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General Library
PRESENTED BY
OF-
UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN.

Mr. W. C. Hollands
3. Apr. 100.6
Ирг
189
BT
301
N923

From M.M.C.Hollands,
The Unknown Life
OF
Jesus Christ
BY
THE DISCOVERER OF THE MANUSCRIPT,
NICOLAS NOTOVITCH.
GLOBE LIBRARY. Vol. I, No. 185. May 14, 1894. Ni-Weekly. Year, $7.00.
Entered as second-class matter at the Chicago Post Offler.
RAND, MCNALLY & CO., PUBLISHERS,
CHICAGO AND NEW YORK.
Limerz
ESPERATESVILA WA SASARIO AO WAKO SASHANGAARANGAN MERU
¿
Notovich, Nikolai
THE UNKNOWN LIFE
54715
JESUS CHRIST
OF


BY THE DISCOVERER OF THE MAN
NICOLAS NOTOVITO
TRANSLATED FROM THE FRENCH BY
ALEXINA LORANGER.
CHICAGO AND NEW YORK:
RAND, MCNALLY & COMPANY, PUBLISHERS.
1894.
46-18
-CX

GHT, 1894, BY RAND, MCNALLY & Co.
Life of Christ.
12
$7
Recaro 17-20
TABLE OF CONTENTS.
PREFACE,
A JOURNEY TO THIBET,
THE LADAK,
A FEAST IN a Gonpa,
THE LIFE OF SAINT Issa,
EPITOME,
EXPLANATORY NOTES,
►
77
13
62
76
98
147
. 184
·
PREFACE.
FTER the close of the Turko-Russian War (1877-
A
1878) I undertook a series of extended jour-
neys through the Orient. Having visited all points
of interest in the Balkan Peninsula, I crossed the
Caucasian Mountains into Central Asia and Persia, and
finally, in 1887, made an excursion into India, the most
admired country of the dreams of my childhood.
The first object of this journey was to study the
customs and habits of the inhabitants of India amid
their own surroundings, as well as the grand, myste-
rious archæology and the colossal, majestic nature of
the country. Wandering without any settled course
from one locality to another, I at last came to mount-
ainous Afghanistan, whence I reached India through the
picturesque passes of Bolan and Guernaï. I then fol-
lowed the Indus to Rawal-Pindi, traveled through the
Punjab the country of five rivers-visited the
golden temple of Amritsir, the tomb of Randjid Singh,
king of the Punjab, near Lahore, and proceeded
toward Kashmir, the "vale of eternal happiness."
There I began my peregrinations as fancy or curiosity
(7)
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What
8
PREFACE.
guided or dictated, until I reached the Ladak, where I
intended to make a somewhat lengthy stay before
returning to Russia through Eastern Turkestan and
Karakorum.
In the course of one of my visits to a Buddhist con-
vent, I learned from the chief Lama that there existed
very ancient memoirs, treating of the life of Christ and
of the nations of the Occident, in the archives of
Lassa, and that a few of the larger monasteries pos-
sessed copies and translations of these precious
chronicles.
There being little probability of my early return to
this country, I resolved to delay my departure for
Europe, and verify these assertions by seeing some of
these copies, even though I were obliged to invade
every convent as far as Lassa a journey far less
perilous and difficult to accomplish than we are usually
led to believe. Besides this, I was now so well accus-
tomed to the dangers encountered by the traveler in
those regions that they no longer possessed any terrors.
for me.
During my sojourn in Leh, the capital of Ladak, I
visited Himis, a large convent in the outskirts of the
city, where I was informed by the Lama that the
monastic libraries contained a few copies of the manu-
script in question.
PREFACE.
9
I
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That I might not arouse the suspicions of the author-
ities in regard to the object of my visit to the convent,
and raise no obstacles to a subsequent journey into
Thibet as a Russian
on my return to Leh I an-
nounced my immediate departure for India, and again
left the capital of Ladak.
An unfortunate accident, whereby my leg was fract-
ured, furnished me with a totally unexpected pretext
to enter the monastery, where I received excellent care
and nursing; and I took advantage of my short stay
among these monks to obtain the privilege of seeing the
manuscripts relating to Christ. With the aid of my
interpreter, who translated from the Thibetan tongue,
I carefully transcribed the verses as they were read by
the Lama.
J
Entertaining no doubt of the authenticity of this
narrative, written with the utmost precision by Brahmin
historians and Buddhists of India and Nepal, my inten-
tion was to publish the translation on my return to
Europe. With this object in view, I addressed myself
to several well-known ecclesiastics, requesting them to
revise my notes and tell me what they thought of the
matter.
Monseigneur Platon, the celebrated archbishop of
Kiew, believed my discovery to be of great importance;
but he earnestly tried to dissuade me from giving
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10
PREFACE.
the memoirs publicity, declaring it would be against
my own interests to do so.
Why? This the venerable prelate refused to explain.
Our conversation, however, having taken place in
Russia, where censorship would have placed its veto.
on a work of this kind, I determined to wait.
A year later I chanced to be in Rome. Here I sub-
mitted the manuscript to a cardinal standing high in
the estimation of the Holy Father.
Why should you print this?" he said, didactically;
"nobody will attach much importance to it, and you
will create numberless enemies thereby. You are still
young, however.
If you need money, I can obtain
some compensation for these notes, enough to remu-
nerate you for your loss of time and expenditure."
Naturally enough, I refused the offer.
In Paris I laid my project before Cardinal Rotelli,
whom I had met in Constantinople. He also opposed
the publication of my work, under pretext that it
would be premature. "The church," he added,
"suffers too deeply from this new current of atheistic
ideas; and you would only furnish new food to the
calumniators and detractors of the evangelical doctrine.
I tell you this in the interest of all Christian churches.”
I then called on M. Jules Simon, who found my
communication most interesting, and advised me to
CC
PREFACE.
11
consult M. Kenan in regard to the best means of pub-
lishing these memoirs.
The very next day I found myself seated in the
study of the great philosopher. At the end of the
interview M. Renan proposed that I should intrust him
with the memoirs in question, that he might make a
report on them to the Academy. This proposition, as
the reader will understand, was most seductive and
flattering; yet I took away the work with me, saying I
wished to revise it once more -the fact being that I
feared if I accepted this association I would only
receive the bare honor of discovering the chronicles,
while the illustrious author of the "Life of Jesus
would reap the glory of the publication and of the
commentaries. Believing myself sufficiently prepared
to publish the narrative by adding my own notes, I
That
finally declined the courteous offer made to me.
I might not, however, wound the feelings of the great
master, whom I deeply respected, I resolved to await
his death, which could not be far off, judging from his
feebleness. Soon after the death of M. Renan, I wrote
to M. Jules Simon, and again sought his advice. His
reply was that I should judge for myself of the expe-
diency of giving publicity to the memoirs.
I therefore prepared my notes, and now publish
them, reserving the right to attest the authenticity of
دو
12
PREFACE.
these chronicles. In my commentaries I carefully
develop the arguments which prove the good faith and
sincerity of the Buddhist compilers. It only remains
for me to add that before criticising my work scientific
societies can, without much expense, organize an expe-
dition whose mission it will be to study these manu-
scripts in the locality in which they are to be found,
and thus verify their historical value.
NICOLAS NOTOVITCH.
pital.
M
P. S. In the course of my travels I took many
curious photographs, but when I came to examine the
negatives on my return to India I was dismayed to find
that they were absolutely destroyed.
</
1
THE UNKNOWN LIFE OF JESUS CHRIST.
A JOURNEY TO THIBET.
D
URING my sojourn in India, I found many
opportunities to mingle and converse with
the Buddhists; and so thoroughly was my
curiosity excited by their accounts of Thibet that
I resolved to immediately undertake a journey to
that almost unknown country. With this view,
I chose a route extending through Kashmir, a
country I had often desired to explore.
On October 14, 1887, I took my place in the
compartment of a railway train literally filled
with soldiers, and traveled from Lahore to Rawal-
Pindi, reaching the latter place at noon the fol-
lowing day. Having recovered from the fatigues
of the journey and visited the city, which, owing
to its permanent garrison, presents the appear-
ance of a war camp, I turned my attention to the
purchase of such articles as are necessary on a
journey where railways are unknown, and horses
furnish the only means of conveyance. With the
aid of my negro servant, Pondichery, I packed
(18)
-
To
14
UNKNOWN LIFE OF CHRIST.
my luggage, procured a tonga (a two-wheeled
vehicle drawn by a pair of horses), and, having
made myself as comfortable as circumstances
would permit on the rear seat, began my journey
over the picturesque route leading to Kashmir.
Our tonga was soon rolling rapidly along the
magnificent road, though no little dexterity was
required in going through a large caravan of sol-
diers belonging to a detachment traveling from
the camp into the city, with their cumbersome
luggage loaded on the backs of camels. Soon we
came to the end of the Punjab Valley, and turn-
ing into a sinuous path began to climb the Outer
Himalayan Range. The acclivity became more
and more abrupt as we ascended, while the mag-
nificent panorama stretching away beneath our
feet grew less and less distinct. The last rays of
the setting sun were gilding the summit of the
mountains as our tonga gaily emerged from the
winding road on the crest of the mountain, below
which nestles the pretty little town of Murree, a
summer resort much in favor with the families of
English officials, on account of its shade and
comparative coolness.
The journey from Murree to Serinagur may be
accomplished by tonga; but at the approach of
winter, when all Europeans desert Kashmir, the
tonga service is suspended. Having undertaken
A JOURNEY TO THIBET.
15
my journey near the end of the warm season, I
greatly astonished the English tourists whom I
met on their way back to India; but their efforts
to discover the object of my journey remained
fruitless.
The roadway not being entirely constructed
yet, I was obliged, not without considerable diffi-
culty, however, to hire saddle-horses. Night had
already fallen when we started on our descent
from Murree, which stands at an altitude of five
thousand feet. The road was dark, and deeply
rutted by recent rains, and the journey was any-
thing but cheerful, as the horses faithfully plod-
ded along, guided by instinct rather than sight.
As night deepened, rain began to fall in torrents;
and the shadows cast by the century oaks sur-
rounding us shrouded us in impenetrable dark-
ness. Fearing that we might stray apart and get
lost, we kept up a continual shouting as we rode
on. Above us we knew, though we could not
pierce the thick gloom, that gigantic masses of
rock overhung the path, while to the left a rush-
ing torrent thundered down over a precipice
hidden by the trees.
des
We had waded through the thick mud for more
than two hours, chilled to the bones by the icy
rain, when the distant light of a fire at last
appeared to revive our strength. But, alas! how
16
UNKNOWN LIFE OF CHRIST.
very deceiving such lights prove in the wilderness
of the mountain! One moment it seems almost
within reach of your hand, but suddenly disap-
pears, to reappear, sometimes at your left, then
at your right, sometimes above, then below you,
as if it took pleasure in tantalizing the weary
traveler. Meanwhile, the road makes a thousand
turns, zigzagging in every direction, while the
motionless fire seems animated with perpetual
motion, the obscurity being so dense that we fail
to see the continual changes in the direction of
the road.
I had regretfully abandoned all hope of ever
reaching this so earnestly longed-for fire, when it
suddenly reappeared so close to us that the
horses involuntarily stopped short.
Here I must pause to express my gratitude
and offer my sincere thanks to the English for
their kind thoughtfulness in erecting along the
roads a number of small bungalows, in which the
weary traveler is glad to find shelter and rest.
These isolated inns possess little comfort, it is
true, but the exhausted pilgrim does not even
notice the lack of luxuries, so delighted is he to
find a clean dry room in which to stretch his
tired limbs.
The Hindoos evidently did not expect travelers
at that advanced hour of the night and at that
J
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*
17
season, for they had carried away the keys, and
we were compelled to force open the door of the
bungalow.
A JOURNEY TO THIBET.
I immediately threw myself on the bed, which
consisted of one pillow and a piece of wet carpet,
and was soon buried in slumber. At dawn, after
partaking of tea and a little food, we resumed our
way under a scorching sun. Now and then we
passed through a village, standing in some mag-
nificent defile, or along the winding path that
penetrated into the very bosom of the mountains,
until we finally reached the Jhelum, whose
sparkling waters flow gracefully over a rocky
bed, and whose course is confined within a
picturesque gorge that sometimes rises almost to
the azure vault of the Himalayan heavens-
heavens wonderfully pure and serene in this
region.
Malaga
At noon we reached a hamlet called Tongua,
where the houses are strung along the river-bank
and appear like so many boxes with façade open-
ings. Cosmetics and all kinds of merchandise are
retailed. The place literally swarms with Hindoos,
each bearing on his brow the diversely colored
mark of his particular caste. Here, too, is seen
the dignified Kashmirian, clad in a long white
tunic and an equally snowy turban.
In consideration of a good round sum of money,
2
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18
UNKNOWN LIFE OF CHRIST.
+,
Ay
I procured the loan of a Hindoo cabriolet from a
Kashmirian. This equipage is so constructed
that one must sit with crossed legs, or Turkish
fashion, while the seat is so small that it will
barely accommodate two persons. The absence
of a back, moreover, renders this mode of loco-
motion extremely dangerous. Such was my
anxiety to reach the end of my journey, how-
ever, that I unhesitatingly climbed on this circu-
lar table so awkwardly perched on two wheels
and drawn by a single horse-rather than delay
my departure one unnecessary day.
But I had barely gone a half-kilometer when I
seriously began to regret my saddle-horse, so
fatiguing and difficult did I find it to keep
my legs crossed and maintain my equilibrium.
Unfortunately, it was too late to turn back.
Night had fallen when I arrived at Horis,
exhausted with fatigue and bruised by the jolt-
ing, my limbs feeling as though they were the
central point of attack from millions of ants, and
too utterly wretched to enjoy the picturesque
scenery opening before our eyes as we advanced
along the Jhelum, on the banks of which arises
a chain of wooded mountains on one side, while
the other is bordered by a rocky precipice.
At Horis I met a caravan of pilgrims on their
way from Mecca. Imagining that I was a physi-
I
A JOURNEY TO THIBET.
19
)
cian, and hearing of my hurry to reach the
Ladak, they begged me to join them, which I
promised to do after reaching Serinagur.
I left the village on horseback at dawn, after a
night spent seated upright on my bed, holding
a lighted torch in my hand, and not daring to
close my eyes, lest I should be stung by the
myriads of scorpions and centipedes which in-
fested the bungalows. Though heartily ashamed
of the terror inspired in me by those insects, I
could not sufficiently overcome it to compose
myself to sleep.
Who can point out the dividing-line between
courage and cowardice? Who can say where the
one begins and the other ends?
I make no boast of bravery, but I am not
a coward. And yet, the insurmountable fear
aroused in me by that species of small animals
totally banished sleep from my eyes in spite of
my extreme fatigue.
As our horses slowly advanced through the flat
valley, with the sun beaming warmly on us from
over the mountains, I gradually fell asleep in
the saddle. I was suddenly aroused by a chilly
breeze some time later, and found that we were
ascending a mountain-path in the midst of a vast
forest, which sometimes opened to give us a
glimpse of an impetuous torrent, with pictur-
1
20
UNKNOWN LIFE OF CHRIST.
esque surroundings, then quickly closed again,
concealing from our view the mountains, the sky,
the entire country in fact, but giving us instead
the songs of myriads of its bright-plumaged
birds.
We emerged from the forest at about noon,
descended into a small hamlet on the river-bank,
and having refreshed ourselves with a cold lunch,
resumed the journey. As we passed the market-
place I stopped with the intention of purchasing
a glass of warm milk from a Hindoo who was
squatting beside a large pail of boiling milk;
but what was my surprise when he proposed that
I should take the pail with its contents, declaring
that I had defiled the liquid.
'I only want a glass of milk, not the pail,” I
explained.
"According to our laws," replied the Hindoo,
"if any one not belonging to our caste gazes fix-
edly at any object, or article of food, we must
throw away the one and wash the other. You
have defiled my milk, O Sahib, and no one will
drink it; for not only did you gaze at it, but you
also pointed your finger in its direction."
Having long examined his merchandise to make
sure it was real milk, as well as pointed out from
which side of the pail I desired to have it poured,
I stood convicted; and as I always respect the
A JOURNEY TO THIBET.
21
laws and customs of strange nations, I readily
gave him a rupee, the full price of the spilt milk,
although I had taken but one glass. The inci-
dent taught me a lesson, however, and I was
never again guilty of fixing my eyes on the food
of a Hindoo.
A
There is no religious doctrine more encumbered
with ceremonies, laws, and commentaries than
Brahminism. While each religion possesses but
one Bible, one gospel, or one Koran, from which
the Hebrews, the Christians, and the Mohamme-
dans borrow their faith, the Brahmin Hindoos
possess so great a number of commentaries in
folio that the most learned Brahmin that ever
existed scarcely had time to reach the tenth.
Leaving aside the four books of the Vedas, the
Pouranas, written in Sanscrit, and composed of
eighteen volumes, containing four hundred thou-
sand stanzas, which treat of law, theology,
medicine, of the creation, the destruction and
regeneration of the world, etc.; the vast Chas-
tras, which treat of mathematics, grammar, etc.;
the Oupovedas, Oupanichadas, Oupopouranas,
which serve as explanation to the Pouranas,
and a host of other commentaries in many
volumes, there still remain the twelve large
books containing the laws of Manou, grandson of
Brahma. These books not only relate to penal
22
UNKNOWN LIFE OF CHRIST.
and civil laws, but also to canonical regulations,
which impose on their adepts such an infinite
number of ceremonies that we can not but
admire the unalterable patience of the Hindoos.
in their observation of the precepts dictated by
Saint Manou.
Manou was incontestably a great legislator and
profound thinker, but he has written so exten-
sively that he frequently contradicts himself in
the same page.
The Brahmins do not even
remark this, and the poor Hindoos, whose mis-
sion it is to labor for the support of that caste,
humbly obey their clergy, whose commands
enjoin them to never touch a man not belonging
to their own caste; while a stranger is absolutely
forbidden to fix his attention on anything owned
by the Hindoos.
By this adherence to the strict sense of the law,
the Hindoo imagines that his food is contaminated
when it becomes the point of attraction to a stran-
ger. And yet, even as late as the period of its
second birth, Brahminism was a purely mono-
theistic religion, recognizing but one infinite and
indivisible God. But, as in all ages and religions,
the clergy, taking advantage of their privileged
position, gradually enacted laws of their own and
instituted different forms of external worship,
hoping thereby to influence the ignorant masses.
A JOURNEY TO THIBET.
23
of
By degrees, the principles of monotheism
which so clear a conception is given by the
Vedas-degenerated into an absurd, unlimited
series of gods, goddesses, semi-gods, genii, angels,
and demons, all represented by idols as varied in
form as they are repulsive to the sight. These
people, formerly as proud as their religion was
pure and grand, are now drifting into a complete
state of idiocy, the day scarcely sufficing for the
accomplishment of all the duties prescribed by
the ecclesiastical laws.
It may well be positively asserted that the
Hindoos subsist merely to provide for the prin-
cipal sect of Brahmins, who have grasped the
temporal power formerly held by the independent
sovereigns of the people. While governing
India, the English never interfere with this phase
of public life, and the Brahmins take advantage
of this to inspire in the nation the hope of a
better future.
/
The sun soon vanished behind the towering
peaks, and the shadows of night immediately fell
over the picturesque scenery we were traversing.
The deep hush of sleep then also spread over the
narrow valley lapped by the Jhelum. The road,
winding along a narrow ledge of steep rocks,
insensibly melted from our view, mountains and
trees became one confused somber mass, and the
24
UNKNOWN LIFE OF CHRIST.
1
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2
stars began to peep from the sky above.
We
alighted from our horses and groped our way
along the mountain-sides, fearing every moment
to be dashed into the yawning precipice at our
feet.
At an advanced hour of the night we crossed
a bridge and climbed up a steep incline leading
to the Ouri bungalow, which stands in complete
isolation on those heights. The following day
we traversed a charming region; still skirting
the river-bank, we came to a sharp bend, where
we found the ruins of a Saic fortress, seemingly
grieving over the ashes of its glorious past. In
a small valley, almost concealed in the midst of
the surrounding mountains, we found a bunga-
low, with its door invitingly opened in welcome;
and not far away we suddenly came into the
camp of a cavalry regiment belonging to the
army of the Maharaja of Kashmir.
On learning that I was a Russian, the officers
courteously invited me to breakfast with them.
It was on this occasion that I had the pleasure
of forming the acquaintance of Colonel Brown,
who was the first to compile a dictionary of the
Afghan-Pouchtou tongue.
Being extremely anxious to reach Serinagur as
soon as possible, I at once resumed my journey,
through a most picturesque region lying at the
A JOURNEY TO THIBET.
25
foot of the mountains. To my eyes, so wearied
by the monotony of the preceding scenery, the
inhabited valley that now stretched before us,
with its two-story buildings, its gardens, and
cultivated fields, came as a positive relief.
At a
short distance, hidden by a range of high hill-
ocks, which we crossed toward evening, begins
the celebrated "Vale of Kashmir."
How can I describe the magnificent scenery
that opened before my eyes as I reached the
brow of the last hill that separates the "Vale of
Kashmir" from the mountainous country I had
just traversed! A dazzling picture held me spell-
bound!
C
The "Vale of Kashmir," which is everywhere
populated, and whose limits are lost in the hori-
zon, is walled in by the high Himalaya Mount-
ains. At the rising and setting of the sun the
zone of eternal snows appears like a silver ring
encircling this rich, beautiful plateau, which is
intersected by many fine roads and numberless
sparkling rivers.
The gardens, the hillocks, and the lake, with its
many islands covered with buildings of presump-
tuous style, all contribute to make the traveler
believe he has been suddenly transported into
another world. He is strongly inclined to tarry
here forever, thinking he must have found the
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UNKNOWN LIFE OF CHRIST.
|
paradise, or enchanted land, of his nursery days.
The veil of night soon spread over the valley,
merging mountains, gardens, and lakes into one
dark mass, with a few distant lights glimmering
here and there like stars. I descended the valley
in the direction of the Jhelum, which has cut its
way through a narrow defile in the mountains to
unite its waters with those of the River Indus.
A legend exists in which it is claimed that the
valley was once an inland sea, the waters of
which forced a passage through the environing
prison-walls, leaving no trace but a few small
ponds and the Jhelum River, which empties into
the Indus. Its banks are almost hidden by the
numerous long, narrow boats which serve as
shelter for the families of the owners the year
round.
From this point, Serinagur may be reached in
one day on horseback, but the journey by boat
consumes a day and a half. I nevertheless chose
to travel by water; and having procured a boat,
after much haggling about prices with the propri-
etor, I installed myself at its prow on a piece of
carpet, protected by a sort of awning.
We left at midnight, the boat gliding toward
Serinagur. At the other extremity of the bark a
Hindoo was quietly preparing me a cup of tea,
while I fell into a dreamless sleep, happy in the
1
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A JOURNEY TO THIBET.
27
thought that I was advancing on my journey
without further exertion and fatigue.
