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00:00:07,475 --> 00:00:10,576
Freeman: There is one role
that follows me wherever I go.
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You could say
it's omnipresent.
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It's having played god.
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00:00:20,271 --> 00:00:24,973
I think what resonates
with people is that god would
appear among us, but not with
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00:00:25,076 --> 00:00:29,845
some angelic halo, more
as an ordinary person,
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a janitor, carpenter.
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00:00:34,702 --> 00:00:38,604
Jesus is not the only example
of human incarnation of god.
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The egyptian pharaohs,
the emperors of the inca
were all considered divine.
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Makes you wonder why do people
want to see god walk among us?
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I'm going on a
journey to discover
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how different faiths
see god taking human form.
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I'll meet a goddess living
in the body of a nepali girl.
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Anil: She's the kumari,
we're going to get a chance
to get her blessing today.
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Freeman: I'll visit a hindu
sect whose god walked the earth
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just 200 years ago.
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Sadhu: Just as jesus was
god on earth, swaminarayan
was god on earth.
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Freeman: I'll witness a host
of gods come down to hanoi.
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And discover ancient
archaeological evidence of
when jesus became a god.
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Yonatan: Here's the
momentous word here,
to the god jesus christ.
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Freeman: There is one
god on earth whose followers
number in the billions, jesus.
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Every christmas, throngs
of pilgrims converge on
the starting point of his
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terrestrial journey, bethlehem.
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The church of the nativity on
manger square is built over
the spot where the faithful
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believe the manger once stood.
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Franciscan priest father
peter vasko is taking me to
the exact place where helena,
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mother of roman emperor
constantine, believed
jesus was born.
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Wow.
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Father peter:
Hundreds of thousands
of pilgrims have come
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from around the
world to be here.
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Now over here, we'll go
down here, here is the manger.
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Freeman: Okay, this is
what we're looking for.
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Father peter: So we're
in the actual place
where our lord was born.
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Very powerful, and one of the
holiest shrines that we have.
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Freeman: Christians venerate
this site now, but I'm eager
to understand when jesus
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the preacher, jesus
the rabbi came to be
seen as the divine jesus.
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The answer may lie
86 miles to the north.
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I've been offered a glimpse
of an archaeological discovery
so important that it was
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re-buried for
protection almost as
soon as it was discovered.
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It was unearthed in
2005 when work started
on an expansion of
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a high security
israeli prison.
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Freeman: Hi.
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Now the prison offers
welcome security,
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as the site has been
recently exposed again
for further study.
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Here to show me around
is scholar of comparative
religion, doctor yonatan moss.
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Yonatan: Hello.
Freeman: Hello sir.
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I hear you have proof that
early christians thought
that jesus was god.
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Yonatan: We do have
proof along those lines.
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This here is an excavation of
what was discovered to be
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an early christian
prayer hall.
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And here is this
fantastic mosaic.
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Freeman: Back in the early
3rd century, this mosaic
was the floor of a house,
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one of the oldest
christian houses of
worship ever discovered.
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So, we are actually
in a house here.
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Yonatan: Yes, so what does
this look like to you?
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Freeman: Greek.
Yonatan: Exactly.
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Greek to us.
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Well, let me read it for you.
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Freeman: Okay.
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00:05:05,572 --> 00:05:08,240
Yonatan: Pros
enikein akeptous.
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Akeptos is somebody's name.
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00:05:10,511 --> 00:05:12,778
And what did this
woman akeptos do?
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Pros enikein, she dedicated
this table, the table.
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What table is
she talking about.
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Do we see any remnants?
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Freeman: What about
right there in the middle?
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Yonatan: Bingo.
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This is the base of
the table that would
have been in this church.
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Freeman: Altar.
Yonatan: Altar.
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Exactly.
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Now she doesn't call it an
altar, but this would have
been where they would have
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their religious, liturgical
celebration, maybe something
like the eucharist.
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And it would have been
the table, maybe altar,
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for the celebration of
the bread and the wine.
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Freeman: Biblical scholars
believe the sharing of bread
and wine as the divine body
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and blood of jesus has been
part of christian worship
since the 1st century.
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And, as suggested by the
letters of the apostle paul,
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many of the early
church leaders were women.
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Yonatan: I think it's
very interesting that it's a
woman who dedicates this table.
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Freeman: It sort of runs
counter to what we see today.
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Yonatan: It does yes.
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In the early centuries,
because christianity was kind
of an underground and counter
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cultural movement, it was
often the people who were in
a somewhat subjugated position
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within society who accepted
christianity, earlier than
people in positions of power.
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Freeman: Right.
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Yonatan: And one of
the main demographics in
that category were women.
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00:06:46,306 --> 00:06:50,575
Freeman: Direct archaeological
evidence of a woman leading a
3rd century church
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is a rare find.
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But the mosaic
reveals something far
more momentous about
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the people who worshiped here.
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Yonatan: It says, she
dedicated the table or offered
the table, and here's the
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00:07:05,275 --> 00:07:08,443
momentous word here,
theo iesu christo,
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00:07:09,513 --> 00:07:12,781
to the god, or god,
jesus christ.
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00:07:16,003 --> 00:07:17,369
Freeman: Not the son of god.
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Yonatan: Just god.
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Freeman: So this is
the oldest archaeological
evidence that christians
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thought of jesus as god.
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Yonatan: This was the
matter of debate among
early christians, right.
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We have the council of nicea
in 325 where they discussed
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the trinitarian question,
right? What does it mean?
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Freeman: The father,
the son, the holy ghost.
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Yonatan: Exactly, what
does it mean to say that
christ is the son of god?
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But what did ordinary
christians believe?
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That was always very
hard to kind of figure out.
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This site would seem to
give us the voice of these
ancient christian women,
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and what they
believed about christ.
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It's explicitly stated here.
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Theou iesu christo for
these, the people living
here, in this village,
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00:08:03,951 --> 00:08:07,536
in the 3rd century,
they understood
christ to be divine.
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Freeman: Christ as god.
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Yonatan: As god, exactly.
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Freeman: Well, this is
quite an incredible discovery.
