The Lost Sutras of Jesus : Unlocking the Ancient Wisdom of the Xian Monks

by Ray Riegert (Editor), Thomas Moore (Editor)

In 635 AD a group of Christian monks travelled along the Silk Road from Persia to the Chinese city of Xian, at the time the Imperial capital. They had with them sacred texts from the foundation of Christianity, which they translated into Chinese, but on their journey they had been influenced by the Buddhist and Taoist teachings they had encountered and their scriptures combined Christianity and Eastern thought. In the centuries after the Tang dynasty turned against Christians and Buddhists and the new scriptures, the Jesus Sutras, were hidden away. In 1900 they were accidentally found and European archaeologists fought to remove them from China. Now newly translated the Jesus Sutras are available for the first time to a wider audience. The Sutras are poetically written and startlingly original, blending Christianity with Buddhism and Taoism.

Genres: Christianity, History, Taoism, Buddhism, Spirituality, Religion, Nonfiction

160 pages, Paperback

First published April 1, 2003

Reviews

[George Ilsley · Rating 3 out of 5]

Never heard of these teachings until I picked up this book. The story of how these Luminous teachings reached China is interesting; however, the books own conclusions are not supported by its presentation of the details. The authors claim the Christian teachings became infused with Buddhist teachings during the journey to China; but they do not know this. The only evidence they have is the "monument stele" and the fragments of the so-called Jesus sutras found in a cave some time after the events in question. The teachings could have become infused with Buddhist or Taoist sensibilities at any step along the way, particularly during translations (and copying).

The sutras themselves are more suitable for contemplation than just for reading. There is a lot of wisdom here, and as the authors assert, the study of more than one religion is always rewarding to those on the path.

[Matthew · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! This was such a fascinating look at syncretic work on the Silk Road. It really whet my appetite for more Chinese AND Persian history because the story of Aleben was entirely unknown to me!

Being a bit of a Bible nerd, was worried that I wouldn’t take well to such a radical reimagination of the story, but it felt very much like these sutras were written in a faithful attempt to respond to what the Spirit was doing in a very specific time and place. Most importantly, I enjoyed the emphasis on Jesus as a the teacher of a practical way and the absence of moralism as the main theme. Of course, my favorite part was that I didn’t have to read one word from or about Saul of Tarsus. 😂

There so much richness here. I’m definitely going to be re-reading this for years to come.

[Timothy Nichols · Rating 1 out of 5]

I’d love to read the primary source documents sometime. This reader just didn’t do it for me; it didn’t provide sufficient context.

[Heather Young · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed reading this book. It was very Zen and very along the lines of the Tao Te Ching in that it gives you things to incorporate into your daily living that's about finding your spiritual center. I'd recommend it to anyone who has been searching or is on their spiritual journey. I enjoyed it!

[Belove · Rating 5 out of 5]

such clear words - I could follow immediately and my soul cried in joy. I really liked the parables they reminded me of the Upanishads. And also found the background story of these sutras really interesting.

[Chad · Rating 5 out of 5]

An overview of ancient scriptures that blend elements of Taoism, Christianity, and Buddhism.