I was aroused by the warm caresses of the ris-
ing sun, and opened my eyes on a glimpse of
nature that charmed me into ecstasies: a bank of
velvety verdure; the distant outlines of snow-
capped peaks; pretty villages, nestling at the foot
of the mountain; a crystalline sheet of water; a
pure, balmy atmosphere, which I breathed with
avidity; the warbling of an infinity of birds; a
sky of transcendent purity; behind me the swish
of the water under the impulsion of a rounded
oar dexterously handled by a beautiful woman,
with wonderful eyes and cheeks delicately
bronzed by the sun. All these cast a spell upon
me, and I totally forgot the reason of my pres-
ence there. In that one moment I ceased to long
for the end of my journey; and yet, what endless
privations and perils there still remained to face
and endure! The boat glided swiftly down the
stream, the magnificent scenery unceasingly
unfolding before my eyes to melt away beyond
the confines of the horizon, where it seemingly
became part of the mountains already passed;
then, far away, in the direction toward which we
were drifting, another glorious picture seemed to
unroll from the mountain-side, a picture that grew
more and more vivid as we were carried onward.
28
UNKNOWN LIFE OF CHRIST.
Twilight was now gathering fast about us, and
still I did not weary of the contemplation of this
glorious bit of nature, which awakened in my
heart the sweetest recollections of my youth and
childhood. How beautiful indeed were those
days, now forever gone!
As we neared Serinagur we saw more and more
of those pretty villages buried in verdure.
As the boat came to a stop a number of people
flocked to the river-bank, the men wearing tur-
bans, the women in small caps, and long che-
mises reaching to the ground, and the children in
a state of nudity that strongly reminded us of the
garments in vogue with our first parents.
A long row of boats and floating houses, in
which dwell entire families, lines the stream at
the entrance of the city. As we quietly glided
between these wooden huts the last rays of the
setting sun were gilding the snow-covered sum-
mits of the distant mountains.
Life here seems to cease with the setting of the
sun. Thousands of gaily colored dungas and
banglas (boats), adorned with palanquins, were
moored to the quay, while Kashmirians of both
sexes, attired in the primitive costume of Adam
and Eve, were performing their twilight ablu-
tions absolutely unrestrained by the presence of
others; for the importance of the rite they were
1
29
executing was far greater to them than that of all
human prejudices.
On the morning of October 20th I opened my
eyes in a clean cozy room overlooking the river,
which sparkled and glistened beneath the glori-
ous sun of Kashmir. My object not being to
describe my voyage in these pages, I will say
nothing of the valleys, the paradise of lilacs; of
the enchanted islands, the many historical pal-
aces, the picturesque pagodas, so redolent of mys-
tery; the coquettish villages, seemingly lost in
vast gardens; or of the majestic peaks of the
giants of the Himalaya, rising on all sides and
buried beneath a white shroud of eternal snow.
I shall merely note the preparations made in
view of a new journey in the direction of Thibet.
I spent six days in Serinagur, making long
excursions into its beautiful surrounding
country, examining the numerous ruins that still
stand as evidence of the ancient prosperity of
that region, and studying the curious customs of
the land.
A JOURNEY TO THIBET.
The Kashmir, as well as the other provinces
attached to it, such as the Baltistan, the Ladak,
etc., are vassals of England. They formerly
made part of the possessions of the "Lion of
Punjab," Randjid Sing; but at his death Eng-
lish troops invaded Lahore, the capital of the
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30
UNKNOWN LIFE OF CHRIST.
Punjab, separated Kashmir from the rest of the
empire, and under pretense of hereditary posses-
sion and in consideration of one hundred and
sixty millions of francs, ceded it to Goubab-Sing,
a relation of the dead sovereign, on whom was
conferred the title of Maharaja. At the time of
my voyage, the reigning Maharaja was Pertab-
Sing, grandson of Goubab, who resides in Jam-
ooee, on the southern slope of the Himalayas.
The celebrated "Vale of Kashmir," which is
eighty-five miles in length and twenty-five miles
in breadth, enjoyed its days of true glory and
prosperity during the reign of the Great Mogul,
whose court gathered there to enjoy the rustic
pleasures of the country in the cottages still stand-
ing on the small islands of the lake.
A large number of the Maharajas of Hindoos-
tan formerly spent the summer months here
also, and took part in the sumptuous round of
festivities given by the Great Mogul; but time
has wrought a woful change, and the "happy
valley" is now nothing more than a place of
resort for mendicants. Weeds and the moldi-
ness from all sorts of noxious plants have covered
the limpid water of the lake, the wild juniper
bush has choked all vegetation on the islands,
palaces and pavilions have nothing left but
the remembrance of their dead grandeur, dust
A
A
A JOURNEY TO THIBET.
31
I
1
and rank growths overspread the ruins like a
mantle. The surrounding mountains, with their
white pinnacles, seem mournfully sad and pa-
tiently waiting for better days to burst forth
in all their immortal beauty. The inhabitants,
hitherto intellectual, handsome, and cleanly, are
tending toward a state of idiocy; being filthy and
lazy, and governed by the lash instead of the
sword. The Kashmirians have so frequently been
exposed to pillage and invasion, and have known
so many masters, that they have become indif-
ferent to everything; spending their time near
their huts or on the river bank gossiping, or
quietly making their celebrated shawls and cut-
ting designs on gold or silver. The women are
extremely melancholy, and bear an expression of
inconceivable sadness on their features. Misery
and squalor reign everywhere. The fine men and
beautiful women of Kashmir are filthy and ragged
beyond conception; and the dress of both sexes,
in winter and summer alike, consists only of a
long heavy gown, with wide flowing sleeves,
resembling nothing more than a shirt. This gar-
ment is removed only when completely worn
out, and never-under any consideration — is it
washed, giving the white turbans of the male
population a dazzling whiteness in contrast with
their stained, greasy gowns.
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UNKNOWN LIFE OF CHRIST.
A deep sadness overcomes the traveler as he
notes the contrast between this rich, opulent
country and its ragged inhabitants.
Serinagur (the city of the sun), or Cashmere as
it is sometimes called from the name of the coun-
try, is the capital and is situated on the Jhelum,
along the bank of which it extends southward
over a distance of five kilometers.
The two-story houses, which shelter a popula-
tion of one hundred thousand inhabitants, are
constructed of wood, and stand in close proximity
to the water. The town itself is not more than
two kilometers in breadth, and everybody lives
on the river whose banks are united by ten or
twelve bridges. Steps lead from every house to
the waters of the Jhelum, where nearly the entire
day is spent in ablutions, bathing, and washing
utensils the latter consisting merely of two or
three brass jugs. A portion of the inhabitants
practice the Mohammedan religion, while two-
thirds are Brahmans; there are also a few Bud-
dhists, though the number is extremely limited.
The time had now arrived to begin my prepara-
tions for a journey into the unknown. Having
purchased different kinds of conserves, a few
casks of wine, and many other things found
indispensable in the course of a journey through
a country as sparsely populated as Thibet, I
T
A JOURNEY TO THIBET.
33
packed the whole in boxes, hired ten carriers and
one interpreter, bought myself a horse, and fixed
the date of departure for October 27th. To
enliven the road I procured from a Frenchman,
Monsiur Peicheau, superintendent of the Maha-
raja's vineyard, a large dog which had already
accompanied my friends Bonvalot, Capus, and
Pepin, the well-known explorers through the
Pamir. Wishing to shorten the journey by two
days, I started the carriers at dawn from the
other side of the lake, while I crossed by boat,
rejoining the caravan and my horse at the foot
of the chain of mountains that separated the
Serinagur Valley from the Gorge of the Sindh.
Never shall I forget the tortures we endured in
climbing, almost on all fours, to the summit of a
peak three thousand feet high. The carriers were
exhausted and out of breath, and I trembled lest
one of them might roll down the declivity at any
moment with his burden, while my heart fairly
ached at sight of my poor dog, Pamir, who stum-
bled along with his tongue lolling out, whining
and falling by the way at every few steps. 1
forgot my own fatigue to caress and encourage
the poor animal, who looked at me piteously,
bravely went on a few steps more, and again
fell exhausted.
Night had fallen when we reached the pinnacle
"
15
34
of the mountain, where we greedily flung our-
selves on the snow to quench our thirst. Having
taken a brief rest, we began the descent through
a dense pine forest, hoping to gain the village of
Haïena at the foot of the defile before the appear-
ance of beasts of prey.
UNKNOWN LIFE OF CHRIST.
-
A straight well-kept road leads from Serina-
gur to Haïena, going directly north to Gander-
bal, where it turns abruptly to the east, after
having skirted the Sindh and traversed a country
of luxurious vegetation to Kangan, which is six
miles from Haïena; toward which place I was
journeying by a more direct route through a pass
three thousand feet high, but which saved both
time and distance.
My first steps into the unknown were marked
by an incident that left a most horrible impres-
sion upon me. The defile of the Sindh, which is
sixty miles long, is particularly celebrated for its
inhospitable inhabitants, among which panthers,
tigers, leopards, black bears, wolves, and jackals
abound. The snow having unfortunately just
spread its white mantle over the summits of the
chain, these redoubtable foes of man had been
forced to seek shelter in their lairs somewhat
lower down.
We were silently following the narrow winding
path through the pines and centenary birch trees,
A JOURNEY TO THIBET.
35
the grinding sound of our footsteps alone break-
ing the deep monotonous hush of the night,
when suddenly, in our very midst as it seemed,
a prolonged howl awoke the echoes of the forest.
Our little band stopped short and listened.
66
A panther!" gasped my servant, who stood
trembling by my side.
66
The small caravan of twelve men stood with
bated breath, paralyzed with fear. I now re-
membered that at our last resting place I had
entrusted my revolver to one of the carriers and
given my rifle to another; the thought filled me
with poignant regret and alarm, and I inquired
in a low tone for one of these men. A more ter-
rible cry rang through the night at this moment,
then a crash like the fall of a heavy body was
heard, succeeded by a shriek of agony that froze
the blood in our veins. We guessed rather than
saw the horrible struggle going on between the
unfortunate man and the famished beast of prey.
Sahib, take the gun," whispered a voice near
me.
I feverishly clutched the Winchester. But,
alas, I could not see two feet from me. Another
cry, followed by a stifled roar, guided me; and I
crept in its direction, equally divided between my
desire to kill a panther and the horrible dread of
being flayed alive. Nobody dared to move; and
36
UNKNOWN LIFE OF CHRIST.
it was not until fully five minutes had elapsed
that one of the men thought of lighting a match.
Remembering the dread of fire usually evinced
by wild beasts, I then caught up a few handfuls
of brush-wood and set flame to it.
Not more than ten feet from us, we then saw
the unfortunate victim stretched on the ground,
his limbs completely torn away by the claws of a
beautiful panther which still crouched unmoved
with a piece of flesh between its jaws. Near by
lay a cask of wine completely crushed.
Scarcely had I shouldered my gun, however,
when the beast of prey sprang to its feet, dropped
its bleeding morsel of food and turned as if ready
to leap upon me; then with a blood-curdling
howl, it suddenly veered about and disappeared
in the thicket.
My coolies, who all this time had been pros-
trated to the ground by terror, now gradually
recovered from their fright and prepared to go
on. Having gathered a bunch of dry underbrush,
placed some matches at hand, and cocked our
guns, we hurried toward Haïena, leaving the
remains of the unfortunate Hindoo behind us in
fear of sharing the same fate.
One hour later, we came out of the forest into
the open country. I immediately had my tent
put up under a leafy plane-tree and an enormous
A JOURNEY TO THIBET.
37
}
L
fire built; this being the only means of protection
that could be used against the wild beasts whose
howls came from every direction about us freez-
ing the blood in our veins. Meanwhile my dog
crouched trembling at my feet; but, once in the
tent, he quickly regained his courage and spent
the rest of the night in incessant barking.
That night was a terrible one to me, as I sat
upright with my rifle clutched tightly in my
hand, listening to the horrible howling and roar-
ing that filled the air with deafening echoes. A
few panthers approached our camp in response to
Pamir's bark, but none dared to come within
shooting distance.
I had left Serinagur at the head of eleven
carriers, of whom four carried as many casks of
wine, four more the clothes needed for the jour-
ney, another my weapons, and still another dif-
ferent utensils, while a last served as courier and
guide, as he frequently went forward to recon-
noiter. The latter's name was Chicari, which
signifies, "he who accompanies the hunter and
picks up the game." But owing to his cowardice
and utter ignorance of the country, I dismissed
him, with some of the other men the next morn-
ing, retaining only four carriers with me. I
quickly replaced them with horses, and slowly
proceeded toward the village of Gounde.
38
UNKNOWN LIFE OF CHRIST.
7
1
中
​こ
​What beautiful nature unfolds itself in the
gorge of the Sindh, and how beloved it is by the
hunter. Besides the larger beasts of prey, there
are also found deer, moufflon, and an immense
variety of birds, among which may be mentioned
the golden, the red, and the snow-white pheasant,
large partridges, and immense eagles.
The villages along the Sindh are not remark-
able for their dimensions, most of them consist-
ing of but ten to twenty wretched huts, occupied
by ragged families that bear the stamp of
poverty. The domestic animals all belong to an
exceedingly small species.
Crossing the stream at Sambal I stopped near
the Gounde village for a relay of horses. In
some of the small places, I was absolutely
refused a change of horses until I made use of
my whip, a proceeding which at once imposed
respect and obedience. Money also proved a
most powerful agent in attaining this object,
inspiring a servile obedience and a desire to
execute my orders that was truly astonishing.
Gold and the lash are the real sovereigns of the
Orient; without them the Great Mogul himself
could have had no preponderance.
Meanwhile, night was gathering fast and I was
anxious to cross the defile that separates the
villages of Gogangan and Sonamarg, the road
1
A JOURNEY TO THIBET.
39
រ
being in a horrible condition and infested with
wild beasts that come to the very doors of the
dwelling houses in search of prey under cover of
night. The spot is fertile and beautiful, yet few
dare make it their home on account of the fre-
quent visits of the panther among the domestic
animals.
At the extremity of the defile, near Tchokodar,
or Thajwas, I caught sight of two dark masses
which I could not at first distinguish in the semi-
obscurity, but which, on closer inspection, proved
to be two bears following a cub on the roadway.
Being alone with my servant — the caravan hav-
ing remained behind - I hesitated somewhat in
attacking them with my single rifle, but long
excursions on the mountains had strongly devel-
oped the instincts of the hunter in me, and I
resolved to brave the dangers. To leap from the
saddle, fire, and reload, without even verifying
the result of the first shot, was the work of a
second. One of the bears sprang toward me, but
a second shot changed his course, and he disap-
peared. Still holding my loaded rifle, I cau-
tiously advanced in the direction in which I had
fired and found a bear lying on its side, with a
young cub playing near. Another shot brought
him down in his turn, and I thus procured two
beautiful skins of jet black.
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40
UNKNOWN LIFE OF CHRIST.
This meeting delayed us two full hours, and
night had completely fallen when I pitched my
tent near Tchokodar, which I again left at the
first streak of dawn for Baltal, still following the
course of the Sindh.
The magnificent scenery of the "golden prai-
rie" comes to an abrupt end here with a village
of the same name sona (gold) and marg (prai-
rie). The slope of Zodgi-la is then immediately
reached a steep elevation of eleven thousand
five hundred feet-beyond which the entire coun-
try assumes a severe, inhospitable character. My
hunting adventures were now at an end, having
seen nothing this side of Baltal but wild goats.
Game might have been found in plenty by pene-
trating into the very heart of these mysterious
mountains, but I had neither the time nor desire
to leave the highway on such dangerous expedi-
tions, and I tranquilly continued my journey
toward Ladak.
S
AAA)
Ply
K
What an abrupt transition I experienced, in
passing from the smiling nature and fine popula-
tion of Kashmir to the barren gloomy rocks and
deformed beardless inhabitants of the Ladak!
The country into which I had just penetrated
stands at an altitude of eleven to twelve thousand
feet, descending to a level of eight thousand at
Kargil.
A JOURNEY ΤΟ THIBET.
41
EN Y
→
The ascent of Zodgi-La is extremely difficult,
being an almost perpendicular wall, while, at
some points, the road winds over projecting
rocks not more than a meter in breadth, bor-
dering on a precipice of unfathomable depth.
Heaven preserve the traveler from a fall! In
some places long poles have been introduced
into the rocks and covered with earth. Brr
Brr-!
At the thought that the dislodging of the small-
est stone from the mountain-side, or the oscilla-
tion of the poles might precipitate the structure
into the yawning abyss below, carrying with it the
intrepid person who might have ventured on this
perilous path, my heart almost stopped its beat-
ing, and it was with a sigh of relief that I finally
came to the end of the dangerous path.
Having crossed the glaciers, we made a halt in
the valley and began preparations to spend the
night near a post-hut, amid cheerless surround-
ings of eternal ice and snow.
Beyond Baltal distance is determined by means
of daks-postal stations established to facilitate
the forwarding of mail. These are low huts sit-
uated at a distance of seven kilometers from each
other, where a man remains permanently on duty
in each. The postal service between the Kash-
mir and Thibet is of the most primitive kind
The letters are inclosed in a leather bag and
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UNKNOWN LIFE OF CHRIST.
J
placed in charge of a carrier, who rapidly travels
over the seven kilometers allotted to him with a
basket strapped to his back containing a number
of these bags. This he hands over to another car-
rier, who, in his turn, accomplishes his task in a
similar fashion. Neither rain nor snow can stop
them, and the service is thus carried on with
regularity between Kashmir and Thibet, and vice-
versa, once a week. Each run is paid for at the
rate of six annas (one franc), this being the com-
pensation usually given merchandise carriers,
although my servants carried a burden ten times
as heavy. One is filled with compassion at sight
of the pale, haggard faces of these weary men;
but what can be done? It is the custom of the
country, and strangers are powerless. Tea is
brought from China in a similar way, a rapid
and cheap means of transportation.
As we approached Montaiyan, I rejoined the
caravan of Yarkandians which I had promised
to accompany on their journey. They recognized
me from afar and begged me to examine one of
their companions who was very ill. I found him
struggling in the throes of a burning fever, and
waved my hands as a sign of despair; pointing
to heaven to make them understand that human
science and will was powerless now, and that God
alone could save him. As they were journeying
-
43
very slowly, I left them once more with the
intention of reaching Dras that evening, a town
built in the depth of the valley on a river of
the same name, near which is a small fort of
extremely ancient construction, newly plastered,
and guarded by three soldiers of the Maharaja's
A JOURNEY TO THIBET.
army.
Here I took shelter in the postal building; the
only station in connection with the telegraphic
wire laid from Serinagur to the heart of the
Himalayas. From this time forward, I totally
abandoned my tent at night and sought repose
in the roadside inns, which, though repulsively
filthy, could always boast of a huge chimney
fire.
From Dras to Kargil the scenery is monotonous
and disagreeable. The sunrise and sunset are
glorious it is true, and the moonlight is magnifi-
cent, but the road is flat, endless, and beset with
dangers.
Kargil is the chief town of the district and the
residence of the governor of the division. The
site is decidedly picturesque. Two turbulent
streams, the Sourou and Wakka, dash noisely
over their rocky beds and unite their rippling
waters as they emerge from their respective
gorges thus forming the Suru River, on the
banks of which the mud buildings of Kargil are
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44
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UNKNOWN LIFE OF CHRIST.
"
constructed. A small fort, guarded by two or
three soldiers, stands at the junction of the two
streams.
Having procured fresh horses, I resumed my
journey at sunrise by entering the Ladak, or Lit-
tle Thibet. During this day's journey I crossed
a shaky bridge, which, like all bridges in Kash-
mir, was rudely constructed of long beams rest-
ing on either banks, overlaid with fagots and
slender poles, giving it the appearance of a some-
what primitive suspension bridge. Before long
I reached a small plateau over which the road
stretched for two kilometers, then gradually
descended into the narrow valley of the Wakka,
with its many tiny villages, the most picturesque
of which is Paskium on the left bank of the
river.
I was now treading Buddhist soil. The inhab-
itants of this part of the country are of the most
simple and gentle character, seeming utterly in
ignorance of what we term "quarreling" at
home. Women are somewhat scarce; but the few
we chanced to meet, by the expression of cheer-
fulness and prosperity reflected upon their coun-
tenances, presented a strong contrast to those I had
so far seen in Kashmir or India. But this is not
astonishing, since each of these women legiti-
mately possesses from three to five husbands.
Jig
A JOURNEY TO THIBET.
45
Polyandry is practiced throughout the country.
However large a family may be, there is but one
woman in the household; and if it does not con-
sist of more than three persons, a bachelor may
become a member of it by bringing material com-
pensation into the house. The days allotted to
each of the husbands are determined upon before-
hand, and all perform their duties with scrupu-
lous exactitude. The men, as a rule, are of
weakly constitutions, with stooped shoulders and
a general debilitated appearance, and scarcely
ever pass middle age. In fact, I did not meet
one single white-haired old man throughout my
journey in the Ladak country.
That portion of the Kargil route which lies in
the center of the Ladak, is of a more cheerful
aspect than the country over which I had just
traveled, being much enlivened by a number of
small hamlets, but trees and verdure are unfor-
tunately exceedingly scarce.
Twenty miles from Kargil, at the mouth of the
defile formed by the swift current of the Wakka,
is a small village called Chargol, in the center of
which are three altars decked in bright colors
(t'hortènes is the name they bear in Thibet).
Below, near the river, is a mass of rocks forming
long, thick walls, on which flat stones of divers
colors have been thrown pell-mell, in the greatest
ミ
​46
UNKNOWN LIFE OF CHRIST.
disorder. These stones are elaborately engraved
with all sorts of prayers in Sanscrit, Thibetan,
and Oudhist characters; and even Arabic inscrip-
tions have sometimes been found in this mixture.
Unperceived by my carriers, I surreptitiously
abstracted a few of these stones which I subse-
quently placed in the palace of the Trocadero.
From Chargol on, these peculiar oblong piers
are seen at every step. At the first streak of
dawn I started on my way with fresh horses,
coming to a halt near the convent (gonpa) of
Moulbeck, which stands against a tall isolated
rock overlooking the hamlet of Wakkha. Not
far away towers another gigantic rock of peculiar
form, which looks as if transported there by
human hands, and bears on one side a carved
image of Buddha several meters in height.
On this rock were placed a number of weather-
cocks that served as a means of invocation.
These labor-saving devices consist of wooden
hoops draped with white or yellow material, and
attached to a stick set vertically into the ground.
The softest breeze will set them in motion, and
the happy individual who possesses one of these
contrivances is no longer obliged to recite his
prayers, as everything that may be asked of the
presiding god, by the believer, is written thereon.
Seen from a distance this white-plastered mon-
A JOURNEY TO THIBET.
47
astery, standing in such strong relief against the
gray rocks, and these whirling machines with
their floating draperies, produce a very strange
effect in that half-dead country.
Leaving my horses in the hamlet, and fol-
lowed by my servant, I turned my steps in the
direction of the convent, which was reached by a
narrow stairway hewn into the solid rock. At
the top of this steep flight, I was greeted by a
corpulent Lama, with a fringe of scraggy beard
beneath his china characteristic of the
Thibetan people- and exceedingly ugly feat-
ures, but who received me with the utmost
cordiality. His dress consisted of a yellow robe
and a cloth cap of the same color with ear-laps.
In his right hand he carried a brass prayer-
wheel, which he set in motion from time to time
without the least pause in the conversation.
This constituted a perpetual prayer, which being
communicated to the air was the more easily
wafted to heaven by the aid of the elements.
After crossing a long succession of low rooms,
in which were shelved a variety of images
of Buddha, all sorts and sizes buried beneath a
thick mantle of dust, we finally emerged upon an
open terrace, from which the eye rested on a
most barren waste, interspersed with ledges of
gray rocks, and traversed by a single road lost
G
48
UNKNOWN LIFE OF CHRIST.
in both directions beyond the limits of the
horizon.
