The Indian gospel of Jesus Christ summarized by Notovitch

Long before Jesus was born, India had become a familiar place in the Middle East because of the trade, and also missionary work of Buddhists beyond the Indian subcontinent. Buddhism had strong roots throughout India including Afghanistan and also parts of Egypt and Israel. Buddha ended his physical existence in 543 B.C. and Mahavira of Jainism in 526 B.C. The influence of Buddhist and Hindu teachings in Indian subcontinent was significant at the time of Jesus.

Canonical Gospels record the history of Jesus until he was 12 and then start again at the age of 30, but the intervening 18 years of his youth is unaccounted for. There is only one reference to Jesus' whereabouts; Luke 2.52 says; "And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man." This doesn't really say where he increased his wisdom and knowledge to preach the glory of God. In this book the author Notovitch gives a summary of his findings from the manuscripts he found at a Buddhist monastery in Ladakh. In his original work in French, Notovitch gives a minute by minute description of his journey to Tibet in 1887. The manuscript discovered by him at the Himis monastery near Leh, the capital of Ladakh gave an account of Jesus, referred to as St. Issa. These manuscripts were brought from India to Tibet via Nepal. The original was written in Pali, the language of Buddhists. This was translated into Tibetan language by the Buddhist Lamas. St. Issa's doctrine is not canonized in Buddhism and hence not read by ordinary Buddhists, except for Lamas.

Notovitch summarizes his findings about Jesus (St. Issa) in 14 chapters. Jesus travels to India with a caravan of merchants to study and understand the Vedic and Buddhist teachings (Chapter 4, verses 12-13). His trip leads him to Jagannath, located in the modern state of Orissa where Hindu priests receive him with open arms and teach him Sanskrit language and Vedas (chapter 5, verses 3-4). Having studied Hinduism and Buddhism for six years, Jesus was deeply influenced by Buddha's teachings. He travels extensively in Northern India to spread the holy doctrine (chapter 5, verses 3-4). Jesus preaches against unfair treatment of shudras and vaishyas. His teachings focus on the equality of all men, irrespective of their wealth or physical strength or the caste. He works for the emancipation of the poor and downtrodden (chapter 5, verses 11, and 22-27.) He preaches in Jagannath, Rajagriha, Benares and other holy cities of Hinduism and Buddhism (chapter 5, verse 5). When Jesus is about 28 years old, he heads back to his homeland to preach the glory of God, passing through many countries; Afghanistan, Persia and many Middle Eastern countries, before arriving in Israel. Many people were deeply touched by his humility and his message and they become his followers.

Chapter 1 start with the Indian traders who had witnessed the execution of Jesus by the soldiers of Governor Pilate (chapter 1, verses 1-5, and chapter 14, verses 1-5,) and the efforts of Pilate to prosecute Jesus (chapter 10, verses 3-21 and chapter 11.)

Notovitch studied and summarized his findings in 1889, and later in 1929, Swami Abhedananda of the Ramakrishna Order (Vedanta Society) reviewed and verified the authenticity of the apocrypha by personally studying them at Himis monastery. Later Nicholas Roerich and Elisabeth Caspari confirmed the existence of these documents during their visits to the Buddhist monastery at Himis

The translation into English from the original French has been beautifully rendered, and the work of Notovitch is highly illuminating and explains the whereabouts of Jesus in his adolescent years. There are a number of books in literature that discusses the parallels in the acts and sayings of Jesus with that of Buddha. The summary of Notovitch reads like a lost gospel of Jesus Christ.

Reference:
The Unknown Life of Jesus Christ by Nicolas Notovitch

2. The Unknown Life of Jesus Christ - The Original Text of Nicolas Notovitch's 1887 Discovery by Nicolas Notovitch
3. The Unknown Life of Jesus Christ: From an Ancient Manuscript Recently Discovered in a Buddhist Monastery by Nicolas Notovitch

Ann Coulter is brave and truthful

This is an excellent book that takes a long trip down the memory-lane examining and evaluating the critical events in the American history of race. The author provides hard facts and her analysis to show that the history of civil rights consists of Republicans battling Democrats to guarantee the constitutional rights of black Americans. She dismisses the notion that Democrats are the champions of civil rights, as she reminds us that all opposition to the Republican-sponsored civil rights acts of 1957 and 1960 came from Democrats. Republican support for the landmark laws of 1964 and 1965 was essential to their passage. She continues that the 13th, 14th and 15th amendments to the Constitution were supported by Republicans and represents the critical part of the American history that gave recognition to the fundamental rights of black Americans. The facts show that the policy of slavery was defended by Democrats until they found out that it is not politically profitable. The author recalls, whenever the Democrats are in political hard-spots, they blame Republicans of 'racism.' In the recent past, Democrats are presenting themselves as heroes of civil rights movement. Obama has used racial divisiveness to serve his political ends, and in his 2008 presidential campaign, he revived the white guilt that had long since dissipated, and then hinted that the one path to racial reconciliation was to make him the president of this nation. During the George W. Bush presidency, dissent was patriotic, but under Democrats, it is equated to racism. The author concludes, "This isn't a story about black people -- it's a story about the left's agenda to patronize blacks and lie to everyone else." Ann Coulter punches hard when she talks about facts truthfully.

Reference: Mugged: Racial Demagoguery from the Seventies to Obama by Ann Coulter

What is Obama's dream?

American voters have two choices in the 2012 presidential election; realizing the American dream as dreamed by the founding fathers or the Obama's dream, which is a world in which countries share wealth and power, and unmake United States as a global leader. The author analyzes Obama's foreign and domestic policies to support his theory that Obama is weakening American presence in global affairs. Case in point is that he pushed for elections in Egypt, where the Muslim Brotherhood emerged as victorious, which is not in the best interest of United Sates or Israel, since this group is a known supporter of Islamic terrorism. We have given Egypt an average of $2 billion annually and we help elect an anti-American leadership. He has done very little to contain Iran from developing a nuclear weapon. Internationally, he's been scaling back America's influence in almost everything; politically, economically and militarily.

Domestically, he has expanded the power of the state through increased legislation and excessive regulation of the securities industry. In a speech delivered in Virginia, Obama said that those who own businesses "didn't build that" suggesting an "anti-colonialist" philosophy. This essentially means that the society creates wealth and greedy entrepreneurs swoop in and gain the benefits. The author points out that Obama cares little for poor Americans. Since he has taken action to block domestic energy initiatives such as the Keystone Pipeline, but he has supported similar efforts in Latin America. A strong domestic energy initiative would have created thousands of jobs for the middle class Americans. The author has presented very powerful arguments to support his theory, and in an election year this book sheds light on who Obama really is.

Reference: Obama's America: Unmaking the American Dream by Dinesh D'Souza

A fact finding mission of America's notorious radical extremists

David Horowitz has been a leading fighter for conservative thought in this country for a number of decades, and he has been a constant source of information on left wing and liberal philosophies that are fast driving this country into the hands of Islamists and chaos. In this book, he has focused on the destructive agendas of six known political extremists including Cornel West, Christopher Hitchens, Linda Evans and Kathy Soliah.

Cornel West is a provocative speaker and a controversial figure under the guise of an academic at Harvard and Princeton. Currently he is affiliated to the department Philosophy and Christian Practice at Union Theological Seminary in NY. He is well known for his rhetoric that contains thinly veiled racist attacks on whites. He has a fondness for men like Jeremiah Wright, and James Cone, the founder of black theology. Malcolm X was his hero when he was growing up. He once stated that Malcolm X was not far wrong when he called the white man 'the devil,' and in calls for 'the destruction of whiteness, which is the source of human misery in the world." Even a notoriously anti-Semitic outfit like the Nation of Islam is in the good books of West. In his view, the 9/11 attacks gave white Americans a glimpse of what it means to be a black person in the United States -- feeling "unsafe, unprotected, subject to random violence and hated for who they are." "Since 9/11," he said, "the whole nation has the blues, when before it was just black people." Referring to Iraq war, he said "We are experiencing the sad gangsterization of America," He is a strong proponent of black liberation theology -- a variation of liberation theology, which teaches that the New Testament can be understood only as calls for social activism, and class struggle to overturn the capitalist order and installing, a socialist utopia where today's poor will unseat their "oppressors," which is absurd and sounds lot like Maoism! This is supported by his views on capitalism, which he calls as the root cause of American lusts. According to him the "Free-market fundamentalism trivializes the concern for public interest. It puts fear and insecurity in the hearts of anxiety-ridden workers. It also makes money-driven, poll-obsessed elected officials deferential to corporate goals of profit."

Christopher Hitchens was listed by Forbes magazine as one of the "25 most influential liberals in the U.S. media" is another strong villain of American way of life and American interest.

