abhischekcc wrote:Can we convert Jesus to Hinduism? It would not even require permission of next of kin because as per legend, Jesus had no children.
The gospels have accounts of events surrounding Jesus' birth, and the subsequent flight into Egypt to escape the wrath of Herod (Gospel of Matthew 2:13-23). There is a general reference to the settlement of Joseph and Mary, along with the young Jesus, at Nazareth (Matthew 2:23; Gospel of Luke 2:39-40). There also is that isolated account of Joseph, Mary, and Jesus' visit to the city of Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover, when Jesus was twelve years old (Luke 2:41-50).
Following that episode, there is a blank space in the record that covers eighteen years in the life of Christ (from age 12 to 30). Other than the generic allusion that Jesus advanced in wisdom, stature, and in favor with God and man (Luke 2:52), the Bible gives nothing more about Jesus' life during this time span. A common assumption amongst Christians is that Jesus simply lived in Nazareth during that period, but there are various accounts that present other scenarios, including travels to India.
Several authors have claimed to have found proof of the existence of manuscripts in India and Tibet that support the belief that Christ was in India during this time in his life. Others cite legends in a number of places in the region that Jesus passed that way in ancient times.[1] The Jesus in India manuscript was first reported in modern times by Nicolas Notovitch (1894). Subsequently several other authors have written on the subject, including the religious leader Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (founder of Ahmadiyya movement) (1899), Levi H. Dowling (1908), Swami Abhedananda (1922),[2] Nicholas Roerich (1923–1928),[1] Mathilde Ludendorff (1930), and Elizabeth Clare Prophet (founder of Ascended Master Teachings New Age group) (1956).[3]
It is possible that Jesus may have popularised Vedic/Buddhist ideas when he returned home.
The Jesus in India idea has been associated with Louis Jacolliot's book La Bible dans l'Inde, Vie de Iezeus Christna (1869)[9] (The Bible in India, or the Life of Jezeus Christna),[10] but there is no direct connection between his writings and those of writers on the Himmis mauscripts.
Jacolliot compares the accounts of the life of Bhagavan Krishna with that of Jesus Christ in the gospels and concludes that it could not have been a coincidence that the two stories have so many similarities in many of the finer details. He concludes that the account in the gospels is a myth based on the ‘mythology’ of ancient India.
The possible influence of Buddhism on Christianity (and possibly of the Essenes) has been suggested, but with more emphasis on doctrine than mythology. Nevertheless, it has been noted that the life of Christ bears strong similarities to the life of Buddha. This was initially interpreted by certain Catholic missionaries in terms of the "demonic imitation" theory.[51]
More recently it has been taken by some scholars as far as a "Copycat Christ" theory, postulating that Jesus is simply a Judaistic retelling of the story of Buddha. Thus, T. W. Doane in his 1882 Bible Myths opined that "nothing now remains for the honest man to do but acknowledge the truth, which is that the history of Jesus of Nazareth as related in the books of the New Testament, is simply a copy of that of Buddha, with a mixture of mythology borrowed from other nations." (p. 286)
Max Müller in his 1873 Introduction to the Science of Religion noted that
"Between the language of The Buddha and his disciples, and the language of Christ and his apostles, there are strange coincidences. Even some Buddhist legends and parables sound as if taken from the New Testament, though we know that many of them existed before the beginning of the Christian era."
Th. J. Plange in 1906 concluded that early Christianity was the product of Buddhist missionaries. Such ideas were critically reviewed by Richard Garbe in his 1914 Indien und das Christentum. Garbe noted that the similarities between Christian and Buddhist tradition have invited much dilettante speculation, but he nevertheless acknowledged some possible influence, in particular on later Christian legend (suggesting that Josaphat is a corrupted form of Bodhisattva, and identifying Eustachius and Hubertus with Samantabhadra). Garbe accepted the historicity of Christ, but identified four passages[which?] in the gospel narrative as borrowed from Buddhist scripture.
I find many similarities between Hinduism and Christianity as shown below:
Hindu Samskara
The Hindu Samskāra are a series of sacraments, sacrifices and rituals that serve as rites of passage and mark the various stages of the human life, such as pregnancy, childbirth, education, marriage, and death. Although, the number of major samskaras fluctuates between 12 and 18 in the Grhya Sutras, later, it became 16 (Hindi: sola) in number.
Christian Sacraments
The following are the seven sacraments of the Roman Catholic Church, here listed in the traditional order: Baptism (Christening), Confirmation (Chrismation), Holy Eucharist Penance (Confession), Anointing of the Sick (known prior to the Second Vatican Council as Extreme Unction (or more literally from Latin: Last Anointing), then seen as part of the "Last Rites") Holy Orders, Matrimony (Marriage)
Worship in temple
Idol worship of Gods/Goddesses
Prayers, scripture readings and singing of Bhajans
Prasada (food offered to God) distribution in Temples
Use of Agarbati (Burning Incense)/Loban
Aarti/bell ringing
Offering of food/money/flowers/jewellery etc
Worship in Church
Idol worship of Jesus and/or Mary
Prayers, scripture readings and congregational singing of hymns.
