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How can Buddha be an Avatar of Vishnu?
- Thread starter ronki23
- Start date
Clearly some Hindus believe that Buddha is indeed the Kalki avatar. Otherwise this thread would have no reason to exist. (Update: clearly I goofed here. Sorry. Disregard the previous statament.)
Which is the correct belief? I have no idea. Or rather, I don't think that there is any objective way of telling.
Instead, the reasonable stance to pursue is IMO to accept that different groups and schools of thought and belief will often use the same or similar words with sharply different meanings. More than that, the meanings themselves are also influenced by the general doctrine and beliefs. Therefore it is rarely very clarifying to pinch simple statements without much context.
Regarding this specific question, I would propose that the claim that Buddha is the Kalki Avatar of Vishnu is indeed at odds with what is generally understood to be Buddhist teachings. But those were not written to necessarily conform to Hindu doctrinary concepts and expectations; certainly not to those of all Sampradayas. Nor should we expect otherwise, since even by a purely Hindu perspective Buddhism is, after all, Nastika and therefore divergent from more mainstream, Astika lines of thought within Hinduism.
The way I see it, the validity of contrasting Dharmic teachings is to be gauged mainly by the ethical results of those teachings. There will be (and is) a myriad ways of wording Dharmic / ethical teachings and at least as many doctrinary models to accompany them. Many of those models are indeed at odds with each other, sometimes very directly.
That is not really a problem as long as each group takes proper responsibility for its own models, concepts and teachings and proper care to detect and correct mistakes of behavior and motivation.
Ultimately, the concepts hold no wisdom in and of themselves. It is for practicioners to use them wisely and accept the effort, dangers and merit that come from that use.
Which is the correct belief? I have no idea. Or rather, I don't think that there is any objective way of telling.
Instead, the reasonable stance to pursue is IMO to accept that different groups and schools of thought and belief will often use the same or similar words with sharply different meanings. More than that, the meanings themselves are also influenced by the general doctrine and beliefs. Therefore it is rarely very clarifying to pinch simple statements without much context.
Regarding this specific question, I would propose that the claim that Buddha is the Kalki Avatar of Vishnu is indeed at odds with what is generally understood to be Buddhist teachings. But those were not written to necessarily conform to Hindu doctrinary concepts and expectations; certainly not to those of all Sampradayas. Nor should we expect otherwise, since even by a purely Hindu perspective Buddhism is, after all, Nastika and therefore divergent from more mainstream, Astika lines of thought within Hinduism.
The way I see it, the validity of contrasting Dharmic teachings is to be gauged mainly by the ethical results of those teachings. There will be (and is) a myriad ways of wording Dharmic / ethical teachings and at least as many doctrinary models to accompany them. Many of those models are indeed at odds with each other, sometimes very directly.
That is not really a problem as long as each group takes proper responsibility for its own models, concepts and teachings and proper care to detect and correct mistakes of behavior and motivation.
Ultimately, the concepts hold no wisdom in and of themselves. It is for practicioners to use them wisely and accept the effort, dangers and merit that come from that use.
Last edited:
MonkeyFire
Well-Known Member
The 28th Buddha went into nirvana, as will the 29th Buddha (the next avatar); and they will do this until we are saved. The fire of happiness can light a million candles and never ever lessen.
Aupmanyav
Be your own guru
Not Kalki, Luis but the ninth avatara of Lord Vishnu (Kalki, the tenth, will come only 425,000 years from now). That is what some theist Hindus believe.
For me as an atheist Hindu, being designated as an avatara is a religious honor awarded by the society, sort of a Nobel prize in religion. Buddha certainly qualifies for that. Similarly, Sankara is considered by some Hindus as an avatara of Shiva. This happens in Hinduism frequently.