by Prophet, 120.
43 Tal Brooke, When the World Will Be as One (Eugene, OR:
Harvest House Publishers, 1989) 118.
44 Douglas Groothuis, Confronting the New Age (Downers Groves:
InterVarsity Press, 1988), 93.
Glossary of
Key Terms
Caste. A term
applied to the social groups in India which rank in a
hierarchical order. The four primary castes - from highest to
lowest - are: Brahmins (priests), Kshatriyas (warriors),
Vaishyas (peasants), and Sudras (unskilled laborers).
Cosmic Christ. Variously defined, but always seen as
divine. Many New Agers speak of him (it) as a universal,
impersonal entity who - among other things - indwelt the body
of the human Jesus for three years (from his baptism to his
crucifixion).
Jains. Followers of Jainism. Jainism is a religious
system of India that arose in the sixth century B.C. in protest
against the ritualism of Hinduism and the authority of the
Vedas. Jains are rigidly ascetic, believing in a strict control
of wrong thought and action as a means of escaping from the
transmigration of the soul (rebirth) that results from one's
past actions (karma).
Monism. A metaphysical theory which sees all reality as
a unified whole. Everything is seen as being composed of the
same substance.
Sutras. Collections of aphorisms (or proverbs) which
highlight the teachings of the Vedas and Upanishads (Indian
scriptures).
Vedas. The oldest and most sacred scriptures of
Hinduism. (The word veda means "sacred knowledge.")
Zoroastrians. Followers of Zoroastrianism, a Persian
religion founded by Zoroaster (c. 628 B.C.-c. 551 B.C.).
Zoroastrianism is an ethical religion which espouses an ongoing
struggle between two primal spirits: Ahura Mazda (the good
spirit), and Angra Mainyu (the evil spirit). Ahura Mazda will
ultimately triumph.
Note: Additional technical terms used in this article are
defined within the text. -
(An article from the Christian Research Journal, Fall
1989, page 15)
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