Linda Evans and Kathy Soliah are political monsters who are not prisoners of conscience. They are incapable of even a minimal accounting of what they willed and did 30 years ago, or what they are attempting to do right now. It is that their evil is masked by a false idealism and deceptive goodwill, and they have consciously concealed their agendas behind an aura of vulnerability and innocence. Linda Evans and a sinister network of political comrades are supported in their delusions by an academic industry in anti-white, anti-capitalist, anti-male, and anti-American ideologies. Horowitz's last portrait is of Saul Alinksy, whose aim is the redistribution of power and not explaining how this might be accomplished without a descent into totalitarianism. This is an excellent book and fact finding mission of America's notorious radical extremists.

Reference: Radicals: Portraits of a Destructive Passion by David Horowitz

The destroyer of American dream

In the next month presidential elections, you have two choices, pursuing the American dream as envisioned by the founding fathers or the Obama's dream of a socialized society. The author has documented in about 12 chapters examining Obama's way of handling domestic energy production, regulating free enterprise system, healthcare, handling of Islamic terrorism and national security. In 2008 presidential campaign, he ran on a magic word in his campaign, "change" and what a change we have seen in his actions; from Obamacare to immigration to the economy to wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, free trade, and the deficit. Excessive use of regulation in curbing the free enterprise system has severely hurt the free market to adopt energy alternatives to oil, coal, and natural gas as they become economically advantageous. Obama's radical background implicates his contempt for American culture, its political and economic values.

The author cites another controversial decision to give $600 million to Palestinians annually. And $225 million is given directly to the Palestinian Authority in violation of U.S. law. Some of these funds are used to pay salaries to Palestinian terrorists in Israeli jails. Obama is weakening American presence in global affairs. Case in point is that he pushed for elections in Egypt, where the Muslim Brotherhood emerged as victorious, which is not in the best interest of United Sates or Israel, since this group is a known supporter in Islamic terrorism. We have given Egypt an average of $2 billion annually and we help elect anti-American leadership. Internationally, he's been scaling back America's influence in almost everything; politically, economically and militarily.

Reference: The Great Destroyer: Barack Obama's War on the Republic by David Limbaugh

Who really is Obama? Listen to Edward Klein

The author Ed Klein has done a spectacular job of writing this book after his interviews with Obama's closest mentor Rev. Jeremiah Wright, and Jesse Jackson. His findings are that Obama is unsuitable to lead the nation and lacks executive leadership skills. Ed Klein reveals that Obama knew a lot about Islam but very little about Christianism. Rev. Wright educated Obama about Christ, compassion, tolerance and forgiveness that is far from Islam's preaching of killing infidels, killing for apostasy and intolerance to other faiths and teachings.

The author also portrays an unfriendly working relationship in the White House between Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel and Obama's associate Valerie Jarrett. The problem was due to inept Jarrett who was a liberal and an activist reformer. She pushed for comprehensive health care reform; Emanuel advised against it, pushing instead to focus on jobs. She also persuaded Obama to travel to Copenhagen to support the bid for the 2016 Summer Olympics instead of dealing with numerous domestic problems.

Reverend Jackson claims that Obama was a novice when he came for his help to learn the oratory skills he needed to win the senatorial bid from Illinois. The author says that Obama and his wife Michelle once had marital problems and they were seeking counseling from Jeremiah Wright.

Reference:  The Amateur by Edward Klein

The fascinating life of Woolworth Heiress, Barbara Hutton

David Niven, one of the men Barbara Hutton dated, described her in his memoir as a "petite snub-nosed blonde, very pretty American girl with the smallest feet I had ever seen...She was gay, a sparkling creature, full of life and laughter." Her closest friends called her a woman of charm, sensitivity, wit, dignity and taste, but her female friends thought that she lacked self-esteem and self-control. This was the image of young Barbara Hutton. As she began to marry and divorce men, life took a toll on her personality. Cary Grant, her third husband recalled that she had interest in poetry, spirituality and dance, and used as an expression that her life didn't provide. Grant cared for Barbara and also her son Lance, which none of her spouses or boyfriends provided. After she was finished with Cary, she stopped finding the right man and started to lead life as it came. She was always on the gossip columns of major newspapers by her extravaganza life styles and care free spending on men of her life. She surrounded herself with a consortium of fawning parasites; European titles, a maharaja or two, sheikhs, and swarm of gays. Cary Grant once said if one phonier Earl had entered the house he would have suffocated. Men were chief stimulus for Barbara Hutton; she bought and sold them, bartered them or replaced them in much the same way a stockbroker operates in the Exchange. She was always in love with several men but real love was her greatest rarities. She divided men into two categories; those she loved and those she took to bed. Her marriages were essentially sexless (sleeping in two separate bedrooms) and her affairs were bereft of love. Her inability to combine the two forces in one man kept her going from one husband to another. Philip Reed, one of the struggling actors she dated, claimed that Barbara Hutton was incapable of sustaining a relationship; that sooner or later she became bored and restless and wanted to leave the relationship yearning for anther man's love. In later part of her life, she became restless and an insomniac. She wrote poetry incessantly or called friends in NY, LA, London, or Tangier, whatever the local time is at these places. Her moods changed from good to bad instantly and haunted her friends. At this time she started developing severe dependency on prescription drugs and controlled substances. At one time her doctor confirmed that she was suffering from anorexia nervosa. Once on her trip from Mexico to NY, she tried to force open the emergency exit and hurl herself out of the airliner. She had difficulty remembering the names of all her husbands and once she said that she doesn't like to walk (for exercise) because she can afford to pay others to do her walking!

Barbara Hutton eventually moved to Beverly Wiltshire Hotel in Beverly Hills, California. At this stage she was like a dead matter; her lawyers, doctors and business advisors had swindled her to the last few dollars. Barbara's personal business counselor Mattison was on the top of the list in misappropriating her inheritance. She still wanted to invite friends for a meal but no one wanted to know her. Every gigolo and a fortune hunter in town learnt of her routine of going to the hotel bar until 3 AM and she was subjected all kinds of tricks from guys to lure her into bed and access to her fortune. On top of that a steady flow of 19 year old beach boys were paid $1,000 a night to keep her company in her hotel bedroom. At the time of her death at 66, she had $3,500 in her checking account.

There were many good sides to Barbara Hutton. She knitted sweaters and socks to raise money for the rehabilitation of disabled French soldiers during WWII and made donations to recruit volunteers to fly war missions for England against German war machine. She was an outspoken advocate of American intervention in the war and did active telephone campaign and took newspaper ads to raise money for contributions to British war chest. She was poetess in her own right, and her first volume, "The enchanted" was published and contained 79 poems. She found solace in the poetry of Nobel Laureate Rabindranath Tagore. In spite of hundreds of men in her life, the great folly was that she could sense the future but she did nothing to change it. The author has done a marvelous job of narrating her tragic life.

Reference: Poor Little Rich Girl, by C. David Heymann

Obama's Dream

We are a step closer to the 2012 Presidential elections and the liberal media is relentless in finding negative things in Romney campaign and seeing only positive signs in the message of Obama. Conservative commentator Dinesh D'Souza is as fierce as ever in exposing the real Obama in his recent book "Obama's America." The American voters have two choices in the 2012 presidential election; realizing the American dream as envisioned by the founding fathers or the Obama's dream, which is a world in which countries share wealth and power, and unmake United States as a global leader. Obama has done plenty to alienate Israel to win the minds of Islamists in this country and Islamic nations around the globe. He has minimized the influence of Christian principle on which this country was founded. His foreign and domestic policies have weakened American influence in global affairs. He pushed for elections in Egypt, where the Muslim Brotherhood emerged as victorious, which is not in the best interest of United Sates or Israel, since this group is a known supporter in Islamic terrorism. We have given Egypt an average of $2 billion annually and we help elect anti-American leadership. He has done very little to contain Iran from developing a nuclear weapon. Internationally, he's been scaling back America's influence in almost everything.

The movie exposes the real Obama by going into his grass roots to understand his political philosophy. Filmed on four continents, it features on-camera interviews with his destitute half-brother George Obama in Kenya, and Philip Ochieng, an associate of Barack Obama, Sr. The film is produced by real heavy weights like, Doug Sain, and Gerald Molen, who produced "Schindler's List," "Jurassic Park" and "Hook." This film has fired up Americans and it has grossed more than $33 million at the box office, and it is at the top of the DVD charts. The film is also the top-selling documentary of the year and fourth documentary of all time. It uses the best argument of all: Barack Obama's own words from his book "Dreams from My Father: A Story of Race and Inheritance."

Gerald Molen, the producer of this movie has stated that the current scandal involving the film's star and co-director, Dinesh D'Souza should not be used by movie critics to discredit the movie. They must watch the movie with open mind, and it may help you make up your mind about your choice in the 2012 presidential elections.

