The Wisdom of Jesus and The Yoga Siddhas

This book is addressed to serious Biblical Students Christmas who are interested in comparing eastern spiritual teachings with those of Christianity and students of spiritual Yoga otherwise known as classical Yoga and Tantra as well as students and practitioners of meditation and other spiritual discipline.

The discoveries of ancient manuscripts and their analysis by independent critical scholars using scientific provide much insight into the original teachings of Jesus.

The saying of Jesus circulated orally during the first decades following his crucifixion are probably the most authentic source of his teachings that we have available today. These sayings are limited to a few dozen parables aphorisms and sharp retorts which were repeated in the oral tradition for two or three decades before they were eventually recorded by the anonymous writers of the gospels.

Remarkably what Jesus taught through his parables and sayings exactly parallels the Yogic teachings of the Yoga Siddhas.

For those seeking to apply the wisdom of these sayings in their own life the implication are clear. Seek not to know about God instead seek to know God through higher states of consciousness.

The objectives of this book the wisdom of Jesus and the Yoga Siddhas are:

• The show how the original teachings of Jesus as recorded in his sayings and parables became obscured once Christianity was defined in terms of dogmas and creeds
• To explore the question who was Jesus? Based upon those statements that many modern critical scholars have concluded are the most authentic
• To explore the question where is the Kingdom of god and How may I reach it? Based upon those statements that many modern critical scholars have concluded are the most authentic.
• To explore the question why are the teachings of Jesus so contrary to ordinary human nature?

The Origin of this book lies in my experience and education as a Christian during my early years and in my search for the spiritual teachings of Jesus. Anyone making an historical philosophical or scientific enquiry brings much which is personal to the task. It will be helpful therefore for the reader to know where I am coming form I owe to my parents Jane and Harry a deep debt of gratitude for having shared with me their faith in Jesus Christ during the first eighteen years of my life. From 1953 to 1967 my mother was a Sunday school teacher and superintendent in the local Lutheran Church on Sepulveda Boulevard in Westchester California two miles north of the Los Angeles international Airport. My father served it in various capacities including Treasurer. My earliest memories include ones involving religious services in the old sanctuary particularly at Easter and Christmas when the special decorations and fervor of the members of the congregation friends of our family filled me with love and joy. That God is love was made manifest in the warm community of this Church. I delighted in singing hymns and found friends were Christians and I enjoyed periodic Christian Youth rallies and field trips to churches in far off places like phoenix Arizona.

When I was twelve years old I attended a Billy Graham rally with a hundred thousand other persons at the Los Angeles Coliseum. I was overwhelmed by its intensity and when Billy Graham Called upon us to come down to the stage and declare our commitment to Jesus Christ. I responded and went. I accepted Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior. For many months thereafter I studied the lessons which his organization sent to me in the mail. I also began to dream of one day becoming a Christian missionary in Africa.

But there were questions and I was not satisfied I recall that even when I was about seven years old I asked Pastor Olsen What Happens to good People who are not Christians after they die? Do they go to heaven or hell? This question arose in my mind because my father had recently begun o share his passion for stamp collecting with me. He had given me my first stamp collection including many stamps from many foreign countries including many British and French colonies in Africa the South Pacific and Southeast Asia. I became aware that there were many different cultures and they were not like mine. Pastor Olsen’s reply surprised me. They go to hell he said somewhere form within myself however. I heard myself quietly saying. This cannot be true god loves everyone. He would not send good persons to hell just because they were not Christian!

When I was thirteen I attended Catechism classes at the Lutheran Church conducted by Pastor Anderson and became more familiar with the doctrines of our faith. These classes awoke within me many questions. I recall asking Pastor Anderson what heaven was like. He replied that he could not say because it was not described in the Bible. I asked him what is in. His answer was much more satisfying Ignorance of the presence of God. But could I know the presence of God? Could I not find god if he exists in the world? I was left dissatisfied and resolved to begin my search for a way to know god.