Those in the Buddhist community are aware of the various terminology used to indicate the Buddha, the Perfect One, the Happy One, such as the word Avatar or Incarnation. Our Church organization uses the terms synonymously, even though the words have become largely misunderstood and misused, especially in modern popular culture.
People whose background is primarily Christian, may not be familiar with the deepest, ancient, and historical meaning of the term Avatar. The modern use of the word has only added to the confusion. More recently, the term has been used on the internet to mean, for example, a personal symbol or picture that you would use to represent yourself on a forum or other web page (your "avatar"); and, it has also been used as the name of a Hollywood movie. We hope to clarify the ancient definition of the word, as it relates to not only Buddhism, and other Eastern traditions, but also its potential application in Christianity.
Avatar is a very common and deeply-meaningful term from the ancient Sanskrit language. The Sanskrit language has been the philosophical foundation and essential vocabulary of Buddhism and Hinduism for thousands of years. Translated into English, Avatar literally means descent, or, further interpreted according to the ancient language and scriptures, means Incarnation, or appearance, or manifestation. Avatar is a word that is literally thousands of years old, and you can search the internet for references to the ancient language of Sanskrit, and find hundreds of beautiful Sanskrit terms that are still being commonly used today, such as Avatar.
The Avatar is considered to be the descent, Incarnation, appearance, or manifestation of the Higher Life, the Metaphysical, in Human Form, and, more importantly for humanity, through a Human Form. Some consider Buddha, Jesus, and the very few other Avatars known to have existed, to be the descent or Incarnation of the Highest Possibility in human advancement. Terminology varies among the known spiritual traditions, but the Avatar, the Incarnation, the Buddha, is considered to be the archetype in human development.
Some people who have a history in the modern Christian church, and who have left the church, may have developed an aversion to reading from the Bible. That is understandable, considering the amount of irrationality and fantasy that is taught, as well as the message of how "bad" you are for merely existing as the "God of Love" Created you, and how you deserve to be punished for it, by burning forever in a "lake of fire." But, in the Bible, some Truth remains, in spite of the inaccuracy, distortion, and fantasy that have been included in it, since the life of Jesus. The Buddhist scriptures also contain inaccuracy, distortion, and fantasy, except without the repeated condemnation of humanity as found in the Bible. You may find it helpful to consider these words from the book of John:
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life; and the life was the light of men. And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.
There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe. He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light. That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world.
He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not. He came unto his own, and his own received him not. But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.
John bare witness of him, and cried, saying, This was he of whom I spake, He that cometh after me is preferred before me: for he was before me. And of his fulness have all we received, and grace for grace. For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.
No man hath seen God at any time, the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him. John 1:1-18
As stated, the term Avatar has been extremely misunderstood and misused over the thousands of years of its existence, including to this day, but the original and pure meaning of the word remains intact, and is how our Church uses the term in referencing the Buddha and His Teaching, as well as Jesus Christ, and the few others in known history. Some readers may find these Wikipedia articles interesting:
Our Temple will be offering much more material about the Avatar and the truly Spiritual Life, here on our website, for those few who may be sincerely and deeply interested. Please feel free to study the many pages of Teaching materials that are already posted at the links above.
Thank you,
Staff
Be open to opportunities to do good for someone else today.