Reference: 2016 Obama's America DVD - Dinesh D'Souza

The ministry of John the Baptist (JB); an evaluation by Jesus Seminar

This book is a result of an academic evaluation of everything that is said about John the Baptist (JB) in the gospels (including the Gospel of Thomas) and Acts, and if any scholarly consensus exists about his work. No one has ever compiled a list of words attributed to Jesus following his death. In Jesus seminar, the sayings and parables attributed to Jesus in the first 300 years were analyzed and compared in terms of history, the culture and traditions that existed at that time. In addition to this effort, the Jesus Seminar also examined John the Baptist.

The original copies of gospels were lost and the oldest fragment of any portion of the New Testament in current existence is probably the Gospel of John dated 125 C.E., and the other three versions of canonical gospels (synoptic gospels) belongs to about 200 C.E. There are about 5,000 Greek manuscripts that contain part or all of the New Testament. No two are exactly alike since they were all copied by hand and usually from dictation. It was not until 1454 C.E., that the identical copies of Bible were reproduced in large scale.

In the development of narrative statements, a distinction was made between two different kinds of statements; action statements and status statements. The former is to do with activities and events. For example, the narrative statements about John the Baptist (JB) having baptized Jesus represent action statement. Status statements are related to the participants and the setting during baptism. Jesus Seminar voted on more than 100 different narrative statements related to JB. These statements were compiled and colored to their appropriate degrees of historical probability. Red color represents certainty, pink, a probability; gray, a possibility and black, impossibility. Existence of John the Baptist, John baptizing Jesus, the wilderness where JB met Jesus (Proposd to be around the Jordon River) is marked red (a fact of certainty). The participants at JB's baptism were Jerusalemites, Judeans, Pharisees, Sadducees, toll collectors, soldiers, tetrarch named Herod Antipas, and Herodias (wife of Herod's brother) were all marked a fact of certainty, but the seminar voted pink for the presence of Essenes at the event indicating it was not certain, but only a probability. Regarding the family history of JB, the seminar voted that JB was a son of Zechariah and Elizabeth were an improbability (not factual). The area surrounding Jordan River is where JB's ministry existed (marked red indicating a certainty in this fact), but the fact that JB was an ascetic who lived on raw honey and locusts is treated as a probable fact (pink). JB dressed in camel hair and wore a leather belt around his waist is regarded as not factual (black). JB preached and administered baptism to express repentance, his exhortations and preaching had widespread appeal. He baptized Jesus and Jesus identified JB as a great figure. Herod Antipas had JB imprisoned and he executed JB were all voted as factual (red). JB taught repentance apart from baptism, JB was related to Jesus (JB's mother Elizabeth was related to Mary), and Herodias asked for the head of JB on a platter were considered an improbability and not factual (black).

The gospel of Matthew has sixteen passages related to JB and Luke has 28 passages. The gospel of Luke and the book of Acts constitute a massive two-volume work on the origins of Christian faith. Luke narrates the ministry of Jesus Christ and the book of Acts narrates the story of the earliest church, yet there are apparent differences between the four gospels. This book makes an in-depth study of the history of scriptures. This is an excellent book that all students of New Testament must study to understand the ministry of John the Baptist.

Reference: John the Baptist and Jesus: A Report of the Jesus Seminar by W. Barnes Tatum

The teachings of Gnostic gospels and the early Christianity

Gnosticism is a mystical, esoteric religious movement that existed during the very early phase of Christianism. The discovery of 13 books containing 52 texts in the Nile River valley of Egypt in 1945 called Nag Hammadi opened the door for the history of early Christianism and the teachings of four Gnostic gospels called; the secret book of James, the gospel of Thomas, the book of Thomas and secret book of John. Biblical scholars estimate that these books belong to second century C.E, and the followers of this abstract faith were Gnostics and they were comprised of various groups. Some fostered spiritual values, others lead very ascetic life in solitude in wilderness, and most Gnostics followed traditional life engaging in an inner spiritual quest for God. They advocated a faith different from the early Christian church. They believed in a direct approach to finding God rather than believing in the concept of "Son of God" or a prophet or a spiritual healer. The conservative Christian leaders dismissed them as heretics and most of their books were either destroyed or modified or suppressed.

In this book, the author, who is actively involved in the academic research of the history of Gnosticism, and the translation Nag Hammadi texts provide us with an English translation of the four Coptic texts; the secret book of James, the gospel of Thomas, the book of Thomas and secret book of John. The sayings of Jesus in these books are discussed, interpreted, and revised within the contexts of the history, culture and religion of that time. Many sayings were similar to kingdom sayings, proverbial utterances and parables of the New Testament. The author compares several parables from Gnostic gospels with those found in the canonical gospels. Examples include; the "parable of Palm shoot" (secret book of James 4:10-12), the "parable of the head of grain" (secret book of James 8:2), the "parable of wise fisher" (gospel of Thomas 8), etc. It is interesting to read as how these parables evolved over the years into the current King James Version of Bible. The fourth gospel, the secret book of John says very little about Jesus. This text appears to be of early Jewish literature that includes some basic concepts Christianism.

The parable of the Jar of Flour (Gospel of Thomas 95) and the parable of Assassin (Gospel of Thomas 95) refer to the kingdom of God that is not found in New Testament or any other early Christian literature. Verse 103 makes a controversial statement about the parents of Jesus, and makes references to another name of Jesus in some Jewish traditions as Yeshu ben Pantera. In the book of Thomas, chapter 9, verse 1-7 that deals with conclusion of revelation, "one must escape the grim realities of incarnation and reincarnation" is related to the Upanishadic thought (Hindu scriptures). The secret book of John, chapter 2, verses 1-22 is related to the revelation of One; we find a classic statement of divine transcendence, formulated with terms of negation is in close agreement with the Upanishadic insistence of the Ultimate as "neti neti," not this, not that. It is the invisible spirit, it is beyond deity, beyond perfection, beyond being, as the ground of all being, and it is wholly other or any other finite category. These factual statements reverberates the influence of Upanishads on early Jewish and Christian literature.

In the secret book of James chapter 1, verses 7-14, Gnostic texts suggest various periods of time for resurrection and reappearance of Jesus as 545 days (ascension of Isaiah), and 12 years (Pistis Sophia, Book of Jeu). In the last chapter 16, verses 19-21 of the secret book of James, Jesus make an unorthodox request; "The Savior communicated these things to John for him to record and safeguard. He said to him, "Cursed is everyone who will trade these things for a present, for food, drink, clothes, or anyone else" (verse 19). "These things were communicated to John as a mystery and afterword the savior disappeared at once" (verse 20). "Then John went to other disciples and reported what the savior had told him." (Verse 21)

This is an excellent book for undergraduate students majoring in early Christian literature and the history of New Testament.

Reference: The Secret Teachings of Jesus: Four Gnostic Gospels by Marvin Meyer

A book for the spiritual seeker

The physical reality we see and experience in our lives is limited by our knowledge, which is built upon human experience, understanding of science, and our religious/non-religious upbringing. From the point of the author, even if he is well accomplished neurosurgeon with a highest education, may find it difficult to sell the idea of near death experience. The Christian fundamentalist or a puritan of scientific education or a rational thinker; they all are limited by their scientific or religious dogmas and remain closed to new thoughts and experience that challenges their traditional thinking. In this regard, the author has shown extraordinary courage in writing this book in spite of the fact that much of his peers in academics may laugh it off as irreverent experience and think that he must head-back to the loony bin. Readers open to learning near death experience and other non-explainable occurrences welcome Eben Alexander's courage to talk about his experiences.

For seven days the author laid in a deep coma and his body unresponsive, and higher-order brain functions were off. On the seventh day his eyes popped open. He has no scientific explanation for the fact that his mind, consciousness, and the inner self were functioning all along. He explains that the world where death is the end is not an end at all, but consciousness continue to survive.

The near death experience of the author puts him in a place of big puffy clouds, pink-white ones that showed up sharply against the deep blue-black sky. At vastly higher region; flocks of transparent, shimmering beings arced across the sky, leaving long, streamer like lines behind them. They were different from anything known on this planet. The author believes they were more advanced higher forms. The sky was filled with glorious chant, which was the joy of these creatures. The sound was palpable and almost material, like a rain that you can feel on your skin but doesn't get you wet. Seeing and hearing were not separate in this place. The author describes the visual beauty of the silvery bodies of those scintillating beings above, and he could see the surging, joyful perfection of what they sang. The message he got from his deep consciousness was; "You are loved and cherished, dearly, forever," "You have nothing to fear," and "There is nothing you can do wrong."

