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

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.

[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?

[peteyzen]

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 dreamer

Hi dreamer, maybe I am wrong but I see it similar but different. I see us, as the divine, as you do, but on a personal level, through my own experience (or lack of it) thus far, we appear to be wrapped up in our egos,/characters/ humnan ness, which kind of stops us recognising our divinity, stops us merging with god , if you will. For instance, I take the point that we are all god, we are all everything, but I am utterly unaware of being anything but good old peteyzen. I have no sensations at all if you get kicked or fall in love. I do undesrstand the `spiritual knowledge that asserts that we are god and all one and I agree` but I need the realisation bit. And I think that this is what the avatars are here to do, their role is to lead us to this final break through, amongst other stuff,if indeed they are what they are puported to be.

Blimey that was deep, got to get more coffee now!!!

Hi Peteyzen,

it sounds as if you are where i was last week. You know we are all one - tell me what does this mean to you? This is the key.

One thing I will say that might help is this, imagine this is a dream you are the dream and the dreamer, now you can understand how this can all be one. What you hold in your heart and head shapes the world around you, this is the dream, one actor playing a billion characters all at once, you are the actor not the character - and so is anything else you see around you, the more you believe this the more you will see it proved correct. Tell me do you feel shame when you dream - this is a dream. There is no limit beyond your doubts.

Hope this helps - be the best peteyzen that you can be, let your imagination run wild, it's great fun.

[peteyzen]

Tanks drreamer, yes it does help . I have heard the dreamer amd dream analogy before but you have deepend my understanding of it, thank you.

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

Enjoy Peteyzen, you sound as though you are ready to and remember when you are having a bad trip the only way to make it good is to accept it and enjoy it. When you stop fighting against it the animating spirit will bring you nice things.

The world outside is a mirror for what you are inside, you cant change your reflection by telling it to change only by changing yourself, everything is you, now you can love yourself or play with yourself or whatever you fancy without guilt - well that comes with practice, but the skies the limit - enjoy.