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Abbot George Burke (Swami Nirmalananda Giri)
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The Christ of India: The Story of Saint Thomas Christianity Paperback – January 1, 2016

by Abbot George Burke (Author)
4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 496 ratings
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The Christ of India: The Story of Original Christianity
The Christ of India: The Story of Original Christianity
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The unique story of Jesus, Saint Thomas his Apostle, and how the Dharma of India became part of Saint Thomas Christianity      *Award Winning*

There is a strong connection between Jesus and India, both historically and philosophically. And his disciple, Saint Thomas, who was the apostle of India, built upon the foundation of that connection. The result is that unique form of Christianity known as Saint Thomas Christianity.

In The Christ of India, Abbot George Burke presents the growing evidence that Jesus spent much of his "Lost Years" in India and Tibet, and reveals the philosophical unity of Jesus' teachings with the Eternal Way of Truth known in India as Sanatana Dharma. The history of Saint Thomas Christianity from the times of Jesus and Saint Thomas to the present day is also outlined.

The Christ of India: The Story of Saint Thomas Christianity includes the following:
  1. The Christ of India, about the Essene roots of Jesus and the early Christians; the spiritual training of Jesus; The "lost years" of Jesus, with much information never before gathered together in one place; Jesus' return to the West, and how his teachings were misunderstood; Jesus return to India after his resurrection; and much more.
  2. The Apostle of India, about how Jesus' apostle Saint Thomas went to India, and how the Christianity which grew up in India had a totally unique character compared to elsewhere in the world; the history of Saint Thomas Christianity in India and the story of mission from the Church of India to America in the 1800's and what happened to it.
  3. Basic Beliefs of Saint Thomas Christianity, and
  4. The Saint Thomas Christian View of Dharma
You will learn about the Tibetan and Indian manuscripts which proved Jesus lived in the "East" and the efforts to suppress the news of their discovery.

You will learn about the Indian Saint Thomas Christian bishop of the 18th century who taught karma and reincarnation, who later became a wonderworking saint revered by Christians, Hindus, and Muslims alike.

Those who find themselves attracted to both Jesus and the Dharma of India will find this book fascinating and illuminating.
Previous page
  1. Print length
    100 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publication date
    January 1, 2016
  4. Dimensions
    6 x 0.25 x 9 inches
  5. ISBN-10
    153510063X
  6. ISBN-13
    978-1535100632
  7. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Review

"Abbot George is like the Emily Dickinson of modern day spiritual writers." Reverend Gerry Nangle

From Enas Reviews:

Author Abbot George Burke weaves his research and knowledge expertly into his book The Christ of India bringing out high quality content that highlights strong connection between Jesus and India. By tracing back the history of foundation laid by Apostle Saint Thomas, author enlightens the knowledge of his readers regarding the unique form of christianity known as 'Saint Thomas Christianity' in India.

Interpreting the teachings of Jesus from the perspective of Santana Dharma, The Christ of India is a knowledgeable yet engaging collection of authentic details and evident manuscripts about the Essene roots of Jesus and his 'Lost years'. An invaluable book for anyone desiring to know more about Jesus; delightful to read and a work of substance, vividly written and rich in historical analysis, this is an excellent work written by a masterful teacher & a storyteller.

I was genuinely impressed by the wealth of knowledge author has in his subject material and the way he distills research into an informative read that is not restricted to any religion, region or age. This book is an enriching gem of historical knowledge that deserves to be highly appreciated and possessed by all mature readers. Highly recommended.

About the Author

Abbot George Burke (Swami Nirmalananda Giri) is the founder and director of the Light of the Spirit Monastery (Atma Jyoti Ashram) in Cedar Crest, New Mexico, USA.

In his many pilgrimages to India, he had the opportunity of meeting some of India's greatest spiritual figures, including Swami Sivananda of Rishikesh and Anandamayi Ma. During his first trip to India he was made a member of the ancient Swami Order by Swami Vidyananda Giri, a direct disciple of Paramhansa Yogananda, who had himself been given sannyas by the Shankaracharya of Puri, Jagadguru Bharati Krishna Tirtha.

In the United States he also encountered various Christian saints, including Saint John Maximovich of San Francisco and Saint Philaret Voznesensky of New York. He was ordained in the Liberal Catholic Church (International) to the priesthood on January 25, 1974, and consecrated a bishop on August 23, 1975.

For many years Abbot George has researched the identity of Jesus Christ and his teachings with India and Sanatana Dharma, including Yoga. It is his conclusion that Jesus lived in India for most of his life, and was a yogi and Sanatana Dharma missionary to the West. After his resurrection he returned to India and lived the rest of his life in the Himalayas. 

