Holy On of Xaca

Like "Beddru of Japan," "Ieo of China," and "Zoar of the Bonzes," the name "Holy On" (which is a truncation of "The Holy One of Xaca") is the product of 19th-century alternative history books. It originates specifically from Kersey Graves' highly discredited 1875 book, The World's Sixteen Crucified Saviors.


 

There is no ancient deity named "Holy On." The name "Xaca" (pronounced Shaka) is simply an archaic, 16th-century Westernized spelling of Shakyamuni—the title of the historical Gautama Buddha (known in Japan as Shaka Nyorai).


 

Just as Graves took a misspelling of Buddha's name and listed him as a fake Japanese god ("Beddru"), he duplicated the Buddha again on his list as "The Holy One of Xaca". He claimed this figure was a virgin-born, crucified savior.


 

Because "The Holy One of Xaca" is just a duplicate listing of the Buddha, here are the factual answers to your theological questions based on the real historical figure: Shakyamuni Buddha.


 

Timeline & Locations

  • Active Period: The historical Buddha, Siddhartha Gautama, lived in ancient India and Nepal around the 6th to 5th century BCE.


     

  • Calendar Date of Birth: Traditionally, in East Asian Buddhism (where the name "Shaka/Xaca" is used), his birth is celebrated on the 8th day of the 4th lunar month (a holiday often called Vesak or Buddha's Birthday).


     

  • Locations: He taught primarily in the eastern part of the Indian subcontinent (modern-day Uttar Pradesh and Bihar).


     

Appearance & Names

In art, the Buddha is universally depicted as a serene monk wearing simple robes. He is shown with elongated earlobes (symbolizing the heavy jewelry he wore during his past life as a wealthy prince) and a cranial bump (ushnisha) representing his supreme wisdom.


 

  • Different Names: Siddhartha Gautama (his birth name), Shakyamuni (meaning "Sage of the Shakya Clan"), Gautama Buddha, and Shaka Nyorai (in Japanese Buddhism).


     

Life, Death, & Resurrection

  • When & How He Died: He was not killed. He died of natural causes (often cited by historians as food poisoning, dysentery, or a mesenteric infarction after eating a meal offered by a blacksmith) at around the age of 80.


     

  • Crucified? No. Crucifixion was a Roman punishment that did not exist in ancient India.


     

  • Did He Resurrect? No. Upon his death, he achieved Parinirvana (the final Nirvana). He was finally free from the endless, painful cycle of death and rebirth (samsara). He did not return to life.


     

  • Descend to Hell or Ascend to Heaven? Neither. Parinirvana is the ultimate cessation of the karmic cycle; it is not a physical ascension to a Christian-style heaven, nor did he descend to a hell.


     

Actions & Theological Comparisons

  • Did He Die for the Salvation of Man? No. He did not shed his blood to forgive human sins. He offered "salvation" (enlightenment) by teaching the Dharma (the Four Noble Truths and the Eightfold Path), showing humans how to free themselves from suffering through their own discipline and realization.


     

  • Born of a Virgin? No. His mother, Queen Maya, was a married woman. Buddhist legends state she had a miraculous dream of a white elephant entering her side when he was conceived, but this is a miraculous conception, not a Christian "virgin birth."


     

  • Called the Son of God? No. Buddhism does not center on a supreme Creator God. The Buddha was a human being who achieved supreme, ultimate enlightenment.


     

  • Part of the Trinity? No. Mahayana Buddhism does have a concept called the Trikaya (the "Three Bodies" of the Buddha), but this is a philosophical framework about the nature of reality and enlightenment, not a Holy Trinity of Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.


     

  • Will He Judge Man in Heaven? No. In Buddhism, there is no personal savior deity who sits in heaven judging souls. Instead, the impersonal, universal law of Karma automatically dictates where and how a being will be reborn based on their own actions.


     

Worship & Followers

  • How He Was Worshiped: He is venerated through meditation, chanting of sutras, following his moral precepts, and honoring his relics (housed in stupas) and statues at temples.


     

  • Who Worshipped Him? He has been venerated by monks, nuns, and lay followers throughout Asia for over 2,500 years, and his teachings are now followed globally.