________________
TRANSLATOR'S INTRODUCTION.
The work, the translation of which I now put before the public, has created much comment among the thinking people all the world over, and journalists have written both favorable and hostile criticisms on it. I shall not devote the pages of this work to a consideration of those criticisms. Having, however, been born in India and traveled over that vast country, I feel it my duty to put before the reader some salient points which seem to me to have an important bearing on the facts set forth by the work.
I do not know why Christian theologians misrepresent the facts, which they can, if they intend to be truthful, put before the intelligent public in their true light. I can cite numerous instances in which reverend gentlemen have, intentionally or unintentionally, distorted, mangled and murdered the truth I do not know with what object. The intelligent public of this country are well acquainted with the Rev. Dr. Edward Everett Hale, of Boston, and had I not known him at all I would have said that he had intentionally misrepresented the facts when he wrote an article in the North American Review (May, 1894) on "The Unknown Life of Jesus Christ:" but knowing, as I do, of his broad views and catholic spirit, I would simply attribute his statements in that article to ignorance on the subject. That Reverend gentleman, while criticizing this work (The Unknown Life of Jesus Christ), says: "But now Mr. Notovitch comes to the front and remembers that
Jain Education International
For Private & Personal Use Only
www.jainelibrary.org