He is the author of a number of books on meditation and practical spiritual life, including Om Yoga Meditation: Its Theory and Practice, The Dhammapada for Awakening, The Gospel of Thomas for Awakening, May a Christian Believe in Reincarnation?, and The Christ of India: The Story of Saint Thomas Christianity.

He has written extensively on these and other topics at OCOY.org/

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Light of The Spirit Press (January 1, 2016)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 100 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 153510063X
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1535100632
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 6.4 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6 x 0.25 x 9 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 496 ratings

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Abbot George Burke (Swami Nirmalananda Giri)

Abbot George Burke (Swami Nirmalananda Giri)

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Swami Nirmalananda Giri (Abbot George Burke) is the founder and director of the Atma Jyoti Ashram (Light of the Spirit Monastery) in Cedar Crest, New Mexico, USA.

In his many pilgrimages to India, he had the opportunity of meeting some of India’s greatest spiritual figures, including Swami Sivananda of Rishikesh and Anandamayi Ma. During his first trip to India he was made a member of the ancient Swami Order by Swami Vidyananda Giri, a direct disciple of Paramhansa Yogananda, who had himself been given sannyas by the Shankaracharya of Puri, Jagadguru Bharati Krishna Tirtha.

In the United States he also encountered various Christian saints, including Saint John Maximovich of San Francisco and Saint Philaret Voznesensky of New York.

For many years Swami Nirmalananda has researched the identity of Jesus Christ and his teachings with India and Sanatana Dharma, including Yoga. It is his conclusion that Jesus lived in India for most of his life, and was a yogi and Sanatana Dharma missionary to the West. After his resurrection he returned to India and lived the rest of his life in the Himalayas.

He is the author of a number of books on meditation and practical spiritual life, including Soham Yoga: The Yoga of the Self, The Bhagavad Gita for Awakening, The Gospel of Thomas for Awakening, May a Christian Believe in Reincarnation?, and The Christ of India: The Story of Original Christianity.

Customer reviews

4.4 out of 5 stars
4.4 out of 5
497 global ratings
Christ, The Revered Guru
5 Stars
Christ, The Revered Guru
This book was so well written and informative, that I read it in one day. Abbot George has such an insightful, intuitive grasp of his subject matter and presents it so eloquently that you will not be able to put it down. Being a devoted student of Jesus in India, I found information in this depiction that I never found elsewhere such as Jesus' own guru astrally projecting himself across the world to assist his chela in his time of need and to help him with his samadhi so that he could thwart death and the Romans to return to his spiritual homeland.
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Top reviews from the United States

Joan Winter
5.0 out of 5 stars Lost years of Christ explained
Reviewed in the United States on February 14, 2024
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thank you. this information was new and enlightening for me.
One person found this helpful
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Udana Power
5.0 out of 5 stars This changed my life
Reviewed in the United States on November 23, 2023
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I suddenly saw everything differently. Profound. Direct. Clear and literally life-changing for me. I am deeply grateful. Put the final pieces together.
2 people found this helpful
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honorvhr
4.0 out of 5 stars Interesting
Reviewed in the United States on April 27, 2018
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I have some words of warning and some words of encouragement. George Burke makes many statements without even attempting to support.(I don't mean not providing a reference source, I mean simply explaining the concept.) On the positive side of that is that he can provide a lot of information without getting the reader too overwhelmed with proof, a lot of quotes and historical information. It is an easy read because he chose not to do this,. He also provides interesting facts, sometimes without elaboration. For example, there is one sentence that states that the followers made the sign of the cross differently than we do today. I have read a few other "Scholarly" books about the life of Jesus and the words of the Bible and some of this references are not completely correct. If you are Buddhist or Hindu, I would not suggest reading this book. Burke, although he is very, very knowledgeable of both principles, often refers to them as the same. Why did I read the entire book?? I found it interesting and tried to keep an open mind. I am part of a religion that broke off Indian Christians and came to America. The group is referenced once.I gave it 4 stars, rather than 3, because I enjoyed reading it, despite my perceived flaws.
48 people found this helpful
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Cheryl Bruedigam
5.0 out of 5 stars The Christ of India: The Story of Saint Thomas Christianity
Reviewed in the United States on August 21, 2016
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Abbot George Burke seems to have a knack for tackling not only complicated spiritual concepts but as is evidenced with his most recent publication, “The Christ of India,” controversial concepts as well, which in this case will no doubt raise more than a few eyebrows. The matter of Jesus the man and Christ the anointed one are rarely separated within western Christian comprehension, yet in Burke’s look at “The Christ of India,” we begin to denote a separation wherein a viable theory may open up as to time spent in India by Jesus the man (and even the child in early training) during his lifetime on earth.

