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I have discovered various kinds of evidence from Buddhist scriptures, the collective appraisal of which definitely and conclusively establishes that Jesus(as) travelled to areas like the Punjab and Kashmir. These are as follows…
First the titles bestowed on the Buddha(as) bear a strong resemblance to the titles given to Jesus(as), and some events in the Buddha’s life closely resemble the events in the life of Jesus(as). Here I mean the Buddhism which prevails in areas around Tibet, like Leh, Lhasa, Gilgit and Hims, which are proved to have been visited by Jesus(as). As regards titles, Jesus(as) in his teachings called himself ‘the Light’, similarly Gautama was called Buddha, which in Sanskrit means ‘Light’. Jesus(as) is also called ‘Teacher’ in the Gospels, similarly the Buddha(as) is called Sasta, which means ‘Teacher’. Jesus(as) is called ‘Blessed’ in the Gospels, and in the same way one of the names of Buddha(as) is Sagpat, which means ‘Blessed’. Jesus(as) is called ‘Prince’ and so is the Buddha(as). One of the names of Jesus(as) in the Gospels connotes that he would fulfil the purpose of his advent, and the Buddha(as) has been called Siddharta, which means one who fulfils the purpose of his advent. One of the titles of Jesus(as) is the Refuge of the weary, and one of the names of Buddha(as) is Asran sam, which means the Shelter for the shelterless. Jesus(as) has been called ‘King’ in the Gospels though what he meant was the kingdom of heaven; likewise the Buddha(as) has also been called ‘King’
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The similarity of events in the lives of the Buddha(as) and Jesus(as) appears from the following: it is stated in the Gospels that Jesus(as) was tempted by the devil, who said to him, “If you will worship me, you will have all the riches and kingdoms of the world.” The Buddha(as) was tempted in the same way and the devil said to him, “If you obey me and return home renouncing your ascetic ways, I shall confer the glory of kingdom on you.” Just as Jesus(as) did not obey the devil, neither did the Buddha(as)…
Another resemblance between the Buddha(as) and Jesus(as) is that, according to the Buddhist chronicles, the Buddha(as) fasted for forty days when he was tempted by the devil. Readers of the Gospels know that Jesus(as) also observed a forty-day fast.
Anyone who is acquainted with the teachings of both the Buddha(as) and Jesus(as) will also marvel at the close similarity between the moral teachings of the two…
Just as Jesus(as) sent his disciples to different countries and himself travelled to another country, the same is recorded of the Buddha(as). It is recorded in Buddhism, by Sir Monier Williams, that the Buddha(as) sent his disciples to different parts of the world to convey his message, and addressed them as follows: “Go forth and wander everywhere, out of compassion for the world and for the welfare of gods and men. Go forth, one by one, in different directions. Proclaim a life of perfect restraint, chastity and celibacy.” He added: “I will go also to preach this doctrine.” He went to Benares and there he performed many miracles. The Buddha(as) delivered a very moving sermon on a hill just as Jesus(as) did on the mount. It is also recorded in the same book that the Buddha(as) often taught in parables and used to discuss spiritual matters in terms of physical phenomena…
The exact adoption by [the] Buddha(as) of this method of preaching through parables, especially those recorded in the Gospels, is indeed most surprising…
Buddhist records also show that Gautama Buddha(as) had prophesied the coming of a second Buddha whom he named Metteyya. This prophecy is contained in Lagavati Sutta1, a Buddhist record to which reference is made on page 142 of Oldenberg’s book. It reads as follows:
‘He will be the leader of a band of disciples numbering hundreds of thousands, as I am now the leader of bands of disciples, numbering hundreds…’
It should be remembered that the Pali name ‘Metteyya’ is the same as ‘Mashiha’ in Hebrew…The future Metteyya prophesied by [the] Buddha(as) is none other than the Messiah himself. One strong evidence in support of this is that the Buddha(as) himself prophesied that the faith he had founded would not endure on earth for more than five hundred years, and that at the time of the decline of the faith and its teachings, the Metteyya would appear in this country to re-establish these moral teachings in the world. We find that Jesus(as) appeared 500 years after the Buddha(as) and, just as the Buddha(as) had foretold the time for the decline of his faith, Buddhism suffered deterioration and decadence. It was then that Jesus(as), having escaped from the cross, travelled to these areas where the Buddhists recognised him and treated him with great reverence…
It must be noted that the name Metteyya in Buddhist literature undoubtedly refers to the Messiah. On page 14 of the book Tibet, Tartary, Mongolia by H.T. Prinsep, it is written about the Metteyya Buddha, who in reality is the Messiah, that the first Christian missionaries, having heard and seen at first conditions obtaining in Tibet, came to the conclusion that in the ancient books of the Lamas there were to be found traces of the Christian religion. On the same page it is stated that there is no doubt about it that these earlier writers believed that some disciples of Jesus(as) were still alive when the Christian faith reached there. On page 171 it is stated that there is not the slightest doubt that at that time everybody was eagerly waiting for the great Saviour to appear. Tacitus says that the Jews were not the lone holders of this belief, Buddhism too was responsible for laying the foundations of this expectation, inasmuch as it prophesied the coming of Metteyya. The author of the English work has moreover added a note to the effect that the books Pitakattayan and Attha-katha contain a clear prophecy about the advent of another Buddha who would appear a thousand years after Gautama or Shakya Muni. Gautama states that he is the twenty-fifth Buddha and that the Bagwa Metteyya is still to come; that is why after he has gone, one whose name will be Metteyya and who will be fair-skinned will come…This is why the followers of Buddhism had all along been waiting for the Messiah to appear in their country.
The Buddha(as), in his prophesy about the future Buddha, called him Bagwa Metteyya. Bagwa in Sanskrit means ‘white’. Jesus(as), being of Syrian origin, was Bagwa – of white complexion. The people of the land where this prophecy was made, i.e., Magadh, where Raja Griha was located, were dark-skinned and Gautama Buddha(as) himself was dark. Therefore, the Buddha(as) related to his followers two distinct signs of the future Buddha: first that he would be Bagwa – of white complexion, and secondly, he would be Metteyya – a traveller who would arrive from a foreign land…
We can never approve of the method adopted by European scholars who are so eager to prove one way or the other that the teachings of Buddhism had already reached Palestine by the time of the Messiah. It is most unfortunate that while the very name of Jesus(as) is to be found in the ancient books of Buddhism, these researchers adopt the devious course of trying to find traces of Buddhism in Palestine. Why do they not rather try to find the blessed footprints of Jesus(as) on the mountains of Nepal, Tibet and Kashmir? I know that it was not for the likes of them to uncover by themselves such a great truth which lay hidden behind thousands of veils of darkness. It was for God Himself to do so, for He watched from on high that creature-worship was running rampant in the earth and that worship of the cross and the supposed sacrifice of a human being had alienated the hearts of millions from the True God. Then, in His indignation, he sent to the world His servant in the spirit of Jesus of Nazareth(as) in order to demolish the creed of the cross.
(To read more see The Essence of Islam, Vol. III, pp.169-273)
This series sets out, in the words of the Promised Messiah(as), Hadhrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, The English rendering is by the late Sir Muhammad Zafrulla Khan(ra), and is quoted from The Essence of Islam, Volume 3. All references throughout, unless otherwise specifically mentioned, are from the Holy Qur’an