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1800 years ago, this
ordinary house was a meeting
place for a group of people,
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a group of christians, the
dominant voice being women,
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played a part in
transforming jesus the rabbi,
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jesus the prophet,
into jesus the god.
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God made flesh.
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I would argue it is this
transformation that has given
christianity its longevity.
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Billions of souls
followed the teaching,
not of a man, but of god.
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God on earth.
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Jesus's few dramatic
decades on earth confirmed
his divinity in the hearts of
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christians for 2,000 years.
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Other faiths' gods come
and go, much more frequently.
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I've come to the
mountain nation of nepal.
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The capital, kathmandu, is a
noisy, bustling, modern city,
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and home to a living goddess.
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She resides just down the
road from the square, next
to the local produce market,
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in the center of town.
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Anil: We are going
to enter, a very,
you know, sacred space.
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Freeman: Anil chitrakar
is a nepalese cultural
ambassador who is here
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to help me learn about the
ancient tradition of kumari.
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Anil: This is the,
space, where the
living goddess lives.
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We regard the kumari as
something integral to our
life, because they are the
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protectors of everything we
have and everything we do.
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And so, we're gonna get a
chance, you know, for you to
actually meet her, and then,
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you know, get her
blessing today.
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Freeman: About how
old is this child?
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Anil: So, usually,
they start around
three or four years old.
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Freeman: Three years
old, giving blessings?
Anil: Right.
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Even today, you know,
the head of state, you know,
must get a blessing, you know,
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from this young girl,
to rule this country,
you know, for a year.
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Freeman: The kumari
is worshiped as a
deity by both
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the nepalese hindus
and buddhists.
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She is chosen from
the buddhist newari
people of this region,
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and reigns as a
living embodiment of the
hindu goddess, taleju.
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Her dharma, or duty, is to
bestow blessings on believers.
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Anil: Be mindful that she will
be expressionless, because
the local people, you know,
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believe that laughter, you
know, a smile, you know, all
those expressions that human
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beings have, you know,
are not a very good sign.
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And so, having a
straight face, is
usually the good thing.
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00:11:15,742 --> 00:11:17,442
Freeman: Oh, now,
wait a minute!
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Well, what if the child
sees me and smiles?
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Anil: Hm-mm, so, that would
not be a very good thing
because people believe, that
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that could be a bad omen,
you know, that could lead to
something bad, like you know
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death, or even a legal
case, you know, things
that, you know bad things
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that people want to avoid.
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And so generally we
believe that a straight face
is what you really want to,
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you know, see.
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Freeman: Are you coming?
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Anil: I'm not
going to come in.
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Freeman: Okay.
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00:12:13,784 --> 00:12:16,067
Freeman: I'm about to
have an audience with
a living embodiment
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00:12:16,169 --> 00:12:18,269
of the hindu god taleju.
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00:12:18,972 --> 00:12:22,407
My hope is that the kumari
remains expressionless.
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Even the hint of a smile
is said to bring misfortune.
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♪ ♪
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she didn't, she didn't smile.
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00:13:01,214 --> 00:13:02,981
As a matter of fact,
she didn't have an
expression at all.
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00:13:03,083 --> 00:13:04,015
Anil: Okay.
That's a good thing.
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00:13:04,117 --> 00:13:05,233
Freeman: So that's
good for me right?
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00:13:05,335 --> 00:13:06,935
Anil: That's a good thing.
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00:13:07,070 --> 00:13:12,207
Freeman: Alright, and I
also noticed that her feet
were up on a little platform.
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Anil: Pedestal, yes.
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00:13:13,743 --> 00:13:16,444
So while she is the kumari she
should not touch the earth...
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00:13:16,713 --> 00:13:18,746
Freeman: Uh-huh.
Anil: And so she
will be carried around.
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00:13:18,849 --> 00:13:20,415
Freeman: I see, okay.
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00:13:20,517 --> 00:13:23,334
Anil: And so she gets carried
around in a palanquin...
Freeman: Yeah.
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00:13:23,436 --> 00:13:26,838
Anil: Even when she has to
go to festivals and to attend
other rituals in the city.
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00:13:28,158 --> 00:13:32,277
Freeman: This royal treatment
isn't required merely out
of respect for the divine.
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00:13:33,346 --> 00:13:36,381
It avoids her receiving
cuts to her feet.
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00:13:37,350 --> 00:13:40,902
If she bleeds, she
ceases to be a goddess.
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00:13:41,838 --> 00:13:45,573
Of course, that day can
only be put off so long.
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00:13:46,142 --> 00:13:49,777
With the onset of puberty,
this young girl must
return to a way of life
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00:13:49,880 --> 00:13:52,547
that may now be alien to her.
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00:13:54,150 --> 00:13:57,836
It seemed like this
would be kind of a
rough deal for a kid.
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00:13:57,938 --> 00:14:01,639
Anil: It is a rough deal, you
know, for a kid, but I think
in this part of the world,
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00:14:01,741 --> 00:14:04,042
you know, we're constantly
reminded about our duty...
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00:14:04,244 --> 00:14:05,977
Freeman: Yes.
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00:14:06,112 --> 00:14:08,746
Anil: And so in, you know,
sort of the years to come the
people take great pride in the
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00:14:08,849 --> 00:14:12,166
fact that she was able
to serve her community
by taking on this duty.
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00:14:13,603 --> 00:14:16,004
Freeman: And after is
no longer a goddess..
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00:14:16,106 --> 00:14:17,639
Anil: Right.
Freeman: What is she?
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00:14:17,774 --> 00:14:20,575
Anil: You know once she
reaches puberty then the
community begins to search,
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00:14:20,677 --> 00:14:23,411
you know, for a second child,
you know, who'll replace her.
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00:14:23,713 --> 00:14:25,613
She enters the regular
family and I think...
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00:14:25,715 --> 00:14:27,015
Freeman: She becomes
just a regular...
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00:14:27,117 --> 00:14:28,499
Anil: Regular girl.
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00:14:28,602 --> 00:14:29,767
Freeman: Got it.
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00:14:32,305 --> 00:14:34,606
The kumari can't speak to me.