We were scarcely seated when an attendant ap-
peared with hop-beer, or tchang, as it is called in
this region, prepared within the walls of the mon-
astery. This beverage gives the monks a quantity
of superfluous flesh, which is considered by the
people as a sign of particular favor from heaven.
The Thibetan language is generally spoken
here. The origin of this tongue is enveloped in
obscurity; the accepted theory, however, is that
a king of Thibet, who reigned in the days of Mo-
hammed, undertook the creation of a universal
language to be used by all the followers of
Buddha. With this end in view he simplified
the Sanscrit grammar, composed an alphabet con-
taining an infinite number of signs, and thus
formed the basis of a tongue of exceedingly easy
pronunciation, but of most complicated orthog-
raphy; no less than eight characters being re-
quired to represent a single sound. The modern
literature of Thibet is all written in this lan-
guage. The Thibetan tongue in its purity, more-
over, is spoken in the Ladak and in Oriental
Thibet only; a dialect formed from a mixture of
the mother tongue and a variety of idioms bor-
rowed from the people of adjacent regions being
used in all other parts of the country.
my
pati
A JOURNEY TO THIBET.
49
There always exist two tongues, even in every-
day life, among the Thibetans; one being utterly
incomprehensible to the women, while the other
is spoken by the entire nation. The Thibetan
tongue, in all its purity and integrity, can be
found in the monasteries only.
+
dag
The monks much prefer European visitors to
Mohammedans; and when I asked the reason
of this preference, the Lama replied:
"The Mohammedans have nothing in common
with our religion. In their recent victorious cam-
paign, they converted, by force, a number of Bud-
dhists to Islamism; and it will require great
efforts on our part to bring back these descend-
ants of Buddhists into the path of the true God.
As to Europeans, it is an entirely different mat-
ter. Not only do they profess the essential prin-
ciples of monotheism, but they also form part of
the rank of worshipers of Buddha in almost the
same degree as the Thibetan Lamas themselves.
The only error of the Christians is that after
adopting the great doctrine of Buddha, they, at
the very outset, completely separated themselves
from him and created another Dalaï-Lama; while
ours alone has received the divine favor of seeing
the majesty of Buddha face to face, and the power
of serving as intermediary between heaven and
earth."
4
50
UNKNOWN LIFE OF CHRIST.
"
"Who is this Dalaï-Lama of the Christians of
whom you speak?" I asked. "We have a 'Son
of God' to whom we address our fervent prayers.
It is to him we have recourse, that he may inter-
cede for us near our one and indivisible God.”
"It is not to him I referred, sahib," he replied.
"We also respect him whom you recognize as
the son of an only God, only we do not regard him
as such, but as the excellent being, the chosen
one from among all. Buddha did, indeed, incar-
nate himself with his intelligence in the sacred
person of Issa, who, without the aid of fire and
sword, went forth to propagate our great and
true religion through the entire world. I speak
of your terrestrial Dalaï-Lama, to whom you
have given the title of Father of the Church.
There lies the great sin; may it be remitted to
the sheep that have strayed from the fold into
the evil path," concluded the Lama fervently, as
he once more set his prayer-wheel in motion.
I understood that he alluded to the Pope.
"You have said that a son of Buddha, Issa,
the chosen one, propagated your religion through-
out the world. Who then is he?" I inquired.
The Lama opened his eyes in profound amaze-
ment at this question, and muttered something I
could not catch, then murmured almost unin-
telligibly:
!
A JOURNEY TO THIBET.
51
"Issa is a great prophet, one of the first after
the twenty-two Buddhas; he is greater than any
of the Dalaï-Lamas, for he constitutes a part of
the spirituality of the Lord. It is he who has
instructed you, who has brought back frivolous
souls to God, who has rendered you worthy of
the blessings of the Creator, who has endowed
each creature with the knowledge of good and
evil. His name and his deeds have been recorded
in our sacred writings, and, whilst reading of his
great existence spent in the midst of erring peo-
ple, we weep over the horrible sin of the pagans,
who assassinated him after putting him to the
most cruel tortures."
Tag
I was forcibly struck by the Lama's words-
the prophet Issa, his tortures and death, our
Christian Dalaï-Lama, the recognition of Chris-
tianity by the Buddhists, all combined to make
me think more and more of the career of Jesus
Christ and I begged my interpreter to omit
nothing of the Lama's conversation.
"Where are these sacred writings, and by
whom were they compiled?" I asked.
" writ-
"The principal rolls," said the monk,
ten in India and Nepal at different epochs,
according to the course of events, are at Lassa
and number many thousands. In some of the
larger convents, there are copies made by the
1
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1
,
52
1
5
UNKNOWN LIFE OF CHRIST,
Lamas at different periods during their stay at
Lassa, and later presented to their convents as
souvenirs of their visits to the great master, our
Dalaï-Lama."
"Do you not possess any of these copies relat-
ing to the prophet Issa?"
"No, we do not possess any. Our convent is
of little importance, and the Lamas have col-
lected but a few hundred manuscripts since its
foundation. The large cloisters possess thou-
sands of them, but they are sacred things, and
you can not see them anywhere."
After a few minutes more conversation, I
returned to the camp, reflecting deeply on what
had been said by the Lama.
Issa, the prophet of Buddhists! How could
that have been? Being of Jewish origin, he dwelt
in Palestine and Egypt; and the scripture con-
tains not a word, not the slightest allusion to
the part played by Buddhism in the education of
Jesus.
J
I determined to visit every convent in Thibet,
hoping to gather more ample information con-
cerning the prophet Issa and perhaps find copies
of documents relating to him.
Without being aware of it, we traversed the
Namykala Pass at an altitude of thirteen thou-
sand feet, from which we descended into the val-
P
A JOURNEY TO THIBET.
53
$
ley of the Salinoumah River. Turning south-
ward we reached Karbou, leaving numerous
villages behind us and on
on the other bank.
Among these was Chagdoom, perched on the
summit of a rugged cliff in a singularly pictur-
esque situation. All the houses of this little
town being white, and of two to three stories in
height, it presents an air of most festive gaiety,
which, however, is a common feature of all the
villages of the Ladak.
While journeying through Kashmir, the Euro-
pean loses almost all notion of his national archi-
tecture in the monotonous sameness of the low
square huts of the people; in the Ladak, on the
contrary, he is agreeably surprised by the sight
of neat houses of two and three stories, with
quadruple windows, which remind him strongly
of those of European provinces.
Not far from Karbou, standing on two perpen-
dicular rocks of gigantic dimensions, are the
ruins of a little town or village destroyed by a
disastrous storm and an earthquake; although
the remains of the walls show that their solidity
certainly left nothing to be desired. The next
day I passed another station and crossed the
Fotu-La Pass, at an altitude of thirteen thousand
five hundred feet, on the summit of which is built
a small t'hortène altar. From thence, following
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54
the dry bed of a torrent, I descended into a ham-
let called Lamayure, which springs up unexpect-
edly before the eyes of the traveler. A convent,
seemingly glued to the face of the rocky cliff and
held there by miraculous intervention, domin-
ates the village. Stairways are unknown in this
monastery, ropes being used to ascend and
descend from one floor to another; and the only
means of communication with the outer world is
through an endless labyrinth of passages and
corridors. Directly beneath the convent win-
dows, which appear like huge nests suspended
from an isolated rock, is a small inn of uninvit-
ing aspect which offers little comfort to the trav-
eler. Hardly had I stretched myself upon the
carpet in my room when it was invaded by a
number of yellow-robed monks, who questioned
me closely regarding the object of my journey,
the country from which I came, etc., concluding
by inviting me to accompany them.
In spite of my fatigue, I accepted the invitation
and followed them up the steep passages hewn in
the solid rock, encumbered by an infinity of
prayer-wheels which I involuntarily set in mo-
tion as I passed. These devices are thus placed.
to save the passer-by any loss of time in prayer;
and a stranger might be led to suppose that
worldly affairs absorbed their entire day, leaving
UNKNOWN LIFE OF CHRIST.
A JOURNEY TO THIBET.
55
no time for prayer. Many pious Buddhists util-
ize the current of rivers for this purpose; and I
have frequently seen long rows of these cylinders,
covered with invocations, placed on river banks,
so that the steady flow of water might keep them
in constant movement, and thus exempt their
owners from the obligation of praying.
I finally found myself seated on a bench in a
dimly lighted room, whose walls were adorned
with the inevitable statues of Buddha, books, and
prayer-wheels, with the loquacious monks eagerly
explaining the signification of each object.
"And these volumes treat of religion, no
doubt?" I ventured, during a pause.
99
"Yes,'
was the reply; "they treat of the
first and principal rites of every-day life. We
also possess several volumes of the words of
Buddha, consecrated to the great and indivisible
Divine Being, and to all things that have come
from his hands."
"Is there anything relating to the prophet Issa
among these books?" I asked.
"No, sahib," returned the monk. "We have
nothing but a few of the principal treatises rela-
tive to the observance of religious rites. As to
the biographies of our saints, they are preserved
at Lassa, and even some of the larger convents
have not yet had time to procure copies of them.
1
*:
+
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4
56
UNKNOWN LIFE OF CHRIST.
Before coming here I lived many years in a
large monastery at the other extremity of the
Ladak, where I saw thousands of volumes and
rolls of parchment copied at divers periods by
the lamas of that place."
In the course of further conversation I learned
that the convent in question was situated near
Leh. My persistent inquiries, however, unfor-
tunately aroused suspicion in the minds of the
lamas, and it was with evident relief, on their
part, that I was finally guided back to the inn;
when, after a light supper, I soon fell into a
sound sleep, leaving instructions to my Hindoo
servant to cautiously ascertain - from the young
lamas the name of the convent in which their
chief had lived before his appointment to Lama-
yure.
At daybreak I continued my journey, and, to
my disappointment, learned from my servant that
his efforts to gain information from the lamas
had proved unsuccessful, as they were evidently
on their guard.
I shall not pause here to speak of the convent
life of these monks, for it is the same in all clois-
ters of the Ladak. I afterward visited the cele-
brated monastery of Leh, which I shall describe,
in due time, giving full particulars concerning the
curious existence led by the monks.
dangt
A JOURNEY TO TIIBET.
57
A steep declivity, running through a narrow
gloomy defile that leads toward the Indus,
begins at Lamayure.
Totally unconscious of the dangers lurking in
the descent, I sent my carriers onward and en-
countered a passably good road stretching be-
tween two cliffs of brown argil. Soon, however,
the path seemed to enter a narrow, obscure, sub-
terranean passage, winding like a cornice along
the rugged mountain side, above a precipice of
frightful depth. A horseman, coming from the
opposite direction, would assuredly have found it
impossible to pass me on this overhanging shelf.
Words are inadequate to describe the wild ma-
jestic beauty of this gorge, whose ridges tower
loftily toward the heavens, lifting their crests
proudly above the dark chasm beneath.
At some points the passage became so nar-
row that I could touch the opposite rocks with
the tip of my cane from the saddle, while at times
it seemed as if death was inevitable at every step.
But it was now too late to alight from my horse,
although I had never dreamed that I should soon
find occasion to regret my foolish imprudence in
entering this gorge alone. This passage, in fact,
is nothing more than an enormous crevice formed
by a powerful earthquake, which must have
forcibly separated two gigantic masses of granite
58
UNKNOWN LIFE OF CHRIST.
•
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rocks. In the very depth of the defile is an im-
petuous torrent, whose loud roar fills the gorge
with a mysterious murmur, though it seems but
an almost invisible white thread; while above the
traveler glimmers a narrow, winding, blue streak,
which is the only part of the celestial arch
revealed between the towering rocks. This ma-
jestic glimpse of nature inspired the most exquis-
ite pleasure and delight, but the severe tranquil-
lity, the frightful hush of the mountains, and the
melancholy murmur of the torrent whose waters
dashed against the granite rocks, filled me with
unconquerable anguish. For a distance of nearly
eight miles we were thus swayed between these
sweet and painful sensations; then, after an abrupt ¦
turn to the right, our troop emerged into a small
valley encircled with granite cliffs whose peaks
are reflected in the Indus, and on the banks of
which is found the small fortress of Khalsi. This
celebrated fortress dates back to the time of the
Mussulman invasions, and the only route from
Kashmir to Thibet passes through it.
Having crossed the Indus on a semi-suspension
bridge leading to the door of the fortress, which
it is impossible to evade, I traversed the valley
and the village of Khalsi, directing my steps
toward the hamlet of Snourly, which is situated
along the stream and built on terraces bordering
3
A JOURNEY TO THIBET.
59
the Indus, intending to spend the night there.
The next two days I traveled quietly, and with-
out encountering any difficulties, along the banks
of the Indus, through a picturesque country that
led me toward Leh, the capital of the Ladak.
Through the small valley of Saspoula, and over
a territory of several kilometers surrounding the
village of the same name, we saw a number of
t'hortènes and shrines, and also two convents,
over one of which floated the French flag. I
afterward learned that a French engineer had
made a present of it to the monks, who used it
for decorative purposes.
T
I spent the night at Saspoula, and did not fail
to visit the convent, the reader may rest assured.
There, for the tenth time, I saw the eternal and
dusty idols of Buddha, banners and flags piled
into a corner, ugly masks littered over the floor,
books and rolls of paper scattered in disorder,
and a numberless quantity of prayer-wheels. The
lamas take particular pleasure in making this
exhibition, displaying the treasures of their con-
vents with great pomp and pride, without in the
least heeding the indifference or lack of interest
natural to a stranger. "Everything must be
shown, in the hope that the mere sight of these
sacred objects may force the traveler to believe in
the divine grandeur of the human soul."
¿
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UNKNOWN LIFE OF CHRIST.
As to the prophet Issa, they only repeated what
I already knew that the books which could give
me any information concerning him were to be
found at Lassa, and that the larger monasteries
only possessed a few copies of them.
I now
abandoned all thought of going through the Kar-
akorum, and determined to find the history of the
prophet Issa, which would, perhaps, place the
private life of the best of men under a new light
and complete the vague accounts given of him
in the New Testament.
p
At a short distance from Leh, and at the open-
ing of the valley bearing the same name, the road
stops short near an isolated rock, on the top of
which stands a fort flanked with two towers and
without garrison, and a small convent called
Pitak. A mountain ten thousand five hundred
feet in height protects the entrance of Thibet.
The road then turns abruptly to the north in the
direction of Leh, which is situated at an altitude of
eleven thousand five hundred feet, six miles from
Pitak, and at the base of immense granitic col-
umns, with pinnacles enshrouded in eternal snows
rising to an elevation of eighteen thousand to
nineteen thousand feet. The city itself is en-
circled by a belt of stunted aspen-trees, and is
elevated on successive terraces, dominated by an
old fort and the palace of the ancient sovereigns
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A JOURNEY TO THIBET.
61
12 CAPXE
of the Ladak. At twilight I reached Leh, and
descended into a bungalow especially constructed
for Europeans who come over the Indian route in
the hunting season.
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THE LADAK.
TH
THE Ladak formerly made part of Great
Thibet. But the frequent invasions of
northern nations, who traversed this coun-
try in attempting to conquer Kashmir, and the
many wars of which it was the scene of action, not
only reduced it to misery, but also resulted in its
separation from the political domination of Lassa
by its passing from the hands of one conqueror to
those of another. The Mohammedans, who took
possession of Kashmir and the Ladak at an early
period, forcibly converted the weak inhabitants
of Little Thibet to Islamism. The political exist-
ence of the Ladak ended with the annexation of
that country to Kashmir by the Sikhs, when the
people were permitted to again practice their
ancient religion. Two-thirds of the inhabitants
took advantage of this freedom to reconstruct
their gonpas and resumed their former life; the
Baltistans alone remaining Schiit-Mussulmans, a
sect to which the conquerors of the country had
belonged. Notwithstanding this, however, they
have retained but a very vague tinge of Islamism;
(62)
Jak
T
THE LADAK.
63
the character of which is revealed mostly in their
customs and the polygamy they practice. The
lamas declare that they do not yet despair of
bringing them back to the faith of their ancestors.
In regard to religion the Ladak is dependent
on Lassa, the capital of Thibet and the residence
of the Dalaï-Lama; it is at Lassa also that the
principal Khutuktus, or supreme lamas, and the
Chogzots, or managers, are elected. Politically
it is under the authority of the Maharaja of Kash-
mir, who appoints the governor.
The population of the Ladak is essentially
Mongolian, but is divided into Ladakians and
Tchampas. They lead a sedentary life, build
villages along the narrow valleys, dwell in neat
two-story houses, and cultivate a few patches of
land. They are excessively ill-favored, being
of small stature, hollow-cheeked, and round-
shouldered, with a small head, narrow receding
forehead, the bright dark eyes of the Mongolian
race, a flat nose, a large mouth and thin lips,
and a short chin, adorned with a sparse beard, in
which ends the net of wrinkles that furrow the
two hollow cheeks. Such is the Ladakian. To
this add a shaven head, from which hangs a very
slender braid of hair, and you have not only the
general type of the inhabitants of Ladak, but of
the entire Thibet.
-
64
UNKNOWN LIFE OF CHRIST.
The women are also of small stature, and pos-
sess prominent cheek-bones; but they are of more
robust constitution and the roses bloom in their
cheeks, while a sympathetic smile continually
hovers about their lips. They are gentle in dis-
position and exceedingly gay, being very fond
of laughter.
The severity of the climate and the rugged
nature of the country deprive the people of rich
clothing of varied colors. Their shirts are of
common unbleached linen and of rough cloth of
home manufacture; while their trousers, of the
same material, are made to reach the knee. Men
of means add a choga (coat) to this. A fur cap,
with earlaps, is worn in the winter; while a cloth
cap with a side flap does duty in the summer. A
whole arsenal of small objects hang from their
belts; among which may be found a case of
needles, a knife, a pen and inkstand, a tobacco
pouch, and the inevitable prayer-wheel.
Male Thibetans, as a rule, are so intensely indo-
lent, that when their hair becomes loosened, it
remains unbraided for three months; and once
they have put on a shirt, it is worn until it falls
in tatters from their bodies. Their coats are
always dirty, and invariably bear the stamp of
their braid of hair, which they never forget to
grease carefully every day. They wash their
1
THE LADAK.
65
faces once a year; not of their own free will, but
because constrained by the law. The stench they
spread around them is, in fact, so intense that
strangers approach them only when absolutely
necessary.
The women, on the contrary, are exceedingly
fond of order and cleanliness; bathing constantly
every day, and upon any excuse. A red gown is
worn over their dazzling white and well-molded
shoulders, confined below the waist within narrow
red and green pantaloons, over which falls a
wide cloth skirt elaborately plaited. A pair of
red shoes, embroidered and lined with fur, com-
pletes this house costume. The hair is worn in a
thin braid, to which is pinned a large piece of
loose cloth somewhat resembling the Italian head-
dress; beneath this peculiar veil is suspended a
variety of bright colored pebbles, coins, and
fragments of carved metals; the ears are covered
with two tongues of cloth or fur; and a lined
lamb-skin is worn over the shoulders, barely
covering the back. While the poor are satisfied
with a plain fur skin, for outdoor wear, the women
of wealth wear a veritable pelisse, trimmed with
red cloth and gold fringe.
Whether merely strolling through the streets
or calling on their neighbors, these women invari-
ably carry on their backs a basket of conical
5
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66
UNKNOWN LIFE OF CHRIST.
shape, in which they gather their fuel from the
dunghills. Every woman possesses money of her
own, which she invariably spends on trinkets;
usually buying large pieces of turquoise, which
are cheap enough, and adding them to the odd
ornaments of her head-dress. I have seen stones
of this kind that weighed fully five pounds.
The Ladakian woman holds a social position
envied by all her Oriental sisters, for she is free
and respected; and, save for the few hours of light
work she does in the fields, spends nearly all her
time in exchanging neighborly visits, although it
must be here remarked that "gossiping" is
unknown.
Agriculture is the general occupation of the
fixed population of the Ladak; but the inhabit-
ants possess so little land-the portion of each
being about ten acres that the income derived
therefrom barely suffices for the mere necessaries
of life, leaving nothing toward the payment of
taxes. Trades are generally despised; and labor-
ers and musicians, who compose the lowest degree
of society, are known under the contemptuous
name of Bem, and universally shunned. The
hours of leisure left, after their work in the fields
is accomplished, is spent in hunting the Thibet
goat, whose fur is greatly valued in India; while
the poorer inhabitants, who can not afford the
Jabatan p
THE LADAK.
67
necessary weapons, hire themselves as coolies.
This sport is also engaged in by women, whose
powers of endurance are remarkable, and who
really bear the hardships encountered in the chase
much better than their husbands, the latter being
so intensely lazy that they are quite capable of
spending the whole night out of doors, lying on a
stone, indifferent alike to heat and cold.
Polyandry (a subject which later on I shall
return to more in detail) has the effect of uniting
the people more closely, by forming large families
who till their land in common, with their yaks,
zos, and zomos (oxen and cows). No member of
a family can at any time leave it; and when one
dies, his share reverts to the community.
Wheat is the principal crop, but, owing to the
harshness of the climate, the grain is exceedingly
small. Barley is also cultivated, and is pulver-
ized before being sold. When the harvest is over,
the men repair to the mountains to gather a wild
plant called "Enoriota" and a species of tall
thistle, or "dama," which are used for fuel, wood
being extremely scarce in the Ladak. Forests and
gardens are unknown, and it is only at rare inter-
vals that sickly clumps of poplars and willows are
found on the banks of the streams. A few aspens
may also be sometimes seen near the villages; but
for lack of fertile soil gardening can not thrive.
68
UNKNOWN LIFE OF CHRIST.
A
1
The scarcity of wood is particularly noticeable
in the buildings, which are constructed of sun-
dried bricks, or of medium-sized stones, cemented
together with a sort of mortar composed of argil
and chopped straw.
The houses of the sedentary Ladakians consist
of two stories, with carefully white-washed walls
and brightly-painted windows, the horizontal
roofs forming terraces which are decked with wild
flowers, and where, during the fine season, the
inmates kill time contemplating nature and keep-
ing their prayer-wheels in motion. Each of these
dwellings contains several rooms, all furnished
with a bed and other articles of furniture, save
one, which is reserved for visitors and hung with
the most beautiful skins. In the homes of the
wealthier class, there is also an apartment spe-
cially devoted to prayer and filled with idols.
A most regular existence is led here. Every-
thing is eaten without much choice, but the prin-
cipal food is of the plainest kind. Breakfast
consists of a morsel of rye bread; while at noon
a bowl of flour is placed on the table, warm
water poured into it, and the whole stirred with
small sticks until it attains the consistency of a
thick batter, which is then rolled into small balls.
and eaten with milk; for supper, bread and tea
are served. Meat is a superfluous luxury, little
1
=
THE LADAK.
69
1
used save by hunters who introduce a certain
degree of variety in their meals by eating the
flesh of wild goats, eagles, or white pheasants,
which are quite plentiful in this country.
A great quantity of tchang, a sort of pale
unfermented beer, is drunk all day long.
Should a Ladakian leave home, in search of
work in a neighboring village, on a pony — and
these privileged beings are few indeed - he invari-
ably provides himself with a small quantity of flour
for the journey. The dinner hour having arrived,
he seeks a river or spring, mixes a little flour and
water together in a wooden cup which he always
carries, and sits quietly down to enjoy his meal.