This new picture of later-reality described by the author will probably be understood much better as we make more progress in understanding how consciousness, the laws of quantum physics, and physical existence are interrelated. It won't be finished in a decade or a century; it may be longer when scholars will be looking at the experiences of Eben Alexander in newer light. Many quantum physicists believe that spacetime, matter/energy and consciousness are interconnected into one never ending continuity in a multiverse concept.

Much has been written on this topic from the Christian approach, but not with scientific, medical and spiritual approach. If you are a true seeker of supreme consciousness and the transcendental Ultimate Reality, this book entertains you tremendously.

Reference: Proof of Heaven: A Neurosurgeon's Journey into the Afterlife by Eben Alexander III

A good guide for the Hollywood tour

If you are planning to visit Hollywood and would like learn about a movie star including how they died and where they are buried, then you would love this book. This is not a morbid book detailing the tragic end of a person, but guides movie fans by giving a brief and useful bio of the stars, and the address of the house where the star lived, and the cemetery information. I have visited gravesite of several stars discussed in this book and paid my respect. This book describes stars whose death was strange, brutal, suspicious or natural, and the appendix and the cemetery info given at the end of the book comes in very handy. Much of the information given in this book is already discussed on television, books or many websites related to Tinsel town, but it is nice to have a copy of the book for immediate reference.

Of many stars discussed in this book, I found Janet Gaynor's bio was interesting. Her death due to complications arising from a car accident in San Francisco, and her burial in Hollywood Forever Cemetery in Hollywood was helpful in relating to the movies she did. Other interesting bios I read included Grace Kelly, Carole Lombard, Jayne Mansfield, Will Rogers, and Ernie Kovacs; all of whom died in auto/plane accidents. Will Rogers was buried initially at a Los Angeles cemetery but later moved to Claremont, OK.

The celebrities who succumbed to alcohol and drug intoxication included; John Barrymore, Montgomery Clift, W.C. Fields, Judy Garland, William Holden, Veronica Lake, Barbara La Marr and Bel Lugosi. Some of the roles John Barrymore played were as an alcoholic, for example, in the movie "Dinner at Eight," his role reflected his true life. Bela Lugosi was strongly addicted to controlled substances that significantly affected his health, and poor choices he made in his career drove him to poor house. His last wish was that he was to be buried in his Dracula trademark black cape and tuxedo suite. For a small gathering attending the services, it was an eerie feeling to open the casket and see Dracula in the coffin. The story has it that the hearse left the mortuary parking lot, after driver lost control of the vehicle, and drove itself along the busy Hollywood Blvd and turned at Vine Street, the regular walking path of Lugosi.

A friend, after seeing W.C. Fields reading Bible, asked him why he chose to read the holy book, the comic quipped, "Looking for loopholes." Ramon Navarro, Sharon Tate, Rebecca Schaeffer, Haing Ngor (academy award winner for "The Killing Fields,") and Sal Mineo were murdered. The homicides of Tate and Navarro were especially brutal.

The deaths of Susan Hayward, John Wayne, Agnes Moorhead and Dick Powell occurred naturally. But many reporters believe that they were exposed to radiation that hovered over Utah filming site for the movie "The Conqueror." All of them developed cancer after the movie was shot in 1955.

The deaths of actor George Reeves, Marilyn Monroe, Natalie Wood, and Bob Crane were perplexing. Much has been written on them and various theories still exist. Recently LAPD reopened the investigation of Natalie Wood's death. George Reeves death was attributed to suicide by LAPD, but some believe that his one time lover Toni Mannix hired a hit man to do the job. She had a motive; his last will and testament read that most of his assets were to go for Mannix and not his fiancée Lenore Lemmon. Clara Blandick, Dorothy Dandridge, Peg Entwistle, Carole Landis, George Sanders, and Lupe Velez committed suicide for either health or economic reasons. Peg Entwistle fell from the Hollywood sign (from letter H) 100 feet below. It has been rumored that this area is haunted by Peg (woman in white) who is restless and never found peace in her life. There is a picture of the suicide scene of Carol Landis in the book, where she is found lying in her house in a crouching position. Landis was in serious financial position and the actor Rex Harrison was the last to see her before her unfortunate decision to end her life on July 4 weekend of 1948.

The book reads wonderfully and many stories I found in this book are well researched

Reference: The Hollywood Book of Death: The Bizarre, Often Sordid, Passings of More than 125 American Movie and TV Idols by James Robert Parish

The Word of God according to the Vedas and Bible

The author is a well known Indian scholar who has written several books with an objective to create a national consciousness among Hindus in understanding the injustices done by Christian missionaries, Muslims and the successive Indian governments led by the congress party. Christian missionaries still exploit the ignorance, illiteracy and poverty of the people and convert them into Christianism by the dint of force and enticement. The basic motive of Christian missionaries in running schools and hospitals is proselytisation by creating congenial atmosphere for the conversion. It is not a selfless philanthropy.

Mahatma Gandhi once observed in his magazine "Harijan" as follows: "Only the other day, a missionary descended on a famine area with money in his pocket, distributed it among the famine-stricken, converted into his fold, took charge of their temple and demolished it. This is outrageous. The temple could not belong to the Christian missionary. But this friend goes and gets it demolished at the hands of very men who only a little while ago, believed that God was there" (Harijan (English Weekly), Poona, May 11, 1935). Referring to the activities of Christian missionaries in India, Swami Vivekananda said that "Every man going out of the Hindu pale is not only a man less but an enemy more" (The complete works of Swami Vivekananda, volume V, page 233). On a similar note, Charles Dickens said that "Missionaries are perfect nuisances and leave every place worse than they found it" (Sitaram Goel, History of Hindu-Christian Encounters, Voice of India, New Delhi, 1996, p. XIII.) Most Hindus who convert are unaware of the contents of the Bible. In this book the author makes a comparative analysis of the Vedas and Bible and demonstrates that Vedas have the message of coexistence, harmony and peace as stated in "The whole universe is one family" (Yajurveda 32:8)

A brief summary of the comparison is as follows: With regards to Vedic monotheism and Biblical doctrine of trinity, we observe, "He is the sole sovereign of the universe" (Rgveda 6:36:4). "He is One Brahma, The Creator of the cosmos, who pervades and protects, and enlightens all beings, He is One Supreme Entity, Whom sages call by various names......(Rgveda 1:64:46). How does this compare with verses found in John 5:7, and Matthew 28:19, where the doctrine of trinity described; the God the father, the God the son and God the Holy Ghost? Vedic culture is strictly monotheistic and the message of the New Testament is not monotheistic.

With regards to the preaching of peace and harmony we find; March together, speak together; Let your minds be united; Like sages of yore, being of one mind; Accept your share of fortune(Rgveda 10:191:2). Another verse in Rgveda says this: "May you resolve; with one accord; May your hearts be in unison; May your thoughts be harmonious; So that you may live together; With Happiness and hilarity (Rgveda 10:191:4). This does not compare well with Matthew 10:34 and 10:35. "Think not that I come to send peace on earth; I came not to send peace, but a sword. (Matt 10:34)

The messages found in Exodus 12:29; Numbers 21:6; Numbers 16:32-33, 35; Leviticus 26:22; 1 Chronicles 21:14 and 1 Samuel 6:19 demonstrate that God is wrathful and sends death and extreme harm if he dislikes someone. This is illustrated in; "And the Lord sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people; and much people of Israel died (Numbers 21:6). In another instance; "And there came out a fire from the Lord, and consumed the two hundred and fifty men that offered incense" (Numbers 16:35.) Contrary to this Biblical message, we find the message of Rgveda in God is merciful. "Providence showers mercy; on the most heinous sinners even; May we be sinless; before merciful God!" (Rgveda 7:87:7). In another verse; "Oh loving Lord! It is thy divine grace and glory; Grandeur and truthfulness; that thou bestow; Thy bliss and benediction; on thy devotees" (Rgveda 1:1:6).

Bible prescribes death penalty for certain errors. See Leviticus 24:16; 20:18; 20:10 Numbers 1:51; Exodus 31:14; 21:17; 35:2; Deuteronomy 21:18-21; 20:18; 22:20-21. Vedas prescribe reformation as in Rgveda 10:137:1. Bible denigrates women, examples include; Genesis 3:16; 1 Corinthians 11:8-9; 11:3-6; 14:34; 1 Timothy 2:11-14; Ephesians 5:24; Colossians 3:18; Numbers 5:20-22, 27; and Deuteronomy, 24:1-4. Vedas elevate women, examples are Rgveda 10:159:2 and Atharvaveda 14:2:75. The author also compares Vedas with Bible regarding other factors such as; punishment for non-believers in Bible and love for all in Vedas; Bible preaching intolerance, Vedas preaching fraternity; human sacrifice in Bible and non-violence in Vedas; preaching of witchcraft in Bible and following divine path in Vedas, etc. The author not only compares the verses in the two holy books but also includes the commentary of well know philosophers and reformers on these verses. This is very well written book with numerous references in the literature: Highly recommended. I have one last comment about the diagram on the cover of the book; there should have been one book representing the Vedas (instead of four) on the balance; that would imply that the Vedas outweigh Bible in the quality of message.