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00:14:34,708 --> 00:14:37,208
She can't tell me what it's
like to be a living goddess.
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00:14:41,982 --> 00:14:46,634
But anil has arranged for
me to visit someone who can.
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00:14:50,340 --> 00:14:53,074
Former kumari, matina shakya.
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00:14:53,343 --> 00:14:54,676
Namaste.
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00:14:56,813 --> 00:15:00,965
Matina is not the first
in the shakya line to
have been seen as divine.
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00:15:02,602 --> 00:15:07,205
The lineage traces
back to siddhartha
gautama, the buddha.
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00:15:10,377 --> 00:15:15,413
Now, matina has returned
to the life of a typical
13-year-old girl.
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00:15:20,370 --> 00:15:22,103
I just met a kumari.
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00:15:22,606 --> 00:15:25,306
She was on her cushion.
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00:15:25,675 --> 00:15:27,642
Her feet are up on a platform.
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00:15:27,744 --> 00:15:29,877
And she had no expression.
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00:15:31,081 --> 00:15:37,035
And I was told that if
she did have an expression
it could be my downfall.
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00:15:38,505 --> 00:15:44,709
I don't know if you have
to think, after a while,
about controlling yourself?
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00:15:45,312 --> 00:15:49,814
Can you give me any
idea how you felt?
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00:15:51,001 --> 00:15:52,800
(speaking in native language).
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00:15:53,003 --> 00:15:55,637
Anil: So, no, she
doesn't have any, you
know, negative thoughts.
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00:15:56,539 --> 00:16:02,010
(speaking in native language).
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00:16:02,112 --> 00:16:07,966
(speaking in native language).
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00:16:08,068 --> 00:16:12,103
She's saying that for
nine years, the two things
she found very good was her
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00:16:12,205 --> 00:16:15,540
friends would come and
play with her, so she
always had the company.
219
00:16:16,476 --> 00:16:19,143
But the second one
was, you know, she
had tutors, you know,
220
00:16:19,245 --> 00:16:20,945
who took her through
the curriculum.
221
00:16:22,716 --> 00:16:28,603
Freeman: Is it difficult
to make the transition
from being the goddess
222
00:16:28,705 --> 00:16:31,139
to being just regular?
223
00:16:33,209 --> 00:16:36,310
Anil: Very normal, she
doesn't have any difficulty...
224
00:16:36,563 --> 00:16:39,514
Freeman: Really?
Anil: Adjusting to
this new life, no.
225
00:16:39,616 --> 00:16:42,900
Freeman: Do your friends still
think of you as a goddess?
226
00:16:43,803 --> 00:16:45,937
(speaking in native language).
227
00:16:49,209 --> 00:16:51,743
(speaking in native language).
228
00:16:54,147 --> 00:16:58,466
Anil: So they recognize both
the roles that she's a former
kumari, but then when they're
229
00:16:58,568 --> 00:17:00,802
playing, you know,
she's just a class mate.
230
00:17:00,904 --> 00:17:02,003
Freeman: Okay.
231
00:17:08,044 --> 00:17:10,611
What makes you laugh out loud?
232
00:17:11,648 --> 00:17:14,248
(speaking in native language).
233
00:17:23,576 --> 00:17:25,209
Freeman: Is she
gonna say nothing?
234
00:17:28,615 --> 00:17:30,882
Well, I guess she can't
grow up as a goddess and
235
00:17:31,501 --> 00:17:36,204
not gain some sense of
bearing, right? Right.
236
00:17:36,306 --> 00:17:37,505
Anil: Right, right.
237
00:17:37,607 --> 00:17:40,308
Freeman: And I'm
struck by her serenity.
238
00:17:42,512 --> 00:17:44,979
(speaking in native language).
239
00:17:51,805 --> 00:17:53,404
Freeman: What do you
want to go in to?
240
00:17:53,606 --> 00:17:55,940
What do you going
to do in life?
241
00:17:56,142 --> 00:17:58,810
(speaking in native language).
242
00:18:03,083 --> 00:18:04,932
(speaking in native language).
243
00:18:08,304 --> 00:18:10,071
(speaking in native language).
244
00:18:10,173 --> 00:18:13,274
Anil: So she loves
her math class a lot,
but what that will lead to
245
00:18:13,376 --> 00:18:14,842
she hasn't yet decided.
246
00:18:14,911 --> 00:18:18,012
Freeman: Right, well that's
good enough I'm telling you.
247
00:18:18,114 --> 00:18:19,947
(speaking in native language)
248
00:18:20,049 --> 00:18:22,533
freeman: One thing
I do not do, math.
249
00:18:22,635 --> 00:18:25,036
(laughter)
250
00:18:25,238 --> 00:18:26,204
thank you.
251
00:18:26,306 --> 00:18:27,872
Matina: You're welcome.
252
00:18:33,446 --> 00:18:36,714
Freeman: I'm just amazed
when I contemplate
matina's childhood.
253
00:18:37,750 --> 00:18:41,169
At the age of three
she was elevated to
the status of goddess.
254
00:18:43,106 --> 00:18:49,210
That was her dharma, her duty;
she was given a role by her
community to be a source of
255
00:18:49,312 --> 00:18:52,680
divine blessing and guidance.
256
00:18:55,068 --> 00:18:59,203
To be a bridge
between this world and
the realm of the gods.
257
00:19:02,275 --> 00:19:08,129
That was matina's
burden, and her honor.
258
00:19:23,947 --> 00:19:27,548
Being a god for
a decade shapes the
kumari's entire life.
259
00:19:30,036 --> 00:19:34,305
But some gods enter
human bodies for just
fleeting moments.
260
00:19:37,977 --> 00:19:40,011
♪ ♪
261
00:19:53,676 --> 00:19:58,446
I've come to the city of
hanoi, vietnam's capital
and cultural heart.
262
00:19:59,716 --> 00:20:04,302
I'm here to witness a
ceremony of the ancient
dao mau folk religion.
263
00:20:17,817 --> 00:20:21,002
Nguyen ngoc vi is a
dao mau spirit medium.
264
00:20:21,571 --> 00:20:24,572
Vi, how are you?
