avatars what do people think

[peteyzen]

Hi folks, like so many I am trying to develop my spiritual side, I am serious about advancing and using this life to its utmost. My teacher works on me directly but he also recomends that in order that i advance in the safest and swiftest way that I ally myself to an avatar. I wondered if any other members have come across these beings and if they have, how their experience of dealing with them was.

My understanding of an avatar is quite simply the divine come to earth in human form, ie Jesus and krishna, but there are also one or two avatars around now, like sai baba and mother meera
love to hear what people think.

hi peteyzen, sorry about this but after reading your thread i had to look up what avatar ment sorry but only way i learn, and yes i had no idea what one was.. anyway thought id add a little more information of what i found out through research and maybe theres others on here who didnt know what an avatar was but didnt like to ask. Hope you dont mind

The word Avatara, from Sanskrit "descend, coming down", means the descend of God/des into a human body, in order to help and save the world. The Bhagavad Gita may have been the first literature to introduce the concept of Avatar, when Krishna says to Arjuna:
"Whenever there is decline of Dharma (righteousness, Religion) and ascendance of Adharma (unrighteous), then O scion of the bharata race, I manifest myself. For the protection of good, for the destruction of evil, and for the establishment of Dharma, I am born from age to age." (Bh.G. IV-7,8)

But, you may ask, has not every human being God within himself, can we not all discover our own Divinity? Sure, this is what it is all about. Just as we have not yet realized it, we are still growing to understand our own inner nature. We are therefore evolving 'upward' (or inward), while the Avatar does not need to evolve. S/he comes here to show us our true nature, and help us to recognize our own Divinity within.

Mother Meera: "Avatars come from the Divine, while self-realized persons go to the Divine. Avatars are always one with God and never lose awareness of the Divine, unlike gurus who began ignorant. To become self-realized, people - through spiritual practice, meditation, and japa - work hard and then reap the fruit. Since they have worked strenuously, they expect others to work as they have; they do not have as much patience as do divine personalities. Also, Avatars can change things faster."

Hello Peteyzen,

I'd personally be very wary about anyone who called themself an 'avatar'. If you want to get in touch with a guaranteed avatar then by reading Bhagavad-Gita you are already personally hearing the words of the fountain of all avatars : Krishna ('krsnas tu bhagavan svayam').

There is a large book called 'Srimad Bhagavatam' which describes the lifetimes of a whole host of avatars throught history, you may find this interesting? It speaks in details of the avatars before Krishna, such as King Ramachandra, and Nrshrimhadeva and also after Krishna, such as Buddha and Kalki.

See online link here:
http://srimadbhagavatam.com/1/3/en1

Best Wishes,

Das

[peteyzen]

[quote=DASA]Hello Peteyzen,

I'd personally be very wary about anyone who called themself an 'avatar'. If you want to get in touch with a guaranteed avatar then by reading Bhagavad-Gita you are already personally hearing the words of the fountain of all avatars : Krishna ('krsnas tu bhagavan svayam').


Hi Das, thanks again for your advice, I am already very close to the blue guy, as is my teacher. And I know what you mean about being wary, many claim the title but few really are. I have to say though for me personaly I have a good feeling about both mother meera and sai baba, althougn I know both at times have recieved bad press and bad feedback from ex devotees. I will however take your warning in the spirit it was meant. I do however find it strange that many people who are in very solid well founded religions, seem very reticent in believing that the god who they worship so strongly, might actually have popped back during what is the most serious and dangerous time for humanity ever, both spiritually and physically. In fact they seem to almost shy away from the possiblilty is this from fear do you think or just the fact that some religions (not yours by the way) are so diluted now that theyactually fear that god might come back and tell the truth and in so doing ruin their power base?

Originally Posted by peteyzen

I know what you mean about being wary, many claim the title but few really are.

From my experiences travelling and speaking with people it seems evident that there are number of people, (especially within India) who have developed certain 'mystical' abilities, (or who are born with them from previous lives) and that use these abilities to trick others into believing they are God. I obviously can't say it's true in every case, I just don't know ...

Originally Posted by peteyzen

I do however find it strange that many people who are in very solid well founded religions, seem very reticent in believing that the god who they worship so strongly, might actually have popped back during what is the most serious and dangerous time for humanity ever, both spiritually and physically. In fact they seem to almost shy away from the possiblilty is this from fear do you think or just the fact that some religions (not yours by the way) are so diluted now that theyactually fear that god might come back and tell the truth and in so doing ruin their power base?

From Vedic scripture it's understood that the appearance of an avatar is a very rare, and special event, so I can very much understand people being sceptical when there have been literally 1000's of people claiming as such in the past 100 years. I agree with your points about people being fearful and being attached to power, but still even if that is the case it's still no proof that people are really who they claim to be...? Unless someone can display their 'Universal Form' to me as Krishna did to Arjuna then I'm personally not going to subscribe to anyone as God on Earth.

Best Wishes,

Das

[peteyzen]

[quote=DASA]
Das

Hi dasa, yes I know what you mean about seeing the universal form, it is the ultimate. I do feel though that that experience, as was given to arjuns, is an earned one, in that God may require a show of faith before bestowing such a high honour. That would mean that, just as in the gita, one would need to believe before as did arjuna, before the form was shown. It is a dilema in a way,in your position one could argue that until you, personally or I have seen this vision of vishnu, we cant believe in krishna, do you see what I mean.
After all God is god wether it is krishna`s incarnation or, (if he is god as well), sai baba`s or another avatar

But I do take the simple truth of your warning to heart, of billions of souls it is unlikely any are avatars. However, in one of your own quotes (from the gita) that you posted recently where Krishna is speaking with arjuna , he mentions that he returns when things are really bad to get man back on track, well surely if he was going to come in one form or another, now would be the time?

Love your posts dasa they really make me think. love and light peteyzen

Hello sprite,
Well researched.Thank you so much.All you say,word for word is correct.I wish to thank you with respect and humility.
All human life is ascending,the more one wants the final truth the faster the truth will appear.
Light and grace.

eternity - -

Avatars are known for focusing on the human condition. As with all learning / teaching situations - - there is a hierarchy where some are beyond an avatar and many are below. They all deal with service to Life.

There are quite a goodly number of entities that are very capable of assistance on any and all levels. And you are right - - in the sense that most like to go about their work quietly. Just look at the stir the Da Vinci Code brought. People do not like their religious beliefs shaken up at all. Whether it is fiction or otherwise.

There is assistance to be had. It all comes from the earning of same.

And dreamer - - it's not necessarily a matter of wanting anything. It's more a matter of living it.

[peteyzen]

Originally Posted by Glorymist

There is assistance to be had. It all comes from the earning of same.

.

and to the yearning , hi glory, great to hear from you again
hope life s been kind

Quote from Sprite: But, you may ask, has not every human being God within himself, can we not all discover our own Divinity? Sure, this is what it is all about.

Hi Sprite -great post. I particularly agree with the quote above because you are right. You and everyone else is already that which is sought. Your true nature is always present, how could it not be? You are the manifestation of "God" right now and so is everything around you, there is nothing more than this, you are the dreamer and the dream, everything is just as it is meant to be, no need to do anything more than enjoy this perfect oneness.

Quote from sprite. Just as we have not yet realized it, we are still growing to understand our own inner nature. We are therefore evolving 'upward' (or inward), while the Avatar does not need to evolve. S/he comes here to show us our true nature, and help us to recognize our own Divinity within.

The great thing is this does not need to be learned just realised and it seems you know this already, it is already realised by you. Step up to the plate and live the dream, anything is possible if you have an open mind.