A much later phenomenon in Hindu history, though ironically claimed to be of antiquity.
Category: Indian Religions
Was Gautam Buddha an Avatāra of Viṣṇu or a different person from a similar Avatāra of Viṣṇu?
Rāma is a heroic figure in across the Indian traditions. In Vaiṣṇavism & Sikhism , he is Viṣṇu-incarnate in the form of a princely king; in Buddhism, he is a Bodhisattva-incarnate; in Jainism, he is the perfect human being; In Rāma-centric traditions he is Para-Brahman himself; In Śaivism he is Parama-Śaiva. The influence of Rāmāyaṇa goes far beyond the Indian Subcontinent, with almost every South East Asian country having atleast one own version of Rāmāyaṇa( Vessantarajataka, Reamker, Ramakien, Phra Lak Phra Lam, Hikayat Seri Rama etc). There also exists the Khamti Rāmāyaṇa among the Khamti tribe of Asom wherein Rāma is an Avatar of a Bodhisattva who incarnates to punish the demon king Rāvaṇa . The Tai Rāmāyaṇa is another book retelling the divine story in Asom.
Bhakti movement is the most influential turning point in Indian History, whose impact still affects the Indian Civilization to this day.
Avatāravāda, i.e. the doctorine of incarnation.
No other religious group uses it as extensively as the as the Vaiṣṇavas. In Vaiṣṇavism almost everyone is an incarnation of either Viṣṇu or some other god, sent by Viṣṇu. And other than that it has a long history of appropriating rivalling religious figures as incarnations into its canon.
Rāma is a heroic figure in across the Indian traditions. In Vaiṣṇavism & Sikhism , he is Viṣṇu-incarnate in the form of a princely king; in Buddhism, he is a Bodhisattva-incarnate; in Jainism, he is the perfect human being; In Rāma-centric traditions he is Para-Brahman himself; In Śaivism he is Parama-Śaiva. The influence of Rāmāyaṇa goes far beyond the Indian Subcontinent, with almost every South East Asian country having atleast one own version of Rāmāyaṇa( Vessantarajataka, Reamker, Ramakien, Phra Lak Phra Lam, Hikayat Seri Rama etc). There also exists the Khamti Rāmāyaṇa among the Khamti tribe of Asom wherein Rāma is an Avatar of a Bodhisattva who incarnates to punish the demon king Rāvaṇa . The Tai Rāmāyaṇa is another book retelling the divine story in Asom.
What exactly is the Hindu identity? Is it Sanatan Dharma, like the traditionalists proclaim? Is it a way of life? What is relationship of it with Jain, Bauddha, Sikh? Are they off shoots?
There’re undoubtedly major differnces in various Indian traditions, but there’re also similar major differences between the denominations considered Hindu.
Indian Subcontinent/Hindu Civilaztion has been the birthplace of a plethora of different diverse traditions, starting from Antiquity.