The towering figures of Buddha and Christ strove to reform the religious setups into which they were born. In this book, the author points out striking similarities between the tenets of their teachings - e.g., the practice of non-violence, truth, compassion, friendliness towards all beings, and meditation. He also finds parallels in the way both Buddha and Christ propagated their teachings. He then argues that it is likely Christ learned about these principles from Buddhist monasteries in Egypt which had been established by Ashoka's dhamma duts. Since Egypt was also home to the Jews during that period, the author claims that Christ learned about these successful Buddhist monasteries through the Jews. Although Christ's life is well-documented, contemporary sources are silent on three years of his life, when he was between 27-30 years old. The author argues that Christ was in Egypt during this period, possibly in Alexandria, learning about Buddhist monastic traditions and their model of propagation. This thesis is supported by extensive textual evidence and primary research across monasteries in India and Europe.

Studies in the Phenomenon of Monasticism in Buddhism and Christianity, Gaya Charan Tripathi, Indian Institute of Advanced Study, Hardcover, 134 pages, $22.00

Gaya Charan Tripathi, a well-known and widely reputed Indologist and Sanskrit scholar trained in his disciplines, both in the traditional Indian and Western ways. Awarded Certificate of Honour as a modern Sanskrit scholar by the President of India (APJ Abdul Kalam) in 2005 and honoured by various Indological institutions and Sanskrit Academies, including Delhi Sanskrit Akademy ("All India Sanskrit Seva Samman"); U.P. Sanskrit Academy (Banabhatta Praskar); Bihar Rashtrabhasha Parishad; Veda Vidya Pratisthan, Ujjain; Rashtriya Sanskrit Sansthan and Hindi Sahitya Sammelan (conferred title of 'Mahamahopadhyaya'),