Unknown Life of Jesus Christ New Edition 2009 Publication

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

Page 85

- The Unknown Life of Jesus Christ shown to any foreigner. Europeans, as I said, have not been able to understand the reason why they are met with opposing. obstacles in the search of ancient manuscripts. To me, however, in my official capacity as the Secretary of the Jain Association of India, the reason is simple enough. In the first place, the Mahomedan invaders of India burned our sacred manuscripts by hundreds and thousands; and, secondly, the first Christian missionaries who visited India possessed themselves of some of these manuscripts simply with a view to deride and belittle them, as it appears even in these days from the mass of rubbish which they have published in India on the religions of the people of that country. The Hindus and Jains, therefore, have always shown reluctance to part with their manuscripts.
Thibet, and especially Ladak, has had the same experience: A former ruler of Thibet, Langdar, otherwise called Langdharma, had tried to abolish the Buddhist doctrine in 900 A. C. He had commanded all temples and monasteries to be demolished, the images to be destroyed and the sacred books to be burnt. So intense was the indignation excited by these acts of sacrilege that he was murdered in the same year. In the sixteenth century, the historical books concerning Ladak were destroyed by the fanatical Mahomedans of Skardo who invaded the country, burned the monasteries, temples and religious monuments, and threw the contents of various libraries into the river Indus. Does it astonish then that the Lama of the Lamieroo monastery should look with suspicions on the minute questioning of M. Notovitch?
From Lamieroo, M. Notovitch directed his attention towards Leh with the avowed determination of securing the manuscripts in question or go to Lassa. He therefore journeyed onward over difficult gorges, dangerous mountain passes, and through pleasant valleys, passing the celebrated fortress of Khalsi, dating from the time of the Mahomedan invasion, this being the only road leading from Kashmir to Thibet.