The hundreds of counterparts to the history of Christ, proving their
histories to be almost identical, will be found enumerated in Chapter
XXXII., such as--1. His miraculous birth by a virgin. 2. The mother and
child being visited by shepherds, wise men and the angelic host, who
joyously sang, "In thy delivery, O favored among women, all nations
shall have cause to exult." 3. The edict of the tyrant ruler Cansa,
ordering all the first born to be put to death. 4. The miraculous escape
of the mother and child from his bloody decree by the parting of the
waves of the River Jumna to permit them to pass through on dry ground.
5. The early retirement of Chrishna to a desert. 6. His baptism or
ablution in the River Ganges, corresponding to Christ's baptism in
Jordan. 7. His transfiguration at Madura, where he assured his disciples
that "present or absent, I will always be with you." 8. He had a
favorite disciple (Arjoon), who was his bosom friend, as John was
Christ's. 9. He was anointed with oil by women, like Christ. 10. A
somewhat similar fish story is told of him--his disciples being enabled
by him to catch large draughts of the finny prey in their nets. (For
three hundred other similar parallels, see Chapter XXXII.)
Like Christ, he taught much by parables and precepts. A notable sermon
preached by him is also reported, which we have not space for here.
On one occasion, having returned from a ministerial journey, as he
entered Madura, the people came out in crowds to meet him, strewing the
ground with the branches of cocoa-nut trees, and desiring to hear him.
He addressed them in parables--the conclusion and moral of one of which,
called the parable of the fishes, runs thus: "And thus it is, O people
of Madura, that you ought to protect the weak and each other, and not
retaliate upon an enemy the wrongs he may have done you." Here we see
the peace doctrine preached in its purity. "And thus it was," says a
writer, "that Chrishna spread among the people the holy doctrines of
purest morality, and initiated his hearers into the exalted principles
of charity, of self-denial, and self-respect at a time when the desert
countries of the west were inhabited only by savage tribes;" and we
will add, long before Christianity was thought of. Purity of life
and spiritual insight, we are told, were distinguishing traits in the
character of this oriental sin-atoning Savior, and that "he was often
moved with compassion for the downtrodden and the suffering."
A Budhist in Ceylon, who sent his son to a Christian school, once
remarked to a missionary, "I respect Christianity as a help to Budhism."
Thus is disclosed the fact that the motives of some of "the heathen"
in sending to Christian schools is the promotion of their own religion,
which they consider superior, and in many respects most of them are.
(For proof, see Chapter on Bibles.)
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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