Lord Buddha is empowered Incarnation!

[Pankaja_Dasa]

 

 

I did not know this. I thought Buddha was Vishnu Tattva not sure why I thought it. Anybody else think this?

 

 

 

Letter to: Jayadvaita

--

Los Angeles

12 July, 1970

70-07-12

Boston

 

My Dear Jayadvaita,

 

Please accept my blessings. I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated 6th July, 1970, and noted the contents.

Regarding the missing translation, it is as follows:

First Canto, Chapter 3, verse 6, Translation

 

"So in the beginning of the creation, first of all there were the four unmarried sons of Brahma (Kumaras) and they underwent severe austerities being situated in avowed celibacy for realization of the Absolute Truth."

 

Regarding your second point, all incarnations should be proper nouns and therefore capitalized. It does not matter whether they are Visnutattva or jivatattva, saktyavesa-avatara. or plenary expansion. The incarnations listed however may be classified as follows: Visnutattva: Kapila, Nara Narayana, Rama, Balarama, Krsna, the Purusas, the Boar, Yajna, Rsabha, Matsya, Kurma, Dhanvantari, Mohini and Kalki. Jivatattva (empowered): Narada, Vyasa, Buddha, Kumaras, Dattatreya, Prthu and Bhrgupati.

Hope this will meet you in good health.

Your ever well-wisher,

 

A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami

[theist]

I also thought that at one time. I didn't understand the jivatattva was also called an incarnation so when I heard the word incarnation I assumed Vishnutattva. We see this mistake as very common.

[Pankaja_Dasa]

 

 

does this mean Buddha is like an Archrya Guru.

 

I don't understand now.

[Guest guest]

"Another point is that disciplic succession does not mean one has to be directly a disciple of a particular person.-letter to Kirtananda 69-01-25

 

... disciplic succession does not always mean that one has to be initiated officially. Disciplic succession means to accept the disciplic conclusion. -letter to Dinesh 1969"

 

So this means that I can call myself, say, the disciple of Rupa Goswami? Well, why not. I respect him and read some of his works, so I am his disciple. I am Rupadas from this day on. And I can also initiate other on his behalf, right?

 

[Guest guest]

ru following the regulative principles like no illicit sex,gambling,intoxication and have u given up ur anarthas or materialiastic desires completely.How pure are u in ur consciousness?after answering these questions will u be able to call ur self a disciple otherwise ur a fool

[Guest guest]

What is illicit sex?!

[anadi]

 

I didn't understand the jivatattva was also called an incarnation so when I heard the word incarnation I assumed Vishnutattva. We see this mistake as very common.

 

 

 

Jiva is never an incarnation (avatar) of the Lord. See the thread jiva-tattva. In the case of avesh avatar see the quotation bellow.

 

The matter of fact even the use of the word incarnation applied to the avataras of the Lord is an utter mistake.

Incarnation means in-carne, which in latin means in flesh.

Krishna never comes in the material world in material body made of maya. Maya is only a trick of the Big Illusionist. The Big Illusionist is not affected by His own illusion.

Krishna Himself says in the Gita:

"janma karma ca me divyam" My birth, My activities, and Myself are transcendental" not from maya.

 

 

"10 To prove that the Supreme Lord, Sri Krsna, is the best of they who are worthy of worship, His forms will be described here, one after another.

11 In His abodes beyond the worlds of matter, the Supreme Lord is manifest in three kinds of forms:

1. svayam-rupa

2. tad-ekatma-rupa and

3. avesa-rupa.

12 The svayam-rupa is said to be the original form, not manifested from any other.

13 It is described in Brahma-samhita (5.1)

"Krsna, who is known as Govinda, is the supreme controller. He has an eternal, blissful, spiritual body. He is the origin of all. He has no other origin, for He is the prime cause of all causes."*

14 The svayam-rupa is not different from His original form. In the tad-ekatma-rupa the Lord's form and other features are different from His original form. The tadekatma-rupa forms are divided into two types:

1. vilasa-rupa and

2. svamsa-rupa.

15-16 When the Lord displays numerous forms with different features by His inconceivable potency, such forms are called vilasa-vigrahas.* In this way from Lord Govinda is manifest Lord Narayana, the master of the spiritual sky, and from Lord Narayana is manifest Lord Vasudeva.

