March 4, 2007
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Taken from James Churchward's Lecture before the American Society for Psychical Research. New York--20th April 1931.
It was a famine time in India. I was assisting in relief work the high priest of a college temple. Although I did not know it at first, he was exceedingly interested in archaeology and the records of the ancients, and had a greater knowledge of those subjects than any other living man.
For more than two years I studied diligently a dead language my priestly friend believed to be the original tongue of mankind. One day he told me there were a number of ancient tablets in the secret archives of the temple. What they consisted of he did not know, for he had seen only the chatties containing them. Although he was in a position to examine the writings he had never done so, as they were sacred records not to be touched.
In discussing these secret writings he added something that sent my curiosity up to a new high point. He had already mentioned the legendary Motherland of Man --the mysterious land of Mu. Now he amazed me by the admission that the precious tablets were believed by many to have been written by the Naacals. (a priestly brotherhood sent from the motherland to the colonies to teach the sacred writings, religion and the sciences).
Day after day I attempted to discover some method by which I could obtain access to the hidden treasures, but my friend, although extremely courteous, was adamant in his refusal to let me see them.
"My son," he would say, a touch of sadness in his voice, "I would that I could satisfy your desire, but that may not be. They are sacred relics that must not be taken out of their containers. I dare not grant your wish." "But think," I said, "They may not be packed properly and may break and crumble in the boxes, we should at least look at them to see if they are safe. "Six months passed. Curiosity or anxiety about their condition had won the contest over my priestly friend, for one evening on the table in front of him two of the ancient tablets were lying on a cloth. I examined with curiosity the long-hidden tablets.
They were apparently of sunburnt clay and extremely dusty. With great care I cleaned them and set to work deciphering the characters that were in the same dead language I had been studying with my friend. For seven years during all of my available time, I diligently studied under this old rishi, learning the language of Mu, her symbols, alphabet and writings, with a view of finding out something about ancient man. I was the only one to whom this old rishi ever gave instructions on this subject.
On one occasion he told me that there were some written records about Jesus in certain Himalayan monasteries; and gave me such letters of introduction to the heads of these monasteries, that on application I experienced no difficulty in obtaining a sight of these precious documents. In one monastery I found without question the original documents.
In the biblical records of Jesus there is a gap of many years. In monasteries and Lamaseries in the Himalayas and Tibet there are records (without question copies) telling how Jesus spent these mysterious years. There are also many oriental legends about him. One written record states that:
"When Jesus was a young man, he left his home country and first went to Egypt. There for two years he studied the ancient Egyptian Osirian religion. From Egypt he went to India and at Benares and other religious centers studied the teachings of Gautama. He then entered a Himalayan monastery where for 12 years he studied the Sacred Inspired writings of Mu and her Cosmic Forces and Sciences. At the end of 12 years he became a master: the most proficient Master that has ever been on earth. His name in this monastery is more revered today than by any sect of Christian Priesthood, and simply because these Himalayan monks knew him better.
In addition to the foregoing record they had another, also written in Pali on Olas and bound into a Patika. It is a very significant legend. The head of the monastery informed me that for many years it was an oral legend only: then to prevent its being forgotten or altered, those masters who were witnesses and still survived wrote down all data to accurately preserve it. The legend runs thus:
"When Jesus was about to leave the monastery to return to his own land, a controversy arose between him and the masters on the subject of reincarnation. Jesus maintained that The Sacred Inspired Writings of the Motherland stated that it was not the material body of Man that was reincarnated out of the original atoms that formed his body, but the soul or spirit only that was reincarnated. The Masters maintained that it was both the soul and the original atoms forming the previous body that were reincarnated-born over again, and not a fresh combination of elementary atoms.
I was allowed to see and read the tablets over which the controversy had taken place. I deciphered and translated three, all that was necessary. The first tablet over which the controversy took place reads, "The Material body returns to mother earth from whence it came. The elements are then used by nature for other bodies.
The Masters insisted that other bodies meant the subsequent bodies of the man. So the question hinged on the meaning of "other bodies" Did it mean the subsequent bodies of the reincarnated man or other bodies of nature's making?
To solve the problem I deciphered and translated the next two tablets they read as follows:
"It is-The Man-The Spirit-which comes into being again. Imperishable man is a-Divine Spark-around which a house, or an encasing body is built composed of elements, brought together and joined by the Ziis of the Life Force. After the usual period, or cycle, this compound of elements wears out and returns to mother earth, setting the Divine Spark free.,,"At the appointed time (the will of the Creator) a new set of elementary cells are brought together, forming a new house, and enclosing the Divine Spark. This house like the previous one, in due time, also returns to mother earth. And so it continues on-the Divine Spark occupying one house after another until its appointed time has come. Then it has to return whence it came to the Divine Source."