The Tchampas, or nomads, who compose the
other portion of the population of the Ladak, are
much poorer and coarser than the sedentary
Ladakians. They are mostly hunters, and neg-
lect agriculture completely. Although professing
the Buddhist religion, they never enter a monas-
tery unless in need of flour, which they obtain in
exchange for game; and their favorite dwelling
place is a tent on the summit of the mountains,
where the cold is excessive. While the Ladak-
ians, properly speaking, are anxious to gain
knowledge, proverbially indolent and truthful,
the Tchampas, on the contrary, are irritable,
extremely active, inveterate liars, and profess
70
UNKNOWN LIFE OF CHRIST.
utter contempt for convents. Dwelling among
them is the little colony of the Khomba, a bohe-
mian set of people who came from the vicinity of
Lassa, and lead a miserable existence as mendi-
cants. Incapable of work, and speaking a tongue
not understood in the country in which they beg
their bread, they are an object of universal scorn,
being tolerated only through compassion for their
deplorable condition when starvation drives them
in numbers into the villages.
Polyandry, which is practiced in all families,
deeply aroused my curiosity. It is by no means
a consequence attending the doctrines of Bud-
dhism, for this custom existed long before the
appearance of Buddha. It has assumed enor-
mous proportions in India, where it constitutes
one of the most active means of checking a popu-
lation that ever tends to increase; and even at the
present day, the practice of killing female chil-
dren at birth makes terrible ravages in that coun-
try; all efforts on the part of the English having
proved fruitless in their struggle against the sup-
pression of future mothers. Manou himself made
polyandry a law, and Buddhist preachers, who
had abjured Brahmanism and advocated the use
of opium, imported the custom into the island of
Ceylon, Thibet, Mongolia, and Korea. Though
long suppressed in China, polyandry, whose
phal
THE LADAK.
71
stronghold is in Thibet and Ceylon, also flour-
ishes among the Kalmuks, between Todas in
Southern India, and Nairs on the Malabar Coast.
Traces of this odd marriage constitution are also
found among the Tasmanians, and in North
America among the Iroquois.
""
Furthermore, polyandry has even flourished in
Europe, if we are to believe Cæsar, who says in
his "De Bello Gallico." liv. V, page 17: "Uxores
habent deni duodenique inter se communes, et
maximè fratres cum fratribus et parentes cum
liberis.'
All this proves conclusively that it is impossi-
ble to look upon polyandry as a religious custom.
In Thibet, it may be explained by motives of an
economic order, if we take into consideration the
average quantity of tillable land falling to each of
its inhabitants. To maintain a population of one
million five hundred thousand on a surface of one
million two hundred thousand square kilometers,
the Buddhists were forced to adopt polyandry,
while each family is moreover obliged to furnish
one member to a religious order. The first-born
son is pledged to a gonpa, which is invariably found
on one of the heights near each village. When
the child has attained the age of eight years, he
is intrusted to a caravan on its way to Lassa,
where he enters one of the convents and remains
72
UNKNOWN LIFE OF CHRIST.
until the age of fifteen as a novice. There he
learns to read and write, and studies the religious
rites and the sacred parchments written in the
Pali tongue, the language formerly spoken in the
Maguada Country, where, according to tradition,
Buddha Gautama was born.
The elder brother chooses a wife who becomes
the common property of every member of his
family. The choice of the bride and the nuptial
ceremony are both accomplished in the most prim-
itive way. When a woman and her several hus-
bands decide upon the marriage of one of their
sons, the elder brother is sent to pay a visit to a
neighbor with a marriageable daughter.
The first and second visits are spent in com-
monplace conversation, intermingled with fre-
quent libations of tchang; and it is only on the
occasion of his third visit that the young man
announces his intention of taking upon himself a
wife. The young girl, who is not unknown to the
prospective groom, since the women of Ladak
never veil their faces, is then brought forward.
A young girl can not be married without her
consent; but if she accepts the proposal, the
young man takes her with him to his home,
where she becomes his wife and that of his
brothers. A family with but one son, sends him
to a woman who has two or three husbands only,
1
•
THE LADAK.
73
and he offers himself in the role of third or fourth
husband. This offer is not usually declined, and
the young man immediately takes his place in the
bosom of his new family.
+
Children are sometimes also married at a very
tender age; but they always remain in their
respective families until they have attained, or
even passed, a marriageable age. Should a
young girl give birth to a child before mar-
riage, she is not only shielded from public
scorn, but is, on the contrary, surrounded with
every mark of the greatest respect; for she is
prolific, and a host of men rival the favor of
her hand. A woman has the right to have an
unlimited number of husbands or lovers. In
the latter case, she invites the young man of
her choice into her home, and quietly announces
that she has taken a new lover "jing-tuh;" a
piece of information received with perfect equa-
nimity on the part of the discarded husbands,
and even with joy when the wife of their
bosoms has proved barren in the first three
years of her marriage.
Jealousy is unknown. The Thibetan is of too
cold a temperament to understand love; which,
for him, would almost seem an anachronism, even
if it were not a flagrant violation of the custom
which makes women common to all; in a word,
贵
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[
74
"
UNKNOWN LIFE OF CHRIST.
to his eyes, love would appear a luxury that
nothing could justify.
In the absence of one of the husbands, his
place is offered to a bachelor or a widower-
although the latter are in great minority, the
wife usually surviving her debilitated husbands
--or a Buddhist traveler, whose business may
retain him for some time in the village, is some-
times chosen instead. A married man who
travels, or finds himself in a neighboring town
in search of work, always takes advantage of
the hospitality of his co-religionists, who place
their own wives at his disposal as well as their
roofs; and in case a woman has remained sterile,
the husbands are really importunate in their
offers, hoping thereby to become fathers.
Notwithstanding her peculiar position, the
woman is entirely free in the choice of a hus-
band or lover; she enjoys the esteem and respect
of all, is always cheerful, takes part in every-
thing that is discussed, and goes unimpeded
wherever she pleases, save in the principal cham-
ber of prayers in the monastery, the entrance of
which is formally interdicted to her.
The children recognize their mother only, and
feel no affection for their fathers for the excellent
reason that they possess an infinity of them.
Although I do not approve of polyandry, I can
THE LADAK.
75
scarcely condemn its practice in Thibet. Were
it not for it, the population would increase pro-
digiously; famines and misery would spread over
the whole nation with its entire sinister train:
Murder, theft, etc., crimes which are yet abso-
lutely unknown in that entire country.
A FEAST IN A GONPA.
I
EH, the capital of the Ladak, is a small town
of five thousand inhabitants, with two or
three streets bordered with neat white
houses, and a market square, or bazaar, where the
merchants of India, China, Turkestan, Kashmir,
and Thibet come to exchange their products for
Thibetan gold, brought by the natives, for the
purchase of cloth garments for their monks, as
well as for many articles of absolute necessity for
themselves.
An old deserted palace stands on one of the
hills that rises above the town; while in the very
center of the town is a vast two-story building, in
which resides the Governor of the Ladak, the
Surajbal Vizier-a most intelligent and able
ruler, who obtained his degree of philosophy in
London.
To celebrate my visit in Leh, the Governor or-
ganized a polo game on the square-this game,
introduced by the English, having become the
national game of the Thibetans-ending the
evening with a round of dances and games in
(76)
A FEAST IN A GONPA.
rey pay
front of his own terrace. A number of bonfires
threw their red glares over the crowd of specta-
tors who formed a circle around a group of per-
sonages disguised as animals, devils, and witches;
leaping, skipping, and twirling, and executing
strange dances measured by the monotonous
music of two straight trumpets, accompanied by
a drum. The infernal racket produced by these
instruments, added to the continual hue and cry
of the crowd, wearied me so intensely that it
finally became well-nigh unendurable.
The ceremony terminated with the graceful
dances of the women, who twirled on their heels,
swayed to and fro, courtesied beneath our win-
dows, and gaily jingled their bracelets of ivory
and brass by crossing their hands near the wrists.
I rose early the following morning and started
in the direction of a large convent called Ifimis,
which stands on a most picturesque site at the
summit of a high rock rising in the middle of a
valley that dominates the Indus. It is one of the
principal monasteries of the country, and is sup-
ported by gifts from the inhabitants and subsidies
sent from Lassa. On the road to the convent,
after having crossed the Indus and a number of
small villages, we found innumerable shrines
with stones covered with inscriptions, as well as
many t'hortènes which our guides carefully
78
UNKNOWN LIFE OF CHRIST.
passed on the right side. Once I tried to turn
my horse to the left, but the Ladakians made me
turn back, leading my steed by the bridle, and
explaining that it was customary to turn to the
right. I found it impossible, however, to learn
the origin of this custom.
We wended our way on foot toward the gonpa,
which is surmounted by an embattled tower vis-
ible from afar, and soon found ourselves before a
large, brightly-painted door, forming part of a
vast building inclosing a graveled court. To the
right, in one of the angles, is a large painted door
adorned with big brass rings. This is the en-
trance to the principal temple, which is decorated
with paintings of the chief idols and an immense
statue of Buddha surrounded by a multitude of
sacred statuettes. To the left is a verandah orna-
mented with a huge prayer-wheel, around which
the lamas were gathered in a circle. Below and
directly beneath this verandah were a few musici-
ans with long trumpets and drums in their
hands.
mybai
To the right of the court is a row of doors giv-
ing access to the rooms occupied by the monks,
all decorated with sacred paintings and prayer-
wheels, the latter surmounted by black and red
tridents with floating ribbons covered with
inscriptions.
A FEAST IN A GONPA.
79
In the center of the court are two tall poles,
from the tips of which float yak-tails and narrow
paper streamers bearing religious precepts. Along
the walls of the convent are more prayer-wheels
ornamented with ribbons.
A profound silence reigned in the court; all
were anxiously awaiting the representation of a
religious mystery about to begin. We took our
places on the verandah, not far from the lamas,
and almost immediately the musicians intoned a
soft monotonous melody on their trumpets, to
the accompaniment of a queer looking drum sup-
ported on a stick planted into the ground.
At the first notes of the melancholy chant that
accompanied this fantastic music, the doors along
the convent wall opened to admit a procession of
a score of personages disguised as animals, birds,
devils, and inconceivable monsters. On their
breasts were fantastic dragons, demons, and
skulls, embroidered in Chinese silk of different
hues. Their head-dress consisted of a conical-
shaped hat, with long multi-colored ribbons fall-
ing over the breast and elaborately inscribed;
while over the face was worn a mask represent-
ing a skull, embroidered in white silk. Thus
appareled, they slowly circled around the tall
poles standing in the middle of the court, waving
their arms and brandishing from their left hands
Poda
80
UNKNOWN LIFE OF CHRIST.
a peculiar sort of spoon made of the fragment of
a human skull bound with a piece of ribbon, to
which was attached a tuft of hair torn
it was
claimed from the scalps of their enemies. Their
promenade around the poles soon developed into a
sort of wild dance, which was brought to a sudden
stop by a more emphasized bang on the drum, only
to recommence a moment later, the dancers now
wielding yellow sticks decked with ribbons,
which they held in a menacing attitude in their
right hands. They then advanced and saluted
the chief lama, after which they stationed them-
selves near the door leading to the temple.
At this same moment other personages, with
heads incased in brass masks, emerged from the
principal doors of the temple. They were clothed
in embroidered robes of different hues and car-
ried a small tambourine in one hand, while with
the other they jingled a string of small bells. A
drum-stick hung against each tambourine, and
the slightest movement of the hand brought it in
contact with the sonorous vellum, producing a
strange sound. These new dancers marched
around the court several times, accompanying
their steps with a soft beating of the tambourines.
After each round there was a pause, then a terri-
ble din, produced by a tremendous beating of the
tambourines in unison, after which all ran toward
dag
B
A
Jag
A FEAST IN A GONPA.
81
the main entrance, where they ranged themselves
on the stairway.
An instant of complete silence followed, at the
end of which we saw a third group of disguised
men emerge from the temple, their enormous
masks representing different deities and bearing a
third eye on their foreheads.
Marching at the head was Thlogan-Poudma-
Jungnas, signifying "born in the lotus flower."
He was accompanied by another masked person-
age, richly dressed and carrying a large yellow
parasol covered with drawings. His suite was
composed of gods in magnificent costume: Dorje-
Trolong, Sangspa-Kourpo (Brahma), and others.
These masks, as the lama nearest to us explained,
represented six classes of beings subject to
metamorphosis-gods, demi-gods, men, animals,
spirits, and demons.
On each side of these personages, advancing so
gravely, walked other masked men in silk gar-
ments of dazzling colors, with tessellated gold
crown bordered with six gems and surmounted
by a long arrow, and each carrying a drum.
Ba
In this order and amid the din of clashing, in-
coherent music, they marched thrice around the
tall poles, then sat on the ground in a circle about
Thlogan-Poudma-Jungnas, the three-eyed-god,
who gravely stuck two fingers in his mouth and
ܝ
6
82
UNKNOWN LIFE OF CHRIST.
emitted a shrill whistle. In response to this
signal a band of young men in warrior's dress
rushed out of the temple; they wore short shirts,
with strings of sleigh-bells dangling around their
limbs and tied with ribbons that fluttered in the
breeze, while their heads were concealed beneath
monstrous green masks, over which floated trian-
gular red banners. With a diabolical din of tam-
bourines and bells they began a whirling, dizzying
dance around the gods that were seated on the
ground, while two tall fellows in clownish tights
executed a series of grotesque leaps and contor-
tions that threw the spectators into spasms of
laughter.
KA
A new group, whose disguise consisted of red
miters and yellow pantaloons, came out of the
temple with bells and tambourines and took up
the space opposite the gods, this representing the
greatest power next to divinity.
Then more red and brown masked figures with
three eyes painted on their breasts appeared on
the scene.
Two rows of dancers were now formed
and a general dance followed, the masked men
marching forward and backward, turning in a
circle here and forming into columns there, only
pausing long enough now and then to bow to the
audience and form into new figures.
This monotonous performance finally came to
A FEAST IN A GONPA.
83
an end, and gods, demi-gods, kings, men, and
spirits rose, and, followed by the masked forms,
solemnly marched toward the principal door of
the temple, from which came another group dis-
guised as skeletons. Each of these movements
had its particular signification and was carefully
calculated beforehand. The advancing throng
paused and made way for this procession of skele-
tons, who gravely, and with measured steps,
marched to the tall poles, where they stopped and
shook the wooden clappers that hung to their
sides, producing a noise resembling the snapping
of the jaws. They then walked twice around the
court, keeping step to the music of the tambour-
ines, and finally intoned a religious chant.
After more snapping of their artificial jaws and
grinding of teeth-imitated to perfection - they
executed a few difficult feats, in which the con-
tortions were really painful to witness, and came
to a rest at last.
logo
The image of the "enemy of men," made of
dough and placed at the foot of one of the poles,
was then seized upon and broken, and the pieces
distributed among the skeletons by the old men
who stood among the spectators, this signifying-
so it seems that they were holding themselves in
readiness to soon join them in the cemetery.
The chief lama now approached me and exten-
84
UNKNOWN LIFE OF CHRIST.
?
|
{
V
ro
ded a polite invitation to accompany him to the
principal terrace and drink the tchang of the
feast, an offer which I accepted with pleasure, the
performance I had just witnessed having made
me rather dizzy.
Having crossed the court and ascended a stair-
way encumbered by prayer-wheels, we passed
through two rooms, in which were numberless
images of gods, and stepped out on the terrace,
where I seated myself on a bench facing the
venerable lama, whose eyes sparkled with intelli-
gence.
Three lamas immediately brought jugs of
tchang, which they poured into small brass cups,
serving the chief lama first, then myself and
servants.
"Did you enjoy our little celebration?" inquired
the lama.
"It was very fine," I answered,
" I answered, "and I have
not yet been able to shake off the impression
made on me by the spectacle I have just wit-
nessed. But, I must admit, that I never imagined
for a moment that Buddhism could surround its
religious ceremonies with so gaudy, not to say
clamorous, exterior forms."
“There is no religion in which the ceremonies
assume a more theatrical form," returned the
lama. "It is a ritual part of the service which
A FEAST IN A GONPA.
1.-
85
in no way violates the fundamental principles of
Buddhism, being merely a practical means of
maintaining the ignorant throng in the obedience
and love of the Creator, as a toy may keep a
child under the submission of his parents. The
people, or the ignorant throng, are the children
of the Father."
'But what is the meaning of all those masks,
costumes, bells, dances, and, in a general way, of
this entire performance, which seems to be exe-
cuted from a fixed programme?" I asked.
"We have many such feasts in the year,"
replied the lama, "and we invite outsiders to
represent the mysteries, which bear a strong
analogy to pantomimes, and in which each actor
may execute almost any figure or movement he
chooses, provided he conforms himself to the cir-
cumstances and keeps the main idea in view.
Our mysteries are nothing more than pantomimes,
which should represent the gods as enjoying uni-
versal veneration; a veneration that should be
rewarded by that cheerfulness of soul which
comes from the simultaneous knowledge of inevi-
table death and of a future existence. The
actors wear garments belonging to the gonpa,
and act according to general instructions, which
leave them full freedom of gesture. The effect
produced is undoubtedly magnificent, but the
~
86
UNKNOWN LIFE OF CHRIST.
spectators must guess the signification of each
part for themselves. You sometimes also have
recourse to this expedient, which in no way
affects the principle of monotheism itself."
"Excuse my interruption," I broke in, "but
that mass of idols which encumbers your gonpas
is certainly a gross violation of this principle!"
"As I have already said," explained the lama,
"man is, and always will be, in his infancy. He
understands, sees, and feels the grandeur of
nature, but he neither sees nor understands the
great spirit which has created and animated all
things. Man has always sought tangible things,
it being impossible for him to believe long in
what escapes his material senses. He has racked
his brains to find the means of contemplating the
Creator, trying to enter into direct relations with
the Supreme Being who has given him so many
blessings, and, as he erroneously believes, many
unnecessary trials too. This explains why he
began to worship those parts of nature from
which he received benefits. We see a striking
example of this in the ancient Egyptians, who
worshiped animals, trees, and stones, winds and
tempests. Other nations, steeped more deeply in
ignorance, seeing that the results of winds were
not always favorable, that rain was not infallible
in producing good crops, and that animals fre-
A FEAST IN A GONPA.
87
-
quently disobeyed the will of man, sought a
direct intermediary between themselves and the
great unfathomable and mysterious power of the
Creator. Thus they created idols, which they
regarded as neutral to all their surroundings,
and to whose mediation they always had
recourse. From the remotest periods to the
present day, man has never known any tendency
but toward tangible reality. In seeking a path
that might lead them to the feet of the Creator,
the Assyrians turned their gaze toward the
planets, which they contemplated but could not
reach. This belief the Guebers retain to this
day. In their nullity and blindness of mind,
men are incapable of conceiving the invisible and
spiritual link that unites them to the great
Divinity, which explains why they have sought
palpable things existing within the domain of
the senses; thus aiming an attenuating blow to
the divine principle. However, they have never
dared attribute a divine and eternal existence to
the visible images which are their own hand-
work. The same fact may be observed in Brah-
manism, where men, who have been left to their
inclination in regard to exterior forms, have
gradually and not in one day-created an
army of gods and demi-gods. The Israelites
have probably demonstrated in the most con-
made
88
UNKNOWN LIFE OF CHRIST.
clusive manner the inherent love of man for all
that is concrete; notwithstanding a series of daz-
zling miracles performed by the great Creator,
who is the same for all nations, the people of
Israel could not help setting up a god cast in
metal, at the very moment when their prophet
Mossa was conversing with the Creator!
Buddhism has undergone the same modifica-
tions. Our great reformer, Cakya-Mouni, who
was inspired by the Supreme Judge, truly under-
stood the one and indivisible majesty of Brahma,
and did all in his power to prevent the manufac-
ture of images, made, it was claimed, in his resem-
blance; he openly separated himself from the
polytheistic Brahmans and preached the purity
and immortality of Brahma. The success obtained
by himself and his disciples among the people
caused him to be persecuted by the Brahmans,
who had acquired a source of personal revenue in
creating new gods, and who, contrary to the law
of God, treated the nation despotically. Our
first sacred preachers, whom we call Buddhas,
which means learned and saintly, because the
Great Creator incarnated himself in them, dwelt
in different parts of the world. As their sermons
were mainly directed against the tyranny of the
Brahmans and their profitable business in propa-
gating this idea of God, the Buddhists-that is
A FEAST IN A GONPA.
89
1
those who have followed the doctrine of these
holy preachers were mostly gathered from the
lower classes of China and India. Among these
sacred preachers, the Buddha, Cakya-Mouni,
known in China under the name of Fô, who lived
three thousand years ago and whose sermons
brought the whole of China back into the path of
the true God, and the Buddha Gautama, who
lived two thousand five-hundred years ago and
converted nearly half of the Hindoos to the word
of the only invisible and impersonal God, are
particularly venerated.
Add
"Buddhism is divided into many sects, which
differ only in some of the religious ceremonies,
the basis of the doctrine being the same in all.
The Thibetan Buddhists, whom we call Lamaists,
separated from the Foists fifteen hundred years
ago. Until then we had formed part of the wor-
shipers of the Buddha Fô Cakya-Mouni, who
was the first to unite all the laws enacted by the
different Buddhas at the time of the great schism
among the Brahmans. Later, a Mongolian, Khu-
tuktus, translated the works of the great Buddha
into Chinese, for which the Emperor of China re-
warded him with the title of Go-Chi-King's pre-
ceptor. After his death this title was bestowed
on the Dalaï-Lama of Thibet, and since that
epoch the incumbent of this post has enjoyed the
1
90
UNKNOWN LIFE OF CHRIST.
}
y
इन
dignified name of Go-Chi-in fact, our religion
itself is called Lamaism (Superior). Red monks
and yellow monks are admitted. The former
marry and recognize the authority of the Bantsin,
who resides at Techow-Lumba and is chief of the
civil administration of Thibet; we yellow lamas
take vows of celibacy, and our direct chief is the
Dalaï-Lama. This constitutes the difference be-
tween these two religious orders, whose ritual is
identical.'
""
"Do they all organize such mysteries as I have
just witnessed?"
1
"Yes, with few exceptions. These feasts were
formerly celebrated with solemn pomp, but our
gonpas have been repeatedly pillaged and our
riches stolen since the conquest of the Ladak,
and we must now be satisfied with white garments
and bronze utensils, while in Thibet nothing is
seen but gold embroidery and gold vessels.”
"In a recent visit to one of your gonpas a
lama spoke to me of a prophet, or, as you per-
haps call him, a Buddha of the name of Issa. Can
you tell me anything of him?" I asked, grasping
the first favorable opportunity of broaching the
subject that was of paramount interest to me.
"The name of Issa is greatly respected among
the Buddhists," was the reply, "though little is
known of him save by the chief lamas who have
A FEAST IN A GONPA.
91
、',་.
15
'
read the parchments relating to his life. We
have an unlimited number of Buddhas, such as
Issa, and the eighty-four thousand rolls of parch-
ment in existence are replete with details of them
all; but few men have read the one-hundredth
part of these records. In conformity with an
established custom, no pupil or lama who visits
Lassa fails to present one or several copies of
these to the convent to which he belongs; our
gonpa, being among the fortunate ones, already
possesses a large number of manuscripts, which I
read in my leisure hours. Among these copies I
have found descriptions of the life and deeds of
Issa, who preached in India and among the sons
of Israel, and who was afterward put to death by
pagans whose descendants adopted the doctrine
he taught, the doctrine in which you believe.
