Jesus as the True Teacher, the Sadguru

Painted by M.P. Manoj, based on the original drawing of Joy Elamkunnapuzha, CMI, the picture above represents Jesus as the true Indian teacher, the Sadguru, who teaches dharma, wisdom, compassion and the unity between humanity and divinity. 

In Indian daily life, the life and personality of a Sadguru is marked by tolerance (titiksa), mercy or compassion (karuna), freedom from greed (aparigraha), true friendship with all creatures, doing one’s duty regardless of consequences (samabhava), devotion (bhakti), and mindful concentration on Krishna, the almighty god of Hinduism. 

Moreover, the Sadguru is even believed to be an incarnation of god, an Avatara, a god-made-flesh, full of divinity (as marked by the divine halo floating behind his head), who dwells among the people and leads them to the fullness of happiness and to the union with Brahman, the highest realization that humanity is essentially divinity.

On the picture Jesus Christ is depicted as sitting in a Lotus-position, the padma-asana, the meditation position taken by a holy man to mark him/her as a perfect human being who is replete of understanding, wisdom, insight, purity, integrity and love—virtues symbolized by a Lotus flower. 

Pay attention to the position or gesture of all of Jesus’ fingers which is called Mudra! Mudras are a gesture or position, usually of the hands, that locks and guides energy flow and reflexes to the brain. By curling, crossing, stretching and touching the fingers and hands, we can talk to the body and mind as each area of the hand reflexes to a certain part of the mind or body.

The gesture of the fingers of his right hand is called Guyan Mudra: the tip of the thumb touches the tip of the index finger, stimulating knowledge and ability. The index finger is symbolized by Jupiter, and the thumb represents the ego. Guyan Mudra imparts receptivity and calm.

Another similar gesture is also called Active Guyan Mudra: the first joint of the index finger is bent under the first joint of the thumb, imparting active knowledge.


The position of the fingers of his left hand is called Shuni Mudra: tip of middle finger (symbolized by Saturn) touches the tip of the thumb, giving patience.

In short, the position and gesture of Jesus’ fingers represented on the picture above points to the fact that here Jesus Christ is portrayed as a Sadguru who always has receptivity, calmness, wisdom, knowledge, ability and patience. 

From the body and concentrated mind of that divine Jesus, flows powerful divine energy, the Chi, that makes a cup of wine with a loaf of Host on it and an oil lamp with its burning bright float in the air. 

Conclusively, this Jesus is an Indian magician and an Indian true teacher at the same time.

(Concerning mudras, see http://www.chi-energy-sports.com/chakras.php)

The Nativity of the Red Indian Babe Jesus

Currently in Canada, Native Americans (also known as First Nations or American Indians) cover 5.4 % of the total population; in Mexico 90 %, and in the USA 1.5 %.

Estimates of the numbers of Native North Americans at the time of the European arrival or invasion (beginning with Christopher Columbus in 1492) in what is now the United States and Canada vary between 1.2 to 12 million.

By the end of the 19th century the number of Native Americans had been reduced to 250,000, mainly through imported diseases, dislocation, slavery, mass murder and genocide. Many of the Native American survivors converted to Christianity. 

Despite this mass conversion to Christianity, a resurgence of Aboriginal faith is currently underway in the life of Native Americans. 

One of the many ways in which this resurgence is taking place is to assimilate the indigenous culture and spirituality of Native Americans to the Christian faith. 

We nevertheless should remember that many followers of Native American spirituality do not regard their spiritual beliefs and practices as an “organized religion” in the way in which many Christians do.

Their religious beliefs and life practices form an integral and seamless part of their very being regarded to be inseparable from nature, i.e., from the Mother Earth and the sky, and from wild animals surrounding their neighborhood. 

For many other Native Americans, their traditional beliefs and life practices are more important and more sensible than those of Christianity. Note the following two remarks uttered by two Native Americans:

“Rather than going to church, I attend a sweat lodge; rather than accepting bread and toast [sic!] from the Holy Priest, I smoke a ceremonial pipe to come into Communion with the Great Spirit; and rather than kneeling with my hands placed together in prayer, I let sweet grass be feathered over my entire being for spiritual cleansing and allow the smoke to carry my prayers into the heavens. I am a Mi’kmaq, and this is how we pray.” (Noah Augustine, from his article “Grandfather was a knowing Christian,” Toronto Star, Toronto ON Canada, 2000-AUG-09).

“If you take [a copy of] the Christian Bible and put it out in the wind and the rain, soon the paper on which the words are printed will disintegrate and the words will be gone. Our bible is the wind.” (A statement by an anonymous Native American woman).

 

The three iconographies presented here are the traditional Native American artistic expression of the Nativity of Jesus and the Holy Family. They give witness to the human face of the Sacred. The icons, imaged in the features of America’s indigenous people, reveal anew that sacred power which is believed to be enveloping the very being of all Native Americans. They celebrate the soul of the Native American as the original spiritual presence on this great continent; and as prophetic signs, the three paintings celebrate the reconciliation of the spiritual vision of Native and Christian peoples of this land.

The first and second paintings relate the nativity of the Native American babe Jesus and the visit of their three village leaders. The third picture depicts the Holy Family, painted by Fr John Giuliani. At the center of this picture is the child Jesus whose hands intertwine tenderly with those of his mother Mary and Joseph his father. Their gaze on the child is reflected onto us, the viewer, through his knowing innocence. (Source of the third picture: http://www.bridgebuilding.com/narr/ghol.html).