Indian Christianity

HISTORY OF CHRISTIANITY IN INDIA : M. M. NINAN
times. In one cave, the Sadhu found the skeleton of some nameless holy man who had died while
meditating there.
In the summer of 1912, he traveled through these regions alone and on foot, often refreshed by the
beautiful scene trough, which he passed, but more often fatigued to the last degree in his difficult and
fruitless search for the holy men he hoped to meet there. He would never forget the day when, struck
with snow-blindness and almost wearied to death, he staggered drearily on over snowy and stony crags,
not knowing whither, he went. Suddenly he lost his balance and fell. Recovering from the fall, he awoke
to one of the greatest experiences of his life, for he opened his eyes to find himself lying outside a huge
cave, in the shelter of which sat the Maharishi of Kailash in deep meditation.
The sight that met his eyes was so appalling that Sundar closed them and almost fainted. Little by little,
he ventured to inspect the object before him, and then discovered that he was looking at a living human
being, but so old and clothed with long hair as to appear at first glance like an animal. Sundar realized
that thus, unexpectedly he had succeeded in his search after a holy man, and as soon as he could
command his voice, he spoke to the aged saint. Recalled from his meditation, the saint opened his eyes
and, casting a piercing glance upon the Sadhu, amazed him by saying, ‘Let us kneel and pray.’ Then
followed a most earnest Christian prayer ending in the name of Jesus. This over, the Maharishi unrolled
a ponderous copy of the Gospels in Greek and read some verses from the fifth chapter of Matthew.
Sunder heard from his own lips the account of his wonderful life. He claimed to be of very great age. The
roll from which he had read, he explained, had come down to him from Francis Xavier, and the Sadhu
noticed that it was all written in Greek uncials, and may therefore prove to be of value to scholars should
it come into their possession. The saint said he was born in Alexandria of a Mohammedan family, and
was brought up to be a zealous follower of the Prophet. At the age of thirty, he renounced the world and
entered a monastery in order to give himself up entirely to religion. However, the more he read the
Qur’an and prayed, the unhappier he became. During these days of spiritual distress, he heard of a
Christian saint who had gone over from India to preach in Alexandria, and from him he heard words of
life that filled his hopeless soul with joy. He now left the monastery to accompany his teacher in his
missionary journeys. After some time spent thus, permission was given him to go on his own account to
preach the gospel wherever God sent him. The saint then started out on an evangelistic campaign that
lasted a very long time.
The Sadhu had long conversations with him about holy things, and heard many strange things from his
lips. His astonishing visions as related to the Sadhu would, if written down, read like another Book of
Revelation, so strange and incomprehensible are they, and the Sadhu himself warns readers and
hearers of these visions that common interpretations can never disclose the meaning, since the Saint
had to clothe his ideals in language that cannot be taken literally. The Sadhu had visited the Maharishi
three times.
Sadhu in the Christian world
Whether he won many continuing disciples of Christ on these hazardous Tibetan treks is not yet known.
For the Tibetan it was Buddhism or nothing. To acknowledge Jesus Christ was to ask for death. But the
Sadhu's own courageous preaching cannot have been without effect.
As Sundar Singh moved through his twenties his ministry widened greatly, and long before he was thirty
years old his name and picture were familiar all over the Christian world. He described in terms of a
vision a struggle with Satan to retain his humility but he was, in fact, always human, approachable and
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