Customer Reviews

Jesus Lived in India: His Unknown Life Before and After the Crucifixion

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Among a number of well researched and well composed books on the subject of the origins of the historical Jesus, Kersten's book remains one of the finest. Cogently written without superfluous speculation, 'Jesus Lived in India' presents irrefutable evidence of Jesus' sojourn into India; his living, learning (becoming in fact a Buddhist adept), and eventually dying there. Having chanced upon the evidence in Ladakh, Kersten patiently pieces together a mountain of evidence the profundity of which is only enhanced by his matter-of-fact style of presentation. A comprehensive article by article, step by step look at the astonishing convergence of the teachings and life paths of Jesus and Buddha is one of the clearest and most convincing threads of Kersten's scholarship. The ancient links between the Israelites and the East is intimately explored, and heartening conclusions are drawn. Nearly every aspect of modern theological enquiry concerning Jesus with respect to the inadequate record provided by canonical scripture is examined lovingly and fearlessly; the years of Kersten's investigation are brought to thorough and enlightening fruition in the pages of this remarkable book. It is clear that the political preoccupation of the Paulinist religion that has called itself Christianity for two thousand years has prevented, and continues to prevent, the dissemination and study of the true facts of Jesus' history; offering instead a lifeless, and often decadent, sectarian proposition of a Christ-martyr, the exclusive and moribund archtype of which has filled the Common Era with bloodshed and dissension, and propelled the world into a post-Christian era by its demonstrable manipulation of history. Highly recommended reading for the discerning seeker.

I read this book many years ago in german. It presents an interesting alternative to what is generally known to us. The reason to even look up its title after so many years, is to see if it is still available.

Although there is, in my opinion no absolute evidence, that Jesus actually traveled to the Far East, it cannot be ruled out either. After all, there ARE at least 18 years of his life unaccounted for. Children's books, claiming to give accounts on what Jesus did as a child, relate even less to reality than his "travels to India" proclaimed by Kersten.

It takes a certain nerve to be different. That's what I've always liked about Jesus and IT is what he meant for us to understand, as in Luke's saying in 17:21, (attributed to him): THE KINGDOM OF GOD IS WITHIN YOU. . ., a principle not generally accepted in his day. Then and again now it is not where people are looking for it. No, we look at the government, the stockmarket, church, anyone but ourselves for that kingdom. Jesus found it within and not through the Judaeic Law of his time, which concerned itself mostly with the well-being of the Haves rather than the Have-Nots. Buddha too knew and taught of this Inner Kingdom, at a time when Israelites were still dancing around Golden Calves or praying to an ill-tempered, violent god.

What's so impossible for an enlightened person like Jesus to have heard of the Compassionate Buddha? To be taught by one of his followers? To pass the idea of compassion on to those who had nothing at all?

The corruption of church since his time, is what makes it difficult for some to believe that Eastern influence ever happend to Jesus.

No one book can entirely uncover that mysterious master Jesus, but I'd like to recommend a couple, which deserve the curious learners attention: "Jesus, A Revolutionary Biography" by John Dominic Crossan and "The Shroud Is Genuine" by Rodney Hoare.

In the end, it IS within where we find truth/God and it is one self who must grant permission to uncover it.

To those who are unfamiliar with this topic, Holger Kersten may seem to be "stretching" an interpretation of history, if not even inventing some. That is not the case at all.

The first full length book regarding a possible post-crucifixion life of Jesus Christ was written in the year 1890 by Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad. Ahmad, at his peak, was considered a foremost and formidable scholar of the Indian Sub-continent.

The book was written in the Urdu language, and was entitled Masih Hindustein Mein [English: Jesus in India]. In it, with stunning detail, Ahmad traced Jesus' entire sojourn from Galilee to Kashmir; he listed in detail the books of history that mention the presence of Jesus (Yuz Asaf) in India; he listed two full pages of references--from books of the Orient and the Occident--that mention the actual ointment ("Marham-i-Isa") that was used to heal Jesus' wounds after the crucifixion, etc.

What disturbs Kersten's critics are two things: Firstly, he has brought the issue OUT of the halls of religious academia (where the subject is VERY WELL KNOWN) and down to earth for the common person. Secondly, by exposing this subject, he has introduced a massive challenge to religious structures, particularly Christianity & Islam.

