Some ideas on Avatars

[Guest guest]

Namaste!

 

I hope this little essay isn't controversial. We're all adults here,

I hope. Although, I start out talking about Christianity, I quickly

focus on Hinduism and then Advaita. I feel that this issue is

important for our group to consider, and you will soon see why.

 

During my break from this list, I took the opportunity to study a lot

of material on the web arguing that Jesus is a myth cobbled together

from many such myths circulating at that time in the Roman Empire.

There are a variety of theories. For example, some say that

Christianity started out as a 'Gnostic' doctrine of mystical wisdom

somewhat like the insights of the Upanishads, and then various myths

and miracles were pasted on to a purely 'spiritual' and 'symbolic'

Jesus. Others say that Jesus was probably a wise man who really

lived in Israel, but many myths were added to his legend after his

death. Once the Roman emperor converted to Christianity, the might

of the state was brought to bear and the rival 'pagan' religions were

liquidated.

 

My strong impression now is that Jesus is indeed mostly mythical. It

seems that there were indeed many similar myths preceding him in that

part of the world of dying and rising Gods who can forgive sins and

provide salvation, such as Osiris, Adonis, Mithras, etc. There are

so many similarities, e.g. eating bread and wine to symbolize the

body and blood of the savior, that I cannot but think that

Christianity must be largely a 'mythical' fabrication (as Genesis

surely is).

 

HOWEVER, I hasten to add some caveats in the hope of not offending

any Christians who may be reading this list. First of all, I am

certain that devotion to Jesus can lead to spiritual salvation, just

as devotion to Krishna can. Only I explain the process in this way.

The 'image' of Jesus to which they are devoted is an ideal in the

imagination that serves as a psychological focus for the purification

of consciousness. Krishna and Buddha have both been used in this

way, and the Tibetans, e.g., are quite explicit about this type of

meditation. Furthermore, I do not think that myths are mere

falsehoods. Rather, I interpret human history as the evolution of

consciousness, and different myths and religions arise spontaneously

as a reflection of the level of consciousness of some group of people

who are associated by bonds of collective karma. I have no doubt

that there is some kind of infinite, cosmic Consciousness underlying

the whole process, i.e. Brahman or God. Materialism cannot explain

the universe, in my opinion, except in a superficial way.

Consciousness, in some sense, must be the fundamental principle.

 

Now the relevance to Hinduism is obvious. All that was just said

about Jesus may be true of Krishna, Shiva, etc. I hope this doesn't

lead to hate mail ! Krishna may have been a very wise man and

valiant king who lived a long time ago and around whom a legend grew.

He was undoubtedly realized, as was Buddha, and this is what matters.

He achieved some very high level of consciousness which he related to

Arjuna, and the same wisdom serves us today as it did then, because

it is a reflection of the ultimate truth and provides a path for our

own realization as Pure Consciousness.

 

The point of raising all this is that I feel it is very important for

modern, educated, thinking people not to place blind belief in myths

and legends which may be shattered some day by scholarship and

archaeological or historical research. When those myths are

shattered, a profound disillusionment can follow which may lead to

cynicism, skepticism, atheism, despair, etc.

 

Indeed, the reason I am attracted to Advaita and the higher forms of

Buddhism is precisely because they are based on penetrating thought,

intuition, philosophy, and realization. Ramana and Nisargadatta

spoke little of deities and much of Consciousness and Realization.

(The same can be said of the Upanishads, come to think of it.

References to deities seem incidental. It is more characteristic for

a sage to be instructing a student, as Uddalaka to Shvetaketu.)

 

I suppose most of you already think along these lines, and this is

not so very new to you. Perhaps it has already been discussed on

this list. However, I felt like writing this, because I still feel

bewildered that something as powerful and (presumably) intelligent as

Western civilization could be built in part on what now seem like

undeniable myths. Even today, the leader of the most powerful nation

in the world believes that the story of Jesus is as real as you or

me. I am not criticizing this view, and as I said I do believe that

myths can provide valid spiritual paths, if not taken to excess, and

provided there is no attempt to shove them down anybody else's throat.

 

And even in this list, there are those who are certain that the

Upanishads are some kind of direct communication from God, not unlike

the Bible. My view is somewhat different. I believe that various

seers throughout history rise to an unusually high level of

consciousness and intuit truths about our nature as consciousness

which they then relate to others. The Mahavakyas are prime examples

of such truths. This is different from Jehovah's or Ishwara's

intervention in and manipulation of human history. For example, I am

not so sure that an Avatar arises whenever things get bad enough.

This sounds more like the Bible. But I do accept the Mahavakyas, and

in fact, I find them rather 'scientific' in their own way.

 

Something to think about.

 

Om!

Benjamin