Christ the Yogi: A Hindu Reflection on The Gospel of John

The Gospel of John in the Light of Indian Mysticism

"An unusual and rewarding exploration of the Gospel of John from an Indian perspective, offering a meditation on our need to draw inspiration from all spiritual sources as we search for the paths toward personal transformation * Eloquently and convincingly reveals the interconnectedness of all * faiths and the growing need in today's world for interfaith dialogue The Gospel of John differs from the other gospels of the New Testament in both its cosmological scale and mystical nature. Through thoughtful comparisons of its teachings with Hindu and other religious traditions, Christ the Yogi eloquently and convincingly reveals the interconnectedness of all faiths and the growing need in today's world for interfaith dialogue. For those concerned with the emergence of a universal spirituality, Christ the Yogi is a source of light, a translucent pool of wisdom that offers from its depths an immense and lasting spiritual vision."

Book Review
By Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat

Christ the Yogi
A Hindu Reflection on The Gospel of John
Ravi Ravindra
Inner Traditions 10/98
ISBN: 0-89281-671-6

Both Thich Nhat Hanh and the Dalai Lama have written about Jesus Christ from their Buddhist perspectives. This paperback presents an interpretation of the Gospel of John as a way "of letting the inner Christ grow in us." Although Ravi Ravindra is no expert on the Bible, he is interested in the heart of the Gospel. His Hindu perspective and knowledge of the Bhagavad Gita give an unusual slant to this interpretation. Throughout the book, the author emphasizes the unique relationship Jesus had with his disciples and the difficult challenge of working and waiting for their "quiet and slow ripening." He sees Jesus as an enlightened person whose main message was "the revelation of God within the human heart." Again and again, the prophet from Nazareth defers to the Father when people want to exalt him.

Ravindra offers esoteric interpretations of Jesus's encounters with Nicodemus, the Samaritan woman, and Lazarus. He sees them all as messengers about seeing and not seeing — which is the whole point in spiritual development. This nonsectarian evaluation of Jesus and the Gospel of John is another good example of the fruits of interfaith dialogue.

Synopsis
An unusual and rewarding exploration of the Gospel of John from an Indian perspective, offering a meditation on our need to draw inspiration from all spiritual sources as we search for the paths toward personal transformation.

Eloquently and convincingly reveals the interconnectedness of all faiths and the growing need in today's world for interfaith dialogue. The Gospel of John differs from the other gospels of the New Testament in both its cosmological scale and mystical nature. Through thoughtful comparisons of its teachings with Hindu and other religious traditions, Christ the Yogi eloquently and convincingly reveals the interconnectedness of all faiths and the growing need in today's world for interfaith dialogue. For those concerned with the emergence of a universal spirituality, Christ the Yogi is a source of light, a translucent pool of wisdom that offers from its depths an immense and lasting spiritual vision.

Amazon.com Editorial Reviews

Review
A loving pondering over one of the most beautiful and probably most esoteric of the Four Gospels of the Christian tradition.

The Theosophical Society

Looking at Christ through Hindu eyes, Ravindra's "external" view of Christ is in ways more faithful to Christian history than much Western Christology now manages to be. This makes Christ the Yogi something of a landmark in interfaith dialogue.

Huston Smith, author of The World's Religions

The book's real value lies in bringing readers into contact with the Gospel itself, highlighting its yogic nature, connecting us to the mystery that leads to rebirth in the Spirit.

Yoga International

The main qualification for an interpreter of a religious text is the ability to discern true wisdom—something Ravindra certainly can do. . . . [Christ the Yogi is one of the best studies on a book of the Bibles] that I have read . It has opened aspects of John's Gospel that were previously closed to me.

Gnosis, 1998

This nonsectarian evaluation of Jesus and the Gospel of John is another good example of the fruits of interfaith dialogue.

Frederic Brussat, Cultural Information Service

Product Description
An unusual and rewarding exploration of the Gospel of John from an Indian perspective, offering a meditation on our need to draw inspiration from all spiritual sources as we search for the paths toward personal transformation * Eloquently and convincingly reveals the interconnectedness of all * faiths and the growing need in today's world for interfaith dialogue The Gospel of John differs from the other gospels of the New Testament in both its cosmological scale and mystical nature. Through thoughtful comparisons of its teachings with Hindu and other religious traditions, Christ the Yogi eloquently and convincingly reveals the interconnectedness of all faiths and the growing need in today's world for interfaith dialogue. For those concerned with the emergence of a universal spirituality, Christ the Yogi is a source of light, a translucent pool of wisdom that offers from its depths an immense and lasting spiritual vision.

Customer Reviews:
A wonderful analysis of the book of John, August 29, 2001
By Noam Winter (USA)

This book is excellent, but the title is a bit misleading. Let us start by saying that you can't go wrong reading this book. It is a detailed analysis of the book of John, from the New Testament. I must admit that much of the author's commentary brought up ideas I had never considered, or not seen the same way. It will add depth and understanding for anyone trying to understand the mystical style of the book of John.

The reason I only gave this book 4 out of 5 stars is that the title suggests a more detailed treatment, and bonding between the Eastern traditions of Hinduism and yoga, and Christ. Little of the Eastern traditions are mentioned, but those that are mentioned are excellent reflections. I was hungry for a treatment of Christ philosophy from an Hindu Yoga point of view. It was much more geared for the biblical reader, than for the Hindu reader. A little more balance would have been my preference.

Still, a wonderful book to read!

An exploration of Jesus' teachings by a native of India, July 3, 2000
By Ruth Henriquez Lyon (Duluth, Minnesota USA)

In this book Ravi Ravindra goes through the gospel of John section by section, following each part with commentary. I found his insights very valuable; although I had read John's gospel many times before, Ravindra's reading of it pointed out many insights I would never had caught on my own. I suspect this may be because the author approached the gospel with a "beginner's mind," which is often difficult for those of us raised in a Judaeo-Christian culture. His perspectives on the story of the Samaritan woman at the well were so profound that they pushed my understanding of Jesus' teachings to a new level. As a person who has given up on organized religion, this book was valuable in helping me to go back to what is of value in Christian teachings and draw on it. Ravindra combines his understanding of the Hindu approach to the spiritual path with Christian mysticism in this book. Rather than watering down either tradition, the approach is truly inspiring.

NOTE: If this page was accessed during a web search you may wish to browse the sites listed below where this topic or related issues are discussed in detail to promote global peace, religious harmony, and spiritual development of humanity:

www.adishakti.org/
www.al-qiyamah.org/
www.adi-shakti.org/  — Divine Feminine (Hinduism)
www.holyspirit-shekinah.org/  — Divine Feminine (Christianity)
www.ruach-elohim.org/  — Divine Feminine (Judaism)
www.ruh-allah.org/  — Divine Feminine (Islam)
www.tao-mother.org/  — Divine Feminine (Taoism)
www.prajnaaparamita.org/  — Divine Feminine (Buddhism)
www.aykaa-mayee.org/  — Divine Feminine (Sikhism)
www.great-spirit-mother.org/  — Divine Feminine (Native Traditions)