In studying the ancient writings I have found that the teachings of Osiris and Jesus are wonderfully alike. Many passages being identically the same word for word and line for line. this is not to be wondered at; they were both preaching and teaching the first and Inspired Religion of Man, which they both learned from the same school: The Sacred Inspired Writings of Mu.
Both Jesus and Osiris were, unquestionable, inspired instruments of the Great Nameless, sent on earth to show the children of this world the paths which lead to happiness. Many do not know who Osiris was beyond that he was one of the old Egyptian gods. Even Egyptologists are at loggerheads about who he was. Some of them say he was a myth, others a symbol only, and yet others that he was a king who lived somewhere. In a monastery in Tibet I found some tablets referring to Atlantis and among them a history of Osiris: it reads:
Osiris was born in Atlantis 22,000 years ago (according to reckoning of time). When a young man he went to the Motherland to study for the Priesthood. When he became a Master he returned to Atlantis. There he devoted himself to eliminating the extravagances, superstitions, misconceptions, and inventions that had crept into the Atlantean Religion. He then installed again the original religion of love and simplicity. He was then made the High Priest of Atlantis, a position which he held during a long life. When he passed on the Religion was called after him The Osirian Religion." This religion was carried to Egypt by Thoth and became the Egyptian religion.
One gloriously bright tropical morning, very early, I wandered down to the Temple to gain some pearl of wisdom from the rishi. We had been sitting in silence on our favorite bench in the Temple gardens for some time when suddenly he turned his face to me and said: "My son, it is strange how little your people understand their own Bible. Take for instance the legend which relates how Moses' serpent swallowed up the serpents of the Priests before Pharaoh. This is regarded as a miracle, whereas both Moses and the Priests were only practicing one of the ancient sciences. You will better understand it if I call it mass hypnotism."
"Moses had the power of raising his inner vibrations higher than those of the Priests so he could bring their brains under the control of his own. The Priests had their vibrations raised to a point where they had the audience under control, and then they cast their staffs on the ground concentrating on the vision of their transformation into serpents. Consequently, the people saw them as serpents. But Moses raised his vibrations to a higher pitch, gained control both of the priests and the people, and was thus able to cast his own staff to the ground and make them all see it turn into a serpent and swallow up the other serpents. But you, my son, never see clearly without a practical demonstration, so I must give you one. Give me your hand, so that your vibrations are attuned to mine. This will prevent your coming under the influence I am about to send forth."
About 50 feet away two coolies were sweeping up the Temple compound and just beyond were some dead branches which had fallen from a tree during the night. The rishi smilingly said: "Watch them drop those branches as soon as they touch them." When the coolies came to those branches and started to pick them up, they dropped them, shouting, "Snakes! Snakes! Poison snakes!" They then ran off and brought back two long bamboos and began thrashing the branches for dear life; after a moment the rishi lowered his vibrations. The coolies stopped their exertions and looked dumbfounded. The rishi called them over and asked them: "What have you been drinking?" "Arak" they said. "But we only took two drinks master!"
The rishi then told me that in ancient times, when India was divided into small kingdoms constantly at war with one another, mass hypnotism was used by the Priesthood to protect their temples and colleges. When a city had been taken by the enemy and was being burned and sacked by the soldiers, the Priests would assemble on the Temple steps and as the plunders approached, they would cast a spell over them, sending demons to frighten them off. These, legend says, often took the form of huge serpents. The rishi smilingly said, "I should not wonder if it was something of this sort that sent the soldiers of Alexander the Great back from India to their own country."
Another graphic illustration of the serpent "miracle" was staged for me on a certain morning when a tall, lanky European walked into the Temple Compound, and asked to see the High Priest, announcing himself as a Professor from some University in England. He said he was writing a book on the history of India, and wanted to get all possible information. He had been told that the High Priest of this temple knew more about India than any other man. He handed the rishi a letter of introduction, which the richi smilingly took but did not open. The rishi told him he would be gladly tell him anything that was contained in the Temple Records. The rishi then ordered a table and chair to be brought for the professor's convenience and comfort.
The scene that followed is etched on my memory. The professor laid his hat, cane and umbrella on the table; a collie deposited beside them a large pad of paper and many sharpened pencils. The professor then sat down and said: Now go ahead, old man, I'm ready to hear all you know."
