From avatar to son to prophet

[dattaseva]

The following beliefs are stated only from a generalized perspective; some people adhering to the below-mentioned religions may of course have beliefs contrary to what has been stated.

In Hinduism, Krishna is considered to be God incarnate. In Christianity, Jesus is considered as the Son of God. In Islam, Mohammed is considered to be a Messenger of God.

Some Hindus (including me) consider Krishna, Jesus and Mohammed to be incarnations of God or avatars. In Islam, Jesus as well as Mohammed are considered to be only prophets or messengers.

Each person uses a viewpoint that is suitable to his sensibilities, qualities and upbringing. However, the closest that one can come to God is through the concept of the human incarnation. I also need to say that although all human incarnations can be considered as realized souls, all realized souls aren't necessarily human incarnations.

Ultimately, we need to carefully analyze and act upon the teachings of these divine preachers. When it comes down to it, the same God spoke through Krishna, Jesus and Mohammed. And what practicing what He said is of utmost importance.

Even Buddha is considered to be an incarnation of God by some Hindus. But many Buddhists themselves feel that He was merely an enlightened soul. This is partly due to misinterpretation of the Buddha's silence, which indicated that the absolute God is beyond all words and any kind of analysis.