The Aquarian Gospel of Jesus the Christ/Chapter 31

1. The words and works of Jesus caused unrest through all the land.

2. The common people were his friends, believed in him and followed him in throngs.

3. The priests and rulers were afraid of him, his very name sent terror to their hearts.

4. He preached the brotherhood of life, the righteousness of equal rights, and taught the uselessness of priests, and sacrificial rites.

5. He shook the very sand on which the Brahmic system stood; he made the Brahmic idols seem so small, and sacrifice so fraught with sin, that shrines and wheels of prayer were all forgot.

6. The priests declared that if this Jewish boy should tarry longer in the land a revolution would occur; the common people would arise and kill the priests, and tear the temples down.

7. And so they sent a call abroad, and priests from every province came. Benares was on fire with Brahmic zeal.

8. Lamaas from the temple Jagannath, who knew the inner life of Jesus well, was in their midst, and heard the rantings of the priests,

9. And he stood forth and said, My brother priests, take heed, be careful what you do; this is a record-making day.

10. The world is looking on; the very life of Brahmic thought is now on trial.

11. If we are reason-blind; if prejudice be king today; if we resort to beastly force, and dye our hands in blood that may, in sight of Brahm, be innocent and pure,

12. His vengeance may fall down on us; the very rock on which we stand may burst beneath our feet; and our beloved priesthood, and our laws and shrines will go into decay.

13. But they would let him speak no more. The wrathful priests rushed up and beat him, spit upon him, called him traitor, threw him, bleeding, to the street.

14. And then confusion reigned; the priests became a mob; the sight of human blood led on to fiendish acts and called for more.

15. The rulers, fearing war, sought Jesus, and they found him calmly teaching in the market place.

16. They urged him to depart, that he might save his life; but he refused to go.

17. And then the priests sought cause for his arrest; but he had done no crime.

18. And then false charges were preferred; but when the soldiers went to bring him to the judgement hall they were afraid, because the people stood in his defense.

19. The priests were baffled, and they resolved to take his life by stealth.

20. They found a man who was a murderer by trade, and sent him out by night to slay the object of their wrath.

21. Lamaas heard about their plotting and their plans, and sent a messenger to warn his friend; and Jesus hastened to depart.

22. By night he left Benares, and with haste he journeyed to the north; and everywhere, the farmers, merchants and sudras helped him on his way.

23. And after many days he reached the mighty Himalayas, and in the city of Kapivastu he abode.

24. The priests of Buddha opened wide their temple doors for him.