265
00:20:25,008 --> 00:20:26,440
So good to see you.
266
00:20:26,910 --> 00:20:28,976
Nguyen: Yes, nice to
meet you, come please.
267
00:20:29,078 --> 00:20:30,344
Freeman: Thank you.
268
00:20:32,849 --> 00:20:38,069
She's preparing to ask the
gods to come down to earth
for bui thi khim khue,
269
00:20:38,504 --> 00:20:41,372
who needs divine guidance
in her romantic life.
270
00:20:42,575 --> 00:20:47,745
But first, I want to
understand how vi became a
channel for divine spirits.
271
00:20:49,649 --> 00:20:54,035
How does a young woman like
you become a spirit medium?
272
00:20:55,004 --> 00:20:57,371
(speaking in native language).
273
00:20:58,608 --> 00:21:01,976
Khue: People said that
when she was very young
she was very uncommon.
274
00:21:02,078 --> 00:21:03,010
Freeman: Yeah.
275
00:21:03,112 --> 00:21:06,147
(speaking in native language)
276
00:21:06,449 --> 00:21:10,835
khue: We didn't know
anything until the day that
my parents went to talk to
277
00:21:10,970 --> 00:21:12,303
the fortune teller,
278
00:21:12,739 --> 00:21:18,676
and also that I start
to see, gods spirit.
279
00:21:26,369 --> 00:21:32,707
Freeman: So you think
these spirits were trying to
communicate something to you?
280
00:21:33,676 --> 00:21:35,176
Nguyen: Yeah.
281
00:21:35,278 --> 00:21:38,079
(speaking in native language).
282
00:21:38,181 --> 00:21:42,800
Khue: One time I
receive a message like
a dream, from the god,
283
00:21:43,403 --> 00:21:49,240
and he told me that
I should become a
medium to help people.
284
00:21:49,876 --> 00:21:52,710
To be the messenger of god.
285
00:21:59,168 --> 00:22:02,503
Freeman: Vi has become one
of dao mau's leading mediums,
286
00:22:03,139 --> 00:22:07,274
drawing people who wish
to speak to the gods from
all over northern vietnam.
287
00:22:08,378 --> 00:22:09,910
The religion has many deities.
288
00:22:11,581 --> 00:22:15,333
Over several weeks of
preparation, vi has petitioned
several of them to come down
289
00:22:15,435 --> 00:22:16,734
to earth today.
290
00:22:23,509 --> 00:22:27,611
But the ceremony can only
begin when vi senses the
arrival of the mother goddess,
291
00:22:28,114 --> 00:22:32,400
a chief deity of dao
mau who opens the door
for the other gods.
292
00:22:53,673 --> 00:22:57,375
Freeman: When a deity
arrives, vi signals her
assistants to dress
293
00:22:57,493 --> 00:22:59,577
her in that
god's clothing.
294
00:23:19,882 --> 00:23:21,382
Freeman: This
deity is a general.
295
00:23:23,035 --> 00:23:26,036
The color of each god's
costume represents which of
the four elements of nature
296
00:23:26,139 --> 00:23:31,442
they control; earth, sky,
mountain or water.
297
00:24:06,145 --> 00:24:07,127
Freeman: Why are you here?
298
00:24:19,809 --> 00:24:22,843
Freeman: The general
leaves without giving
a message to khue.
299
00:24:25,648 --> 00:24:28,599
But a new god is
already on the way.
300
00:24:46,469 --> 00:24:50,638
Freeman: Nguyen ngoc vi has
prayed for several gods of the
dao mau folk religion to come
301
00:24:50,740 --> 00:24:52,606
down to hanoi today.
302
00:24:54,777 --> 00:25:00,181
She believes one of them
can help bui thi khim khue
with her troubled love life.
303
00:25:07,573 --> 00:25:13,310
As each god arrives vi
welcomes them with a drink,
changes into their costume,
304
00:25:14,547 --> 00:25:17,181
and lets them express
themselves in human form.
305
00:25:29,111 --> 00:25:34,915
Freeman: A series of
noble ladies, princes, and
maidens inhabit vi's body.
306
00:25:35,968 --> 00:25:37,835
But none has a
message for khue.
307
00:25:40,273 --> 00:25:44,141
Until, at last, a
second general arrives.
308
00:25:48,514 --> 00:25:50,681
It's the commander
of tu n tranh,
309
00:25:50,816 --> 00:25:55,369
a figure famous for
fighting back a mongol
invasion in the 13th century.
310
00:26:03,179 --> 00:26:05,446
He summons khue to
come to the altar.
311
00:26:13,272 --> 00:26:19,243
♪ ♪
312
00:26:46,772 --> 00:26:52,910
khue: So, he gave me
a blessing that I'm going
to meet a person with good,
313
00:26:53,012 --> 00:26:55,579
with a kind heart.
314
00:26:55,781 --> 00:26:57,448
And, will get married.
315
00:26:58,050 --> 00:26:58,966
Yes.
316
00:26:59,068 --> 00:27:01,001
That's, the blessing I got.
317
00:27:01,170 --> 00:27:03,704
Freeman: He give you any
idea how long it's gonna
be before this happens?
318
00:27:04,507 --> 00:27:06,740
Khue: Maybe soon, I hope.
319
00:27:07,910 --> 00:27:09,209
Freeman: Okay we'll see.
320
00:27:09,312 --> 00:27:10,644
Khue: We'll see.
321
00:27:12,481 --> 00:27:14,648
They gonna ask me
to finish bottom up.
322
00:27:15,267 --> 00:27:17,067
Freeman: Bottoms up.
Khue: So that I
can get married.
323
00:27:18,170 --> 00:27:19,703
Freeman: Okay.
324
00:27:35,838 --> 00:27:40,841
Gods and the souls of
ancestors all mix and
mingle flowing through
325
00:27:40,943 --> 00:27:43,077
the tradition of dao mau.
326
00:27:45,581 --> 00:27:48,666
For the believers,
the boundary between
the eternal and
327
00:27:48,734 --> 00:27:52,503
our mortal world
is thin and porous.