This may be a difficult theory for any westerner to even open up to, much less to grasp, as the Hindu historical accounts, names and places can be a bit difficult themselves to comprehend to the eye that has yet to study any Hindu or Sanskrit. Burke in his usual conversational manner is able once again to bring order to chaos. His presentation is so real, his arguments so valid, that one cannot help but wonder could this time in India have actually been a possibility that Jesus did in fact experience? There is much that is agreeable in that there are so many similarities in the major belief systems of Christianity, Hinduism and Buddhism and that not only Jesus, but the Apostle Thomas, could have had exposure to these, thereby developing a following for which it appears there is strong documentation.

Regardless of religious beliefs, the information presented in “The Christ of India,” does in fact offer a possible explanation of so much that has been shrouded (no pun intended) for two-thousand years. As any serious seeker of truth should do, we must overturn every stone, look and search in every nook and cranny, to uncover all that is hidden. Only in doing so will we further evolve in our growth, awareness, understanding and enlightenment, so it is therefore only natural that we give consideration to “The Christ of India,” whatever it may teach us. After all, it is not the facts per say that we seek but rather it is teachings that are true and earnest and for the betterment of all.
21 people found this helpful
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K K
3.0 out of 5 stars Half ads
Reviewed in the United States on July 3, 2019
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This book does have some very interesting information. There are areas where arguments don’t properly sight their sources or reference sources that no longer exist and therefor can’t be cross checked. But over all the. Uggest srawback is the fact that the actual content is the book is only 1/2 the pages. The second half is all just basically ads for their other books. It’s only like 60 pages of actual content and it’s not even in a particularly small font or anything.
4 people found this helpful
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bigfoot
5.0 out of 5 stars Very interesting and informative.
Reviewed in the United States on August 19, 2023
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I worked for a chemist from India. He told me that Jesus lived in India. I spent several years looking for information to prove or disprove. I found another book which verified the things my former boss said. This book also verifies this information. I have also found a lot of information on Google. I have found India is beginning to promote this information. The Indians say Jesus’ tomb is in India. Sounds crazy, but I now sm open to the possibility this is true.
3 people found this helpful
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D. Michael Sanford
5.0 out of 5 stars A Primer On Thomasist’s Spirituality
Reviewed in the United States on April 29, 2018
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I know a few “Thomasist’s” (my word) from India that have noticeably different approaches to Catholic spirituality than regular Catholic Priests who are considered diocesan. I enjoy their approach to spirituality. The one thing I did not realize, until reading this book, was the history behind the formation of Thomasist’s. While I have questions about Christ’s living in India after his death, the book describes the “proof” that he was there. The proof is pure circumstantial at best, but it is intriguing just the same.

I have visited the grave of St. Thomas in Spain, and I wondered why his basilica looked “different" than most basilica’s in Europe, and to me, the decoration and design looked “far eastern.” I have never been to India but have seen many sites in video and in print and looking back at my pictures I took in Spain, they look very similar to Indian art, heavy on color and design and darkness.

This is a quick read but those who are not informed on Indian spirituality, which I was not, this book may make the reader unsure of what he/she is reading. But it is still a good read and may open the door to read more about Indian Spirituality.
14 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

roastfrog
5.0 out of 5 stars It's an important seed in our personal journey
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on September 27, 2021
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A great book for providing missing information on Jesus' life, important foundational concepts of hinduism and an effective meditation approach, too. An approach that is going to get me going on daily meditation - where the rubber meets the road. I didn't know how much I needed this book. Well worth it. Going to get more by Abbot George Burke.
2 people found this helpful
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Vernon Cook
5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
Reviewed in Canada on December 12, 2017
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Great read
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CVN Sai Chand
5.0 out of 5 stars Great Book
Reviewed in India on May 14, 2017
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Truth about Life and Life changing experiences and gets to the truth of our nature away from the external materialistic world, everyone should read such books for knowing real truth
One person found this helpful
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Janine
4.0 out of 5 stars Enlightening
Reviewed in Australia on October 8, 2020
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We are being shown more and more the ruthlessness of how Christianity was formed as a religion by the Romans.... This book illustrates how the whole basis of Christianity as we know it is formed on lies for the sake of power
2 people found this helpful
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Gadfly
2.0 out of 5 stars He’s got the whole world in his hands 🌍
Reviewed in Canada on May 16, 2023
Verified Purchase
This book looked very promising, and I judged the book by its cover. But was unfortunately disappointed by it. The part of on the Essenes was fraught with errors, that some good research would have corrected (a big pet peeve of mine).
However, I did enjoy the part where the various gurus, teachers etc talked about what they knew of Jesus (thru visions, dialogue etc); that part was the highlight of the entire book. For me, if the author had focused more on that and expanded upon it, it would have been worth the price.
I actually enjoyed more the book, “The Marvelous Adventures of Jesus in India” by Victor Maven
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