The Great Buddha, soul of the universe, is
the incarnation of Brahma; he remains inert
nearly always, containing all things within him
since the origin of man, and his breath animates
the world. He abandoned man to his own
strength; yet, at certain epochs, he emerges from
his inaction and assumes a human form, that he
may attempt to snatch his creatures from irre-
mediable ruin. In the course of his terrestrial
existence, Buddha creates a new world in the
midst of the people who have gone astray, then
92
UNKNOWN LIFE OF CHRIST.
"
I
}
•
}
leaves this earth to again become an invisible
being and resume his life of perfect felicity.
"Three thousand years ago the Great Buddha
incarnated himself in the person of the celebrated
prince, Cakya-Mouni, by maintaining and propa-
gating the doctrines of his twenty incarnations.
Two thousand five hundred years ago the great
soul of the world incarnated himself once more in
Gautama, building the foundations of a new world
in Burma, Siam, and different islands. Shortly
afterward, thanks to the perseverance of the wise
men who applied themselves to the propagation
of the holy doctrine, Buddhism began to pene-
trate into China; and about the year 2050, under
Ming-Ti, of the Honi dynasty, the doctrine of
Cakya-Mouni was finally adopted by the people.
Simultaneously with the apparition of Buddhism
in China, the doctrine began to spread among the
Israelites. And about two thousand years ago
the perfect Being, arousing again from his inac-
tion for a period, incarnated himself into the new-
born child of a poor family; he willed that infant
lips, by employing popular images, might en-
lighten unfortunate humanity on the life beyond
the grave, and, by his own example, bring back
men to the true way and into the path that might
best lead them to original moral purity. When
the sacred child had attained a certain age, he was.
*
A FEAST IN A GONPA.
93
་ ་
taken to India, where, until he attained manhood,
he studied the laws of the Great Buddha who
resides eternally in heaven."
66
'In what tongue are written the principal rolls
relative to the life of Issa?" I asked, rising, for
my interesting companion was beginning to show
signs of fatigue, and had set a small prayer-wheel
in motion to put an end to the conversation.
"The rolls which treat of the life of Issa, and
which were brought from India to Nepal, and
from Nepal to Thibet, are written in the Pali
tongue, and are now at Lassa; but we possess one
copy in our own tongue; that is in the Thibetan
language."
"How is Issa looked upon in Thibet? Does he
bear the reputation of a saint?"
"The people ignore his very existence; the
great lamas, who have studied the parchments
relating to his life, alone know of him.
But as
his doctrine does not constitute a canonical part
of Buddhism, and the worshipers of Issa do not
acknowledge the authority of the Dalaï-Lama,
this prophet-like many of his kind- is not
recognized as
as one of the principal saints in
Thibet."
"Would you be committing a sin, if you were
to read these copies to a stranger?" I queried.
What belongs to God,” he replied, "belongs
66
94
UNKNOWN LIFE OF CHRIST.
4
}
also to men. It is our duty to cheerfully assist ir
the propagation of his doctrine; but I do not
know where these papers are to be found. Should
you ever again visit our gonpa, however, I will
show them to you with pleasure."
We were interrupted at this juncture by the
entrance of two monks, who said a few words-
unintelligible to me--and hastily retired.
"I am summoned to attend the sacrifices.
Pray excuse me," said the lama, with a bow,
as he moved toward the door.
Nothing remained for me to do but to retire to
the chamber allotted to my use; where I sought
my bed, after partaking of food and milk, and
slept soundly till morning.
The next night I was back at Leh, racking my
brains to invent a pretext to again visit the
convent.
Two days later I dispatched a messenger with
an alarm clock, a watch, and a thermometer,
as gifts to the chief lama, with the information
that, before leaving the Ladak, I would probably
return to the convent, in the hope that he would
not refuse to let me see the book which had
formed the subject of our conversation.
My intention was to go to Kashmir, and return
to Himis sometime later, but fate decided other-
wise. While passing along the foot of the
A FEAST IN A GONPA.
95
mountain, on which is perched the gonpa Piatak,
my horse stumbled, throwing me violently to the
ground and breaking my leg above the knee. It
was now impossible to continue my journey; and
as I had no desire to return to Leh, and the pros-
pect of begging the hospitality of the gonpa,
which is a mere hovel, was anything but enchant-
ing, I ordered my servants to take me to Himis,
which was only a half-day's journey. After much
intense suffering, my leg was finally bandaged,
and I was hoisted into the saddle.
With one
man supporting my injured limb and another
leading my horse by the bridle, we started slowly
back, reaching Himis at a late hour of the night.
On hearing of the accident that had befallen me,
the monks immediately rushed out to receive me.
With infinite precautions I was borne to their best
chamber and deposited on a mountain of soft bed-
ding, with a prayer-wheel placed at my side. All
this was done under the direct supervision of their
chief, who affectionately pressed my hand when I
stretched it out to thank him for his kindness.
-
The succeeding morning I incased the injured
member in thin boards held together with strings,
and did my best to remain motionless. A favor-
able result was soon apparent, and two days later
I was well enough to undertake a slow journey
toward India, in quest of a physician.
96
UNKNOWN LIFE OF CHRIST.
While a young man kept the prayer-wheel in
motion by my bedside, the venerable director of
the gonpa entertained me with interesting
accounts of their belief and the country in general,
meanwhile frequently pulling out the watch and
alarm clock, and interrupting his discourse to
question me in regard to their use and the man-
ner of winding them both. Finally, yielding to
my earnest solicitations, he brought forth two big
volumes in cardboard covers, with leaves yellowed
by the lapse of time, and read the biography of
Issa, which I carefully copied from the transla-
tion of my interpreter. This curious document is
written in the form of isolated verses, which fre-
quently bear no connection between each other.
On the third day my condition was favorable
enough to permit me to continue my journey, and
I again started for India by way of Kashmir.
Twenty long days of excruciating suffering were
spent on the way; but by means of a letter kindly
sent me by Monsieur Peicheau, a Frenchman-
whom I now take the opportunity of thanking for
his courteous hospitality-and with an order from
the grand-vizier of the Maharaja of Kashmir to
the authorities to furnish me with bearers, I
finally reached Serinagur, which I almost imme-
diately left again as I was anxious to arrive in
India before the first snowfall.
mal
A FEAST IN A GONPA.
97
t
At Murree I met another kind Frenchman,
Count André de Saint-Phall, who was taking a
pleasure trip through Hindoostan. Throughout
the whole journey we made together to Bombay,
during which I suffered intolerable pain from my
broken leg and the consequent fever, the young
count showed himself full of the most tender soli-
citude for me. My heart is still filled with sin-
cere gratitude toward him; and neither shall I
ever forget the friendly attentions showered upon
me on my arrival in Bombay by the Marquis de
Mores, the Viscount de Breteuil, Monsieur Monod
of the Comptoir d' Escompte, Monsieur Moet, con-
sul, and all the Frenchmen of that sympathetic
French colony.
I have long cherished the project of publishing
the memoirs on the life of Jesus Christ, which I
found at Himis, and of which I have already
spoken; but affairs of all sorts have completely
absorbed my time until this day. It is only after
many sleepless nights spent in the classification
of all my notes, after grouping the verses in con-
formity with the course of the narrative, and
imprinting a character of unity to the entire
work, that I now finally consent to give publica-
tion to the curious manuscript that follows.
-
7
THE LIFE OF SAINT ISSA.
THE BEST OF THE SONS OF MEN.
I
1. The earth has trembled and the heavens
have wept, because of the great crime just com-
mitted in the land of Israel.
J
2. For they have put to torture and executed
the great just Issa, in whom dwelt the spirit of
the world.
3. Which was incarnated in a simple mortal,
that men might be benefited and evil thoughts
exterminated thereby.
4. And that it might bring back to a life of
peace, of love, and happiness, man degraded by
sin, and recall to him the only and indivisible
Creator whose mercy is boundless and infinite.
(98)
THE LIFE OF SAINT ISSA.
99
5. This is what is related on this subject by
the merchants who have come from Israel.
II.
1. The people of Israel, who inhabited a most
fertile land, yielding two crops a year, and who
possessed immense flocks, excited the wrath of
God through their sins.
2. And he inflicted upon them a terrible pun-
ishment by taking away their land, their flocks,
and all they possessed; and Israel was reduced
to slavery by the rich and powerful Pharaohs
who then reigned in Egypt.
3. The latter treated the Israelites more cruelly
than animals, loading them with chains and put-
ting them to the roughest labor; they covered
their bodies with bruises and wounds, and denied
them food and shelter,
4. That they might be kept in a state of con-
tinual terror and robbed of all semblance of
humanity;
Ucrm
b
100
UNKNOWN LIFE OF CHRIST.
5. And in their dire distress, the children of
Israel, remembering their heavenly protector,
addressed their prayers to him and implored his
assistance and mercy.
6. An illustrious Pharaoh then reigned in
Egypt, who had become celebrated for his numer-
ous victories, the great riches he had amassed,
and the vast palaces which his slaves had erected
with their own hands.
7. This Pharaoh had two sons, the younger of
whom was called Mossa; and the learned Israel-
ites taught him divers sciences.
8. And Mossa was beloved throughout the land
of Egypt for his goodness and the compassion he
displayed for them that suffered.
9. Seeing that, notwithstanding the intolerable
sufferings they endured, the Israelites refused to
abandon their God to worship those created by
the hands of man and which were the gods of the
Egyptians.
10. Mossg believed in their indivisible God,
THE LIFE OF SAINT ISSA.
101
who did not allow their flagging strength to
falter.
11. And the Israelite preceptors encouraged
Mossa's ardor and had recourse to him, begging
him to intercede with Pharaoh, his father, in
favor of his co-religionists.
12. Prince Mossa pleaded with his father to
soften the lot of these unhappy people, but
Pharaoh became angry with him and only
imposed more hardships upon his slaves.
13. It came to pass, not long after, that a great
calamity fell upon Egypt; the plague decimated
the young and the old, the strong and the sick;
and Pharaoh believed he had incurred the wrath
of his own gods against him;
14. But the prince Mossa declared to his father,
that it was the God of his slaves who was inter-
fering in favor of his unhappy people and punish-
ing the Egyptians;
15. Pharaoh commanded Mossa, his son, to
gather all the slaves of Jewish race, to lead them
102
UNKNOWN LIFE OF CHRIST.
away to a great distance from the capital and
found another city, where he should remain with
them.
16. Mossa announced to the Hebrew slaves that
he had delivered them in the name of their God,
the God of Israel; and he went with them out of
the city and of the land of Egypt.
17. He therefore led them into the land they
had lost through their many sins; he gave them
laws and enjoined them to always pray to the
invisible Creator whose goodness is infinite.
18. At the death of the prince Mossa, the Is-
raelites rigorously observed his laws, and God
recompensed them for the wrongs they had suf-
fered in Egypt.
19. Their kingdom became the most powerful
in all the world, their kings gained renown for
their treasures, and a long period of peace pre-
vailed among the children of Israel.
III.
1. The fame of the riches of Israel spread over
THE LIFE OF SAINT ISSA.
103
i
y
all the world, and the neighboring nations envied
them.
2. But the victorious arms of the Hebrews
were directed by the Most High himself, and the
pagans dared not attack them.
3. Unhappily as man does not always obey
even his own will, the fidelity of the Israelites to
their God was not of long duration.
4. They began by forgetting all the favors he
had showered upon them, invoked his name on
rare occasions only, and begged protection of
magicians and wizards;
5. The kings and rulers substituted their own
laws for those that Mossa had prepared; the
temple of God and the practice of religion were
abandoned, the nation gave itself up to pleasures
and lost its original purity.
6. Many centuries had elapsed since their
departure from Egypt, when God again resolved
to punish them.
7. Strangers began to invade the land of Israel,
104
UNKNOWN LIFE OF CHRIST.
devastating the fields, destroying the villages,
and taking the inhabitants into captivity.
8. A throng of pagans came from over the sea,
from the country of Romeles; they subjected the
Hebrews, and the commanders of the army gov-
erned them by authority of Cæsar.
9. The temples were destroyed, the people
were forced to abandon their worship of the
invisible God and to sacrifice victims to pagan
idols.
10. Warriors were made of the nobles; the
women were ravished from their husbands; the
lower classes, reduced to slavery, were sent by
thousands beyond the seas.
11. As to the children, all were put to the
sword; soon, through all the land of Israel,
nothing was heard but weeping and wailing.
12. In this dire distress the people remembered
their powerful God; they implored his mercy
and besought him to forgive them; our Father,
in his inexhaustible goodness, heeded their
prayers.
Fi
THE LIFE OF SAINT ISSA.
105
IV.
1. And now the time had come, which the
Supreme Judge, in his boundless clemency, had
chosen to incarnate himself in a human being.
2. And the Eternal Spirit, which dwelt in a
state of complete inertness and supreme beati-
tude, awakened and detached itself from the
Eternal Being for an indefinite period,
P
3. In order to indicate, in assuming the human
form, the means of identifying ourselves with the
Divinity and of attaining eternal felicity.
4. And to teach us, by his example, how we
may reach a state of moral purity and separate
the soul from its gross envelope, that it may
attain the perfection necessary to enter the King-
dom of Heaven which is immutable and where
eternal happiness reigns.
5. Soon after, a wonderful child was born in
the land of Israel; God himself, through the
mouth of this child, spoke of nothingness of the
body and of the grandeur of the soul.
106
UNKNOWN LIFE OF CHRIST.
6. The parents of this new-born child were poor
people, belonging by birth to a family of exalted
piety, which disregarded its former worldly great-
ness to magnify the name of the Creator and
thank him for the misfortunes with which he was
pleased to try them.
7. To reward them for their perseverance in
the path of truth, God blessed the first-born of
this family; he chose him as his elect, and sent
him forth to raise those that had fallen into evil,
and to heal them that suffered.
8. The divine child, to whom was given the
name of Issa, commenced even in his most tender
years to speak of the one and indivisible God,
exhorting the people that had strayed from the
path of righteousness to repent and purify them-
selves of the sins they had committed.
9. People came from all parts to listen and
marvel at the words of wisdom that fell from his
infant lips; all the Israelites united in proclaim-
ing that the Eternal Spirit dwelt within this
child.
10. When Issa had attained the age of thir-
teen, when an Israelite should take a wife,
THE LIFE OF SAINT ISSA.
107
11. The house in which his parents dwelt and
earned their livelihood in modest labor, became
a meeting place for the rich and noble, who
desired to gain for a son-in-law the young Issa,
already celebrated for his edifying discourses in
the name of the Almighty.
12. It was then that Issa clandestinely left his
father's house, went out of Jerusalem, and, in
company with some merchants, traveled toward
Sindh
13. That he might perfect himself in the divine
word and study the laws of the great Buddhas.
V.
1. In the course of his fourteenth year, young
Issa, blessed by God, journeyed beyond the Sindh
and settled among the Aryas in the beloved
country of God.
2. The fame of his name spread along the
Northern Sindh. When he passed through the
country of the five rivers and the Radjipoutan,
the worshipers of the god Djaïne begged him to
remain in their midst.
108
UNKNOWN LIFE OF CHRIST.
3. But he left the misguided admirers of
Djaïne and visited Juggernaut, in the province
of Orsis, where the remains of Viassa-Krichna
rest, and where he received a joyous welcome
from the white priests of Brahma.
4. They taught him to read and understand
the Vedas, to heal by prayer, to teach and
explain the Holy Scripture, to cast out evil
spirits from the body of man and give him
back human semblance.
5. He spent six years in Juggernaut, Raje-
griha, Benares, and the other holy cities; all
loved him, for Issa lived in peace with the
Vaisyas and the Soudras, to whom he taught the
Holy Scripture.
6. But the Brahmans and the Kshatriyas
declared that the Great Para-Brahma forbade
them to approach those whom he had created
from his entrails and from his feet:
7. That the Vaisyas were authorized to listen
only to the reading of the Vedas, and that never
save on feast days.
:
THE LIFE OF SAINT ISSA.
8. That the Soudras were not only forbidden
to attend the reading of the Vedas, but to gaze
upon them even; for their condition was to per-
petually serve and act as slaves to the Brahmans,
the Kshatriyas, and even to the Vaisyas.
9. "Death alone can free them from servi-
tude," said Para-Brahma. "Leave them, there-
fore, and worship with us the gods who will show
their anger against you if you disobey them.'
109
دو
10. But Issa would not heed them; and going
to the Soudras, preached against the Brahmans
and the Kshatriyas.
4
11. He strongly denounced the men who robbed
their fellow-beings of their rights as men, saying:
"God the Father establishes no difference between
his children, who are all equally dear to him."
7
12. Issa denied the divine origin of the Vedas
and the Pouranas, declaring to his followers.
that one law had been given to men to guide
them in their actions.
13. "Fear thy God, bow down the knee before
}
•
110
UNKNOWN LIFE OF CHRIST.
Him only, and to Him only must thy offerings be
made."
14. Issa denied the Trimourti and the incarna-
tion of Para-Brahma in Vishnou, Siva, and other
gods, saying:
15. "The Eternal Judge, the Eternal Spirit,
composes the one and indivisible soul of the uni-
verse, which alone creates, contains, and animates
the whole."
16. "He alone has willed and created, he alone
has existed from eternity and will exist without
end; he has no equal neither in the heavens nor
on this earth.'
17. "The Great Creator shares his power with
no one, still less with inanimate objects as you
have been taught, for he alone possesses supreme
power."
18. "He willed it, and the world appeared; by
one divine thought, he united the waters and
separated them from the dry portion of the
globe. He is the cause of the mysterious life of
THE LIFE OF SAINT ISSA.
111
man, in whom he has breathed a part of his
being."
19. "And he has subordinated to man, the
land, the waters, the animals, and all that he has
created, and which he maintains in immutable
order by fixing the duration of each."
20. "The wrath of God shall soon be let loose
on man, for he has forgotten his Creator and filled
his temples with abominations, and he adores a
host of creatures which God has subordinated to
him."
21. "For, to be pleasing to stones and metals,
he sacrifices human beings in whom dwells a part
of the spirit of the Most High.
99
22. (6 'For he humiliates them that labor by the
sweat of their brow to gain the favor of an idler
who is seated at a sumptuously spread table."
23. "They that deprive their brothers of divine
happiness shall themselves be deprived of it, and
the Brahmans and the Kshatriyas shall become
the Soudras of the Soudras with whom the Eternal
shall dwell eternally."
112
UNKNOWN LIFE OF CHRIST.
24. "For on the day of the Last Judgment,
the Soudras and the Vaisyas shall be forgiven
because of their ignorance, while God shall visit
his wrath on them that have arrogated his
rights."
25. The Vaisyas and the Soudras were struck
with admiration, and demanded of Issa how they
should pray to secure their happiness.
26. "Do not worship idols, for they do not
hear you; do not listen to the Vedas, where the
truth is perverted; do not believe yourself first in
all things, and do not humiliate your neighbor.”
27. "Help the poor, assist the weak, harm no
one, do not covet what you have not and what
you see in the possession of others."
VI.
1. The white priests and the warriors becoming
cognizant of the discourse addressed by Issa to
the Soudras, resolved upon his death and sent
their servants for this purpose in search of the
young prophet.
{
ALAS
>>
THE LIFE OF SAINT ISSA.
??
113
2. But Issa, warned of this danger by the
Soudras, fled in the night from Juggernaut,
gained the mountains, and took refuge in the
Gothamide Country, the birth-place of the great
Buddha Cakya-Mouni, among the people who
adored the only and sublime Brahma.
3. Having perfectly learned the Pali tongue,
the just Issa applied himself to the study of the
sacred rolls of Soutras.
4. Six years later, Issa, whom the Buddha had
chosen to spread his holy word, could perfectly
explain the sacred rolls.
5. He then left Nepal and the Himalaya
Mountains, descended into the valley of Rajipou-
tan and went westward, preaching to divers peo-
ple of the supreme perfection of man,
6. And of the good we must do unto others,
which is the surest means of quickly merging
ourselves in the Eternal Spirit. "He who shall
have recovered his primitive purity at death,"
said Issa, "shall have obtained the forgiveness of
his sins, and shall have the right to contemplate
the majestic figure of God."
8
114
UNKNOWN LIFE OF CHRIST.
"
7. In traversing the pagan territories, the
divine Issa taught the people that the adoration of
visible gods was contrary to the laws of nature.
8. "For man," said he, "has not been favored
with the sight of the image of God nor the ability
to construct a host of divinities resembling the
Eternal."
66
9. Furthermore, it is incompatible with the
human conscience to think less of the grandeur of
divine purity than of animals; or of works made
by the hand of man from stone or metal.'
""
10. "The Eternal Legislator is one; there is no
God but him; he has shared the world with no
one, neither has he confided his intentions to
anyone."
11. "Just as a father may deal toward his
children, so shall God judge men after death
according to his merciful laws; never will he
humiliate his child by causing his soul to emi-
grate, as in a purgatory, into the body of an ani-
mal."
12. "The heavenly law," said the Creator
through the lips of Issa, "is averse to the sacri-
+
1004
THE LIFE OF SAINT ISSA.
115
fice of human victims to a statue or animal; for
I have sacrificed to man all the animals and
everything the world contains."
(C
13. Everything has been sacrificed to man,
who is directly and closely linked to Me, his
Father; therefore, he that shall have robbed Me
of My child shall be severely judged and pun-
ished according to the divine law.”
14. "Man is as nothing before the Eternal
Judge, to the same degree that the animal is
before man.'
رو
15. "Therefore, I say to you, abandon your
idols and perform no ceremonies that separate
you from your Father and bind you to priests
from whom the face of heaven is turned away."
16. "For it is they who have allured you from
the true God, and whose superstitions and cruelty
are leading you to perversion of the intellect and
the loss of all moral sense.' >
VII.
1. The words of Issa spread among the pagans,
+
116
UNKNOWN LIFE OF CHRIST.
in the countries through which he traveled, and
the inhabitants abandoned their idols.
2. Seeing which, the priests demanded from
him who glorified the name of the true God,
proofs of the accusations he brought against
them and demonstration of the worthlessness of
idols in the presence of the people.
3. And Issa replied to them: "If your idols
and your animals are mighty, and really possess
a supernatural power, let them annihilate me on
the spot!"
4. "Perform a miracle," retorted the priests,
"and let thy God confound our own, if they are
loathsome to him."
5. But Issa then said: "The miracles of our
God began when the universe was created; they
occur each day, each instant; whosoever does not
see them is deprived of one of the most beautiful
gifts of life."
66
6. 'And it is not against pieces of inanimate
stone, metal, or wood, that the wrath of God
shall find free vent, but it shall fall upon man,
THE LIFE OF SAINT ISSA.
117
who, in order to be saved, should destroy all the
idols they have raised."
17. "Just as a stone and a grain of sand, worth-
less in themselves to man, await with resignation
the moment when he shall take and make them
into something useful."
8. "So should man await the great favor to be
granted him by God in honoring him with a
decision."
9. "But woe be to you, adversary of man, if it
be not a favor that you await, but rather the
wrath of Divinity; woe be to you if you await
until it attests its power through miracles!"
10. "For it is not the idols that shall be anni-
hilated in His wrath, but those that have raised
them; their hearts shall be the prey of everlast-
ing fire, and their lacerated bodies shall serve as
food for wild beasts."
S
11. “God shall drive away the contaminated
ones of his flocks, but shall take back to himself
those that have strayed because they miscon-
ceived the heavenly atom which dwelt in them."
118
UNKNOWN LIFE OF CHRIST.
12. Seeing the powerlessness of their priests,
the pagans believed the words of Issa, and fear-
ing the wrath of the Divinity, broke their idols
into fragments; as to the priests, they fled to
escape the vengeance of the people.
