Josephat (was Propaganda and Allah)

[Les and Lehn]

Xavier:
    This is fascinating.  Thanks.  By the way, did you ever get to
Afghanistan in your travels?  I was there in July of 1971.  I did not see
the Bamiyan statues of Buddha which have recently been destroyed by the
Taliban.  I regret the fact that I did not take advantage of the opportunity
to see them in 1971. What a horrible loss by people whose purpose is
supposed to be to serve "Allah."  Hakim Ouansafi is the name of the
individual from the Islamic Alliance of Honolulu who will be coming to my
school tomorrow to speak with us for two hours about Islam.  I am going to
try to tape it and if it comes out well, I will send you a copy since you
mentioned an interest in the presentation.  Also, I'm going to be scanning
in a few more photos for you this week of my Aunt Barbara.
Warmest aloha...give Slap a big hug and kiss for me, Lehn
----- Original Message -----
From: "James A. Landau" <JJJRLandau at AOL.COM>
To: <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
Sent: Saturday, October 20, 2001 3:02 AM
Subject: Josephat (was Propaganda and Allah)


> In a message dated 10/20/2001 7:17:09 AM Eastern Daylight Time,
> markodegard at HOTMAIL.COM writes:
>
> > >It turns out that Buddha is a saint in both the Catholic and Orthodox
> >  >Churches, under the name of "Josephat".)
> >
> >  I have trouble with this statement.
> >
> >  Are you referring to the Ruthenian Rite martyr (c. 1580-12 Nov. 1623),
the
> >  one with the Basilica dedicated to him in Milwaukee?
>
> Not the 17th century martyr, but an earlier figure, though it may well be
> that the martyr you mentioned was named after the earlier St. Josephat.
>
> While not all authorities accept the theory, many do agree that St.
Josephat
> (there are several variant spellings of that name) is indeed Buddha.  The
> following quote is from the on-line version of the Catholic Encyclopedia
at
> URL http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/02297a.htm
>
> <quote>
> Barlaam and Josaphat
> The principal characters of a legend of Christian antiquity, which was a
> favourite subject of writers in the Middle Ages. The story is
substantially
> as follows: Many inhabitants of India had been converted by the Apostle
St.
> Thomas and were leading Christian lives. In the third or fourth century
King
> Abenner (Avenier) persecuted the Church. The astrologers had foretold that
> his son Josaphat would one day become a Christian. To prevent this the
prince
> was kept in close confinement. But, in spite of all precautions, Barlaam,
a
> hermit of Senaar, met him and brought him to the true Faith. Abenner tried
> his best to pervert Josaphat, but, not succeeding, he shared the
government
> with him. Later Abenner himself became a Christian, and, abdicating the
> throne, became a hermit. Josaphat governed alone for a time, then
resigned,
> went into the desert, found his former teacher Barlaam, and with him spent
> his remaining years in holiness. Years after their death, the bodies were
> brought to India and their grave became renowned by miracles. Barlaam and
> Josaphat found their way into the Roman Martyrology (27 November), and
into
> the Greek calendar (26 August). Vincent of Beauvais, in the thirteenth
> century, had given the story in his "Speculum Historiale". It is also
found
> in an abbreviated form in the "Golden Legend" of Jacobus de Voragine of
the
> same century.
>
> The story is a Christianized version of one of the legends of Buddha, as
even
> the name Josaphat would seem to show. This is said to be a corruption of
the
> original Joasaph, which is again corrupted from the middle Persian Budasif
> (Budsaif=Bodhisattva).
> <end quote>
>
>                        - Jim Landau
>