Reference: Holy Vedas and holy Bible: A comparative study by Kanaiyalalu Manghandasu Talrej

The Apostle Judas Iscariot; is he a betrayer or a protector of Jesus Christ?

Judas Iscariot is portrayed in the popular Christian literature as a quintessential enemy, the betrayer of Jesus who turns his master to Roman authorities. In the gospel of Luke, it is stated that Satan enters into Judas and drives him to his despicable deed, and in the gospel of John, Jesus says to his 12 disciples that one them is a devil. According to Matthew, Judas hangs himself; and according to Acts, his belly rips open and dies. During the formative period of Christian church, there were many gospels; the Gospel of Truth, and the gospels according to Thomas, Peter, Philip, James, Judas, Mary, the Ebonite's, the Nazarenes, the Hebrews, and the Egyptians that demonstrate a rich diversity of perspectives within the early Christianity. Most of these gospels were treated as heretical and they were destroyed by the early Christian church; some were lost in antiquity.

The gospel of Judas is different in a number of respects from canonical gospels. In this gospel, he is not a devil but a close friend of Jesus who understood him better than any other disciples. He turned over Jesus to the authorities because Jesus wanted him to do so. Jesus wanted to escape the material world that is opposed to God and return to his heavenly home. There is no resurrection in this gospel because the entire point of salvation is to escape this material world. Jesus is regarded as a great spiritual leader, and not as a son of God. He is not considered as a savior who died for the sins of the others. The central part of this gospel is that Jesus teaches the mysteries of the universe, and as stated in other Gnostic gospels, Jesus is a teacher and a revealer of wisdom and knowledge which can eradicate ignorance and create awareness to find God. According to most Gnostics that includes gospel of Judas Iscariot, we are trapped in these bodies and we must acquire knowledge and find truth so that we can free ourselves. The mysteries Judas Iscariot learns from Jesus are steeped in Jewish Gnostic lore. In one of his meetings with his apostles, Judas Iscariot is the only disciple who had the courage to stand in front of his master and tell him that he (Jesus) is the "immortal realm of Barbelo" and Judas Iscariot is not worthy of uttering the name of the Almighty God who has sent him.

Gnosticism is a mystical, esoteric religious movement that existed during the very early phase of Christianism. The discovery of 13 books containing 52 texts in the Nile River valley of Egypt in 1945 called Nag Hammadi opened the door for the history of early Christianism and the teachings of Gnostic gospels such as; the secret book of James, the gospel of Thomas, the book of Thomas, gospel of Judas Iscariot and secret book of John. Biblical scholars estimate that these books belong to second century C.E, and the followers of this abstract faith were Gnostics and they were comprised of various groups. These Christian groups maintained different systems of beliefs and doctrine, all of them insisting that their views were not only right but were of the views of Jesus and his closest followers. The gospel of Judas was preserved in Coptic but probably translated from the original Greek around the middle of second century. Irenaeus, the bishop of Lugdunum in Gaul (Lyon in present France) refer to the gospel of Judas in his work "Against Heresies," written around 180 A.C. Irenaeus is one of the well known Heresy hunters from Christian antiquity who was especially critical of Gnostic gospels. The early Christian leadership discredited and dismantled anything that contradicted their beliefs, and hence the New Testament with its four canonical gospels gives a different view of Judas Iscariot.
Reference: The Gospel of Judas by Marvin Meyer

The apostle Mary Magdalene; the gospel from the perspectives of a female disciple

The gospel of Mary Magdalene discovered in Egypt in 1896 is a Gnostic gospel like the gospel of Thomas, which was also found in Egypt at Nag Hammadi in 1949. The Gnostic gospels of Nag Hammadi include; the secret book of James, the gospel of Thomas, the book of Thomas and secret book of John. They teach on acquiring knowledge and spiritual development to reach salvation. This is contrary to the message of canonical gospels and New Testament. The path of Christianism taught in this gospel is one of gnosis or divine knowledge that alone would pave the way for salvation. Mary Magdalene does not state that Jesus is a savior or he died for the sins of others. It does not say Jesus is the son of God. She presents him as a preceptor who teaches his followers to seek knowledge necessary to find unification with the Lord, the creator, the Source Principle. Jesus calls "my Father, your Father," and "my God, your God" as he tells Mary Magdalene in John 20:17. This is the principle teaching of Vedanta philosophy found in Upanishads, the sacred scriptures of Hinduism. The Upanishads were widely known throughout the ancient India (that included modern day Pakistan and Afghanistan) since 500 B.C. The philosophy of Gnosticism brings ancient Christianism closer to Hinduism in the spiritual and metaphysical aspects. This is further exemplified by the following: The soul answered: "Why do you judge me, since I have made no judgment? I have been dominated, but I myself have not dominated. I have not been recognized, but I myself have recognized, all things which are composed shall be decomposed, on earth and heaven" (Gospel of Mary Magdalene Page 15, lines 19-25). The essence of this is that root of all evil is ignorance. It is the ignorance that makes us indifferent, and indifference is wretched climate surrounding all comfortably numbed consciousness.

The following passage from the gospel makes an interesting reading: Peter said to Mary: "Sister, we know that the teacher loved you differently from other women. Tell us whatever you remember of any words he told you, which we have not yet heard. Mary said to them: "I will now speak to you of that which has not been given to you to hear. I had a vision of the Teacher, and I said to him: "Lord I see you now in this vision." And he answered: "you are blessed, for the sight of me does not disturb you. There where the nous; lies the treasure." Then I said to him: "Lord, when someone meets you in a moment of vision, is it through the soul (psyche) that they see or through their spirit (pneuma)? The Teacher answered: "It is neither through the soul nor the spirit, but the nous between the two which sees the vision [...] (Gospel of Mary Magdalene Page 10, verse lines 1-25.)

Mary Magdalene and Jesus' mother Mary are the only two Mary's mentioned in the canonical gospels. Mark 16:9 and Luke 8:2 refers to Jesus freeing Mary Magdalene from seven demons. She is one of the three who were at foot of the cross of Christ's crucifixion, besides apostle John and mother Mary (John 19:25). Mary Magdalene is the first to see Jesus resurrected from the tomb (John 20:11-18, Mark 16:9, and Matthew 28:9-10), hence some saints like St. Augustine consider her as the "apostle of apostles." For this reason, Apostle John and many scholars consider her as the founder of Christianity, although it is generally perceived that Christianism was born during Paul's journey to Damascus and the divine vision he experienced.

Scholars have debated why there were seven demons. Some have speculated this refers to the seven "chakras or wheels of energy" of Hinduism. It merely means that those visions of demons or the energy that cloud these chakras retard the spirit of the person, and Jesus, by his spiritual powers helped in cleansing her body.

The authors of this book present the Coptic text of the gospel of Mary Magdalene and its English translation. It also identifies the pages missing (either it is lost or the papyrus is too fragile to handle and letters and words is unreadable). The papyrus of this gospel was written in Sahidic Coptic language (with a number of dialectical borrowings) that was a translated from the early Greek text. But it is uncertain when the originals were written. Some scholars suggest that the earliest date for this gospel is the beginning of the second century. Several faulty transcriptions and other errors have been discerned in the writing of this gospel. The Nag Hammadi texts were also in Coptic language translated from early Greek manuscripts. The book is a great read for all with an insight into the early Christianity. Undergraduate students of ancient history of Israel and New Testament studies will also benefit tremendously by this scholarly work.

Reference: The Gospel of Mary Magdalene by Jean-Yves Leloup

The philosophy and hermeneutics of Hindu Puranas

The author is well known scholar of Puranas, especially the Vishnu Purana, and he has written extensively about the Hindu mythology. This book is an overall summary of what transcended from the Vedic myths to the metaphysics of Upanishads, and the mythology of the two epics into Puranas.

As the Vedas became ancient, the Vedic myths and rituals became obscured. Then the metaphysical thoughts about the origin of the universe, the nature of life and its connections with the Creator began. Such a philosophical enquiry lead to the discovery of Aranyakas and Upanishads, and the concept of the Supreme Being was found. In the final development, legends were invented largely from the epics, specifically Mahabharata and the faith based duties grew. The responsibility for the personal God became an important part of Hindu life. The Puranas grew rich in mythology, and mysticism evolved into the great authorities of modern Hinduism. Deity worshipping became common, and Vishnu and Siva became the major deities for worship, although Vishnu is largely worshipped in his youthful form of Krishna.