-
13. And Issa also taught the pagans not to
strive to see the Eternal Spirit with their own eyes,
but to endeavor to feel it in their hearts, and, by
a truly pure soul, to make themselves worthy of
its favors.
14. "Not only must you desist from offering
human sacrifices," said he, "but you must immo-
late no animal to which life has been given, for
all things have been created for the benefit of
man."
15. "Do not take what belongs to others, for
it would be robbing your neighbor of the goods
he has acquired by the sweat of his brow."
16. "Deceive no one, that you may not your-
self be deceived; strive to justify yourself before
the last judgment, for it will then be too late."
::
17. Do not give yourself up to debauchery,
for it is a violation of the laws of God."
THE LIFE OF SAINT ISSA.
119
18. "You shall attain supreme beatitude, not
only by purifying yourself, but also by leading
others into the path that shall permit them to
regain primitive perfection.”
VIII.
1. The fame of Issa's sermons spread to the
neighboring countries, and, when he reached
Persia, the priests were terrified and forbade the
inhabitants to listen to him.
2. But when they saw that all the villages
welcomed him with joy, and eagerly listened to
his preaching, they caused his arrest and brought
him before the high-priest, where he was sub-
mitted to the following interrogatory:
3. "Who is this new God of whom thou
speaketh? Dost thou not know, unhappy man
that thou art, that Saint Zoroaster is the only
just one admitted to the honor of receiving com-
munications from the Supreme Being,
4. "Who has commanded the angels to draw
up in writing the word of God, laws that were
given to Zoroaster in paradise?"
120
UNKNOWN LIFE OF CHRIST.
5. "Who then art thou that darest to blas-
pheme our God and sow doubt in the hearts of
believers ?"
6. And Issa replied: "It is not of a new god.
that I speak, but of our heavenly Father, who
existed before the beginning and will still be
after the eternal end."
ៗ. "It was of him I spoke to the people, who,
even as an innocent child, can not yet understand
God by the mere strength of their intelligence
and penetrate his spiritual and divine sublimity."
8. "But, as a new-born child recognizes the
maternal breast even in obscurity, so your people,
induced in error by your erroneous doctrines and
religious ceremonies, have instinctively recog-
nized their Father in the Father of whom I am
the prophet.'
""
9. "The Eternal Being says to your people
through the intermediary of my mouth: 'You
shall not adore the sun, for it is only a part of
the world I have created for man.””
10. "The sun rises that it may warm you dur-
THE LIFE OF SAINT ISSA.
121
ing your labor; it sets that it may give you the
hours of rest I have myself fixed."
11. "It is to Me, and to Me only, that you owe
all you possess, all that is around you, whether
above or beneath you."
12. "But," interjected the priests, "how could
a nation live according to the laws of justice, if
it possessed no preceptors?"
13. Then Issa replied: "As long as the people
had no priests, they were governed by the law of
nature and retained their candor of soul."
14. "Their souls were in God, and to com-
municate with the Father, they had recourse to
the intermediary of no idol or animal, nor to fire,
as you practice here.”
15. "You claim that we must worship the sun,
the genius of Good and that of Evil; well, your
doctrine is an abomination, I say to you, the sun
acts not spontaneously, but by the will of the
Invisible Creator who has given it existence,
16. "And who has willed that this orb should
122
UNKNOWN LIFE OF CHRIST.
light the day and warm the labor and the crops of
man."
17. "The Eternal Spirit is the soul of all that
is animated; you commit a grievous sin in divid-
ing it into the spirit of Evil and the spirit of Good,
for there is no God save that of good,
18.
"Who, like the father of a family, does
good only to his children, forgiving all their
faults if they repent of them."
19. "And the spirit of Evil dwells on this
earth, in the heart of men who turn the children
of God from the right path."
20. "Therefore I say to you, beware of the day
of judgment, for God will inflict a terrible pun-
ishment on all who have turned his children from
the right path and filled them with superstitions
and prejudices,"
21. "On them that have blinded the seeing,
transmitted contagion to the sound of health,
and taught the adoration of things which God
has subjected to man for his own good and to aid
him in his labor.'
THE LIFE OF SAINT ISSA.
123
22. "Your doctrine is therefore the fruit of
your errors, for, in desiring to approach the God
of Truth, you have created false gods."
23. After listening to him, the wise men
resolved to do him no harm. In the night, while
the city was wrapped in slumber, they conducted
him outside the walls and left him on the high-
way, hoping that he might soon become the prey
of wild beasts.
24. But, being protected by the Lord our God,
Saint Issa continued his way unmolested.
IX.
1. Issa, whom the Creator had chosen to recall
the true God to the people that were plunged in
depravities, was twenty-nine years of age when
he arrived in the land of Israel.
2. Since the departure of Issa, the pagans had
heaped still more atrocious sufferings on the
Israelites, and the latter were a prey to the
deepest gloom.
124
UNKNOWN LIFE OF CHRIST.
3. Many among them had already begun to
desert the laws of their God and those of Mossa,
in the hope of softening their harsh conquerors.
4. In the presence of this situation, Issa
exhorted his compatriots not to despair, because
the day of the redemption of sins was near, and
he confirmed their belief in the God of their
fathers.
5. "Children, do not yield to despair," said
the Heavenly Father through the mouth of Issa,
"for I have heard your voices, and your cries
have ascended to me."
6. "Weep not, O my beloved, for your sobs
have touched the heart of your Father, and he
has forgiven you as he forgave your ancestors.'
7. "Do not abandon your families to plunge
into debauchery, do not lose the nobility of your
sentiments and worship idols that will remain
deaf to your voices."
8. "Fill my temple with your hopes and your
patience, and do not abjure the religion of your
fathers, for I alone have guided them and heaped
blessings upon them."
THE LIFE OF SAINT ISSA.
125
9. "Raise them that have fallen, feed them
that are hungry, and help them that are sick,
that you may all be pure and just on the day of
the last judgment that I am preparing for you."
10. The Israelites flocked to hear the words of
Issa, asking him where they should thank the
Heavenly Father, since their enemies had razed
their temples and laid violent hands on their
sacred vessels.
11. Issa replied to them that God did not speak
of temples built by the hands of men, but that he
meant thereby the human heart, which is the
true temple of God.
12. "Enter into your temple, into your own
heart, illuminate it with good thoughts, patience,
and the unflinching confidence you should place
in your Father."
13. "And your sacred vessels are your hands
and your eyes; look and do what is agreeable to
God, for, in doing good to your neighbor, you
perform a rite that embellishes the temple in
which dwells the One who has given you life."
126
UNKNOWN LIFE OF CHRIST.
3
:
14. "For God has created you in his image;
innocent, pure of soul, with a heart filled with
kindness, and destined, not to the conception of
evil projects, but to be the sanctuary of love and
justice.'
""
15. "Do not therefore sully your hearts, I
say to you, for the Eternal Being dwells there
always.”
16. "If you wish to accomplish works stamped
with love and piety, do them with an open heart,
and let not your actions be inspired by the hope
of gain or by thought of profit."
X.
17. "For such deeds would not contribute to
your salvation, and you would then fall into a
state of moral degradation in which theft, false-
hood, and murder, seem like generous actions."
1. Saint Issa went from place to place strength-
ening, by the word of God, the courage of the
Israelites, who were ready to succumb under the
weight of their despair, and thousands followed
him to hear his preaching.
Br
THE LIFE OF SAINT ISSA.
127
2. But the rulers of the cities feared him, and
word was sent to the Governor, who resided in
Jerusalem, that a man named Issa had come into
the country, that his sermons excited the people
against the authorities, that the crowd listened to
him assiduously and neglected their duties to the
State, claiming that soon they would be rid of
their intruding rulers.
3. Then Pilate, the Governor of Jerusalem,
ordered that the preacher Issa be arrested, brought
to the city and conducted before the judges; not
to arouse the dissatisfaction of the people, how-
ever, Pilate commanded the priests and the
learned men, old men of Hebrew origin, to judge
him in the temple.
4. Meanwhile, Issa, still continuing to preach,
arrived in Jerusalem; having heard of his coming
all the inhabitants, who already knew him by
reputation, came to meet him.
5. They greeted him respectfully and threw
open the doors of their temple that they might
hear from his lips what he had said in the other
cities of Israel.
128
UNKNOWN LIFE OF CHRIST.
Y
6. And Issa said to them: 66 The human race
is perishing because of its want of faith, for the
gloom and the tempest have bewildered the
human flock, and they have lost their shepherd."
7. "But tempests do not last forever, and the
clouds will not hide the eternal light, the heavens
shall soon be serene again, the celestial light
shall spread throughout the world, and the
strayed sheep shall gather around their shep-
herd."
8. "Do not strive to seek direct roads in the
obscurity for fear of stumbling into the ditch, but
gather your remaining strength, sustain one
another, place your entire trust in God, and wait
till a streak of light appears.
""
9. "He that upholds his neighbor upholds him-
self, and whosoever protects his family protects
his race and his country."
10. "For rest assured that the day of your
deliverance from darkness is near; you shall
gather together in one single family, and your
enemy he who knows nothing of the favor of
the Great God will tremble in fear."
My p
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1
THE LIFE OF SAINT ISSA.
129
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11. The priests and the old men that listened
to him, full of admiration at this language, asked
of him if it were true that he had attempted to
arouse the people against the authorities of the
country, as had been reported to the Governor,
Pilate.
12.
"Is it possible to arise against misled men
from whom the obscurity has hidden their path
and their door?" returned Issa. "I have only
warned these unfortunate people, as I warn them
in this temple, that they may not advance further
on their dark paths, for an abyss is yawning
beneath their feet.”
13. "Worldly power is not of long duration,
and it is subject to innumerable changes. It
would be of no use to a man to rebel against it,
for one power always succeeds another power,
and it shall be thus until the extinction of human
existence."
14. "Do you not see, on the contrary, that the
rich and the powerful are sowing among the
children of Israel a spirit of rebellion against the
eternal power of heaven?"
9
130
UNKNOWN LIFE OF CHRIST.
15. And the learned men then said: "Who
art thou, and from what country hast thou come
into our own? We had never heard of thee, and
do not even know thy name.'
""
16. "I am an Israelite," responded Issa, "and,
on the very day of my birth, I saw the walls of
Jerusalem, and I heard the weeping of my
brothers reduced to slavery, and the moans of my
sisters carried away by pagans into captivity."
17. "And my soul was painfully grieved when
I saw that my brothers had forgotten the true
God; while yet a child, I left my father's house
to go among other nations.'
18. "But hearing that my brothers were
enduring still greater tortures, I returned to the
land in which my parents dwelt, that I might
recall to my brothers the faith of their ancestors,
which teaches us patience in this world that we
may obtain perfect and sublime happiness on
High."
19. And the learned old men asked him this
question: "It is claimed that you deny the laws
of Mossa and teach the people to desert the tem-
ple of God?"
P
THE LIFE OF SAINT ISSA.
131
20. And Issa said: "We can not demolish
what has been given by our Heavenly Father and
what has been destroyed by sinners; but I have
recommended the purification of all stain from
the heart, for that is the veritable temple of God."
21.
"As to the laws of Mossa, I have striven to
re-establish them in the heart of men; and I say
to you, that you are in ignorance of their true
meaning, for it is not vengeance, but forgiveness
that they teach; but the sense of these laws have
been perverted."
XI.
1. Having heard Issa, the priests and learned
men decided among themselves that they would
not judge him, for he was doing no one harm, and
having presented themselves before Pilate, made
Governor of Jerusalem by the pagan king of the
land of Romeles, they spoke to him thus:
2. "We have seen the man whom thou
accuseth of inciting our people to rebellion, we
have heard his preaching and know that he is of
our people."
132
UNKNOWN LIFE OF CHRIST.
3. "But the rulers of the towns have sent thee
false reports, for he is a just man who teaches
the people the word of God. After interrogating
him, we dismissed him that he might go in
peace."
4. The Governor overcome with passion sent
disguised servants to Issa, that they might watch
all his actions and report to the authorities every
word he addressed to the people.
5. Nevertheless Issa continued to visit the
neighboring towns and preach the true ways of
the Creator, exhorting the Hebrews to patience
and promising them a speedy deliverance.
6. And during all this time, a multitude fol-
lowed wherever he went, many never leaving him
and acting as servants.
66
7. And Issa said to them : 'Do not believe
in miracles performed by the hands of man, for
He who dominates nature is alone capable of
doing supernatural things, while man is power-
less to soften the violence of the wind and bestow
rain."
Pakis
RO
}
X
THE LIFE OF SAINT ISSA.
133
8. "Nevertheless, there is a miracle which it
is possible for man to accomplish; it is when,
full of a sincere faith, he resolves to tear from
his heart all evil thought and, to attain his end,
shuns the paths of iniquity."
9. And all things which are done without
God are but gross errors, seductions, and illu-
sions, which only demonstrate to what point the
soul of the man who practices this art is filled
with deceit, falsehood, and impurity."
-
10. "Put no faith in oracles, God alone knows
the future; he that has recourse to sorcerers
defiles the temple within his heart and gives
proof of distrust toward his Creator."
11.
"Faith in sorcerers and their oracles
destroys the innate simplicity and child-like
purity in man; a diabolical power takes posses-
sion of him and forces him to commit all sorts of
crimes and to adore idols."
12. "While the Lord our God, who has not
his equal, is one, all-powerful, omniscient, and
omnipresent; it is he who possesses all wisdom
and all light."
1
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134
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UNKNOWN LIFE OF CHRIST.
!.
13. "It is to him you must have recourse to be
comforted in your sorrows, assisted in your toils,
healed in your sickness; whosoever shall have
recourse to him shall not be refused."
7
14. "The secret of nature is in the hands of
God; for the world before appearing, existed in
the depth of the divine mind; it became material
and visible by the will of the Most High.'
XII.
15. "When you wish to address him, become
as children once more, for you know neither the
past, nor the present, nor the future, and God is
the master of time."
1. "O just man," said the disguised servants
of the Governor of Jerusalem, "tell us should we
do the will of our Cæsar or await our near deliver-
ance?"
2. And Issa, having recognized in his ques-
tioners the spies sent to watch him, said to them:
"I have not said that you should be delivered
from Cæsar; it is the soul plunged in error
which shall have its deliverance."
+
THE LIFE OF SAINT ISSA.
1
135
3. "There can be no family without a head,
and there would be no order in a nation without
a Cæsar, who must be blindly obeyed, for he
alone shall answer for his actions before the
supreme tribunal."
4. "Does Cæsar possess a divine right," again
questioned the spies, "and is he the best of mor-
tals?"
5. "There is no perfection among men, but
there are also some that are sick whom the men
elected and intrusted with this mission must
care for, by using the means that are conferred
upon them by the sacred law of our Heavenly
Father.'
6. "Clemency and justice, these are the highest
gifts granted to Cæsar; his name will be illustri-
ous if he abides thereby."
7. "But he who acts otherwise, who goes
beyond the limit of his power over his subject,
even to placing his life in danger, offends the
great Judge and lowers his dignity in the sight of
men."
136
UNKNOWN LIFE OF CHRIST.
8. At this point, an aged woman, who had
approached the group that she might better hear
Issa, was pushed aside by one of the men in dis-
guise who placed himself before her.
9. Issa then said: "It is not meet that a son
should push aside his mother to occupy the first
place which should be hers. Whosoever respect-
eth not his mother, the most sacred being next to
God, is unworthy the name of son.'
""
10. "Listen, therefore, to what I am about to
say: "Respect woman, for she is the mother of
the universe and all the truth of divine creation
dwells within her."
11. "She is the basis of all that is good and
beautiful, as she is also the germ of life and
death. On her depends the entire existence of
man, for she is his moral and natural support in
all his works."
12. "She gives you birth amid sufferings; by
the sweat of her brow she watches over your
growth, and until her death you cause her the
most intense anguish. Bless her and adore her,
for she is your only friend and support upon
earth."
THE LIFE OF SAINT ISSA.
137
13. "Respect her, protect her; in doing this,
you will win her love and her heart, and you will
be pleasing to God; for this shall many of your
sins be remitted."
14. "Therefore, love your wives and respect
them, for to-morrow they shall be mothers, and
later grandmothers of a whole nation."
15. "Be submissive toward your wife; her love
ennobles man, softens his hardened heart, tames
the beast and makes of it a lamb."
16. "The wife and the mother, inestimable
treasures bestowed on you by God; they are the
most beautiful ornaments of the universe, and
from them shall be born all that shall inhabit the
world."
17. "Just as the God of armies separated day
from night and the land from the waters, so
woman possesses the divine talent of separating
good intentions from evil thoughts in men."
18. Therefore I say to you: "After God, your
best thoughts should belong to women and to
wives; woman being to you the divine temple
་
2
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138
UNKNOWN LIFE OF CHRIST.
A
wherein you shall most easily obtain perfect hap-
piness.'
""
19. "Draw your moral strength from this tem-
ple; there you will forget your sorrows and
failures, you will recover the wasted forces neces-
sary to help your neighbor."
"
20. "Do not expose her to humiliation; you
would thereby humiliate yourself and lose the
sentiment of love, without which nothing exists
here below."
21. "Protect your wife, that she may protect
you and all your family; all that you shall do for
your mother, your wife, for a widow, or another
woman in distress, you shall have done for God.”
XIII.
1. Saint Issa thus taught the people of Israel
for three years in every city, in every village, on
the roadways, and in the fields, and all that he
had predicted came to pass.
2. During all this time, the disguised servants
of the Governor Pilate observed him closely, but
THE LIFE OF SAINT ISSA.
139
1
without hearing anything that resembled the
reports hitherto sent by the rulers of the cities
concerning Issa.
3. But the Governor Pilate, becoming alarmed
at the too great popularity of Saint Issa, who,
according to his enemies, wanted to incite the
people and be made king, ordered one of his spies
to accuse him.
4. Soldiers were then sent to arrest him, and
he was cast into a dungeon where he was made to
suffer various tortures that he might be forced to
accuse himself, which would permit them to put
him to death.
5. Thinking of the perfect beatitude of his
brothers only, the saint endured these sufferings
in the name of his Creator.
6. The servants of Pilate continued to torture
him and reduced him to a state of extreme weak-
ness; but God was with him and did not suffer
him to die.
P
7. Hearing of the sufferings and tortures
inflicted on their saint, the principal priests and
140
UNKNOWN LIFE OF CHRIST.
learned elders begged the Governor to liberate
Issa on the occasion of an approaching great
feast.
8. But the Governor met them with a decided
refusal. They then begged him to bring Issa
before the tribunal of the Ancients, that he might
be condemned or acquitted before the feast, to
which Pilate consented.
9. On the morrow the Governor called together
the chief rulers, priests, elders, and law-givers,
with the object of making them pass judgment
on Issa.
10. The saint was brought from his prison, and
he was seated before the Governor between two
thieves that were to be tried with him, to show
the people that he was not the only one to be
condemned.
11. And Pilate, addressing Issa, said: "O,
man! is it true that thou hast incited the people
to rebel against the authorities that thou mayest
become king of Israel?"
"
12. "None can become king by his own will,"
replied Issa, "and they that have said that I
THE LIFE OF SAINT ISSA.
141
incited the people have spoken falsely. I have
never spoken but of the King of Heaven, whom I
taught the people to adore."
13. "For the sons of Israel have lost their
original purity, and if they have not recourse to
the true God, they shall be sacrificed and their
temple shall fall in ruins."
14. "Temporal power maintains order in a
country; I therefore taught them not to forget it;
I said to them: "Live in conformity to your
position and fortune, that you may not disturb
public order;' and I exhorted them also to
remember that disorder reigned in their hearts
and minds."
15. "Therefore the King of Heaven has pun-
ished them and suppressed their national kings;
nevertheless, I said to them, if you resign your-
self to your fate, the kingdom of heaven shall be
reserved for you as a reward."
16. At this moment, witnesses were introduced;
one of them testified as follows: "Thou hast
said to the people that temporal power was noth-
142
UNKNOWN LIFE OF CHRIST.
"
ing to that of the King that shall free the Israel-
ites from the pagan yoke."
G
17. "Blessed be thou," said Issa, "for having
spoken the truth; the King of Heaven is more
powerful and great than terrestrial laws, and his
kingdom surpasses all the kingdoms here below."
18. "And the time is not far when, in conform-
ity with the divine will, the people of Israel
will purify themselves of their sins; for it is said
that a precursor shall come to announce the
deliverance of the nation and unite it in one
family."
19. And addressing himself to the judges, the
Governor said: "Hear you this? The Israelite
Issa admits the crime of which he is accused.
Judge him according to your laws and sentence
him to capital punishment."
20. "We can not condemn him," replied the
priests and the ancients; "thou hast thyself heard
that he made allusion to the King of Heaven, and
that he has preached nothing to the people which
constitutes insubordination against the law."
THE LIFE OF SAINT ISSA.
143
21. The Governor then summoned the witness
who, at the instigation of his master, Pilate, had
betrayed Issa; and when this man came he
addressed Issa thus: "Didst thou not claim to
be the king of Israel in saying that the Lord of
heaven had sent thee to prepare his people?"
22. And Issa having blessed him, said: "Thou
shalt be forgiven, for what thou sayest cometh
not of thee!" Then turning to the Governor, he
continued: "Why lower thy dignity and teach
thy inferiors to live in falsehood, since, even with-
out this, thou hast the power to condemn an
innocent man?”
23. At these words, the Governor became vio-
lently enraged and ordered the death of Issa,
while he discharged the two thieves.
24. The judges, having deliberated among them-
selves, said to Pilate: "We will not take upon
our heads the great sin of condemning an innocent
man and of acquitting two thieves, a thing con-
trary to our laws."
25. “Do therefore as thou pleases." Having
thus spoken, the priests and wise men went out
144
UNKNOWN LIFE OF CHRIST.
and washed their hands in a sacred vessel, say-
ing: "We are innocent of the death of a just
man."
XIV.
1. By order of the Governor, the soldiers seized
upon Issa and the two thieves whom they con-
ducted to the place of torture, where they nailed
them to the crosses they had erected.
Hand
2. All that day, the bodies of Issa and of the
two thieves remained suspended, dripping with
blood, under the guard of soldiers; the people
stood around about them, while the parents of
the crucified men wept and prayed.
3. At sunset, the agony of Issa came to an end.
He lost consciousness, and the soul of this just
man detached itself from his body to become part
of the Divinity.
4. Thus ended the terrestrial existence of the
reflection of the Eternal Spirit, under the form
of a man who had saved hardened sinners and
endured so much suffering.
1
145
5. Pilate, however, becoming alarmed at his
own actions, gave up the body of the holy man
to his relations, who buried him near the place
of his execution; the multitude then came to
pray over his tomb and filled the air with weeping
and wailing.
THE LIFE OF SAINT ISSA.
6. Three days later the Governor sent his sol-
diers to take up the body of Issa and bury it else-
where, fearing a general uprising of the people.
7. The following day the sepulcher was found
open and empty by the multitude; and the rumor
immediately spread that the Supreme Judge had
sent his angels to take away the mortal remains
of the saint in whom dwelt on earth a part of the
Divine Spirit.
8. When this report came to the ears of Pilate
he fell into a rage and forbade everyone, under
penalty of perpetual slavery, to ever utter the
name of Issa and to pray to the Lord for him.
9. But the people continued to weep and praise
their master aloud; therefore many were placed
in captivity, subjected to torture, and put to
death.
1
10
146
UNKNOWN LIFE OF CHRIST.
