"Who am I to decide what knowledge is too dangerous for mankind to receive? I canonly say in my defense that I have experimented personally with many of Suzama's instructions,and almost lost my life in the process. From my point of view, it would be the ultimate in irresponsibility to throw all of the Suzama material out there.
"Then why should you believe anything I have to say? Why should you even believe there was a Suzama? Well, you don't have to believe me. I don't ask that you do. But as a measure of proof I have turned over numerous slides of the original scripture to eminent archeologists. Because I have not allowed them access to the original artifact, they are unwilling to state unequivocally that the Suzama scripture is authentic. But many of them are willing to certify that as far as they can tell it is the real thing. A list of these experts is recorded in my book.
"What does this long dead woman have to say about the birth and rebirth of the Christ? For one thing Suzama states that Christ has not come just once, but at least four times in our history: as Lord Krishna of India, two hundred years before Suzama's birth, as Adi Shankara of India, five hundred years before Christ's birth, and finally as Christ himself. The Suzama scripture predicts each of these births, and says that the soul of all these great prophets and masters was identical. Furthermore the text predicts that this same infinite soul took birth in a human body recently, in the last three months. The exact date is given, in fact, as last March fifteenth, and the child was destined to be born here, in California ."
A loud stir went through the audience. Dr. Seter pauses to have another drink of water. He deserves one, I thought,after the mouthful he had just said.Clearing his throat once more, he continues.
"What proof do I have that Suzama knew what she was talking about? If I accept her scripture as authentic, a product of ancientEgypt,then I am forced to accept that she has had a pretty good track record so far. But beyond that is the inner validation the material has given me. Following her prescribed instructions, I have been given an intuitive insight into the hidden meaning behind certain of her verses. Now I see many eyebrows rise with that statement. Are her instructions and her predictions presented in an obscure form? So obscure a form that their meaning is open to interpretation?
"The answer to both these questions is yes and no. Suzama is often specific when it comes to dates. She says when Shankara and Christ were to be born. But as far as esoteric practices are concerned she can be very subtle. A study of her text requires a study of one's own mind, and it is this last point more than any that has stopped me from letting the whole of the scripture become public. Scientists demand that knowledge be objective, empirical, when the very nature of this type of study,the search for the soul, for the God, is in my mind almost entirely a subjective exploration."
Dr. Seter pauses and scans the room. "I never like to lecture too long without taking questions. I will take some now."
Many hands shoot up. Dr. Seter chooses a middle-aged mannot far from where we are seated. The man stands to speak.
"How did you manage to find this religious text in the first place?" he asks. "What led you to it?"
Dr. Seter does not hesitate. "A dream. I simply dreamed where it was and I went and dug in a certain spot and found it."
The man is stunned. "You're not serious?"
Dr. Seter holds up his hand as a murmur goes through the crowd. "Believe me I would like to give another answer. Unfortunately another answer would not be true. This is how I found the scripture. There was no research involved,no tedious digs lasting decades. I found it as soon as I started looking for it."
The man continues to stand. "So you believe God directed you to it?"
"I believe somebody directed me to it. I don't know if it was God himself. Actually, Suzama never speaks of Christ or Shankara as God. She calls them masters, or perfected beings. And she believes we are all evolving to the same heightened state of perfection." Dr. Seter pauses. "It was an especially vivid dream, unlike any I had ever had before. It would have had to be for me to act on it, I assure you." A pause. "Next question."
He chooses a young woman at the back.Even before she speaks,it is clear she has a chip on her shoulder.
"What if I were to say that you made this all up? That the Suzama scripture is a complete fraud?"
"I would say that's not a question." Dr. Seter pauses. "Do you have a question?"
The young woman fumes." There was only one Christ. How can you dare to compare him to these heathens?"
Dr. Seter smiles. "It is questions like this that reaffirm my decision not to make public everything I know about the Christ's birth in our time. Each of the others I spoke of was a great spiritual leader in his time. Had you been born inIndia,even today, you might follow their teachings. It is largely because you were born in this country that you are a Christian." He pauses. "Don't you agree?
The young woman is uncomfortable but remains defiant. "I hardly think so. You twist the teachings of Christ, comparing them to these others."
"Frankly, I think I compliment all of them by comparing each to the other. But that is beside the point. I never asked you to believe that the Suzama scripture is accurate. I am merely saying that I believe it is, based on my research and personal experience. If you believe it is a fraud, fine. But the text warns that those who profess to worship the Christ will be the first to dismiss him when he returns."
I approve of the manner in which Dr. Seter deals with the young woman's insolent attitude. I have never appreciated religious dogma. It seems to me only a more insidious form of racial prejudice. Yet I am not sure if I agree with Dr. Seter when he says the three spiritual leaders were one and the same being.Having knownKrishnapersonally, I have trouble reconciling many of Christ's teachings withKrishna's, although I suspect the early disciples of Christ distorted what their master said. At the same time I am familiar with Shankara's work,particularly his commentary on the Brahma Sutras, which I have studied over the centuries. I agree with the Eastern claim that Shankara was the greatest intellect who ever lived. Yet his style of teaching was very different from eitherKrishna's or Christ's. For one thing,he never claimed to be anyone special, either the son of God or God himself. Yet he worked many recorded miracles.
Nevertheless I find the doctor's words fascinating. I raise my hand and catch his eye, using a fraction of the great power I have in my eyes to rivet a person's attention.He immediately picks me. I also stand as I ask my question.