328
00:27:54,607 --> 00:27:57,975
The appearance of these gods
on earth, it's not a miracle.
329
00:27:59,245 --> 00:28:01,111
It's an everyday occurrence.
330
00:28:01,881 --> 00:28:04,848
Like calling up an old friend.
331
00:28:09,138 --> 00:28:11,405
We gonna have to
give all this money
back before we leave?
332
00:28:11,507 --> 00:28:12,539
Khue: No.
333
00:28:12,842 --> 00:28:14,675
You can keep this, it's lucky.
334
00:28:14,977 --> 00:28:16,977
Freeman: About 60 grand here.
335
00:28:21,350 --> 00:28:24,034
Many believers turn to
the gods in times of need.
336
00:28:25,871 --> 00:28:29,940
Jesus came to judea when
the jews were under the
thumb of roman occupation.
337
00:28:31,010 --> 00:28:32,576
Thousands of years later,
338
00:28:34,780 --> 00:28:38,682
some say he came again,
this time to africa.
339
00:28:42,471 --> 00:28:48,809
Shashamane, ethiopia is
a rastafari settlement more
than 7000 miles from jamaica.
340
00:28:51,680 --> 00:28:56,200
Donisha prendergast,
activist, documentarian,
and granddaughter of
341
00:28:56,302 --> 00:28:58,135
reggae legend bob marley...
342
00:28:58,938 --> 00:28:59,937
Isha: Thank you.
343
00:29:01,273 --> 00:29:02,706
Freeman: Is here
to learn about the
rastafari belief that
344
00:29:02,842 --> 00:29:08,145
the late ethiopian emperor
haile selassie was a
reincarnation of jesus.
345
00:29:08,881 --> 00:29:13,967
♪ babylon is falling,
ethiopia she is calling. ♪
346
00:29:14,069 --> 00:29:19,473
freeman: Meeting her
today is sydney salmon
a jamaican rastafarian
347
00:29:19,575 --> 00:29:21,575
who now calls shashamane home.
348
00:29:21,911 --> 00:29:25,145
Sydney: Welcome,
welcome, welcome home,
welcome home, welcome home.
349
00:29:26,148 --> 00:29:29,199
Isha: You know
many people think
that rastafari is just
350
00:29:29,301 --> 00:29:33,203
bob marley, ganja,
reggae music.
351
00:29:33,773 --> 00:29:34,938
Sydney: Yes.
352
00:29:36,675 --> 00:29:39,376
Isha: So, tell me about, what
is it about shashamane, why
do you find yourself here?
353
00:29:40,079 --> 00:29:43,647
Sydney: You know,
shashamane is the mecca
of rastafari, you know.
354
00:29:43,849 --> 00:29:47,434
Isha: We can't talk about
rastafari as a movement...
Sydney: Yes.
355
00:29:47,536 --> 00:29:49,603
Isha: Without talking
about marcus mosiah garvey.
356
00:29:49,705 --> 00:29:51,104
Sydney: Yes, I...
357
00:29:51,474 --> 00:29:54,908
Freeman: The story
starts in 1920 with
the jamaican publisher
358
00:29:55,010 --> 00:29:57,544
and political activist,
marcus garvey.
359
00:29:57,913 --> 00:30:01,215
Sydney: Marcus garvey is
like john the baptist,
you know, the first man
360
00:30:01,317 --> 00:30:02,966
who come and spoke to us.
361
00:30:03,068 --> 00:30:06,170
He said, "africans need
to see their god through
african spectacles.
362
00:30:07,106 --> 00:30:11,975
Freeman: Garvey believed that
people of african descent,
dispersed by slavery and
363
00:30:12,077 --> 00:30:17,381
tyrannized by colonialism,
needed leaders, both
political and spiritual,
364
00:30:18,217 --> 00:30:19,700
made in their own image.
365
00:30:21,670 --> 00:30:26,840
He wrote: "look to africa when
a black king shall be crowned,
366
00:30:28,477 --> 00:30:31,211
for the day of
deliverance is near."
367
00:30:47,346 --> 00:30:51,899
ten years later the
ethiopian nobleman
rastafari mekonnen
368
00:30:52,001 --> 00:30:56,937
was crowned emperor of
ethiopia, and took the
name haile selassie.
369
00:30:58,107 --> 00:31:01,708
Isha: 88 years ago when his
majesty was coronated...
370
00:31:01,810 --> 00:31:03,644
Sydney: Yes.
Isha: He changed history.
371
00:31:03,746 --> 00:31:04,978
Sydney: Yes.
372
00:31:05,114 --> 00:31:07,981
Isha: So from the
jump his majesty was
about african unity.
373
00:31:08,083 --> 00:31:09,299
Sydney: Unity.
374
00:31:10,903 --> 00:31:13,937
Freeman: Many jamaicans,
living under british colonial
rule, were inspired by
375
00:31:14,039 --> 00:31:16,840
selassie's resistance
to european invaders.
376
00:31:17,509 --> 00:31:19,643
And saw him as
garvey's redeemer.
377
00:31:20,579 --> 00:31:26,233
Some pronounced him a
reincarnation of jesus, and
the rastafari faith was born.
378
00:31:27,770 --> 00:31:29,970
Sydney: To some people
god mean different things.
379
00:31:30,072 --> 00:31:33,473
Well, the first thing we
know that the bible teaches
that god is a spirit.
380
00:31:34,276 --> 00:31:39,613
But this spirit
manifested himself as a man.
381
00:31:39,982 --> 00:31:41,114
As a human being.
382
00:31:42,801 --> 00:31:46,470
Freeman: Selassie was
an ethiopian orthodox
christian and
383
00:31:46,572 --> 00:31:48,772
never claimed
to be divine.
384
00:31:49,608 --> 00:31:53,677
But when he set aside
shashamane as a homeland
for dispersed africans it
385
00:31:53,779 --> 00:31:56,813
bolstered his status as
a god for the rastafari.
386
00:31:57,149 --> 00:31:59,866
Isha: He was the only
african king who came and
stretched out his hand.
387
00:32:00,035 --> 00:32:00,968
Sydney: Yeah.