10. And the disciples of Saint Issa left the land
of Israel and went in all directions among the
pagans, telling them that they must abandon
their gross errors, think of the salvation of their
souls, and of the perfect felicity in store for men
in the enlightened and immaterial world where,
in repose and in all his purity, dwells the great
Creator in perfect majesty.
11. The pagans, their kings and soldiers, list-
ened to these preachers, abandoned their absurd
beliefs, deserted their priests and their idols to
sing the praises of the all-wise Creator of the uni-
verse, the King of kings, whose heart is filled
with infinite mercy.
EPITOME.
I
N reading the life of Issa (Jesus Christ), we
are at first struck by the similarity between
some of its principal passages and the bibli-
cal narrative; while, on the other hand, we also
find equally remarkable contradictions, which
constitute the difference between the Buddhist
version and that found in the Old and New Testa-
ments.
To explain this singularity, we must take into
account the periods in which the facts were
recorded.
In childhood, we were taught to believe that
the Pentateuch was written by Moses himself;
but the careful investigations of co-temporary
savants have conclusively demonstrated, that in
the days of Moses, and even long after him, there
existed no writings in those countries bathed
by the Mediterranean, save the Egyptian hiero-
glyphics and the cuneiform inscriptions still found
in the excavations of Babylon. But we know, to
the contrary, that the alphabet and parchment
were known and used in China and India long
before Moses.
(117)
{
148
UNKNOWN LIFE OF CHRIST.
Of this we have ample proof.
The sacred books of the "religion of the wise
men," teaches us that the alphabet was invented
in China, in 2800 B. C., by Fou-si, who was the
first Chinese emperor to embrace that religion.
It was he who also arranged the ritual and out-
ward ceremonies. Yaou, the fourth Chinese
emperor who adopted the same faith, published
moral and civil laws, and, in the year 2228 B. C.,
prepared a penal code.
On his accession to the throne, Soune, the fifth
emperor, proclaimed the "religion of the wise
men" as the religion of state; and in 2282, he
enacted new penal laws. These laws, modified by
the Emperor Woo-Wang, who was the founder of
the Chow dynasty in 1122, are now known under
the name of the "Changes."
Moreover, the doctrine of Buddha-Fo, whose
real name was Cakya-Mouni, was written on
parchment. Foism began to spread through
China about the year 260 B. C.; in 206, an
emperor of the Tsine dynasty, who desired to
study Buddhism, sent to India for the Buddhist
Silifan; while the Emperor Ming-Ti, of the Han
dynasty, one year before Christ, procured the
sacred books written by Cakya-Mouni, the foun-
der of Buddhism, who lived about the year 1200
before Christ.
EPITOME.
149
The doctrine of Buddha Gaouthama, or Gau-
tama, who lived six hundred years before Christ,
was written on parchment in the Pali language.
At this epoch, there already existed in India about
eighty-four thousand Buddhist manuscripts, the
compiling of which must have required a con-
siderable number of years.
Pat
While the Chinese and Hindoos already pos-
sessed a rich collection of written literature, the
less fortunate, or more ignorant nations, who had
no alphabet, transmitted orally, from generation
to generation, what came to pass. Owing to the
unreliability of the human memory, and its rela-
tive incapacity, not to speak of oriental embel-
lishments, historical facts soon degenerated into
fabulous legends, which, later, were gathered by
unknown compilers and given to the world under
the title of the "Five Books of Moses." The
legend also attributes a truly extraordinary divine
power to this Hebrew legislator, and credits him
with a series of miracles performed in the pres-
ence of Pharaoh; might it not be equally mis-
taken in declaring that he was an Israelite by
birth?
The Hindoo chroniclers, on the contrary,
thanks to the invention of the alphabet, were
enabled to preserve, not fabulous legends, but a
concise narrative of recent events accomplished in
J
150
UNKNOWN LIFE OF CHRIST.
their midst, as well as of the reports received
from the merchants who had just visited foreign
lands.
It is necessary to remark here that during this
period of antiquity, as in our own days, oriental
public life was concentrated in the bazaars, where
the events of the day and the news from foreign
nations were propagated by caravans of mer-
chants, who were usually followed by a number
of dervises who readily told all they had seen
and heard on their journey, in exchange for food.
In fact, this was their sole means of subsistence.
The commerce of India with Egypt, and later
with Europe, was carried on through Jerusalem,
where, even as early as the reign of Solomon,
Hindoo caravans brought precious metals and all
that was necessary for the construction of the
temple. From Europe, the merchandise came to
Jerusalem by sea, and was unloaded in the har-
bor where Jaffa now stands.
The chronicles in question were written before,
during, and after Christ; although no attention
was paid to Jesus during his sojourn in India,
where he came as a simple pilgrim to study the
Brahman and Buddhist laws.
But later, when the events which had aroused
Israel were related in India, these chroniclers-
after having committed to writing all they had
Made wij
EPITOME.
151
just heard concerning the prophet Issa, whom an
oppressed nation had followed and who had been
executed by the order of Pilate-remembered
that this same Issa had recently lived among
them and studied in their midst, and that he had
then returned to his own country. A deep
interest was immediately aroused concerning this
man who had so rapidly grown in importance in
their eyes, and they at once began an investiga-
tion into his birth, his past, and every detail of
his existence.
The two manuscripts read to me by the lama
of the Himis Convent, were compiled from divers
copies written in the Thibetan tongue, translated
from rolls belonging to the Lassa library and
brought from India, Nepal, and Maghada two
hundred years after Christ. These were placed
in a convent standing on Mount Marbour, near
Lassa, where the Dalai-Lama now resides.
These rolls were written in the Pali tongue,
which certain lamas study carefully that they
may translate the sacred writings from that
language into the Thibetan dialect.
The chroniclers were Buddhists belonging to
the sect of Buddha Gautama.
The information contained about Christ is
oddly mixed, without relation or coherence with
other events of that period,
152
UNKNOWN LIFE OF CHRIST.
Without preliminary details or explanation,
the manuscript begins by announcing that, in the
very year of the death of Christ, a few merchants
just returned from Judea have brought back the
information that a just man named Issa, an
Israelite, after having been twice acquitted by
his judges as was the man of God was finally
put to death at the instigation of the Pagan Gov-
ernor, Pilate, who feared that Jesus would take
advantage of his popularity to re-establish the
Kingdom of Israel and expel its conquerors from
the land.
Then comes the somewhat incoherent tale of
Jesus preaching among the Guebers and other
pagans, evidently written in the year following
the death of Christ, in whom there is a growing
interest. In one of these the merchants relate
what is known of the origin of Jesus and of his
family, while another gives the story of the
expulsion of his partisans and the bitter perse-
cutions they endured.
It is not until the end of the second volume is
reached, that we find the first categorical affirma-
tion of the chronicler where he declares that Issa
is blessed by God and the best of all men; that he
is the chosen one of the great Brahma, the man in
whom is incarnated the spirit detached from the
Supreme Being at a period determined by fate.
EPITOME.
153
Having explained that Issa was the son of poor
parents and of Israelite extraction, the chronicler
makes a slight digression with the object of tel-
ling us who were the children of Israel.
These fragments of the life of Issa, I have dis-
posed of in chronological order, endeavoring to give
them a character of unity totally wanting in the
original form.
I leave to savants, philosophers, and theologians,
the task of searching the cause of contradictions
that may be found between the "Unknown Life
of Issa," which I make public, and the story told
by the Evangelists. But I am inclined to believe
that nobody will hesitate to acknowledge that this
version, recorded within three or four years after
the death of Christ from the testimonies of eye
witnesses, is more likely to bear the stamp of
truth than the narratives of the Evangelists, who
wrote at divers epochs, and so long a time after
these events took place, that we can not be aston-
ished if the facts have been altered or distorted.
Before taking up the life of Jesus, I must say a
few words concerning the history of Moses, who,
according to the usually accepted legend, was an
Israelite. This fact is flatly contradicted by Bud-
dhists. We are first told that Moses was a prince
of Egypt, son of Pharaoh, and that he was merely
instructed by the learned Israelites. By carefully
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examining this important point, we are forced to
admit that the Buddhist author may be right.
Although I have no intention to destroy the
biblical legend on the origin of Moses, many will
concur with me in the opinion that Moses was not
a simple Israelite, for the very appreciable reason
that his education was that of a prince of the
land; and it is difficult to believe that a child
brought by chance into the palace, could have
been placed on a footing of equality with the son
of the sovereign. The manner in which the
Egyptians treated their slaves proves that they
were not distinguished for mildness of character.
A foundling would assuredly not have been
tolerated among the children of Pharaoh, but
would have been placed with the servants.
Besides, and this is preponderating evidence, we
must take into consideration the spirit of caste so
strictly observed in ancient Egypt.
On the other hand, it is difficult to believe that
Moses did not receive a complete education.
How otherwise could we explain his great work
of legislation, his broad views, and his high qual-
ities as administrator?
But, if he were a prince, why did he join the
Israelites? The explanation is simple enough.
We know that among the ancients, as well as in
our modern days, the succession to the throne
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was frequently a bone of contention among broth-
ers. Why not admit the hypothesis that Mossa,
or Moses, wished to found a distinct kingdom,
since the existence of an elder brother debarred
him from the Egyptian throne? This considera-
tion probably led him to place himself at the
head of the Israelites, whom he admired for their
firmness in their belief, as well as for their bodily
strength. The Israelites of Egypt, we know, did
not at all resemble their descendants physically,
the blocks of granite used in building the palaces
and the pyramids still stand as evidence of this.
The miracles performed in the presence of
Pharaoh may be explained in the same way.
Without possessing definite arguments to deny
these miracles performed by Moses, in the name
of God, we must admit- without much difficulty,
I believe that the Buddhist verses are more
plausible than the biblical paraphrase. The pest,
small-pox, or cholera, must, in fact, have wrought
terrible ravages in the dense mass of the pop-
ulation at a time when ideas on hygiene were
still rudimentary, and when, in consequence, the
scourge must have rapidly assumed frightful
proportions.
Moses, who was of quick intelligence, could
readily work on the fears of Pharaoh in the pres-
ence of this imminent danger, by declaring that
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it was due to the intervention of the God of
Israel in favor of his chosen people.
This was a most favorable opportunity to free
the Israelites from their bondage and make them
pass under his own power.
Conformably to the will of Pharaoh, still,
according to the Buddhists, Moses led the Israel-
ites beyond the walls of the city; but, instead of
building a new city at a certain distance from the
capital, as he had been commanded to do, he
took them out of the Egyptian territory. The
indignation of Pharaoh on seeing Moses' utter
disregard of his orders can be easily imagined;
and it is not therefore astonishing if he started
in pursuit of the fugitives at the head of his
soldiers. Taking into consideration the geo-
graphical situation of that region, it must be sup-
posed that Moses traveled along the mountains
and entered Arabia through the isthmus now cut
by the Suez Canal. Pharaoh, on the contrary, led
his troops in a more direct line in the direction of
the Red Sea; then, to overtake the Israelites who
had already gained the opposite shore, he boldly
took advantage of the ebb of the sea into the gulf
formed by the banks of the isthmus, and made
his soldiers march through the shallow passage.
But the distance across being much longer than
he had anticipated, the flood-tide caught the
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Egyptian army in the very middle of the sea and
not one of them could escape death.
This fact, so simple in itself, was transformed
into a religious legend in the succeeding centuries
by the Israelites, who interpreted the incident as
due to divine intervention in their favor and as a
just punishment from the hands of God on their
persecutors. We are led to believe, moreover,
that Moses himself entertained this belief. But
this is a thesis which I shall endeavor to develop
in a future work.
The Buddhist chronicle then briefly describes
the greatness and the downfall of the kingdom of
Israel, as well as its conquest by strangers who
reduced its inhabitants to a state of servitude.
The misfortunes that poured upon the Israel-
ites and the afflictions that thereafter embittered
their days, were, according to the chronicler,
more than sufficient reasons for God to look with
pity upon his people; and, wishing to come to
their assistance, he resolved to descend upon
earth under the guise of a prophet, that he might
lead them back into the path of salvation.
The condition of things at that period therefore
justified the belief that the coming of Jesus was
signaled, imminent, and necessary.
This explains why the Buddhist traditions
declare that the Eternal Spirit detached itself
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from the Eternal Being and was incarnated in
the new-born child of a pious and noble family.
The Buddhists, no doubt, as well as the Evan-
gelists, wish to indicate thereby that the child
belonged to the royal house of David; but the
text of the Gospel, according to which the "child
was conceived by the Holy Ghost," may be inter-
preted in two ways, while, according to the doc-
trine of Buddha, which is more in conformity
with the laws of nature, the Spirit incarnated
itself in a child that was already born, whom God
blessed and chose to accomplish his mission here
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At this point there is a void in the traditions of
the Evangelists, who, whether through ignorance
or negligence, tell us nothing of his infancy, his
youth, and his education. They begin the his-
tory of Jesus by his first sermon, that is when, at
the age of thirty, he returned to his own country.
All that is said by the Evangelists in regard to
the infancy of Jesus is totally void of precision:
"And the child grew, and waxed strong in spirit,
filled with wisdom; and the grace of God was
upon him," says one of the sacred authors, St.
Luke, and again: "And the child grew, and
waxed strong in spirit, and was in the deserts
till the day of his shewing unto Israel."
As the Evangelists compiled their works long
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after the death of Jesus, it is presumed that they
merely consigned to writing the narratives that
had come to them of the principal events of the
life of Jesus.
The Buddhists, however, who compiled their
chronicles immediately after the Passion, and
who had the advantage of gathering the most
accurate information on all points that interested
them, give us a complete and exhaustive descrip-
tion of the life of Jesus.
In those unhappy days, when the struggle for
existence seems to have destroyed all notion of
God, the people of Israel were bowed down under
the double oppression of the ambitious Herod,
and of the avaricious despotic Romans. Then,
as now, the Hebrews placed all their hope in
Providence, which, they believed, would send
them the inspired man who was to deliver them
from their physical and moral sufferings. Time
passed on, however, and no one took the initia-
tive in a revolt against the tyranny of the
governing power.
During this period of anxiety and hope, the
people of Israel completely forgot that there
existed in their midst a poor Israelite, who was a
direct descendant of their King David. This
poor man married a young girl who gave birth to
a miraculous child.
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Faithful to their traditions of devotion and
respect for the race of their kings, the Hebrews,
on hearing of this, flocked to see the child and
congratulate the happy father. It is evident
that Herod did not long remain in ignorance of
what had taken place; and he feared that when
the child had grown to manhood, he might take
advantage of his popularity to regain the throne
of his ancestors. He, therefore, sought the child,
whom the Israelites endeavored to shield from
the anger of the king; the latter then ordered the
abominable massacre of children, hoping that
Jesus might perish in this vast human hecatomb.
But the family of Joseph, having obtained infor-
mation of the terrible execution contemplated by
Herod, fled into Egypt.
Some time later the family returned to its
native land. The child had grown during these
journeys in which his life had been more than
once exposed. Then as now, the Oriental Israel-
ites commenced to instruct their children at the
age of five or six years. Forced to remain in
concealment, the parents never allowed their son
to leave their roof, and the latter no doubt spent
his time in studying the sacred writings, so that
on his return to Judea, he was far in advance of
the boys of his own age, which greatly astonished
the learned men. He was then in his thirteenth
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year, the age at which, according to the Jewish
law, a young man attains his majority and has
the right to marry, as well as to fulfill his reli-
gious duties on an equal footing with adults.
There still exists an ancient religious custom
among the Israelites which fixes the majority of a
man at the age of thirteen, when the youth enters
society and enjoys the full privileges of his elders.
His marriage at this age is considered absolutely
legal and indispensable, even, in warm countries.
In Europe, however, this custom has fallen into
desuetude and lost its importance, owing to local
laws, as well as to the laws of nature, which do
not hasten physical development to the same
degree as in warmer countries.
His royal origin, his rare intelligence, and the
extensive studies to which he had applied himself,
caused him to be looked upon as an excellent
suitor, and the most noble and rich sought him as
a son-in-law. So the Israelites of our days seek
the honor of marrying their daughters to the son
of a rabbi or a learned man. But the studious
youth, seemingly detached from all things cor-
poral and devoured by a thirst for knowledge,
stealthily left his father's house and fled to India
with a departing caravan.
It is to be supposed that Jesus Christ chose
India, first, because Egypt made part of the
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Roman possessions at that period, and then
because an active trade with India had spread
marvelous reports in regard to the majestic
character and inconceivable riches of art and
science in that wonderful country, where the
aspirations of civilized nations still tend in our
own age.
Here the Evangelists again lose the thread of
the terrestrial life of Jesus. St. Luke says: "He
was in the desert till the day of his shewing unto
Israel," which conclusively proves that no one
knew where the young man had gone, to so sud-
denly reappear sixteen years later.
Once in India, the country of marvels, Jesus
began by frequenting the temples of the Djainites.
There still exists in the peninsula of Hindoo-
stan a sect which bears the name of Djainism; it
forms a link, as it were, between Buddhism and
Brahmanism, and preaches the destruction of all
other beliefs, which they declare to be steeped in
error. It dates back to the seventh century before
Christ, and its name is derived from the word
"djaine" (conquering), which it assumes as a
symbol of its triumph over its rivals.
Amazed at the young man's wonderful intellect,
the Djainites begged him to remain in their midst;
but Jesus left them to settle at Juggernaut, one
of the principal cities of the Brahmans, and
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enjoying great religious importance at the time
of Christ, where he devoted himself to the study
of treatises on religion, philosophy, etc.
A
cherished tradition claims that the ashes of the
illustrious Brahman Krichna are preserved here
in the hollow of a tree near a magnificent temple
visited by thousands every year. Krichna is
supposed to have lived 1580 before Christ, and it
was he who gathered and arranged the Vedas,
dividing the work into four books: Richt, Jagour,
Saman, and Artafan. This celebrated Brahman,
who in recognition of this work received the name
of Viassa (he who has gathered and divided the
Vedas), also compiled the Vedantha and eighteen
Pouranas, composed of four hundred thousand
strophes.
A library, rich in Sanscrit books and precious
religious manuscripts, is also found at Jugger-
naut.
Jesus spent six years at this place, studying
the language of the country and the Sanscrit
tongue, which enabled him to dive deeply into all
religious doctrines, philosophy, medicine, and
mathematics. He found much to condemn in
Brahman laws and customs, and entered into
public debates with the Brahmans, who strove to
convince him of the sacred character of their
established customs. Among other things, Jesus
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particularly censured the injustice of humiliating
the laborer, and of not only depriving him of the
benefits to come, but also of contesting his right
to hear religious readings. And Jesus began to
preach to the Soudras, the lowest caste of slaves,
saying that God is one, according to their own
laws, that all that is, exists through him, that all
are equal in his sight, and that the Brahmans had
obscured the great principle of monotheism in
perverting the words of Brahma himself and
insisting to excess on the exterior ceremonies of
the religion.
These are the terms, according to the Brahman
doctrine, in which God speaks of himself to the
angels: "I have been since all eternity and shall
be eternally. I am the first cause of all that
exists in the East and in the West, in the North
and in the South, above and below, in heaven and
in hell. I am older than all things. I am the
Spirit and the creation of the universe and its
creator. I am all-mighty, I am the God of gods,
the King of kings; I am Para-Brahima, the great
soul of the universe."
After the world had appeared by the mere wish
of Para-Brahma, God created men, whom he
divided into four classes, according to their color:
white (Brahmans), red (Kshatriyas), yellow
(Vaisyas), and black (Soudras). Brahma drew
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the first from his own mouth, and gave them as
their portion the government of the world, the
teaching of the laws to men, and the power to
heal and judge them. The Brahman alone, there-
fore, occupy the position of priests, and the
preachers, or commentators of the Vedas only,
must adopt celibacy.
The second caste, the Kshatriyas, came from
the hand of Brahma. These he made warriors,
intrusting them with the mission of defending
and protecting society. The kings, princely
rulers, governors, and troops, belong to this caste,
which enjoys relations of the greatest cordiality
with the Brahmans, because one can not exist
without the other; and the peace of the country
depends on the alliance of the sword and the
light, of the temple of Brahma, and the royal
throne.
The Vaisyas, who compose the third caste,
were drawn by Brahma from his own entrails.
They are destined to the plowing of the fields
and the breeding of animals, to the exercise of all
kinds of trades and commerce, that they may
support the Brahmans and Kshatriyas. They are
authorized to enter the temple and listen to the
reading of the Vedas on feast days only, being
obliged to remain at their business affairs on all
other occasions.
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The lowest caste, the blacks or Soudras, came
from the feet of Brahma to be the humble ser-
vants and slaves of the three first castes. They
are forbidden to attend the reading of the Vedas;
and to come in contact with them means contam-
ination. They are wretched beings, robbed of all
human rights, not daring to even gaze at the
members of the superior castes, or defend them-
selves, and, in case of sickness, deprived of the
care of a physician.
Death alone can free them from the conse-
quences of their life of servitude; but to obtain
this reward they must, during their entire life,
cheerfully and faithfully serve a member of one
of the privileged classes. Then only, after hav-
ing performed these functions with excessive zeal
and fidelity in the service of a Brahman or
a Kshatriya, can the Soudra entertain the hope
that, after death, his soul shall be elevated to a
superior caste.
Should a Soudra be found wanting in respect
toward a member of the privileged classes, or
otherwise merit disgrace, he is expelled from his
caste, degraded to the rank of a pariah, and ban-
ished from cities and villages; he becomes an
object of universal contempt, considered as an
abject creature, and permitted to perform only
the basest and most menial labor.
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The same punishment may, it is true, be
inflicted upon a member of any other caste; but
by dint of repentance, of fastings and privations,
the latter may in time regain their former rank,
while the wretched Soudra is forever lost if once
expelled from his caste.
It is therefore easy to understand the venera-
tion of the Vaisyas and the Soudras for Jesus,
who, notwithstanding the threats of the Brah-
mans, never abandoned them.
In his sermons, Jesus not only inveighed against
the injustice of depriving a man of his right to be
considered as such, while a monkey, or a piece
of marble and metal was worshiped, but also
denounced the main principle of Brahmanism, its
system of gods, its doctrine, and its trimourti
(trinity), the keystone of this religion.
Para-Brahma is represented with three faces on
one single head: This is the trimourti (trinity),
composed of Brahma (the creator), Vischnou (the
preserver), and Siva (the destroyer).
The origin of the trimourti is as follows:
In the beginning, Para-Brahma created the
waters and cast upon them the generating seed,
which was transformed into a dazzling egg reflect-
ing the image of Brahma. Millions of centuries
later, Brahma divided this egg into two parts, the
upper half of which became heaven and the
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UNKNOWN LIFE OF CHRIST.
lower half the earth. This done, Brahma came
down upon this earth in the appearance of a
child, placed himself on a lotus flower, withdrew
within himself and propounded this question:
"Who shall watch over the preservation of what
I have created?" The answer came from his own
mouth as flame: "I," and Brahma gave this
word the name of Vischnou, which signifies,
"he who preserves." Brahma then divided his
being into two halves, one male and the other
female, the active world and the passive world,
the union of which brought forth Siva, “the
destroyer."
The attributes of the trimourti are: Brahma,
the creator being; Vischnou, the preserving wis-
dom; Siva, the destructive wrath of justice.
Brahma is the substance from which all things
are made; Vischnou, the space in which every-
thing lives; and Siva, time which destroys all
things.