There are 18 maha-Puranas and they were compiled under the influence of the then existing doctrines with strong sectarian affiliations. Popular forms of Hinduism originated just around the times of Adi Shankara, a Saiva reformer, in the 8th century; and during the times of Vaishnava teachers like Ramanuja in the 12 century, Madhva in the 13 century and Vallabha in the 16 century. Puranas followed their innovation and paralleled their doctrines. Brahma Purana is the first Purana in the list of 18 Puranas, and sometimes referred to as Adi Purana; Padma Purana is the second. Linga Purana is another ancient text and the author suggests that it probably belong to the eighth or ninth century C.E.

Puranas are divided into the three classes according to their qualities. The Vishnu, Narada, Bhagavata, Garuda, Padma, and Varaha Puranas are Vaishnava Puranas which are classified as Sattvic texts that contain goodness and purity. The Saiva Puranas like; the Matsya, Kurma, Linga, Siva, Skanda, and Agni Puranas are tamas Puranas, where the qualities of gloom prevail. The Puranas of Rajas qualities are found in the following Brahma Puranas; Brahmanda, Brahma Vaivrata, Markanedya, Bhavishya, Vaman and Brahma Puranas. They represent the passionate qualities characteristic Rajas guna. The Rajas Puranas lean towards the sakta division that worships Sakti or the female principle like Durga or Kali founded on a principal episode of Markandeya Purana. The Brahma Vaivrata also worships Radha and other female deities. The significance of the three gunas has been elucidated and explained wonderfully in the Bhagavadgita.

The Puranas contain many legends from the two epics, especially Mahabharata. The number of hymns in each of the 18 Puranas could vary from 11,000 hymns, as in Linga Purana, to as much as 81,000, as in Skanda Purana. Over the years, certain sections of Puranas have accepted so much extraneous materials that favor the worship one particular deity over another largely due to sectarian affiliations and existing ideologies. In spite of these, all of them preserve many ancient legends and traditions.

The concept of elemental creation found in Vishnu Purana and others is from Sankhya philosophy. The agency that operates upon passive matter to reflect itself as material nature is attributed to the illusory nature of Maya descending from the concept of Vedanta philosophy. This amalgamation of the two metaphysical thoughts is used successfully in Puranas to illustrate the pantheism of Puranas. Such an illustration is also found in Bhagavadgita, where Sankhya and Vedanta philosophies have been used to describe the Supreme Being. According to Vishnu Purana, the independent existence of Pradhana or crude matter and with a separate existence of purusha or pure spirit is one and the same as Supreme Being, as taught by Sankhya. It is not only a spirit but also matter, time and all visible forms, kala and time. This is not a departure from the early metaphysical dogma of pre-Puranic Hinduism but simply the distinctiveness of the deity or a god whose work is contained in the mesh of creation and existence of which he is a part. The spacetime and matter that resulted in this universe will eventually collapse, disintegrate and dissolve with the Supreme Being. This apparent imperfection of why god would create and then destroy his creation was explained by the personification of attributes in action. Brahma, Vishnu and Siva were created and they were charged severally for a given season with the creation, preservation and temporary annihilation of material forms. The author H.H. Wilson says that the metaphysical thought of Vishnu Purana is of high antiquity.

Puranas have focused on varied things, some are rich in cosmologies, some in history, and most focus on philosophical aspects of life. The culture and metaphysics have grown like siblings in Hinduism. It is a constructive conservatism which creates but also keeps up continuity with the past.

Reference: Metaphysics of Puranas by H.H. Wilson

Vedic Physics: Scientific Origin of Hinduism- an unconventional interpretation of Rig-Veda

This book offers a new interpretation of Rig-Veda that is unconventional and perhaps a little outlandish. Each chapter deals with some basic concepts of physics and cosmology such as; the elementary particles, big bang theory, expansion of the universe, electromagnetism, matter - energy conversion, dark matter, quarks, evolution of elements, and matter and antimatter interactions. The author suggests that such physical phenomenon is predicted by Rgvedic hymns. He emphasize that the Vedic hymns of Purusha, especially Rgveda 10.90.1 is the fundamental hymn in understanding the Purusha as the creator, and Rgvedic God Brahmanaspati represents the expansion of the universe. The force of expansion (Indra) and contraction (Vrtra) operating at the edge of the universe is represented by the battle between God and the demon. Rgvedic God Vishnu is identified as the universe itself; the universe is known to be made of the Prithvi (earth), Antariksa (atmosphere) and Dayu (heaven.) Rgvedic God Vayu represents the field and the act of Yajna is considered as the process of matter - energy inter-conversion. Rgvedic God Savita is suggested to represent this inter-conversion. Satpatha Brahmana 6.21.1-4, Yajurveda 23.17, and Tittiriya Brahmana 1.1.4.5 signifies the equivalence of matter and energy. Rgveda 10.90.8 is taken as the hymn that supports the existence of Bosons and Fermions. Satpatha Brahmana 1.2.3.1-2, Rgveda 1.62.9; 2.10.2; Yajurveda 23.11-12; 23.56; 13.51, and Atharvaveda 9.5.7; 9.5.13; and 4.14.1 are suggested to predict the existence of quarks. Soma and Asvins are identified respectively as electric filed and magnetic fields. Rgvedic God Surya represents light, and Usha represents the cosmic dance of creation and annihilation of matter-antimatter particles. The author quotes extensively from Rgveda but his interpretation lacks substance. Because the physical and metaphysical elements are in Upanishads that was later expounded by the six schools of Hindu philosophy, notably Sankhya and Vedanta schools. Most scholars admit that Rgveda is known for various sacrificial rituals and few are recited at prayers and religious ceremonies. Rgveda praises several gods, mainly Indra, the heroic god of Rgveda, and also Agni, Mitra-Varuna and Ushas. Other non-major gods include; Savitr, Vishnu, Rudra, Pushan, Brihaspati, Brahmanaspati, Dyaus Pita (the sky), Prithivi (the earth), Surya (the sun), Vayu (the wind), Apas (the waters), Parjanya (the rain), and Vac (the word).

Nasadiya sukta, the hymn of creation found in Rgveda 10.129.1-7 is one of the very few hymns that elicit some metaphysical discussion with regards to the origin of the universe. Vedic scholars Ravi Prakash Arya and K. L. Joshi wondered about the controversial nature of this composition since it is directed against the basic concepts of Sankhya philosophy. Author Wendy Doniger describes this hymn is linguistically simple but conceptually very provocative that produced numerous scholarly commentaries. This hymn was probably meant to challenge the Vedic scholars to comment on the basic questions of cosmology, but the author barely comments on its significance.

Hindu God Siva, the Cosmic Dancer, is narrated in Hindu Puranas as Nataraja, is invoked as the perfect personification of the dynamic universe. At the most fundamental level, the existing matter and antimatter particles collide, annihilate and are recreated spontaneously, and the author Fritjof Capra sees this in parallel with the cosmic dance of Siva, in his acclaimed book "The Tao of Physics." At first, it seems outlandish but his views are allegorical. However the author of this book takes his views too far to interpret the Rgvedic hymns as literal description of the basic concepts of physics and the creation of the universe. The author has maintained a certain level of continuity while discussing physics as he moves from chapter to chapter, but it is limited by its antiquity. Recent advances in the understanding of physical reality through the laws of physics were not properly applied.

Reference: Vedic Physics: Scientific Origin of Hinduism by Raja Ram Mohan Roy

The Lost Teachings of Jesus: The Hindu and Buddhist teachings in the gospel of Jesus Christ

This is an interesting book that evaluates the internal evidence from New Testament, and the historical documents found at Himis Buddhist monastery in Tibet. One of the striking features is that not much has been recoded about Jesus famous sermons in gospels or any other parts of New Testament. In addition, Jesus was unlettered and he wrote almost nothing. The gospels and other apocryphal documents state that he taught for several hours, but they do not describe what he taught. For example, at the feeding of the five thousand people; his followers must have been listening to Jesus long enough to get hungry, but no account of his sermon is given. Frequently he is said to have preached well into sundown (Mark 6:35). The Three gospels (synoptic gospels) report that Jesus "sat at meet" with many publicans and sinners for the purpose of calling them to repentance (Matthew 9:10, 13; Mark 2:15, 17; Luke 5:29, 32), but silent about his sermon. John 7.14 tells us that Jesus travelled to Jerusalem for the Feast of Tabernacle, a seven day event and "about the midst of the feast" he went up to the temple and taught, but there are very few words about what he said. The Sermon of the Mount has very little details about his teachings. The second mystery of New Testament is that there is a gap of about 18 years, from the age of 12 to 30; gospels are wordless about what Jesus was doing during these years. Luke moves quickly from his birth, circumcision, and presentation at the temple at the age of 12 in Jerusalem and then goes to his baptism by John the Baptist at the age of 30. Matthew narrates the holy family's flight into Egypt, following the visitation of the magi, and their return after the death of Herod.