388
00:32:01,070 --> 00:32:03,553
Isha: Gave us 500
acres of land.
389
00:32:03,639 --> 00:32:05,939
Sydney: Yes, so I give
thanks for being here.
390
00:32:06,709 --> 00:32:08,141
Long live marcus garvey.
391
00:32:08,277 --> 00:32:13,413
Long live the
spirit of rastafari and
repatriation to the homeland,
392
00:32:13,515 --> 00:32:16,233
with my god and my king
beside me, you know.
393
00:32:19,638 --> 00:32:24,274
Freeman: People of many
faiths yearn to reach out and
touch the divine here on earth.
394
00:32:24,710 --> 00:32:27,844
But divinity does not only
manifest in human form.
395
00:32:28,781 --> 00:32:32,149
Catholics believe they can
still make contact with jesus
396
00:32:32,267 --> 00:32:34,267
through the objects
he left behind.
397
00:32:52,938 --> 00:32:57,374
Freeman: I've come to
paris to visit one of
the most famous cathedrals
398
00:32:57,810 --> 00:32:59,910
in the entire world.
399
00:33:00,245 --> 00:33:02,813
(bells ringing)
400
00:33:05,184 --> 00:33:07,234
notre dame.
401
00:33:09,171 --> 00:33:15,342
(organ playing)
402
00:33:17,446 --> 00:33:20,847
more than
13 million people
come here every year.
403
00:33:21,750 --> 00:33:26,903
Yet only a fraction of
them knows that these vaulted
ceilings house one of the most
404
00:33:27,006 --> 00:33:31,341
precious and closely guarded
relics in all christendom.
405
00:33:34,980 --> 00:33:36,813
The crown of thorns.
406
00:33:38,801 --> 00:33:43,303
I've been granted special
access to see the crown
up-close, and learn more
407
00:33:43,405 --> 00:33:47,140
about what the faithful
see in this sacred object.
408
00:33:48,477 --> 00:33:52,345
Father denis dupont-fauville
is one of its curators.
409
00:33:54,283 --> 00:33:57,234
This, this is it?
410
00:33:58,070 --> 00:34:01,438
Father denis: This is
it. This is very rare
to show it like that.
411
00:34:04,076 --> 00:34:07,544
Freeman: It's been the
prized possession of the
catholic church in France
412
00:34:07,646 --> 00:34:09,713
for almost 800 years.
413
00:34:11,550 --> 00:34:15,869
Of course, if it's the
genuine article, it's
far older than that.
414
00:34:17,306 --> 00:34:20,357
Father denis: The crown
which is made of reeds,
of herbs, of weeds...
415
00:34:20,442 --> 00:34:21,775
Freeman: Mm-mm.
416
00:34:21,910 --> 00:34:27,547
Father denis: And they
put it in this circle
of glass, actually,
417
00:34:27,649 --> 00:34:29,199
with gold around there.
418
00:34:29,601 --> 00:34:33,670
And they added a few
gold wires to maintain it.
419
00:34:33,772 --> 00:34:37,074
Freeman: Oh, then the actual
reeds are held together now...
420
00:34:37,176 --> 00:34:38,909
Father denis: Yes.
Freeman: With these
little gold wires.
421
00:34:39,044 --> 00:34:43,480
Father denis: Yes, and then
they put this glass thing and
the sealed it just to preserve
422
00:34:43,582 --> 00:34:46,500
it from air, from
pollution, from contact.
423
00:34:47,202 --> 00:34:53,440
But what we call the crown
of thorns was actually
sort of a helmet of thorns.
424
00:34:53,876 --> 00:34:58,945
And so they, on
this circle they made a
helmet with the thorns and
425
00:34:59,047 --> 00:35:01,081
then they set it on the head.
426
00:35:01,183 --> 00:35:03,500
That was really horrible.
427
00:35:06,438 --> 00:35:10,740
Freeman: The gospels
say that when jesus was
carrying his cross to golgotha,
428
00:35:11,477 --> 00:35:14,878
roman soldiers mocked him
as the "king of the jews"
429
00:35:15,848 --> 00:35:18,865
and placed a crown
of thorns on his head.
430
00:35:20,269 --> 00:35:21,635
I have this question for you.
431
00:35:21,770 --> 00:35:24,638
Father denis: Yes.
Freeman: France, that's
a long way from golgotha.
432
00:35:24,740 --> 00:35:26,406
Father denis: Yes,
that's a long story.
433
00:35:26,542 --> 00:35:31,077
So helen, who was the mother
of the emperor took it from
jerusalem to constantinople
434
00:35:31,180 --> 00:35:32,512
in the 4th century.
435
00:35:34,149 --> 00:35:38,435
Freeman: The roman emperor
constantine's mother had
converted to christianity,
436
00:35:38,971 --> 00:35:44,107
and claimed the crown as
a key symbol of jesus's
suffering on the cross.
437
00:35:46,345 --> 00:35:50,947
Father denis: And then
nearly 1000 years the crown
stayed in constantinople.
438
00:35:51,750 --> 00:35:55,936
Then there was the war,
but the emperor had no
money to pay the army.
439
00:35:56,271 --> 00:36:01,441
So, to get the money
for his army, he put the
crown in loan in venice.
440
00:36:02,044 --> 00:36:03,310
Freeman: They swapped it.
441
00:36:03,412 --> 00:36:05,111
Father denis: He
loaned the crown.
442
00:36:05,214 --> 00:36:09,266
And when the king of France
learned that, king louis,
he say, "it's a shame.
443
00:36:09,368 --> 00:36:15,639
So, I give the money for the
army and I get the crown in
a safe place, that's France."
444
00:36:15,841 --> 00:36:16,806
freeman: Okay.
445
00:36:16,942 --> 00:36:21,678
Father denis: So in
1239 it arrived in France.
446
00:36:21,780 --> 00:36:23,480
Freeman: Uh-huh.
447
00:36:23,615 --> 00:36:27,934
Father denis: And when king
louis welcomed this crown in
paris, he went out of the city
448
00:36:28,036 --> 00:36:33,840
with bare feet, only a shirt
on him, and he said, "well,
I'm the most powerful
449
00:36:33,942 --> 00:36:37,844
king on earth, but I'm nothing
in comparison to the true king.
