The Aquarian Gospel of Jesus the Christ

Jesus at Katak. The car of Jagannath. Jesus reveals to the people the emptiness of Brahmic rites, and how to see God in man. Teaches them the divine law of sacrifice.

In all the cities of Orissa Jesus taught. At Katak, by the river side, he taught, and thousands of the people followed him.

2 One day a car of Jagannath was hauled along by scores of frenzied men, and Jesus said,

3 Behold, a form without a spirit passes by; a body with no soul; a temple with no altar fires.

4 This car of Krishna is an empty thing, for Krishna is not there.

5 This car is but an idol of a people drunk on wine of carnal things.

6 God lives not in the noise of tongues; there is no way to him from any idol shrine.

7 God’s meeting place with man is in the heart, and in a still small voice he speaks; and he who hears is still.

8 And all the people said, Teach us to know the Holy One who speaks within the heart, God of the still small voice.

9 And Jesus said, The Holy Breath cannot be seen with mortal eyes; nor can men see the Spirits of the Holy One;

10 But in their image man was made, and he who looks into the face of man, looks at the image of the God who speaks within.

11 And when man honors man he honors God, and what man does for man, he does for God.

12 And you must bear in mind that when man harms in thought, or word or deed another man, he does a wrong to God.

13 If you would serve the God who speaks within the heart, just serve your near of kin, and those that are no kin, the stranger at your gates, the foe who seeks to do you harm;

14 Assist the poor, and help the weak; do harm to none, and covet not what is not yours;

15 Then, with your tongue the Holy One will speak; and he will smile behind your tears, will light your countenance with joy, and fill your hearts with peace.

16 And then the people asked, To whom shall we bring gifts? Where shall we offer sacrifice?

17 And Jesus said, Our Father-God asks not for needless waste of plant, of grain, of dove, of lamb.

18 That which you burn on any shrine you throw away. No blessings can attend the one who takes the food from hungry mouths to be destroyed by fire.

19 When you would offer sacrifice unto our God, just take your gift of grain, or meat and lay it on the table of the poor.

20 From it an incense will arise to heaven, which will return to you with blessedness.

21 Tear down your idols; they can hear you not; turn all your sacrificial altars into fuel for the flames.

22 Make human hearts your altars, and burn your sacrifices with the fire of love.

23 And all the people were entranced, and would have worshipped Jesus as a God; but Jesus said,

24 I am your brother man just come to show the way to God; you shall not worship man; praise God, the Holy One.

CHAPTER 27

Jesus attends a feast in Behar. Preaches a revolutionary sermon on human equality. Relates the parable of the broken blades.

The fame of Jesus as a teacher spread through all the land, and people came from near and far to hear his words of truth.

2 At Behar, on the sacred river of the Brahms, he taught for many days.

3 And Ach, a wealthy man of Behar, made a feast in honor of his guest, and he invited every one to come.

4 And many came; among them thieves, extortioners, and courtesans. And Jesus sat with them and taught; but they who followed him were much aggrieved because he sat with thieves and courtesans.

5 And they upbraided him; they said, Rabboni, master of the wise, this day will be an evil day for you.

6 The news will spread that you consort with courtesans and thieves, and men will shun you as they shun an asp.

7 And Jesus answered them and said, A master never screens himself for sake of reputation or of fame.

8 These are but worthless baubles of the day; they rise and sink, like empty bottles on a stream; they are illusions and will pass away;

9 They are the indices to what the thoughtless think; they are the noise that people make; and shallow men judge merit by the noise.

10 God and all master men judge men by what they are and not by what they seem to be; not by their reputation and their fame.

11 These courtesans and thieves are children of my Father-God; their souls are just as precious in his sight as yours, or of the Brahmic priests.

12 And they are working out the same life sums that you, who pride yourselves on your respectability and moral worth, are working out.

13 And some of them have solved much harder sums than you have solved, you men who look at them with scorn.

14 Yes, they are sinners, and confess their guilt, while you are guilty, but are shrewd enough to have a polished coat to cover up your guilt.

15 Suppose you men who scorn these courtesans, these drunkards and these thieves, who know that you are pure in heart and life, that you are better far than they, stand forth that men may know just who you are.

16 The sin lies in the wish, in the desire, not in the act.

17 You covet other people’s wealth; you look at charming forms, and deep within your hearts you lust for them.

18 Deceit you practice every day, and wish for gold, for honor and for fame, just for your selfish selves.

19 The man who covets is a thief, and she who lusts is courtesan. You who are none of these speak out.

20 Nobody spoke; the accusers held their peace.

21 And Jesus said, The proof this day is all against those who have accused.

22 The pure in heart do not accuse. The vile in heart who want to cover up their guilt with holy smoke of piety are ever loathing drunkard, thief and courtesan.

23 This loathing and this scorn is mockery, for if the tinseled coat of reputation could be torn away, the loud professor would be found to revel in his lust, deceit, and many forms of secret sin.