As a sophomore in high school, I remember my teacher giving a lecture on the origins of Christianity in World History. He explained that from ages 13-29 the life of Jesus was unknown. This thought crossed my mind a few days ago and I decided to research this. What I came across was rather interesting.

http://www.wolflodge.org/sananda/lost-years-of-jesus.htm

This is something that everyone need to read.

This could mean that Christianity was influenced by both Buddhism and Hinduism, and possibly vice versa.

quote:Originally posted by NurotiK_SykotiK:

This could mean that Christianity was influenced by both Buddhism and Hinduism, and possibly vice versa.

I think Jesus's message has been greatly misunderstood by Xians. Understanding eastern religeons could help you to understand what Jesus really did mean.

I've heard that story before, not sure if I believe it quite yet, though. I have known Buddhists who believe (like I do) that Jesus was a great Teacher, some have even suggested that he might have been a bodhisattva, which I guess is possible.

Yeah, I always thought that Jesus was similar to the bodhisattva of compassion, Avaloketishwara.

This might something that caught my attention on television today was the biography I saw on Mary Magdelene. It discussed how Jesus would give her private lessons and was considered his favorite apostle. After the death of the Messiah, she left home and made the forest her dwelling where she would fast and meditate. Now is it me, or does that strike a similarity with what Siddhartha's followers did? Although it could be seen as trivial, I'm wondering what you guys think.

quote:Originally posted by NurotiK_SykotiK:

This might something that caught my attention on television today was the biography I saw on Mary Magdelene. It discussed how Jesus would give her private lessons and was considered his favorite apostle. After the death of the Messiah, she left home and made the forest her dwelling where she would fast and meditate.

My question is: Where did this television 'biography' get its information from? To my knowledge, Mary Magdelene is mentioned only in the bible, and the bible does not give any indication that she got privately tutored by Jesus, or that she lived in the woods, "grizzly adams" style.

quote:Originally posted by xtreem5150ahm:

My question is: Where did this television 'biography' get its information from? To my knowledge, Mary Magdelene is mentioned only in the bible, and the bible does not give any indication that she got privately tutored by Jesus, or that she lived in the woods, "grizzly adams" style.



oops.. only mentioned in the Bible and the apocrypha. Which is not considered to be God inspired

Yeah it's a *cool* idea, and it could have been feasible for Jesus to go to India during those years. Unfortuently, at best, Jesus in India is a theory.... and not a very strong one at that. In my mind it's up there with Knights Templar and the like.

quote:Originally posted by xtreem5150ahm:

My question is: Where did this television 'biography' get its information from? To my knowledge, Mary Magdelene is mentioned only in the bible, and the bible does not give any indication that she got privately tutored by Jesus, or that she lived in the woods, "grizzly adams" style.



All the information came from scholars at various universities.

quote:Originally posted by NurotiK_SykotiK:

All the information came from scholars at various universities.



And where did they get it? Like i already said, i only know about 2 sources that mention M. Magdlene. The Bible and the Apocrypha. Scholars feel that most was written between the 2nd and 5th centuries (if memory serves), and the early church fathers did not believe that these writings were God inspired.

I do have a copy, and have read a small portion. I'm not sure if i agree with the church, as there are many things in them that are "interesting". These "interesting" things seem to be above the knowledge that would be from that time... but this is just my oppinion.

The Bible.

quote:Originally posted by NurotiK_SykotiK:

The Bible.



please show where

Oops, sorry. In Egypt, natives found some ancient scrolls that had information on Mary Magdelene. Don't really remember what it was called though.

I got a page not found when I pressed the link

However I see similarities between christ's and buddha's(6 bc) teachings> in fact I feel they are exactly the same.

Buddhists say that jesus was an enlightened one.

It is others who have commited crimes in his name

Jesus taught of Absolute rightousness

Mabie even Absolute Minimalism.

quote:Originally posted by inquisitor_11:

Yeah it's a *cool* idea, and it could have been feasible for Jesus to go to India during those years. Unfortuently, at best, Jesus in India is a theory.... and not a very strong one at that. In my mind it's up there with Knights Templar and the like.

The Knights Templar are historic fact.

There is more evidence for Jesus traveling to India than there is against it, so I am inclined to believe it.

^ I'm not disputing the exsistance of the Knights Templar, I'm disputing the idea that Yeshua's bones were taken back from Palestine to some place in the french alps during the middle-ages.

quote:There is more evidence for Jesus traveling to India than there is against it, so I am inclined to believe it.

lol... the way you said that makes me think your a christian pretending to be a non-xian. Anyway... a greater quantity of evidence means jack unless the evidence is of a decent quality.

MOre on this later.

quote:Originally posted by inquisitor_11:

Yeah it's a *cool* idea, and it could have been feasible for Jesus to go to India during those years. Unfortuently, at best, Jesus in India is a theory.... and not a very strong one at that. In my mind it's up there with Knights Templar and the like.

He didn't have to travel all the way to India.

Buddhism was known in Helleninstic area. For example there might have been buddhist monks in Alexandria. Remember those buddha statues in Afghanistan?

quote:Originally posted by jurainus:

He didn't have to travel all the way to India.

Buddhism was known in Helleninstic area. For example there might have been buddhist monks in Alexandria. Remember those buddha statues in Afghanistan?



