HINDUISM AND OTHER RELIGIONS

Are Christ and Mohammed Avatars?

Some groups have used the term avatar in a broad sense for anyone who has founded a major world religion. However, this is not the original Hindu meaning of the term which has nothing to do with organized religion but is part of a yogic symbolism. Christ and Mohammed are not part of the traditional Hindu scheme of avatars of Vishnu nor, we might add, are all the great saints and sages of Hinduism, including those who may have had equal realization to the accepted avatars. The avatar order reflects a certain teaching, which is one line of approach and is not meant to be inclusive of all the great teachers of humanity, many of the greatest of whom are unknown.

One can look to the Divine as manifesting through any number of great human beings. Such a great person becomes an avatar of sorts for those who worship him or her. Yet it is important that we truly honor the Divine in such great people, not merely our human attachments. Avatars should be part of a teaching that directs us to the inner quest, not to glorifying an outer religious institution.

Hindus respect all the great teachers of humanity, relative to the truth each one has taught. Yet this does not require that we turn all famous religious figures into Divine incarnations. We should honor each for the knowledge and virtue demonstrated in their life and teaching. More important than creating a cult around various famous religious personalities is to follow the way of spiritual knowledge and Self-realization that all truly great teachers direct us toward.

According to Muslims Mohammed is not an avatar but a prophet of God, a messenger, but not an incarnation. According to Christianity Christ was not an avatar or incarnation of God but the only Son of God. While Hindus may be inclined to redefine these teachers in light of Hinduism and yogic spirituality, they must also recognize that the great majority of the members of these religions would find such a redefinition to misunderstand what they really believe.

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