"But this is only one sense of the statement. In other ways I am not in agreement with it, because as far as the word Christian is concerned – Jesus never even heard the word.

"He was born a Jew, he lived as a Jew; he tried his whole life to prove himself to be a real Jew. In fact he was crucified because he was trying to prove himself to be a Jewish messiah. He had never heard the words or Christian because he knew no Greek, no Latin; he knew only Aramaic and a little bit of Hebrew. And both languages have the word messiah, but Christ is a Greek translation of the word messiah.

"The word Christ came into existence after Jesus, after three hundred years had passed; and out of the word Christ comes Christian. Slowly people completely forgot that poor Christ had no idea that he would be called Christ and his followers, Christians.

"You will be surprised to know that in India the Hindi word for messiah is masiha, and the word for Christian is masihi. Masihi is far closer to the Aramaic and Hebrew than what the Christians all over the world go on calling themselves.

"Perhaps the Hindi words masiha and masihi came into existence because Jesus, after escaping from the crucifixion – it was not a resurrection, it was an escape– lived in India for really a long time, to the age of one hundred and twelve years. His most beloved disciple, Thomas, followed him.

"Indian Christianity is the oldest in the whole world. The Vatican is a late development. Jesus remained in Kashmir completely tired, perhaps finished with humanity and the hope for some better future for it, because if this was the result – that you crucify a person who works for you and for your redemption, your salvation. Of course he was not an idiot: he learned the lesson.

"For the remaining time Jesus stayed silent. Yes, a few people came to him on their own. But it was not a problem because in India there have been so many incarnations of God, and it is an accepted fact that it is nobody else's business: if somebody feels he is an incarnation of God, let him be."