Jesus In India — Page 95
J e s u s i n I n d i a 95 missionaries, having heard and seen at first hand conditions obtaining in Tibet, came to the conclusion that in the ancient books of the Lamas there were to be found traces of the Christian religion. Again, on the same page, it is stated that there is no doubt about it that these ancient authorities believed that the disciples of Jesus were still alive when the Christian teaching reached this place. On page 171 it is stated that there is not the slightest doubt that at that time everybody was eagerly waiting for the great Saviour to appear. Tacitus says that it was not only the Jews who were responsible for this belief, but Buddhism itself had laid the foundation for it, i. e. , it prophesied the coming of the Metteya. Furthermore, the author of this English work says in a note: The books Pitakattayan and Attha-Katha contain the clear prophecy concerning the appearance of yet another Buddha, whose advent would take place a thousand years after the time of Gautama or ‘Sakhiya Muni’. Gautama himself states, that he is the 25 th Buddha and that the ‘Bagwa Metteyya’ is still to appear, that is, after he has gone, one whose name will be Metteyya who will be fair-skinned will come. The English author goes on to say that the word Metteyya has a striking resemblance to Messiah. 45 In short, Gautama Buddha clearly states in this prophecy that there would arise a Messiah in his country, among his people and his followers. That is why the followers of Buddhism had all the time been waiting for the Messiah to appear in their country. The Buddha, in his prophecy, mentioned him as ‘Bagwa Metteyya’ because ‘Bagwa’ in Sanskrit means ‘white’, and Jesus, being an inhabitant of the Syrian 45 See Appendix, extract 6 (Translator)