Unknown Life of Jesus Christ New Edition 2009 Publication

Author(s): Nicholas Notovitch, Virchand R Gandhi, Kumarpal Desai
Publisher: World Jain Confederation

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The Unknown Life of Jesus Christ The theory that Jesus at the age of thirteen went to India has been held by many to be true, but it is for the first time advanced publicly by M. Notovitch. Orthodox Christians would deem it sacrilegious even to imagine that the "Son of God” went to India and there studied its religions and philosophies. We shall. examine the facts which will help us to reason on this point.
Christian divines have described India as a heathen country both materially and spiritually. Comparisons are frequently drawn between the civilization of Ancient India and Europe, and a missionary in India has taken great pains to show that Hindu civilization was nothing in comparison with modern Western civilization. He also thinks that the civilization of ancient India represented only the infancy of civilization. To him the glorious civilization of Europe is the model. In his opinion only the ignorant and half-educated look upon the past as the Golden, and the present as the Iron age; while he himself forgets his own doctrines on the original fall of man.
It is a great mistake to compare the Hindu civilization with Western civilization. It is impossible to compare the industrial productions, hand wrought of India, with those of Europe, "turned out as it is aptly phrased, by machines. Machinery and mechanical Progress cannot be applied to any artistic work, except the avowed imitation or copying of great art works. It is true that the Hindu artist has his own traditions on decorative art, which is a crystallized tradition although perfect in form; it is true that the spirit of fine art which is latent in India, requires to be quickened into creative operations in these times. Still the Indian workman, from the humblest potter to the most cunning embroiderer in blue, purple, scarlet and gold, is a true artist. “But has the Western civilization preserved his true character?" Sir George Birdwood. who lived and studied in India for a number of years the native industries of that country, says in connection with the Indian
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