450
00:36:38,580 --> 00:36:43,400
My crown is of gold, but
his crown is the true one.
It was made of thorns."
451
00:36:43,869 --> 00:36:48,271
so it was very, very moving
from this man who was the most
powerful on earth at the time.
452
00:36:48,907 --> 00:36:50,140
You know...
453
00:36:50,275 --> 00:36:54,244
And the money he gave
was one full year of
France's budget.
454
00:36:55,113 --> 00:36:56,980
You can imagine
it was tremendous.
455
00:36:57,082 --> 00:36:58,965
Freeman: Quite a bit of money.
456
00:36:59,234 --> 00:37:04,404
So, the amount that was paid
probably opened the doorway
for a lot of fake stuff.
457
00:37:05,107 --> 00:37:10,243
Father denis: Well, you
can never be sure 100%
they are the true ones.
458
00:37:10,846 --> 00:37:15,632
But in this case it
was analyzed a little
bit a few years ago,
459
00:37:16,535 --> 00:37:22,872
so, we are certain
that is the actual crown
which was shown to helen.
460
00:37:23,675 --> 00:37:26,676
So if there is one in
the world, it's this one.
461
00:37:27,512 --> 00:37:33,533
Freeman: I know you said
that if there is a crown
of thorns, this is it.
462
00:37:33,969 --> 00:37:35,335
Father denis: Yes.
463
00:37:35,437 --> 00:37:38,772
Freeman: But what
if it's not it?
464
00:37:38,874 --> 00:37:43,076
Father denis: Well if it
really touched christ of
course it is obvious, but even
465
00:37:43,178 --> 00:37:49,332
if it's not the true one
it's a way of remembering,
okay he really was on earth.
466
00:37:49,801 --> 00:37:50,934
He was a true man.
467
00:37:51,069 --> 00:37:54,371
He could bear that, he could
have that on his very head.
468
00:37:55,173 --> 00:37:59,809
And this is no story,
this is not a tale or a
symbol or an abstraction.
469
00:38:00,312 --> 00:38:01,645
This is history.
470
00:38:01,747 --> 00:38:03,680
This is concrete,
we can touch it.
471
00:38:04,316 --> 00:38:05,632
You know.
472
00:38:06,034 --> 00:38:07,367
Freeman: Got you.
473
00:38:14,609 --> 00:38:19,346
Today is the first Friday
of the month, when the crown
is put on public display.
474
00:38:25,437 --> 00:38:30,807
People from all over the
world come to attend mass
and get close to the relic.
475
00:38:35,580 --> 00:38:40,400
By so doing, they believe they
are getting closer to jesus.
476
00:38:52,114 --> 00:38:56,499
Father denis: People
come there with their
sufferings, with their hopes.
477
00:38:58,804 --> 00:39:03,873
And they come to this
crown, they come to
christ actually; and say,
478
00:39:03,975 --> 00:39:10,280
"okay, you suffered, you
hoped. I suffer, I hope.
I want to join with you."
479
00:39:11,650 --> 00:39:13,466
so that's very, very deep.
480
00:39:14,102 --> 00:39:16,269
Simple in a way but
very, very moving.
481
00:39:27,983 --> 00:39:30,667
Freeman: Holy relics
are symbols of the
divine here on earth.
482
00:39:32,671 --> 00:39:37,006
As such, they can
and do fall under the
control of people who
483
00:39:37,109 --> 00:39:40,043
would use them
for earthly power.
484
00:39:42,414 --> 00:39:48,701
But for those who are
seeking spiritual strength,
relics act as a beacon,
485
00:39:50,572 --> 00:39:55,742
a beacon of faith,
that guide them through
the distractions of this
486
00:39:55,844 --> 00:40:02,182
mortal realm to a more
direct connection with god.
487
00:40:08,073 --> 00:40:11,207
Religions often form around
divinely inspired figures,
488
00:40:12,577 --> 00:40:15,979
moses, mohammed, the buddha.
489
00:40:16,848 --> 00:40:22,135
Most people are only aware
of one faith where god took
human form, christianity.
490
00:40:23,839 --> 00:40:25,672
But there is another.
491
00:40:26,141 --> 00:40:31,311
This divine person may
be the key to understanding
the power of gods on earth.
492
00:40:44,709 --> 00:40:49,846
Freeman: I've come to
london to visit the shri
swaminarayan temple.
493
00:40:57,572 --> 00:41:01,341
It's dedicated to
the swaminarayan sect
of the hindu faith.
494
00:41:07,415 --> 00:41:10,900
I've been granted an audience
with one of the senior spiritual
leaders of the group...
495
00:41:11,903 --> 00:41:13,670
Thank you for having
this conversation with me.
496
00:41:14,439 --> 00:41:16,339
Sadhu paramtattvadas.
497
00:41:17,442 --> 00:41:22,512
He and millions of his fellow
devotees believe that the
supreme god of hinduism,
498
00:41:23,381 --> 00:41:27,934
brahman, came to earth as a
human, just over 200 years ago.
499
00:41:31,506 --> 00:41:34,841
Tell me the story of god on
earth, the hindu god on earth.
500
00:41:35,210 --> 00:41:38,178
Sadhu: For me, I mean
there are many gods.
501
00:41:38,280 --> 00:41:39,546
Freeman: I thought
there was one?
502
00:41:39,648 --> 00:41:42,081
Sadhu: There is
one supreme entity.
503
00:41:42,184 --> 00:41:44,834
And that entity
can take many forms.
504
00:41:45,103 --> 00:41:49,973
So for me, as a, as
a monk, that would be
bhagwan swaminarayan.
505
00:41:50,575 --> 00:41:54,377
For me, he is the
supreme, ultimate entity.
506
00:41:54,846 --> 00:41:57,013
For me, he is god.
507
00:41:57,516 --> 00:42:02,101
Freeman: Swaminarayan
hindus believe that god
was born in human form in
508
00:42:02,204 --> 00:42:06,639
the indian state of
uttar pradesh in 1781.