Yep, and those Buddha statues in Afganistan were carved as if they were dressed Greek clothing as well. According to a Chinese dude back then, there is a statue lying down like a sleeping Buddha as well in Afghanistan. Theres excavations going on for that, but its pretty amazing that this Buddha would be the height of the Chrysler Building, and that people would take the time to do that.

[This message has been edited by AngrySquirrel (edited 10-10-2004).]

quote:Originally posted by jurainus:

He didn't have to travel all the way to India.

Buddhism was known in Helleninstic area. For example there might have been buddhist monks in Alexandria. Remember those buddha statues in Afghanistan?

The thread is about Jesus going to India... not about his exposure to Buddhism. I think I've even heard it said that Bhuddist thought had even extended to Egypt circa first century. If i remember right, even some of the canonical gospel accounts place some of Jesus' early childhood in Egypt.

I had a long discussion with my sophmore religion teacher about this. I've never seen manuscripts and such that were on the site though.

I have always liked the idea of a buddhist trained Jesus. I have seen many of the similarities.

quote:Originally posted by NurotiK_SykotiK:

Oops, sorry. In Egypt, natives found some ancient scrolls that had information on Mary Magdelene. Don't really remember what it was called though.

are you talking about the Nag Hammadi scrolls? They pretty much reintroduced Gnostic Christianity to the world at large.

http://www.gnosis.org/naghamm/nhl.html

I remember a while back "additional [Gnostic] gospels" were found somewhere in Northern Africa (it might have been Egypt). One of these was called the "Gospel According to Mary Magdalene," which introduced some pretty radical concepts, including one that she was actually married to Jesus (kissing her on the lips). Also included was additional information and parables about Jesus' childhood.

quote:Originally posted by Brother Maynard:

I remember a while back "additional [Gnostic] gospels" were found somewhere in Northern Africa (it might have been Egypt). One of these was called the "Gospel According to Mary Magdalene," which introduced some pretty radical concepts, including one that she was actually married to Jesus (kissing her on the lips). Also included was additional information and parables about Jesus' childhood.

Yes, that's what they discussed in the biography I saw (excluding Mary marrying Jesus).

That theory is impossible, jesus had not alot of money at all and he was a carpenter...what do you expect? that he can just go on wonderful voyages around the world especially when this was 2000 years ago, I doubt even roman caesars could do this.

In actual fact Christianity is a semitic concept devised in rome, the bible written about 300 years after the supposed time of christ. It has taken elements from hinduism, buddhism, paganism, and has had alot of bits added on as it has entered europe. The books of the old testament are really just copy right infringements of earlier books, most notably genisis as a rip off of the sumerian epic of gilgamesh.

I think there may have been some evidence of a man who can be roughly equated with jesus, and he lived in pakistan. Obviously he was not the incarnation of god who died on a crucifex and rose again to save everybody.

very interesting. i think beany is right about everyone missunderstanding jesus.i believe jesus was a dood. he was a chill dood. he probaly meditated and was very much like the alpha hippy. thats not to say hes "the son of god". hell,i could say IM the son of god and my sister is the daughter of god. we're all products of the same stuff.

quote:This could mean that Christianity was influenced by both Buddhism and Hinduism, and possibly vice versa.

Buddhism is three thousand years old (1 thousand years older then xianity) and hinduism is one of the most ancient religions in the world. Christianity is maybe 1700 years old max.

quote:Originally posted by shuu:

Buddhism is three thousand years old (1 thousand years older then xianity) and hinduism is one of the most ancient religions in the world. Christianity is maybe 1700 years old max.

Buddhism is 500 years older than Christianity.

Its feasable Jesus travelled... Noah's Ark is almost a exact account from the Gilgamesh Epic... Written in Mesopotamia...

Its a script written by the Babalonians where Gilgamesh meets a survivour of a Great Flood... 1000's of years before Jesus or the Hewbrews existed...

The flood survivor sent forth a dove, which finding no land circled and returned... Then a swallow which did the same... Finaly a raven was sent forth and as the waters had receded, did not circle, but ate and drank...

If jesus hadn't travelled, the writters of Genisis certainly did...

Surprisingly, the laws of God are very similiar to the Laws of Hammurabi, The Prince... It's the first record of any established laws with punishment...

Eye for an Eye, Just like God's laws which were dictated some 1000's of years later to Moses...

Did God visit the Summerians and not tell the Christian's?

[This message has been edited by Axiom (edited 10-14-2004).]

^

It also depicted Hammurabi receiving 'the Law' from the sky... much like Moses is depicted as receiving the tablets from god.

quote:Its feasable Jesus travelled... Noah's Ark is almost a exact account from the Gilgamesh Epic... Written in Mesopotamia...

Its a script written by the Babalonians where Gilgamesh meets a survivour of a Great Flood... 1000's of years before Jesus or the Hewbrews existed...

The flood survivor sent forth a dove, which finding no land circled and returned... Then a swallow which did the same... Finaly a raven was sent forth and as the waters had receded, did not circle, but ate and drank...

If jesus hadn't travelled, the writters of Genisis certainly did...



The writers of genisis were early hebrews, and they would not have had to travel that much at all, where they come from isn't that far from sumeria or at least the site of sumeria, all they'd really have to do is come maurading in, bash a few people over the head, burn a few libraries and temples and then steal a few books to try and spin off a bullshit religion from it.