The Christian challenge is obvious: the entire doctrine of Christianity falls when it is understood that Jesus survived the crucifixion.

The Islamic challenge is little known, but HUGE. The world's Muslims believe that Jesus Christ is returning, in the flesh, to MURDER anybody who does not accept Islam. He will come as "Imam Mahdi" to establish Islam in the "latter days" by force. Anyone refusing him will be killed.

This repugnant belief has been dinned into the ears of Muslim children for centuries, and has shaped the character of many Muslims [not all of them], and represents the true, psychological root of violence in the Islamic world--the expectation of a bloody Imam, full of spite and hatred. This is no exaggeration.

Kerston, along with other scholars like Professor Thomas Sheehan of Loyola University, have challenged Christians to accept THE TEACHINGS of Jesus, not his divinity as God.

Last, this is NOT a bogus, un-scholarly book. There are now at least 15 books written on this subject in English, and some in German. It's an excellent piece, and to attempt to trivialize it reflects ignorance of the subject.

I read this book years ago, and have used it as a resource book many times. First I read Fida Hassnain's book "Search for the Historical Jesus" and Laurence Gardner's book, "Bloodline of the Holy Grail." The information of all these combined books led me go to India and continue the research. I visited the tombs and sites in Kashmir that Kersten visited, but I came away with very different experiences and impressions. Of course times had also changed, and I was there during Taliban rule and the Afghan War. That did affect the outcome of research.

Holger Kersten chose to go into depth about the similarities between Buddhism and Christianity, and has made some powerful correlations. We also shared similar experiences when we were
both granted permissions to research the Tomb of Jesus in depth (20 years apart) only to have the permission withdrawn at the 11th hour by the same people.

I would highly recommend this book, but I strongly urge readers to include the other books on the same subject, especially Fida Hassnain(Search for the Historical Jesus)also Aziz Kashmiri and Laurence Gardner. These will give you a well-rounded background on the topic of Jesus in India, especially after the crucifixion, if that's where your interests are.

I had long ago come to the conclusion, based solely upon my own reading and interpretation of the Gospels, that Jesus was (at the very least) a religious reformer inspired by Eastern philosophies and spiritualism. And so, I was delighted to find a book that thoroughly supports my personal conviction in this regard. Despite a certain level of pseudo-research and speculation, Holger Kersten is often brilliant in articulating the many reasons why Christ's message of love and unity -- so often corrupted by organized "Christian" orthodoxy -- should be viewed as a unifying force in the world, not a source of division and discord. My main criticism is that Kersten often tries too hard to convince the reader of certain things that are actually irrelevant to the book's thesis (e.g., much of the material on Moses, and the Shroud of Turin). The book meanders and is disorganized in places. Simply sticking to the astounding similarities between the words of Christ and preexisting Buddhist texts -- as well as the historical, textual and biblical support for the notion that Jesus employed traditional, documented yogic methods to perform miracles and survive the crucifiction -- would have been more than enough for me. Yet despite its flaws, this book left me inspired, comforted, and convinced that salvation and a personal relationship with the Deity is indeed available to all -- regardless of what name you give your God or what religious label you affix to his teachings.

I first came across Kersten's book in Kashmir, India. It was a revelation then and equally enjoyable on recently reviewing it. Information given in "Jesus Lived in India" has been taken further by the wonderful "The Autobiography of Jesus of Nazareth and the Missing years" by Richard G. Patton. "The Autobiography.." confirms Kersten's remarkable work and shows remarkable insight into one of history's most enigmatic spiritual teachers. Fundamentalists will not sleep comfortably with this kind of publication being made available, but then again, history has always been written by the victor's - so perhaps we haven't been given the full story as Kersten claims. Kersten backs up his claims with archaeological evidence in a manner that is easilly digested. Thoroughly recommended.

One of the most scholarly approaches to proving that Jesus, indeed, treaded to the East living and spending time in India.

The book begins with an account of Nikolai Notovich's stunning observations in 1894 about the theory of Jesus having lived in India and imbibing Buddhism. Account of Nikolai's trips to various Buddhist monastries of Jammu & Kashmir in search of evidence is interesting and stunning.