The rishi quietly answered, "I think it would be better for you to put such questions as you wish answered.
Professor; "Well then, tell me about so-and-so."
Rishi: "Our temple records say so-and-so."Professor: "That's all wrong. In Professor so-and-so's History of India it says so-and-so."
Rishi: Professor so-and-so maybe right,and our Temple records wrong. I only know what the Temple Records say-"
Professor: Well then, I next want to know so-and-so-"
The rishi answered as before, quoting the Temple records, and again the professor told him he was wrong, quoting another "authority" on the subject in question.This went on through about a dozen questions, all ending with the same results; at last, the professor banged his papers together and said, "Here I have come these many miles to gain information. It has been a sheer waste of my time; why, old man, you know absolutely nothing, I could find out ten times as much as you know in an hour at any library."
At this I saw the rishil’s brows slightly contract, he reached out and took my hand. From this I knew something was going to happen. The Professor slammed on his hat, opened his umbrella, and took up his cane--which, with and awful yell, he threw across the compound, shouting, "Great heavens, it's a snake." One of the collies picked up the cane and brought it back to the professor, who backed away from it in horror. The rishi said kindly, "Why, Professor, you must have a touch of the sun." He then placed his hand on the Professors forehead, who groaned and writhed and sank into the chair. The rishi then sent for a coconut of water, which he gave to the professor to drink, saying, "This will no doubt straighten you out."
When the professor had swallowed the water he became normal; he held his hand out to the rishi, saying: "Although you know nothing about history, old man, you certainly are an adept at curing sunstroke."
He then went away The rishi watched him leaving the temple grounds, then with a sigh said, "Soon, my son, we shall have another wonderful history of India. Come let us walk in the gardens, this is all to childish.
The new history appeared about a year later amid a wonderful flourish of scientific trumpets. In it the professor gave the rishi credit for being a wonderful physician, and suggested that the medical faculty could learn much from the High Priests of India.
The rishi was thoroughly familiar with our Bible: much of the earlier part he knew by heart, particularly those chapters dealing with the Cosmic Sciences. One evening he said: "I have been thinking my son, about the great Biblical Miracle Which relates that Shadrech, Meshech and Abed Nego walked though the fiery furnace and were not touched by the fire. As I have often told you, Man has the power to raise his vibrations--the forces of his soul--above the vibrations of the earthly forces. Heat, which produces fire, is an earthly force, therefore man is able to raise his own vibrations above those of heat so that the heat force is repelled or nullified, forming a neutral zone through which the heat can not pass. The man's clothing partakes of his vibrations, so that even his garments cannot be touched. Those who have attained the knowledge which enables them to control these inner vibrations are termed Masters.
"Shadrech, Meshech and Abed Nego were Masters. It was by the use of this method of raising vibrations that they were able to walk through the fire without injury.
I asked how these Israelites had gained the necessary knowledge to become Masters. He answered:"The Israelites were captives in Babylonia, where there were many colleges for the teaching of the language of the Motherland, the first Inspired Religion and the Cosmic Sciences. These colleges were called Chaldi. It is from this name that the Semitic conquerors of Babylonia took their name Chaldeans and rechristened the country Chaldea.
"The Chaldi were open and free to all who wished to come to them for learning. There was no expense to the student, and the slave was as welcome as the prince. These Israelites, although in bondage, attended the Chaldi and became Masters."
After finishing his discourse, the old rishi looked at me and smiled, and said, "Now, I suppose, I must as usual make all plain to you by giving you a physical example." And with that he called to an attendant to bring him a large live coal. When the coal was brought in a chattie, he took my hand, deliberately picked up the red-hot coal with his fingers and placed in the palm of my hand. He then asked me if I felt any heat from the coal. I did not. He then told me to light a cigar from it. I tried but the cigar would not light. He smiled and turned my hand over. The coal fell to the ground. He then withdrew his hand from mine and told me to pick the coal up. I innocently attempted to do so--and although I dropped it hastily, my fingers carried burns and blisters for many days. He then picked the coal up himself, put it back into the chattie, and said to me, "Now light, your cigar from it. I did with no difficulty. The demonstration was complete.
He was always very emphatic when speaking of faith, and always impressed me that faith was not "to make oneself believe that he had faith, but it must be conviction added to faith--spiritual conviction."
He strongly emphasized that "concentration alone without absolute faith attending it, will not advance one very far." "Concentration and faith are twin sisters, two flowers on a stem.
At one point he referred to the teachings of Jesus, quoting the moving of a mountain through faith.