509
00:42:07,542 --> 00:42:13,746
Sadhu: He manifested on earth,
as a normal human being,
through a mother and a father,
510
00:42:13,848 --> 00:42:18,368
to dispel the darkness
of ignorance, to help
elevate humankind,
511
00:42:18,470 --> 00:42:20,336
to a higher moral level.
512
00:42:22,574 --> 00:42:24,908
At the age of 11, after
his parents passed away,
513
00:42:26,811 --> 00:42:30,513
alone, barefooted,
open-chested,
514
00:42:31,116 --> 00:42:35,168
with nothing except a
utensil to drink from,
515
00:42:35,804 --> 00:42:38,204
a small scripture
and a loincloth.
516
00:42:40,375 --> 00:42:43,409
Chose this journey of
traveling across india,
517
00:42:44,479 --> 00:42:47,981
and he traveled
12,000 kilometers including
518
00:42:48,083 --> 00:42:53,603
spending three years across
the himalayas, alone through
jungles, across mountains,
519
00:42:53,705 --> 00:42:56,439
treacherous, climates
and conditions.
520
00:43:01,246 --> 00:43:05,615
Freeman: As he traveled,
stories of his power and
divinity began to spread.
521
00:43:08,503 --> 00:43:13,640
In one such tale, he
arrived at a village that was
being terrorized by a lion.
522
00:43:14,609 --> 00:43:19,579
The village priest
warned him away, but
swaminarayan refused to go.
523
00:43:20,548 --> 00:43:23,733
That night he
faced down the lion.
524
00:43:25,804 --> 00:43:29,639
When the village awoke, the
lion looked more like a lamb.
525
00:43:30,875 --> 00:43:33,543
Calmly lying at
the swami's feet.
526
00:43:35,213 --> 00:43:39,966
The villagers knew then
that this young man
was no ordinary human.
527
00:43:44,205 --> 00:43:48,908
Sadhu: He spent seven years
along this journey, to see the
religious landscape of india,
528
00:43:49,277 --> 00:43:54,947
and see where he could find
those souls that he wanted
to bring to perfection.
529
00:43:55,550 --> 00:44:00,470
Freeman: The 11-year-old
who walked the length
and breadth of india,
530
00:44:01,039 --> 00:44:02,739
and became supreme.
531
00:44:03,541 --> 00:44:05,441
Sadhu: No.
Freeman: No.
532
00:44:05,543 --> 00:44:07,844
Sadhu: He was eternally
supreme, he is god.
533
00:44:09,748 --> 00:44:11,648
He doesn't become
god, he was god.
534
00:44:11,750 --> 00:44:13,533
And is god and
always will be god.
535
00:44:13,935 --> 00:44:14,867
Freeman: Always was?
536
00:44:14,969 --> 00:44:16,536
Sadhu: Always was,
and always will be.
537
00:44:16,638 --> 00:44:20,907
That's the, the
very essence of having
eternal supreme entity.
538
00:44:21,209 --> 00:44:26,379
Just as jesus was god on
earth, bhagwan swaminarayan
was god on earth.
539
00:44:29,601 --> 00:44:32,835
Because he grew up as a
normal child, but there
were still miracles happening
540
00:44:32,937 --> 00:44:34,437
all around him.
541
00:44:34,539 --> 00:44:36,739
He was bringing
things to life, he
was protecting people,
542
00:44:36,841 --> 00:44:41,377
saving people
throughout his life there
were lots of miracles.
543
00:44:44,182 --> 00:44:49,068
But in our traditions,
the miracles don't have as
much spiritual importance.
544
00:44:51,239 --> 00:44:54,040
They don't prove him as god.
545
00:44:55,276 --> 00:44:56,376
He is.
546
00:44:56,478 --> 00:44:59,512
Freeman: How is the
human condition helped
547
00:45:00,281 --> 00:45:04,801
by a god being
here among us?
548
00:45:05,570 --> 00:45:10,640
Sadhu: Is god not
powerful enough to exact
his power from heaven?
549
00:45:11,876 --> 00:45:15,778
Bhagwan swaminarayan
explains that his
manifestation,
550
00:45:15,880 --> 00:45:21,667
taking on a human form,
was to help countless souls
eradicate their ignorance,
551
00:45:22,337 --> 00:45:24,737
and elevate them to
spiritual perfection.
552
00:45:27,041 --> 00:45:29,609
Freeman: I'm, I'm trying
my best to absorb.
553
00:45:30,412 --> 00:45:34,480
So what you're saying,
basically, it's a way
of leading by example.
554
00:45:34,849 --> 00:45:37,867
Sadhu: Yes, I think
it's immensely powerful.
555
00:45:38,770 --> 00:45:41,037
What if jesus was
present on earth now?
556
00:45:43,908 --> 00:45:45,341
Amongst us.
557
00:45:45,944 --> 00:45:49,479
Rather than interpreting
scriptures in different ways,
558
00:45:49,581 --> 00:45:51,280
we have a person
who's speaking to us.
559
00:45:51,683 --> 00:45:54,700
It's a much more
direct relationship.
560
00:45:55,703 --> 00:46:00,173
What more powerful
and direct form of
revelation could there be
561
00:46:00,341 --> 00:46:05,812
than god himself
appearing on earth
and saying, here I am.
562
00:46:12,003 --> 00:46:17,640
♪ ♪
563
00:46:25,216 --> 00:46:31,504
♪ ♪
564
00:46:36,478 --> 00:46:40,880
it seems to me we yearn for
god to walk among us because,
565
00:46:40,982 --> 00:46:44,901
we need a living example of
what it means to be divine.
566
00:46:48,273 --> 00:46:51,374
A god in human form can show
us the way through hard times.
567
00:46:53,444 --> 00:46:55,044
Help us make tough choices.
568
00:46:56,748 --> 00:47:02,268
Show us how to love and
respect one another, when it
seems the hardest thing to do.
569
00:47:13,548 --> 00:47:18,801
Just because we are
mortal doesn't mean we can't
strive to live as god would.
570
00:47:19,070 --> 00:47:20,236
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