17 These forms manifest other forms that have lesser power, and are called svamsa-rupas. The forms headed by Lord Sankarsana and the forms headed by Lord Matsya, each manifest in His own abode, are examples of these forms.

18-9 Exalted individual souls (jivas) into whom Lord Janardana enters with a portion of His knowledge-potency and other potencies, are called avesas. Sesa, Narada, and the four Kumaras are examples of them in Vaikuntha. They were seen by Akrura, as

described in the Tenth Canto.

20 <font color="blue">Prakasa-rupas</font color> are the same form manifest in many places.

21-2 If numerous forms, all equal in their features, are displayed simultaneously, such forms are called prakasa-vigrahas of the Lord.* Lord Krsna did this in the many places of Dvaraka. This will be proved when Srimad-Bhagavatam 10.69.2 is quoted here.

23 Sometimes, without abandoning His Krsna-form, Lord Krsna manifests a four-arm form. This is a prakasa-rupa of His two-arm form.

24 The many forms of the Supreme Lord each have their own abode in the spiritual sky, beyond the touch of matter. This is confirmed in the Uttara-khanda of the Padma Purana, and in many other Vedic literatures also."

 

From Rupa Gosvami's only book dealing with sambandha tattva.

[anadi]

 

I thought Buddha was Vishnu Tattva not sure why I thought it. Anybody else think this?

 

 

 

The Amarakosha speaks of two Buddhas

 

Amara Simha was the author of many books on Buddhism. By coincidence all these books came into the possession of Sri Shankaracarya, who subsquently preserved only the Amarakosha and burnt all the others.

The following versese about Buddha are found in the Amarakosha:

 

Sarvajnah sugaro buddho dharmarajas tathagatah

Samanta bhadro bhagavan marajil lokajij jinah

Sadabhijno dasabalo dvayavadi vinayakah

Munindra srighanah sasta munih

 

All knowing, transcendental Buddha, kin g of righteoousness, He who has come, beneficient, all encompassing Lord, conqueror of the god of Love Mara, conqueror of words, He who controls his senses, protector of the six enemies, possessor of the ten powers, speaker of monism foremos leader, Lord of the ascetics, emobodiment od splendoour and teacher of the ascetics.

 

The above verse contains eighteen names of Visnu Avatara Buddha including the name Sugato, and the verse below contains the seven aliases of Sakya Simha Buddha without any mention of Sugato.

 

Sakyamunis tu yah sa sakyadimhah sarvarthasiddha sauddhodanis ca sah

Gautamas carkabandhus ca maya devi sutas ca sah

 

Teacher of the Sakyas, lion of the Sakyas axxomplisher of all goals, son of Suddhodana, of Gautama’s line, friend of the entrapped ones, the son of Mayadevi.

 

In the first verse are eighteen names addressing the original Visnu avatar Lord Buddha.

In the second verse there are seven names biginning with Sakya-nunistu to Mayadevi-Sutasca, which refer to Sakya Simha Buddha.

In the commentary on Amarakosa by the leaarned Sri Raghunatha Cakravarti, he also divided the verses into two sections. To the eighteen names of Vishnu Avatara Buddha he writes the words “astadas buddha”, which clearly refers only the the Visnu avatara. Next on his commentry for the seven aliases of Sakya Smha he writes “ete sapta sakya bangsabatirneh buddha muni bishete” meaning: the next seven names starting form Sakya munistu who was born into the Sakya dynasty.

 

Besides the Amarakosa, there are otherefamous Buddhist texts like Prajna-Paramita Sutra, Astasahastrika Prajna-Paramita Sutra, Sata sahastrika Prajna-Paramita Sutra, Lalita Vistara where by proper scrutiny of the texts, it will be revealed three category of Buddha, namely:

1. Human Buddhas: like Gautama, who was named with the title of Buddha after enlightement.

2. Bodhisattva Buddhas: Personalities like Samanta Bhadraka, who were born enlightened

3. Adi Buddha: Original Buddha, the omnipotent avatar of Lord Visnu.

 

For more detailed information on the subject, please see the chapter “Two Buddhas” from the book Mayavada Jivani written by Srila Bhakti Prajnana Keshava Gosvami Maharaja, one of the first disciples of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Prabhupada, and also the sannyasa guru of the famous Srila Bhaktivedanta Svami Prabhupada.

The book appeared under the name Beyond Nirvana, The Philosophy of Mayavadism, A life history, translated by one of his most dear disciples Sri Srimad Bhaktivedanta Narayana Maharaja.