Bible does not account for about 17 years of Jesus's life beginning age 12 or 13. Bible does not account for his life after crucification (obviously) as well. Its a common belief that Jesus did not survive crucification.

This book is an attempt by the author (there are few other books on this subject by other authors as well) to propogate the revisionist theory that Jesus spent those 17 or so years in India and then survived crucification, escaped to India and lived in the Indian state of Jammu & Kashmir where he eventually breathed his last. His tomb lies close to the city of Srinagar, the winter capital of the state.

Jesus developed antipathy towards Brahministic rituals during his stint at Jagannath Puri temple; he subsequently migrated to Kashmir to adopt Buddhism. Didn't Buddha give up Hinduism because of his dislike for Brahministic rituals?

Get this one: The 10 Lost Tribes of Israel referred to in Christian scriptures have been linked to those who live in Kashmir today. Its hard to believe that today's Kashmiri population has Jewish roots! Its mostly Islamic today - conversion began in 700 AD or so.

The book has been so well-written with evidences. Infact, NASA's involvement in the analysis of The Shroud (to prove that Jesus survived crucification) is information to me - as would be the case to most of the readers.

I am passing this book on to a friend who has studied Christian theology and having previously heard of the Jesus-in-India story and dismissed it. I had read this book and suggested that she read it as I found it very interesting.

I found the book very well researched and being a student of Vendanta and not spiritually inclined towards Judaism I was not challenged by the idea of Jesus going to India (or other countries) and relished this book.

In fact, I wish to say that my own idea of Jesus is of a compassionate enlighted soul who came to lift the fallen with his teaching, is further reinforced on my reading of this book. I will go further to say that his teaching is so intertwined with the idea of ahimsa (non-violence) towards all living entities that they are almost identical. I always imagined Jesus to be vegetarian and compassionate towards animals so for me the idea of him being drawn to Buddhism is not a fantastical one.

The core teachings of Jesus are very simple, no nonsense tenents to live a good simple life. They are not post-graduate examinations of high spiritual teaching. You could say Jesus taught nothing new but reinforced other existing teachings that came from the East, or are at the very least shockingly simliar.

I am sure that this book has its faults but it is an excellent attempt to re-examine the real Jesus and his teachings. For so long the world has been following a rather edited version of Christianity and I think this book goes a long way toward helping people look again at thier aceepted beliefs and at themselves.

I think this book has the power to challenge people and their "idea" of Jesus. The established order has a lot to loose as their monopoly on truth will be seen as false. True and sincere spiritual seekers will be enriched and others will be shaken. Maybe this is not a bad thing, surely the truth is dynamic and not static and when an opportunity to expand our knowledge and faith present itself we should not shut ourselves off because it forces us to rexamine ourselves.

Others who read this book will find AC Bhaktivevedanta Swami Prabupada "Bhagavad Gita As it is" truly enlightening. It is nearly 5,000 years old. On reading this you will realise that the truth is eternal, non-secular, and every now an then some comes to remind us of that.

Holger Kersten's book (Jesus Lived in India)is a fascinating addition to the growing body of literature daring to challenge the 'orthodox' account of Jesus' life and ministry. It elicits polarised reactions. Inevitably, those bound by tightly drawn definitions of Christian orthodoxy will be offended by Holger Kersten's book; conversely, anyone who has puzzled over those 'missing years' in the life of Jesus - surely the most formative period of his life, will find Kersten's ideas liberating, especially if they suspect (as more than a few have)that Jesus spent this time elsewhere, seeking religious instruction and insight. That, after all, is what many 'wise men of the East' have done, before going on to develop their own teachings, ministering to the spiritual needs of mankind.

The corollary of this, of course, is that Jesus becomes somewhat less 'unique' than the divine man-God enshrined in orthodox religious dogma - who appeared 'once in eternity.' Rather, Jesus is seen as another 'Atavar' - but one more 'light-bringer' among others, in the stream of eternity. In the Hindu-cum-Buddhist world-view, that does not constitute a problem.