Brahma is the face that animates everything;
Vischnou, the water that sustains the strength of
creatures; Siva, the fire that breaks the links that
unite objects. Brahma is the past, Vischnou the
present, and Siva the future. Each part of the
trimourti, moreover, possesses a wife: That of
Brahma is Sarasvati, goddess of wisdom; that of
Vischnou is called Lackmi, goddess of virtue;
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and Siva is married to Kali, goddess of death, the
universal destroyer.
From this last union was born the wise god,
Ganega, and Indra, chief of the inferior divinities,
the number of which, including all objects of
adoration belonging to the Hindoos, comes to
three hundred millions.
Vischnou came down upon earth eight times,
incarnating himself first in a fish, to save the
sacred books from the deluge, then successively
in a turtle, a dwarf, a wild boar, a lion, later in
Rama- who was a king's son-in Krichna, and
finally in Buddha. He will come a ninth time
under the form of a cavalier mounted on a white
horse, to destroy death and sin.
Jesus denied the existence of all these hie-
rarchal absurdities of gods which obscured the
great principle of monotheism.
Seeing that the people were beginning to
embrace the doctrines of Jesus, whom they had
hoped to gain on their side, and who was now
their adversary, the Brahmans resolved to assassi-
nate him; but being warned in time by his devoted
servants, he fled and took refuge in the mountains
of Nepal.
Buddhism had already taken deep root in this
country at that period. This schism was
remarkable for its moral principles and ideas on
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the nature of the divinity, which brought man
and nature, and men among themselves, nearer
together.
The founder of the sect, Cakya-Mouni, was born
fifteen hundred years before Christ at Kapila, the
capital of his father's kingdom, near Nepal in the
Himalayas. He belonged to the Gothamide race
and to the ancient family of Cakyas. He evinced
a strong attachment to religion from childhood,
and, notwithstanding his father's objections and
disapproval, left the palace in which he lived with
all its luxuries. He immediately began to preach
against the Brahmans, meanwhile purifying their
doctrine. He died at Koucinagara, surrounded
by many of his faithful disciples. His body was
burned, and his ashes distributed among the
cities in which his new doctrine had replaced
Brahmanism.
UNKNOWN LIFE OF CHRIST.
According to the Buddhist doctrine, the Cre-
ator always remains in a state of absolute inac-
tion which nothing can disturb, and from which
he arouses only at certain epochs determined by
fate, in order to create terrestrial Buddhas. To
this end, the Spirit is detached from the sover-
eign Creator and incarnated in a Buddha, in
whom it dwells for some time on earth, where it
creates buddhissatwas (masters) whose mission
it is to preach the divine word and found new
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171
churches of believers, to whom they shall give
laws and for whom they will institute a new
religious order according to the traditions of
Buddhism.
A terrestrial Buddha is, in some sort, a reflec-
tion of the sovereign Creator Buddha, to whom
he again unites himself after the termination of
his existence on earth; so it is with the Buddhis-
satwas who, as a reward for their works and the
privations they have endured here below, receive
eternal beatitude and enjoy a repose nothing can
disturb.
Jesus spent six years among the Buddhists,
where he found the principle of monotheism still
in its purity. Having attained the age of twenty-
six years he bethought himself of his native
country, which labored under a foreign yoke.
He therefore resolved to return there. While
journeying thither he continued to preach against
idolatry, human sacrifices, and religious errors,
exhorting the people to acknowledge and adore
God, the father of all creatures whom he cher-
ishes equally, the masters as well as the slaves,
for they are all his children, to whom he has
given his beautiful universe as a common inherit-
ance. The sermons of Jesus often produced a
deep impression upon the nations he visited,
where he braved many dangers instigated by the
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UNKNOWN LIFE OF CHRIST.
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priests, but was as often protected by the idol-
aters, who, only the day before, had sacrificed
their children to the idols.
Tand
While crossing Persia, Jesus almost caused an
uprising among the followers of the doctrine of
Zoroaster. Fearing the vengeance of the people,
however, the priests dared not assassinate him,
but had recourse to a ruse instead, and drove
him from the town during the night, hoping he
might be devoured by wild beasts. But Jesus
escaped this peril and arrived safe and sound in
the land of Israel.
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​It must be here remarked that the Orientals, in
the midst of their picturesque wretchedness and
the ocean of depravity in which they have sunk,
under the continued influence of their priests and
preceptors, possess nevertheless a most pro-
nounced predilection for instruction and readily
understand properly applied explanations. More
than once, by the aid of some simple words of
truth, I have successfully appealed to the con-
science of a thief or an unruly servant. These
people, moved by a sentiment of innate honesty,
which the clergy, to further their own personal
ends, endeavor by all possible means to stifle -
these people, I repeat, are very quick to learn the
principles of honesty, and exhibit the greatest
contempt for those who have abused them.
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By virtue of a single word of truth, it is
possible to make of all India, with its three hun-
dred millions of idols, a vast Christian country;
but-this beautiful project would undoubtedly
be prejudicial to certain Christians, who, like the
aforesaid priests, speculate on the ignorance of
the masses to enrich themselves.
Saint Luke says that: "Jesus was about thirty
years of age when he began to exercise his min-
istry." According to the Buddhist chronicler,
Jesus would have commenced to preach in his
twenty-ninth year. All his sermons, which the
Evangelists do not mention and which have been
preserved by the Buddhists, are remarkable for
their character of divine grandeur. The fame of
the new preacher spread rapidly through the
country, and Jerusalem impatiently awaited his
coming. When he drew near to the holy city, all
the inhabitants went forth to meet him and con-
ducted him in triumph to the temple, which is in
conformity with the Christian tradition. The
chiefs and the learned men who listened, admired
his sermons and rejoiced at the beneficent impres-
sion produced on the multitude by the words of
Jesus. All the remarkable sermons of Jesus are
filled with sublime words.
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But Pilate, Governor of the country, did not
see the matter in the same light. Zealous agents
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UNKNOWN LIFE OF CHRIST.
reported to him that Jesus announced the near
approach of a new kingdom, the re-establish-
ment of the throne of Israel, and that he called
himself the Son of God, sent to revive the cour-
age of Israel, for he, King of Judea, would soon
ascend the throne of his ancestors.
I have no wish to attribute to Jesus the role of
revolutionist, but, to me, it seems very probable
that he labored with the people with a view of
re-establishing the throne that was his by right of
inheritance. Divinely inspired, and at the same
time fully convinced that his pretensions were
legitimate, Jesus therefore preached the spiritual
union of the people that a political union might
result.
Alarmed at these rumors, Pilate assembled the
learned men and the elders of the people, charg-
ing them to interdict Jesus from public preaching
and condemn him in the temple under the accusa-
tion of apostacy. This was the easiest way of
ridding himself of a dangerous man whose royal
origin was known to Pilate, and whose fame was
growing among the people.
It must be remarked on this subject, that far
from persecuting Jesus, the Israelites, recognizing
in him the descendant of the illustrious dynasty
of David, made him the object of their secret
hopes, as is proved by the scripture, which relates
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that Jesus preached openly in the temple in the
presence of the elders, who had the power to pro-
hibit him, not only access to the temple, but even
of preaching in public.
At Pilate's order, the Sanhedrim assembled and
cited Jesus to appear before its tribunal. At the
conclusion of the inquest, the members of the
Sanhedrim announced to Pilate that his suspicions
were groundless, that Jesus was propagating reli-
gious truths, and not political ideas; that he
preached the divine word, and that, furthermore,
he claimed to have come, not to overthrow, but to
re-establish the laws of Moses. The Buddhist
chronicle only tends to confirm this sympathy
which indubitably existed between Jesus, the
young preacher, and the elders of the people of
Israel; hence their response: "We do not judge
a just man.
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Pilate was not reassured, however, and searched
another opportunity of summoning Jesus before a
regular tribunal; to this end, he sent many spies
to watch him, and he was at length apprehended.
According to the Evangelists, it was the Phar-
isees and the Hebrews who sought to put Jesus.
to death, while the Buddhist chronicler positively
declares that Pilate alone must be held respon-
sible. This version is evidently much more
likely than the account given by the Evangelists;
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&
the conquerors of Judea being unable to long
tolerate the presence of a man who announced to
the people their near deliverance from the foreign
yoke. The popularity of Jesus having proved
disquieting to Pilate, it was but natural that he
should dispatch spies with instructions to watch
every word and action of the young preacher. In
their character of inciting agents, these spies
endeavored, by propounding embarrassing ques-
tions to Jesus, to force him to utter some impru-
dent words that might permit Pilate to proceed
against him. Had Jesus' preaching displeased
the wise men and Hebrew priests, they would
simply have ordered the people not to listen to
him or follow him, and have interdicted him
entering the temple. The Evangelists, however,
relate that Jesus enjoyed great freedom among
the Israelites and in the temple, where Pharisees
and learned men conversed with him.
That he might succeed in condemning him,
Pilate submitted him to inquisition, hoping to
drive him to an avowal of high treason.
Seeing that tortures did not bring about the
desired result, and that, unlike other innocent
persons put to the same suffering and agony,
Jesus did not falter and accuse himself, Pilate
commanded his servants to proceed to the utmost
cruelty, that his death might be brought about by
1
!
EPITOME.
177
exhaustion. Jesus, however, finding a source of
strength and courage in his own will and in his
confidence in his cause, which was that of the
nation and of God himself, opposed an unflinch-
ing endurance to all the refinements of cruelty
received at the hands of his torturers.
*
Jesus having undergone the secret inquisition,
the elders were much displeased thereat; they
therefore resolved to intercede in his favor and
ask that he be set at liberty before the feast of
the Passover.
Foiled in the object of their demand by Pilate,
they determined to insist upon having him
brought before the tribunal, so certain were they
of his acquittal, which seemed fully assured since
the entire people ardently desired it.
In the eyes of the priests, Jesus was a saint
belonging to the house of David, and his unjust
detention, or what was still more grave, his con-
demnation, would cast a deep gloom upon the sol-
emnity of the great national feast of the Israelites.
On learning of the refusal of their demand,
they begged that the trial should take place
before the feast. This time Pilate acceded to
their wishes, but also ordered that two thieves
should be tried at the same time. By this means
Pilate strove to belittle, in the eyes of the people,
the importance that might be attached to a judg-
12
178
UNKNOWN LIFE OF CHRIST.
}
J
74
S
ment rendered against an innocent man if he
were tried alone, thus leaving the nation under
the sad impression of a verdict dictated before-
hand; while, on the contrary, the simultaneous
condemnation of Jesus and the two thieves would
almost efface the injustice committed against one
of the accused.
The accusation was based upon the depositions
of hired witnesses.
During the trial, Pilate used the words of
Jesus, who preached the Kingdom of Heaven, to
justify the accusation against him. He counted,
it would seem, upon the effect produced by the
replies of Jesus, as well as on his own personal
authority to influence the members of the tri-
bunal to not examine too minutely the details of
the case before them to obtain the desired verdict.
After hearing the perfectly natural reply of
the judges, that the words of Jesus only proved
a sentiment diametrically opposed to the accusa-
tion, and that he could not be condemned thereon,
Pilate had recourse to the only means left him,
that is, to the deposition of an informer, who, in
the Governor's judgment, could not fail to pro-
duce a deep impression on the judges. The
wretch, who was none other than Judas, then
formally accused Jesus of having incited the
people to rebellion.
4
EPITOME.
179
Then followed a scene of the grandest sublim-
ity. While Judas gave utterance to his testi-
mony, Jesus turned to him, and, having blessed
him, said: “Thou shalt be forgiven, for what
thou sayest cometh not of thee." Then turning
to the Governor, he continued: "Why lower thy
dignity and teach thy inferiors to live in false-
hood, since, even without this, thou hast the
power to condemn an innocent man?"
Touching and sublime words! Jesus Christ
manifests himself in all his grandeur, first in
showing the informer that he has sold his con-
science, then in forgiving him; turning next to
Pilate, he censured him for having recourse to
proceedings so degrading to his dignity to obtain
his condemnation.
P
The accusation brought by Jesus against Pilate,
caused the latter to completely forget his position
and the prudence he should display; he therefore
imperiously demanded the condemnation of Jesus
at the hands of the judges, and, as if to assert the
unlimited power he enjoyed, the acquittal of the
two thieves.
Finding this demand to discharge the two
thieves and condemn Jesus, though innocent, too
unjust to comply with, the judges refused to com-
mit this double crime against their conscience
and their laws; but being too weak to struggle
180
UNKNOWN LIFE OF CHRIST.
against a man who had the power to give a final
verdict, and seeing him determined to rid himself
of a person who rivaled the Roman authorities,
they left him to pronounce the judgment he so
ardently desired. That they might not be cen-
sured by the people, who could not have forgiven
so unjust a judgment, they washed their hands
as they came out of the tribunal chamber, show-
ing thereby that they were innocent of the death
of Jesus, whom the multitude adored.
About ten years ago I read an article on Judas
in a German journal, the Fremdenblatt, in which
the author endeavored to show that the informer
had been Jesus' best friend. It would seem that
it was through love for his master that Judas
betrayed him, in his blind belief in the words of
the Savior, who said that his kingdom would
come after his crucifixion. But when he beheld
him on the cross, after vainly awaiting his imme-
diate resurrection, Judas found himself incapable
of bearing his remorse and hanged himself.
It is useless to elaborate on this lucubration,
which is certainly original.
But to return to the scriptural narrative and
the Buddhist chronicle, it seems quite probable
that the hired informer may have been Judas,
although the Buddhist version is silent on this
point. As to the theory that remorse of con-
EPITOME.
181
science drove the informer to the taking of his
own life, I place little credence in it. A man
capable of committing an act of such cowardice
and of bringing against any one of his fellow-men
an accusation so notoriously false, and that, not
from a spirit of envy or revenge, but for a mere
handful of silver, such a man, I repeat, is psycho-
logically worthless. He is ignorant of all idea
of honesty or conscience, and remorse is unknown
to him.
It is to be presumed that the Governor took
this matter into his own hands, as is sometimes
done in our days, when it is imperative to keep
from the people a grave and compromising secret
which such a man might easily betray without
heeding the consequences. Judas was no doubt
hanged forthwith to prevent him from ever
revealing that the testimony on which Jesus was
condemned emanated from the Governor himself.
On the day of the crucifixion, a large body of
Roman soldiers was stationed about the cross to
prevent the people from rescuing the object of
their worship. In this circumstance, Pilate dis-
played extraordinary firmness and resolution.
But though, owing to his precautions, an upris-
ing was averted, he could not prevent the people
from weeping over the downfall of their hopes,
which died with the last descendant of the house
182
UNKNOWN LIFE OF CHRIST.
A
of David. The entire population went to adore
the tomb of Jesus, and though we have no pre-
cise details of the first days after the Passion, we
may easily imagine the scenes that must have
taken place. It is only reasonable to suppose
that the prudent lieutenant of the Roman Cæsar,
seeing that the tomb of Jesus was becoming a
shrine of universal lamentations and the object of
national mourning, and fearing that the memory
of this just man might excite discontent and per-
haps arouse the entire population against their
foreign yoke, should have taken all possible
means to divert the public mind from the recol-
lection of Jesus. For three days, the soldiers
placed on guard at the tomb were the butt of the
jeers and maledictions of the people, who, brav-
ing the danger, came in throngs to adore the
great martyr. Pilate therefore ordered his sol-
diers to remove the body during the night, when
the pilgrimages had ceased, and inter it clandes-
tinely in another place, leaving the first tomb
open and unguarded, that the people might see
that Jesus had disappeared.
But Pilate failed to accomplish this end; for,
on the following day, not finding the body of
their master in the sepulcher, the Hebrews, who
were very superstitious and believed in miracles,
declared him resuscitated.
TAG
EPITOME.
183
How this legend came to be generally accepted,
we know not. It may have existed for a long
time in a latent state and been first spread
among the lower classes; or, perhaps, the Hebrew
ecclesiastics looked with indulgence upon this
innocent belief which gave to the oppressed a
shadow of revenge against their oppressors.
However this may be, since the day this legend
of the resurrection became known to all, no one
has had the strength of mind to point out the
impossibility of it.
As concerns the resurrection itself, it must be
remarked that, according to the Buddhists, the
soul of the just man was united to the Eternal
Being, while the Evangelists strongly insist
upon the ascension of the body. It nevertheless
seems to me, that the Evangelists and Apostles
were wise in giving a plastic description of the
resurrection; for otherwise, that is to say, had
the miracle been less material, their sermons
would not have been stamped, in the eyes of the
people, with that divine authority, that character
so manifestly divine which christianity retains
to this day, as being the only religion capable of
maintaining the people in a state of sublime
enthusiasm, of softening their savage instincts,
and of bringing them nearer to the great and
simple nature which God has confided, it is said,
to the feeble dwarf called man.
EXPLANATORY NOTES.
CHAPTER III.
§§ 3, 4, 5, 7.
THE
HE history of all people shows that when a nation
has attained the zenith of its riches and military
glory, it almost immediately begins to slide more
or less rapidly down the hill of decay and of moral
decline. The Israelites were the first to undergo this
law of the evolution of nations; and the neighboring
countries took advantage of this to attack the effem-
inated and corrupted descendants of Jacob.
§ 8.
The country of Romeles- that is, the land of Romu-
lus, or Rome, as it is called in our days.
§§ 11, 12.
It is evident that the Israelites, notwithstanding their
incontestable genius and intelligence, never seemed to
think of the morrow. Like all other oriental nations,
it was only in their days of misfortune that they remem-
(184)
EXPLANATORY NOTES.
185
bered their past sins, which they were each time obliged
to redeem by centuries of slavery.
CHAPTER IV.
§ 6.
This verse, it is readily seen, refers to Joseph, who
was a direct descendant of King David. This some-
what vague assertion bears some analogy to the follow-
ing scriptural verses:
J
"Behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in
a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to
take unto thee Mary thy wife."- (Gospel according to
St. Matthew i, 20.)
"And the multitudes that went before, and that fol-
lowed, cried, saying, Hosanna to the son of David!"-
(Gospel according to St. Matthew xxi, 9.)
"To a virgin espoused to a man whose name was
Joseph, of the house of David."- (Gospel according to
St. Luke i, 27.)
Jabat
"And the Lord God shall give unto him the throne
of his father David."-(Gospel according to St. Luke
i, 32.)
"And Jesus himself began to be about thirty years of
age, being (as was supposed) the son of Joseph, which
was the son of Heli, which was the son of Nathan,
which was the son of David."- (Gospel according to
St. Luke iii, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, etc.)
186
UNKNOWN LIFE OF CHRIST.
8 7.
The Old and New Testaments teach us that God
promised David that he would regenerate his throne and
place one of his descendants upon it.
§§ 8, 9.
"And the child grew, and waxed strong in spirit,
filled with wisdom; and the grace of God was upon
him.'
>>
"And it came to pass, that after three days, they
found him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the
doctors, both hearing them, and asking them questions."
"And all that heard him were astonished at his under-
standing and answers."
And he said unto them, How is it that ye sought
me? wist ye not that I must be about my Father's busi-
ness?"
"And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in
favour with God and man." (Gospel according to St.
Luke ii, 40, 46, 47, 49, 52.)
CHAPTER V.
§ 1.
"Sind," a Sanscrit word, modified by the Persians
into Ind; “Arya," ancient name of the inhabitants of
India; it first signified "man who ploughs the soil," or
Į
EXPLANATORY NOTES.
187
·
"husbandman;" in remote antiquity it possessed a
purely ethnographic signification; but later, this appel-
lation acquired a religious meaning, principally that of
(C man who believes."
§ 2.
cos
St. Luke says (i, 80): "And the child grew, and
waxed strong in spirit, and was in the desert till the day
of his shewing unto Israel." The Evangelists say that
Jesus remained in the desert; the Buddhists only explain
the version of the scripture in indicating where Jesus
lived during his absence from Judea; according to them,
he crossed the Sind, a word which, properly speaking
means "the stream" (the Indus). It is proper here to
remark that many Sanscrit words have, in passing into
the Persian tongue, undergone the same transformation
of "s" into "h"; as for example:
Sapta (in Sanscrit), which signifies seven-hafta (in
Persian).
Sam (in Sanscrit), which signifies equal-ham (in
Persian).
M
Mas (in Sanscrit), which signifies mouth-mah (in
Persian).
Sur (in Sanscrit), which signifies sun-hur (in
Persian).
Das (in Sanscrit), which signifies ten-dah (in
Persian).
Loco citato and they that believed in the god
Djaine.
188
UNKNOWN LIFE OF CHRIST.
There exists, even in our days, in the Peninsula of
Hindoostan, a sect bearing the name of Djainism; it
forms, as it were, a link between Buddhism and Brah-
manism, and preaches the destruction of all other beliefs
which, it is claimed, are impregnated with errors. It
dates back to the seventh century before Christ; its
name is derived from the word "Djaine" (conqueror),
which it assumes as a symbol of triumph over its rivals.
K
§ 4.
Each of the eighteen Pouranas is divided into five
parts, which, besides canonical laws, rites, and com-
mentaries on the creation, the destruction, and resusci-
tation of the world, also treat of theogony, medicine,
and of trades even.
CHAPTER VI.
§ 12.
It was only through the intervention of the English
that an end was finally put to human sacrifices, offered
principally to Kali, the goddess of death. The goddess
Kali is represented standing, with one foot placed on
the corpse of a man whose head she holds in one of her
innumerable hands, while in another she grasps a bleed-
ing sword. The wide-open mouth and eyes express
passion and cruelty.
EXPLANATORY NOTES.
189
Play
CHAPTER VIII.
§§ 3, 4.
Zoroaster lived five hundred and fifty years before
Jesus Christ. He was founder of the doctrine of the
struggle of light against darkness, a doctrine fully
expounded in the Zend-Avesta (Word of God), written
in the Zend tongue, and which, according to the legend,
was given him by an angel in Paradise.
According to Zoroaster, we should worship Mithra
(the sun), from which are descended the god of good,
Ormuzd, and the god of evil, Ariman. The world is to
come to an end when Ormuzd has triumphed over his
rival, Ariman, who shall then return to his original
source Mithra.
CHAPTER X.
§ 16.
According to the Evangelists, Jesus was born in Beth-
lehem, which confirms the Buddhist version; for it is
from Bethlehem only, seven kilometers from Jerusalem,
that the walls of the latter city can be seen.
CHAPTER XI.
§ 15.
The doctrine of the Redemptor is nearly all contained
190
UNKNOWN LIFE OF CHRIST.
in the Gospels. As to the transformation of men into
children, this is explained in the conversation between
Jesus and Nicodemus.
CHAPTER XII.
cos
§ 1.
"Tell us, therefore, What thinkest thou? Is it lawful
to give tribute unto Cæsar, or not?" (Gospel according
to St. Matthew xxii, 17).
§ 3.
Then Jesus replied: "Render therefore unto Cæsar
the things which are Cæsar's, and unto God the things
that are God's."
CHAPTER XIV.
8 3.
According to the Buddhist belief, the terrestrial Bud-
dhas at their death lose consciousness of their independ-
ent existence and become united to the Eternal Spirit.
20
88 10, 11.
Reference is, no doubt, here made to the apostles and
their activity among the neighboring nations; an activity
which, at that period, could not pass unperceived,
EXPLANATORY NOTES.
191
}
because of the great results obtained by the preaching
of new religious principles based on brotherly love, in
the midst of people who professed religions founded on
the cruelty of their gods.
Without permitting myself to indulge in long disserta-
tions, or too deep analysis of each verse, I thought it
only right to accompany my work with a few brief
explanatory notes, leaving the reader to do as much for
the remainder.
[END.]
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