[Pankaja_Dasa]

 

 

it not say Lord Buddha is Vishnu-tattva,

 

You would not say Sri Hanuman is Vishnu-tattva.

 

Thats my understanding so far. Your previous post was an eye opener. thx

[anadi]

nindasi yajña-vidher ahaha Sruti-jAtaˆ

sadaya-hRdaya! darSita-paSu-ghAtam

keSava! dhRta-buddha-Sarira! jaya jagadiSa! hare (9)

 

O KeSava! O You who assume the form of Buddha! O JagadiSa! O You who dispel

atheism! O Hare! All glories to You because Your heart is so full of compassion.

Therefore You advocate non-violence as the supreme religious principle. Aho! You

decry the Srutis which prescribe the performance of sacrifices that inflict pain upon

animals.

 

This is the nineth Sloka of the song Dasa Avatara Stotram where the most famous poet Sri Jayadeva is describing Buddha as one of the dasa Avatara.

 

Mahaprabhu (Sri Krishna Caitanya) was delighted to hear the songs of Jayadeva Gosvami and his wonderful Gita-Govinda.

 

I think even in iskcon there is a picture with the dasa Avatara where Lord Buddha is also present.

[theist]

Your next question, ``Is a pure devotee eternally liberated and if so is he at any time a conditioned soul? We are eternally conditioned, but as soon as we surrender to Krishna do we then become eternally liberated? When Lord Christ appeared he seemed to be conditioned in his growth. Was he a specific incarnation or a conditioned soul who became liberated?'' You are not eternally conditioned. You are eternally liberated but since we have become conditioned on account of our desire to enjoy materialistic way of life, from time immemorial, therefore it appears that we are eternally conditioned. Because we cannot trace out the history or the date when we became conditioned, therefore it is technically called eternally conditioned. Otherwise the living entity is not actually conditioned. A living entity is always pure. But he is prone to be attracted by material enjoyment and as soon as he agrees to place himself in material enjoyment, he becomes conditioned, but that is not permanent. Therefore a living entity is called on the marginal state, sometimes this side, sometimes that side. These are very intelligent questions. And I am very glad that you are putting such intelligent questions and trying to understand it. It is very good. But best thing is that one should know he is in conditioned life and try to cure it. When a man is in diseased condition he should try to get out of diseased condition without harassing his brain when the disease has begun. But it is to be understood that the disease is not our constant companion, it is temporary. So the best thing is to cure the disease, and not waste our time to find out the date when it began. Forgetfulness of Krishna is the disease, so let us keep ourselves always in Krishna Consciousness, and get out of the disease, that is healthy life. Yes, Lord Jesus was jivatattva. He is not Visnu tattva. When a jiva tattva becomes specifically empowered by the Lord, he is called saktyavesa avatara. Lord Buddha and Lord Jesus Christ were in this group of saktyavesa avatara.. But they were not in conditioned state when they appeared; they came to teach here.

[theist]

We have great respect for Lord Jesus Christ. We accept him as powerful incarnation of Krishna, as much as we accept Lord Buddha. We can adjust the Buddhists, Christians, and even the Mohammedans to our KC movement, ...

[Guest guest]

I have a friend who is an expert in Buddhism and he said that Sankaracarya called Gotama a horrible teacher who basically repeated the same prepared speech everywhere he went over and over. In fairness I don't see how that makes him a horrible teacher because once you find the absolute truth what else is there to do but repeat it over and over. Maybe that was a little bit of transcendental sarcasm from Sankaracarya, who knows. Although I have to admit I do find it funny to think of Gotama traveling from town to town and thinking to himself "Here we go again, another night of saying the same thing over and over and probably noone is listening anyway."

 

 

 

[Guest guest]

Buddha did not speak anything new, but He again gave the essence of Gita in simpler words as

Desires are the root cause of all evils

So in His time, when irreligiosity was prevailing Buddha had to teach in simpler terms of understanding the Gita and hence He spoke the same thing probably again and again like chanting Maha mantra.

ULtimately the truth is the same, anyway

 

[Guest guest]

That is exactly what I like so much about Lord Buddha's incarnation. He is probably the biggest prankster of all time and his prank is still in effect to this day. The prank being making the faithless faithful to Him like Prabhupada said.

 

 

 

"What is it?"