These days, more often than not, when we think about "Easter" we think of hunting for, gathering, and consuming chocolate eggs. For most of us, the cottontail friend who bestows such sweet gifts has long since been revealed as a figment of our (parent’s) imagination. Far less imaginative, though, and just as popular as the Easter Bunny is the historical figure of Jesus Christ. In fact, virtually all academic scholars and theologists agree that Jesus’ existence is not in question; he was most certainly, undeniably, a living, breathing, flesh and blood, preacher and prophet of the ages.
Less easily defined, however, is the cultivation of a religious doctrine that would follow his tragic death by crucifixion. This is where things get a bit sticky. Most followers of JC consider themselves Christians, but I’m proposing that underlying this Christ title is nothing more and nothing less than a yoga guru at heart.
Had JC been born in a different part of the world, he’d most definitely have been hanging out in the Himalayans, shepherding devoted yogis, not leading a pack of apostles. Any arguments to the contrary pale in the light of yogic mythology.
Here’s why:
1. His mother was a virgin (come again?). This facet isn’t a big hit among feminists, but it is an important part of his history. Some people question the likelihood of the premise. Yet, when pitted against the story of Matsyasana, a fish who caught the “tail end” of a divine conversation and then morphed into a saint in order to pass on the sacred teachings of yoga—well, probability takes on a whole new meaning.
2. Doubters are adamant that one cannot “rise from the dead,” as JC did on Easter Sunday. But Hindus call this resurrection “reincarnation,” and it’s a given.
3. Jesus is often depicted wearing multi-layered robes similar to the attire of today’s monks. The dramatic difference in colour–one white, one bright orange–merely proves JC’s sophisticated fashion sense.
4. Buddha floats (a.k.a., levitates); Jesus walks on water. Zing!
5. Jesus spent three lonely days in a tomb before undergoing massive personal transformation (from death to life). Zen monks and Buddhists are famous for escaping to remote caves in dedication to the process of an inner overhaul.
It is easy to define differences among individuals, with intellectual, racial, and cultural stereotypes at the forefront of our modern media. But if you look a little closer, if you gaze beyond the saffron robes and into the heart of the philosopher, you will find that among all revelations of these time-tested scriptures — the Bible, the Koran, the Bhagavad Gita — the essence of each teaching is the same: Love.
Published in Sweat Equity Magazine 2017