The oldest Bible in the world is Codex Sinaiticus written in Greek dated around 340 A.D. It was found in the Greek Orthodox monastery of St. Catherine of Alexandria at the foot of Mount Sinai. This manuscript is far different from the modern day King James Version suggesting extensive editing of New Testament for doctrinal reasons. Many earlier writings about Jesus were destroyed by the order of the church. Tradition has handed down a list of 26 apocryphal gospels, 7 Acts and 10 epistles, which were used during the early days of Christianity. Some scholars have suggested that the theory of reincarnation is a later addition made by the Apostles. The concepts of reincarnation and son of God are extensively found in Vedic lore since the period of Rig-Veda of Hinduism.

The influence of Hinduism and Buddhism may also be found in the following: Sermon on the Mount is one of the classic examples for preaching the word of God and Jesus having full knowledge of how Buddha gave his first sermon in the Park of Gazelles in Benares, after fasting, and meditating for 42 days under a fig tree. Jesus like Buddha underwent mystical test and meditation in the wilderness for 40 days to seek the spiritual power. In Hinduism, especially during Vedic times, great rishis and sages went to the deep forest for meditation and self purification of the body, mind and soul. When they emerged from this long and arduous journey into the inner consciousness, they would attain spiritual and healing powers. Buddha sought enlightenment after fasting and meditating under a Fig tree for 42 days. In one episode, Jesus goes to a high mountain with Peter and his followers. After meditation, he transfigured before their very eyes and his face shine as the Sun (Mark 9:2, 30; Luke 9:30 and Matthew 17; 3-6.). Timothy believed Jesus was God (Timothy 3:16). This is similar to the description of Vishwa rupa in chapter 11 of Bhagavad-Gita where Lord Krishna appears to Arjuna in the Universal form shining like million suns.

The flow of Buddhist thought occurred at three main levels, the Buddhist missionaries carrying the message of Buddha into Egypt, Syria and Palestine are well documented in the history, especially during and after Emperor Asoka. Strong trade relationship help bring the Vedic and Upanishadic culture into the Middle East, and finally Jesus' life in India brought him closer to the wisdom of Buddha and the teachings of Upanishads. The story of Jesus in Sermon on the Mount episode directly calls to mind an inner relationship with Buddha's teachings. Both Buddha and Jesus warn their followers about false prophets. The parallels between Buddhist thought and certain New Testament stories; Jesus' parables and his sayings are not new. For example, Buddha said "whosoever sees dharma, see me." Christ in the Gospel according to John says; "He that seeth me, seeth Him that sent me" (John 12:45). The dharma is the greatest cosmic law underlying the world, corresponding to the concept of the Word, the Logos, in the Gospel which begins by declaring, "The Word was God."

The Lost Teachings of Jesus: Missing Texts Karma and Reincarnation by Elizabeth Clare Prophet

The Hindu and Buddhist teachings in the gospel of Jesus Christ

This is an interesting book that evaluates the internal evidence from New Testament, and the historical documents found at Himis Buddhist monastery in Tibet. One of the striking features is that not much has been recoded about Jesus' famous sermons in gospels or any other parts of New Testament. In addition, Jesus was unlettered and he wrote almost nothing. The gospels and other apocryphal documents state that he taught for several hours, but they do not describe what he taught. For example, at the feeding of the five thousand people; his followers must have been listening to Jesus long enough to get hungry, but no account of his sermon is given. Frequently he is said to have preached well into sundown (Mark 6:35). The Three gospels (synoptic gospels) report that Jesus "sat at meet" with many publicans and sinners for the purpose of calling them to repentance (Matthew 9:10, 13; Mark 2:15, 17; Luke 5:29, 32), but silent about his sermon. John 7.14 tells us that Jesus travelled to Jerusalem for the Feast of Tabernacle, a seven day event and "about the midst of the feast" he went up to the temple and taught, but there are very few words about what he said. The Sermon of the Mount has very little details about his teachings. The second mystery of New Testament is that there is a gap of about 18 years, from the age of 12 to 30; gospels are wordless about what Jesus was doing during these years. Luke moves quickly from his birth, circumcision, and presentation at the temple at the age of 12 in Jerusalem and then goes to his baptism by John the Baptist at the age of 30. Matthew narrates the holy family's flight into Egypt, following the visitation of the magi, and their return after the death of Herod.

The oldest Bible in the world is Codex Sinaiticus written in Greek dated around 340 A.D. It was found in the Greek Orthodox monastery of St. Catherine of Alexandria at the foot of Mount Sinai. This manuscript is far different from the modern day King James Version suggesting extensive editing of New Testament for doctrinal reasons. Many earlier writings about Jesus were destroyed by the order of the church. Tradition has handed down a list of 26 apocryphal gospels, 7 Acts and 10 epistles, which were used during the early days of Christianity. Some scholars have suggested that the theory of reincarnation is a later addition made by the Apostles. The concepts of reincarnation and son of God are extensively found in Vedic lore since the period of Rig-Veda of Hinduism.

The influence of Hinduism and Buddhism may also be found in the following: Sermon on the Mount is one of the classic examples for preaching the word of God and Jesus having full knowledge of how Buddha gave his first sermon in the Park of Gazelles in Benares, after fasting, and meditating for 42 days under a fig tree. Jesus like Buddha underwent mystical test and meditation in the wilderness for 40 days to seek the spiritual power. In Hinduism, especially during Vedic times, great rishis and sages went to the deep forest for meditation and self purification of the body, mind and soul. When they emerged from this long and arduous journey into the inner consciousness, they would attain spiritual and healing powers. Buddha sought enlightenment after fasting and meditating under a Fig tree for 42 days. In one episode, Jesus goes to a high mountain with Peter and his followers. After meditation, he transfigured before their very eyes and his face shine as the Sun (Mark 9:2, 30; Luke 9:30 and Matthew 17; 3-6.). Timothy believed Jesus was God (Timothy 3:16). This is similar to the description of Vishwa rupa in chapter 11 of Bhagavad-Gita where Lord Krishna appears to Arjuna in the Universal form shining like million suns.

The flow of Buddhist thought occurred at three main levels, the Buddhist missionaries carrying the message of Buddha into Egypt, Syria and Palestine are well documented in the history, especially during and after Emperor Asoka. Strong trade relationship help bring the Vedic and Upanishadic culture into the Middle East, and finally Jesus' life in India brought him closer to the wisdom of Buddha and the teachings of Upanishads. The story of Jesus in Sermon on the Mount episode directly calls to mind an inner relationship with Buddha's teachings. Both Buddha and Jesus warn their followers about false prophets. The parallels between Buddhist thought and certain New Testament stories; Jesus' parables and his sayings are not new. For example, Buddha said "whosoever sees dharma, see me." Christ in the Gospel according to John says; "He that seeth me, seeth Him that sent me" (John 12:45). The dharma is the greatest cosmic law underlying the world, corresponding to the concept of the Word, the Logos, in the Gospel which begins by declaring, "The Word was God."

Reference: Karma and Reincarnation: Transcending Your Past, Transforming Your Future (Pocket Guides to Practical Spirituality Series) by Elizabeth Clare Prophet

Eternal Rhapsody: Absolutely Melodious

I wish I could call this performance a five star PLUS. This is absolutely an amazing performance of one of the leading vocalist of our times. Punditji is known for character, integrity and purity of his music and this is wonderfully demonstrated with a choice of some of the best ragas. "Soon le Ho Araj Mora" in raga Shree (Vilambit Khayal in Jhaptaal), and "Kahe Dar Paun Main" (Drut Khayal in Ektaal) is simply astounding. His renderings have a great depth, range and it is intensely melodious. It is highly persuasive when he uses his voice like a finely tuned musical instrument. This is well illustrated in his compositions in ragas Marwa and Gauri.

Pundit Vyas was educated and trained by Pundit Gavin Rao Bhatambrekar of Kirana Gharana, Pundit Mirashibua of Gwalior Gharana and Pundit Jagannathbua Purohit of Agra Gharana. The instructions received from three popular gharanas produced a top notch performer and a gifted composer.

Reference: Eternal Rhapsody – CD by C.R. Vyas

Essence of the Vedas: Recitation of Shanti Mantras by Pundit Jasraj sounds divine

The Vedic tradition rest on the belief that Rgveda is God's words. The rishis of ancient India, followed later by the Brahmins, exercised care and devotion to preserve the sacred scriptures in its original form through oral transmission. The Word of God were considered too sacred to be written down, fearing contamination and corruption in written texts, the Vedic ancestors communicated via preceptor-to-disciple, and from father-to- son (among Brahmins) from 1500 B.C. to about 1800 A.C., before British started putting them in textual form. The original Vedic text and its unique way of chanting include correct pronunciation of words (svaras), correct duration between spoken words (maatra), and correct intonation. The system of sacred chanting has dwindled fast over the last several centuries, except for a few members of Namboodiri families in the state of Kerala who have retained this age old tradition of Vedic mysticism.