The strong point of Kersten's book, is the empirical evidence, geo-historical detail, cross-cultural links, noting shrines, buildings, scattered local legends etc.- which leave little doubt that Jesus did, indeed, sojourn in many of the places noted. The notion that Jesus lived in India is not particularly new. Kersten cites the work of Nicholas Notovich whose book -'The Unknown Life of Jesus' (1894)caused something of a scandal. By chance, an accident (broken leg) and period of convalescence in the Himalayan kingdom of Ladakh, led Notivich to an astounding discovery. The monks at the Hemis monastery shew him a book, recounting Jesus' travels in the region, where he has been revered as 'Lord Issa.' This received further corroboration by Kersten's visit to Kashmir, where the 'Issa' legend still prevails, not least - the shrine allegedly containing the body of Jesus. Strangely, however, Kersten overlooked one prominent detail in the Kashmiri account of Jesus (Issa)- namely, the belief that Jesus was married. The family bloodline of Sri Basharat Saleem, well known in Srinagar, is said to make him and his kin, descendants of Jesus. In the interest of consistency, it seems a waste to explore the Kashmir-Jesus link, yet make nothing of this matter. In fact, placing implicit trust in sources which he has otherwise deemed questionable, or seriously incomplete, Kersten actually cited 'Matthew' in the N.T. - to confirm the 'fact' that Jesus was single (p. 104). It is a pity Kersten did not follow up the Jesus 'bloodline' link in Kashmir, for it widens the speculations surrounding the alleged bloodline in Europe, linked with the Priure de Sion - both may be valid( cf. 'The Holy Grail and the Holy Blood').

The 'India/Kashmir' link is convincing, because nobody there gets hysterical about it. The 'Issa' legend is part of their culture. They have nothing to prove - or disprove, it is simply part of the 'spiritual landscape' - co-existing with other religious teachings. Conversely, the most vociferous critics of the 'Jesus-in-India' story, are those have the most to lose - because it undermines their cherished monopoly on the truth.

For many people, the historical 'Jesus' will seem that much more real - for being the 'Lord Issa' (or Yuz Asuf) referred to in Kersten's book, rather than less so. My only complaint with Kersten's book, apart from overlooking the 'Jesus bloodline' link in Kashmir, is that the 'doctrinal' considerations within its pages are frequently 'patchy' - even tendentious, which could persuade some critics to discount the whole book. For instance, Kersten refers (p.91)to Buddhists in 'white clothes' -as if it were a characteristic hall-mark, but the Buddhist Sangha has never worn white. It is the hall-mark of the laity. Again, it was futile, endevouring to show (P.117)that Ammonius Saccus(spelt sakkas, in Kersten's text) - derived the second part of his name (saccus) - from Shakya, the clan name of the Buddha. It meant 'sac' - as in carrying stuff, and it is a well documented fact that Ammonius Saccus worked as a day labourer.
Kersten also allowed his enthusiasm to get the better of him, when alleging (ibid.) that Plotinus - the main disciple of Ammonius Saccus, ended up teaching Origen, an early Church Father. However, the 'Origin' connected with Plotinus was an entirely different person - not the early Church Father. This error was understandable, insofar as the Church Father (Origin) referred to by Kersten, included references to 're-birth' and the pre-existence of the soul in his writings. However, he did not study under Plotinus, and was not, therefore, the spirit- ual 'grandson' of a 'Buddhist' (sic) Ammonius Saccus. Alas, ill construed remarks of this sort could lend power to the elbows of Kersten's detractors, which is a pity, for much of what he has to say is worth serious consideration. There were plans to open up the Tomb in Kashmir, alleged to be that of Jesus. Unfortunately, this project was thwarted by the outbreak of armed conflict in the locality. However, now that unrest in the Kashmir region shows signs of cooling down, this project could well be resumed. If resumed, successfully yielding artifacts and remains, proving it to be the final resting place of Jesus in his earthly incarnation, it would have far-reaching consequences. The established churches' would rush into denial, of course, but in the greater leven of life, it would break down all sorts of religious 'fences' - and give inter-fath dialogue an edge, like never before. I find that exciting.

this is an amazing book. it does not sensationalize the serious issue of jesus' life and the catholicism. the author does not "force" you to believe nor tells you to draw any conclusion....he only presents the facts, his scientific studies and YOU draw your own conclusion. i believe that this is the way to present any controversial thought about this sensitive matter.....unlike "trashy" and irresposible writings such as the davince code, "jesus lived in india" touched my heart and made me think a bit further about what we really know...but again, the way the book is presented and written that is what makes jesus lived in india a MUST READ book.