Reply #17: Vishnu, not Brahman [View All]

[Zoskie]

The Buddha is usually considered to be one of the ten "official" avatars, or incarnations, of Vishnu, the Hindu god of preservation; Rama and Krishna are two others. There are also some non-human ones--Vishnu has been said to appear on earth as a fish, a boar, and a tortoise, and there are also a bunch of unofficial incarnations. Vishnu is considered to represent loving kindness, and so he takes human (or otherwise) form and comes to earth to help those in need.

I've heard too that some Hindus consider Jesus to be included as one of Vishnu's avatars, although I don't know where I read that. But I suspect it's safe to say that Hinduism, with its tradition of gods becoming human, would have no problem with the idea of Jesus being the human incarnation of God. Where Hindus would differ from Christians is in regarding Jesus to be the one and only definitive incarnation of God; to Hinduism, suggesting that God has become flesh in only one instance sounds like placing limits on a limitless God.