The current versions of Vedic chanting in Hindu temples in India and elsewhere are "modernized" and give us an opportunity to listen and enjoy this 3500 year old tradition of Vedic India. The recitation of Vedic hymns by Pundit Jasraj is a flawless rendering with a depth that sounds divine. This audio CD has a total of 54 minutes of Vedic recitation of Shanti Mantras; I wished they included more Rgvedic hymns.

If you are interested in listening to ancient style of chanting of Samaveda I would recommend Fritz Staal's "Altar of Fire" (DVD) and `Agni - The Vedic Ritual of the Fire Altar' (book). The DVD summarizes the 12-day Agnicayana - The Vedic Ritual of Ancient India with the participation of 17 priests; libation of Soma juice and oblation of other material. This ritual is a system of a complex structure of space-time co-ordinates, systematic and methodical ritual practice and the order and style of recitation and spoken text. The verses of Samaveda are sung in specifically indicated melodies using the seven svaras (notes.)

Reference: Essence of the Vedas by Pundit Jasraj - CD

The influence of the gospel of John in shaping early Christianism

The author is a well known scholar of Christian history, and in this book she evaluates the impact of the gospel of John in shaping the beliefs of early Christian faith. Using the historical facts, all available gospels, and political, social and economic factors during second to fourth century, she observes that the major players were bishop Irenaeus of second century living in Gaul, France and Emperor Constantine helped to establish the Christian faith. Much of the principle beliefs of the church were founded on the gospel of John. john refers to Jesus as "My Lord and my God" in John 20:28, his message is simple in that the Life of Jesus, death and resurrection and the narrative scenes of wedding at Cana, encounter with Nicodemus, meeting a Samaritan woman near a well, Pilate asking his prisoner for truth, and resurrection are widely celebrated today

A brief summary of this book is as follows: Early church was described as a meeting place for people seeking miracles; healing the sick, driving out demons, and raising the dead. To join the church, one had to repudiate family and their values. When Justin Martyr was baptized in 140 A.D., in Rome, he described his experience as walking on to the spiritual side, away from bad habits. In 4th century, when Emperor Constantine became a Christian, he decriminalized Christianism and convened a meeting of church leaders to cull a common statement of beliefs and early traditions to define Christianism as a faith.

The author notes that Paul, John and Luke connect Jesus with Passover. According to them, Jesus blesses the bread and wine and instructed them to eat in remembrance of him; just as Passover recalls how God delivered Israel through Moses. John gives a different chronology, according to him the last meal occurs before the feast of Passover. His version of last supper is different from that of Paul, Mark, Matthew, and Luke in that Jesus did not perform the rituals of Holy sacrament in which he washes the feet of his disciples. According to him Jesus was arrested on Thursday and brought to trial on the following day, at about noon, on the day of preparing the Passover lamb. Jesus was sentenced to death, tortured and crucified. In this narrative, John draws a parallel with sacrificial lamb. After crucifixion, the Roman soldiers don't break the bones assuming Jesus is dead. Therefore, according to John, Jesus is the living bread that comes down from heaven and whoever eats this bread and drink his blood lives forever (John 19:36, 6:35-60). Paul strengthen this claim by proclaiming that whenever you eat his bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord's death, until he comes (I Corinthians 11:26). This was a highly contested debate among the rest of the apostles and Christians of that time. The key concepts of John were simple; God = Word of God = Jesus Christ. "All things were made through him and without him nothing was made (John 1:3). God manifests himself in and through this world as Jesus. These were powerful messages.

Irenaeus observed that Gnostic gospels were delusional and demonically inspired. He argued that John understood Jesus more than any other apostles and welded John with well liked Matthew and Luke. Irenaeus anticipated wrong interpretation of canonized gospels that may lead to a theology that he did not envision, so he created orthodox apostolic Christianity. After about 200 years, when Athanasius, the bishop of Alexandria in 367 C.E., believed Irenaeus and ordered to destroy all gospels except the canonized texts.

Irenaeus wrote the basic architectures of Christianity and instructed his congregation to keep only those revelations that defined an orthodox movement. He foresaw a strong faith of the future with a canon of truth and apostolic tradition that transformed into the very early versions of New Testament. Irenaeus observed Matthew tracing Jesus' family back to King David; Luke emphasizing Jesus' role as a priest; and Mark referring Jesus as a prophet. For Irenaeus these three fall short of calling Jesus as God, but John has no hesitancy in doing so. Irenaeus determined that John is "more elevated" than the other three apostles since they missed something that John understood. Irenaeus goes further in his five volume refutation of heretics and Jews as someone who killed the Lord of Christian faith. Emperor Constantine translated Christian prejudice against Jews into legal precedence. He forbade Jews from entering Jerusalem. He also forbade Jews accepting Christians becoming Jewish converts, conversely any Jew preventing another Jew converting to be a Christian will be condemned to die. To strengthen the church, he convened a meeting of all bishops of various Christian groups at Nicaea to formulate a standard for belief and practices of the church. Apostle John, bishop Irenaeus and Emperor Constantine are responsible for the Christianism to be a powerful religion of modern times.

Reference: Beyond Belief: The Secret Gospel of Thomas by Elaine Pagels

Irenaeus, Libros Quinque Adverses Hearses, edited by W.W. Harvey (Cambridge, 1851)

Irenaeus, the "Canon of truth and the gospel of John: making a difference through hermeneutics and ritual' In Vigiliae Christianae 56.4 (2002), 339-371.

The resurrection of Jesus; is it an historical fact or a myth? An evaluation by Jesus Seminar

The dramatic stories of the gospels of Luke and John have dominated Christian belief since second century. This is strengthened by weekly sermons, Easter lectionary, artwork of last supper & holy sacrament. In this book, the Jesus Seminar, a group of academics, examine the apocrypha, historical documents and determine the influence of Jewish culture and Old Testament and suggest that the myth has become an historical fact. A quick reference to the New Testament illustrates that resurrection stories in gospels, acts and epistles are not only different but they appear in different chronological order. Jesus Seminar argues that resurrection is not uniquely a Christian phenomenon but culturally and historically enshrined in ancient Jewish traditions. Herakles, son of Zeus; Apollo's son Eeneas; son of Venus, Romulus; and son of Mars, Apollonius of Tyana (a contemporary of Paul), all suggested to have been resurrected.

The emergence of a cosmic figure from tomb is depicted in the gospel of Peter 9-10. In Hebrews 9, Jesus hands over his shroud to a slave of the high priest and then appearing to James. The appearances described in 1 Corinthians 15:3-8, Luke 24, John 20-21, transfiguration story, Acts 7, and Revelation are not necessarily original but some are duplicates. It is hard to determine which one is the original and correct description. In probing the issues of resurrection of Jesus, the Seminar concludes that the empty tomb is not based on historical memory. Mark and Matthew describe resurrection in Galilee, but Luke says it is Jerusalem; John cites resurrection appearances in both cities. The earlier sightings of Jesus were luminous visions as described by Paul and later supported by Luke but as the traditions developed, the resurrection became more palpable and physical.

Paul who claimed to have received an appearance of the risen Jesus (1 Cor 15:8), was blinded by intense light. He heard only a voice on his way to Damascus (Acts 9:4, 22:7, 26:14). Later Paul refers to this as an apocalyptic revelation and not a visual appearance. By 70 CE, the gospel of Mark was written; in Mark 16:1-8, we come across the events that is supposedly occurred on Easter Sunday morning complete with empty tomb and angels proclamation of Jesus resurrection. Finally 85-95 C.E., saw the books of Matthew, Luke and John. These texts exploded with elaborate narratives of Easter and the events of the following weeks.

Easter lasted few days to several years depending upon the text. According to Paul of Tarsus, the resurrection happened after 4 or 5 years. Luke suggests 40 days in the book of Acts, Secret gospel of James for 550 days, and the Pisitis of Sophia for 11 years. The physical unrecordability of these miraculous events comes down to one thing; the gospel stories about Easter are not historical accounts but religious beliefs. The suffering and vindication of the righteous one is the story of crucifixion and resurrection. Repentance, forgiveness and redemption are the key concepts in the life and crucifixion of Jesus Christ. Resurrection and the holy sacrament offer a powerful story for believers.

Reference: The Resurrection of Jesus: A Sourcebook (Jesus Seminar Guides Vol 4) by Robert W. Funk