Yeshua was a Shaman
Putting aside the things that Christ, was crucified for – which were sorcery, blasphemy and sedition, according to the Babylonian Talmud, Jesus of Nazareth:
“On the eve of Passover, Jesus the Nazarene was hanged and a herald went forth before him forty days heralding, “Jesus the Nazarene is going forth to be stoned because he practiced sorcery and instigated and seduced Israel to idolatry. Whoever knows anything in defense may come and state it.” But since they did not find anything in his defense they hanged him on the eve of Passover. Ulla said: “Do you suppose that Jesus the Nazarene was one for whom a defense could be made? He was a mesit (someone who instigated Israel to idolatry), concerning whom the Merciful [God] says: Show him no compassion and do not shield him (Deut. 13:9). With Jesus the Nazarene it was different. For he was close to the government.“
However, does not this simple phrase attributed to the words of Jesus, suggest that Jesus was indeed a shaman.
“Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” (John 3:3)
An exceedingly important principle of shamanism is the symbolism of the metaphysical death and rebirth of the shaman. This is particularly evident within the crucifixion of Jesus, but no less evident that in his life that he lived, also according to shamanic principles.
First of all, Jesus is quoted as citing the law of Karma as his linchpin philosophy, of ‘do unto other’s as you would have done unto you’. This is the going around of Karma. While Karma itself is a Buddhist, and Hindu philosophy; the principle of both of these religions, is that they emanated quite separately; both from shamanic traditions. Buddhism from Hinduism, which itself has shamanic roots, and Tibetan Buddhism from Tibetan Bon Shamanism.
Nepalese shamanism, which is practiced by both Hindus and Buddhists alike, is based in a particular mythos. That Ganesh, who is the chief of the shamans – has his elephant’s head, chiefly for this reason… That it was taken by Shiva in order that he have the symbolic death and rebirth of the Shamanic warrior. Shiva brings his son back to life, but replaces his head with that of the elephants’ head ‘ instead of the one Parvati his consort had created in the first place.
In other indigenous traditions, the initiation is equivalent to a metaphorical death and rebirth… these things leading to knowledge of self and the entrance to the mystery (in a sense the kingdom of God?).. And is not the ultimate goal of any shamanic practice to ‘See’. In the Gospel of Matthew (chapter 13), Jesus speaks about having “eyes to see and ears to hear.” He uses this metaphor to emphasize the nature of spiritual understanding. Essentially, it’s about perceiving the deeper nature of the truth, beyond the surface.
Another example of the Shamanic lifestyle of Jesus, was when he disappeared from the top of the cliff in Luke 4:30. “When the people in the synagogue were filled with wrath, they drove Jesus out of the town and took Him to the brow of a hill. Their intention was to throw Him off the cliff. However, Jesus miraculously passed through their midst and went away”
In the works of Castaneda; the pinnacle of Don Juan’s teachings, once he thinks Castaneda, is ready, is to take him to the top of a tall cliff and suggests to him, that he needs to leap off…..
This shamanic principle, is also linked into the last, in essence; that the symbolic ‘death, and rebirth’ into a new post-leap life; is living now in the Unknown.
Another shamanic element of the Jesus story, was his battle with Satan in the desert. Jesus fasts for forty days and nights. During this period, Satan tempted Him by suggesting that He turn stones into bread. But Jesus resists, relying instead on spiritual strength rather than physical sustenance. Fasting is a strong principle in many religions, but none the less; deeply embedded in shamanism.
Shamanism is an ancient practice. Long before two thousand years ago, man practised speaking with the gods through psychedelics. I believe that Jesus’ time marked an end of this tradition within Judaism; or perhaps at that time, a sort of revival of a truer form of worship and ecstasy – Hallucinogens promote a catharsis within the individual, that induces a transcendence into total-self-awareness. Perhaps Jesus also ingested psychedelics; I don’t doubt their availability and his ministry then possibly was a revival of shamanic understanding for these people. His teacher was, after all, a wild man who lived in the wilderness, and ate fruits and berries….
