Buddha as an Avatara of Vishnu

http://Buddhism.2be.net/Buddha_as_an_Avatara_of_Vishnu

From Buddhist Encyclopedia

Gautama Buddha is mentioned as an Avatar of Vishnu in several Hindu texts. Buddha literally means "awakened", one who has attained perfect Buddhi. However, many Hindus are also hostile to his teachings, considered by many theistic schools of Hinduism to be too "radical" and rejecting the authority of the Veda, and Buddhism is considered a nastik school.

Views of the Buddha in Hinduism

According to popular Hindu beliefs, in the age of Kali Yuga, or the age of darkness, people are ignorant of true religion and merely performed rituals blindly. Many Hindus (Gandhi, Vivekananda) consider Buddha, the one awakened in the darkness, as a reformer of what badly needed reforming in Vedic Religion which had long accrued myriad teachings which went unquestioned.

When we read Buddha's discourses, we are impressed by his spirit of reason. His ethical path has for its first step right views, a rational outlook. He endeavors to brush aside all cobwebs that interfere with mankind's vision of itself and its destiny.-- Dr. S Radhakrishnan

In the Khuddaka Patha(1:38), Buddha is one who "burns the jungle of views" and lays the path clear, so that the seed of true merit (punya) may be planted. Buddhism generally considers the myriad of views which in many of the religious traditions, including Hinduism, as a "confusion" of views as best expressed in many of his suttas:

This is called a thicket of views, a wilderness of views, a

contortion of views, a writhing of views, a fetter of views. Bound

by a fetter of views, the un-instructed run-of-the-mill person is

not freed from birth, aging & death, from sorrow, lamentation,

pain, grief & despair. He is not freed from stress, I say.

Buddhism completely separated itself from previous tradition and stream-lined his teachings into the Four Noble Truths which contains the Noble Eightfold Path. Why Buddha made such a decision is understandable as the level of prejudice in the Indian world is clearly apparent from this text, the Dharma Sutras are also discriminatory.

Serenity of spirit and love for all sentient creation are enjoined by the Buddha. He does not speak of sin, but only of ignorance and foolishness, which could be cured by Enlightenment and Sympathy.Dr. S Radhakrishnan

Reaction to reforms instigated by the Buddha within Hinduism

Many of the most revolutionary figures in modern Indian history (Vivekananda, Gandhi,Ambedkar, others) have been inspired by the life of Buddha and many of his attempted reforms.

The reformation that the Buddha attempted has not yet had a fair trial. The Buddha taught us to “trust in the final triumph of truth and love.” He “lived what he taught.” “Each one of us should see how much of the Buddha’s message of mercy and piety we have translated into our lives.”The Buddha had taught Hinduism “not to take but to give life.

True sacrifice was not of others but of self.”Mahatma Gandhi<ref>Mahatma Gandhi and Buddhism</ref>

However some Hindus regarded the reforms as too radical.

He made the Vedas a living word but “the priests clung to the letter and missed the spirit.” Mahatma Gandhi<ref>ibid</ref>

In Buddhism, every member of the Sangha loses their previous identities and caste like rivers merge into the ocean(Udana). In other words, all previous laws and definitions are invalid. Now only your own ethics and practice (adherence to the Noble Eightfold Path) will determine who you become.

The central teaching of Buddhism is not the Vedas or any scripture, it is "truth" which is another name for Dharma in Vedic scriptures. Buddha encourages the questioning of teachers and scriptures in the Kalama Sutta, including himself. This encouraged Brahmin presists to stop advocating the Vedas at the centre of Hinduism and they were inspired to write their inquiry on Brahma.

I prefer Buddhism because it gives three principles in combination, which no other religion does. Buddhism teaches prajna (understanding as against superstition and supernaturalism), karuna (love), and samata (equality). This is what man wants for a good and happy life. Neither god nor soul can save society. Dr. B.R. Ambedkar<ref>May 1956, a talk by Ambedkar titled "Why I like Buddhism and how it is useful to the world in its present circumstances" was broadcast from the British Broadcasting Corporation, London. </ref>

The Buddha is looked upon differently depending on the schools of thought which were extant at the time.<ref>Author: Edmund Weber Publication: Journal of Religious Culture</ref> Amongst the MahaPuranas he is mentioned as one of the ten Avataras:

• Agni Purana<ref>II-XVI</ref>
• Varaha Purana <ref>XXXIX-XLVIII </ref>
• Bhagavata Purana <ref>.I.3 </ref>
• Garuda Purana <ref> I.202 </ref>
• Matsya Purana <ref>(285.6-7)</ref>

Other important scriptures which mention him is an Avatar are Rishi Parashara's Brihat Parashara Hora Shastra.

Alternative Theories

Sri Aurobindo as an Avatar of Vishnu

Patizia Norelli-Bachelet considers Sri Aurobindo rather than the Buddha to be the ninth Avatar of Vishnu, on the grounds that he considered the direction Buddha took the evolution to be a mistake. In Letters on Yoga, Sri Aurobindo wrote: 'The next normal step [in evolution after Krishna] is not a featureless Absolute, but the supermind. I consider that in trying to overshoot, Buddha like Shankara made a mistake, calling away the dynamic side of the liberation. Therefore there has to be a correction by Kalki.' Kalki is known to be the last or 10th Avatar of the Hindu line. Norelli-Bachelet contends in The New Way, Volumes 1 and 2 that the 10th is the 9th returned (i.e. reincarnated).

References

<references/>

See also

• God in Buddhism
• Brahman
• Buddha-nature
• Adibuddha
• Buddhadharma and other Indian Dharmas
• Brahmavihara

External links

• - Gandhi and Lord Buddha
• - The Buddha and Moksha
• - Are Buddhists Hindus?
• Excerpts from Sri Aurobindo's Letters on Yoga<i/> and <i>The Life Divine, pertaining to Krishna and Buddha and the evolution of consciousness and selections from Patrizia Norelli-Bachelet's The Gnostic Circle and Vishaal Newsletter<i/> regarding the contention that Sri Aurobindo is the 9th of the Hindu Line of Ten Avatars.