Use of bread and wine in Churches
Burning of Incense
Bell ringing
Collection
Significance of Fasting in Hinduism
Fasting is a very integral part of the Hindu religion. Individuals observe different kinds of fasts based on personal beliefs and local customs.
Significance of Fasting in Christianity
Fasting laws are stricter in Orthodox Church than in the West. On fast days, the faithful give up not only meat, but also dairy products, and on many fast days they also give up fish, wine and the use of oil in cooking. The Rite of Constantinople observes four fasting seasons: Great Lent, Nativity Fast, Apostles' Fast and Dormition Fast. In addition, most Wednesdays and Fridays throughout the year are fast days. Many monasteries also observe Monday as a fast day. (Compare this with Hindus fasting on Mondays for Bhagwan Shiv or Shankara)
Hindu Aarti Times
Temple pujas are elaborate and typically done several times a day. I am afraid I don't know the exact times and names of prayers. Can someone enlighten us all?
Orthodox Church Prayer Times
The daily cycle of services consists of the following:
•Vespers (chanted at sunset, which is when the liturgical day begins, following the ancient Jewish tradition)
•Compline (the last prayer before sleep)
•Midnight Office (a monastic office which is chanted in the middle of the night, or early in the morning)
•Matins (the morning office—and the longest of the day—which traditionally ends as the sun is rising)
•First Hour (chanted at the rising of the sun)
•Third Hour (chanted at the third hour of the day—approximately 9:00 am)
•Sixth Hour (chanted at noon)
•Ninth Hour (chanted at the ninth hour of the day—approximately 3:00 pm)
The real evolution of the Christian service in the first century is shrouded in mystery. By the second and third centuries, such Church Fathers as Clement of Alexandria, Origen, and Tertullian wrote of formalised, regular services: the practice of Morning and Evening Prayer, and prayers at the third hour of the day (terce), the sixth hour of the day (sext), and the ninth hour of the day (non)
The significance of Asceticism in Hinduism
Some forms of religion (see article Monastic life) and the Indian religions (including yoga) teach salvation and liberation and involve a process of mind-body transformation affected by exercising restraint with respect to actions of body, speech, and mind.
The significance of Asceticism in Christianity
In Catholic and Orthodox Christians have strongly tended to view Christian fasting, chastity and other ascetic practice as oriented toward desire and love for Christ (the "bridegroom" of the Church, still really present, these traditions believe, in the Eucharist) over and above all other things, even though the entire creation is affirmed as good.
In Orthodox Christianity and Eastern Catholicism, Asceticism and Christian Mysticism are part of the basic Theology of their churches and very important. In Catholic theology this is expressed as an inseparable relationship between ascetical and mystical theology, as if the human and divine dimensions of living the Christian spiritual life of incarnate divine love, for instance as described by St. John of the Cross.
Significance of Water in Hinduism
River Ganga is the most sacred river to Hindus and is also a lifeline to millions of Indians who live along its course and depend on it for their daily needs.[6] It is worshiped as the goddess Ganga in Hinduism.
Hindus consider the waters of the Ganga to be both pure and purifying. What the Ganga removes, however, is not necessarily physical dirt, but symbolic dirt; it wipes away the sins of the bather, not just of the present, but of a lifetime.
Significance of Water in Christianity
In Christianity, baptism (from the Greek noun Βάπτισμα baptisma; itself derived from baptismos, washing[2]) is for the majority the rite of admission (or adoption[3]), almost invariably with the use of water, into the Christian Church generally[4]
According to Lindsay, the majority view in the Christian church identifies three modes of baptism; immersion (the baptizand enters the water bodily and submerges their head), affusion (water is poured on a baptizand who may or may not be standing in water), and aspersion (water is sprinkled on the face). (Compare this with Hindus sprinkled with Ganga water in temples)
Hindu Procession/Nagaryatra
Hindus hold grand processions or nagaryatra on auspicious days. E.g. Jagganath Festival in Odisha
Christian Procession
Christians hold processions during Easter. In South America, Catholics hold processions focusing on Mother Mary.
Mother Mary
The story of the birth of the Buddha was known in the Hellenistic world: a fragment of Archelaos of Carrha(278 CE) mentions the Buddha's virgin-birth.[34][35]
Queen Maya came to bear the Buddha after receiving a prophetic dream in which she saw the descent of the Bodhisattva (Buddha-to-be) from the Tuṣita heaven into her womb, in the shape of a small white elephant. This story has some parallels with the story of Jesus being conceived in connection with the visitation of the Holy Spirit to the Virgin Mary.[36] Kunti of Mahabharata also had immaculate conception.
The classical scene of the Virgin Mary being supported by two attendants at her side, may have been influenced by earlier iconography, such as the rather similar Buddhist theme of Queen Maya giving birth.[37]
The iconography of Mary breastfeeding the child Jesus, unknown in the West until the 5-6th century (probable date of a frieze excavated in Saqqara), has also been connected to the much more ancient iconography of the goddess Hariti, also breastfeeding her child, and wearing Hellenistic clothes in the Greco-Buddhist art of Gandhara.[38]
Acknowledgement:Extracts from Wiki.
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