James Cameron's Avatar
Everywhere 'Avatar' buzz is doing the rounds. Nowadays you will not find a single primetime channel which does not have slot reserved for something about 'avatar'. According to initial reports, Avatar seems like a technological leap interms of cinema making and breathtaking experience. There seems also a hidden message in the movie related to global warming. The exploitative nature of human beings is brought out. The society of Navi depicted in Avatar seems like close to description of Vedic society. Living in harmony with nature, in close alignment and worship of their diety. In the movie, a human being is transplanted to the Navi community using DNA transformation. The human becomes like a Navi with 10ft in height and blue skinned(Sri Krishna's color???) physique. According to the movie, an avatar will mean entering a alien society adopting the foreign physical features. Lets explore what 'Avatar' means in the Vedic texts.
The word Avatar is frequently used in Vedic scriptures. Whole book Bhagavatham is about Avatars. One shoud be curious to know the real sanskrit meaning of the word Avatar and what does it mean in the context of our vedic culture. According to Sanskrit, Avatar means 'To Descend'. To descend means to come from a higher place to a lower place. Maynot be interms of height but interms of quality of life, culture etc... In the vedic scriptures, the worlds such as the one we live affected by Birth, death, oldage and disease are termed as lower worlds or material world. The worlds free from them governed by eternal life and everincreasing bliss are termed higher worlds - the spiritual world. When a person comes from the Spiritual world into the material world - this phenomenon is called Avatar. The purpose of Avatar is to transform people in the material world to become fit to gain entry and lead a life in the spiritual world. When the Supreme Being comes down and mixes with the Human society like Krishna and Rama, they are called Lila Avataras. When a ordinary resident of Spiritual world comes down empowered by the supreme being, he is termed as Saktyavesa avatars. There is always presence of Saktyavesa avatars in human society and they are always performing the service of transforming individuals to higher existance. They are also technically called as 'Acaryas' or 'Sadgurus'. The Lila avataras are not so frequent and they have certain timeline in which they appear. In the Gita the time line is defined as 'Yuge' 'Yuge'(once in a millenium). According to sastras, the humanlife is meant to endevour for this transformation to become fit to reside in spiritual world. Otherwise it is animal life. If we squander our life only for endevouring for higher and finer sensual pleasure it is animal life. Such a soul will be degraded to animal species and another entity is given chance in human body to attain this transformation. Remember folks, there are souls in waiting to obtain the human form. This is the essence of the principle of reincarnation.
By association with avataras especially the acaryas and sadguru, one should subject himself to the discipline of spiritual practices. Then we will start realising the freedom from the 3 modes of material nature. The acaryas teach how to meditate constantly on the lila avataras and develop the spontaneous inner attraction for the supreme being. How to become a lover of the supreme being?Our Human life can be made successful by becoming fit to enter the spiritual realm with the help of avataras as our teachers. If the film 'Avatar' inspires us to enquire about the real meaning of avatara for the perfection of human life, then it will be a great service to society. Otherwise it will just pass on as another hype lost to human memory after some months..........
The word Avatar is frequently used in Vedic scriptures. Whole book Bhagavatham is about Avatars. One shoud be curious to know the real sanskrit meaning of the word Avatar and what does it mean in the context of our vedic culture. According to Sanskrit, Avatar means 'To Descend'. To descend means to come from a higher place to a lower place. Maynot be interms of height but interms of quality of life, culture etc... In the vedic scriptures, the worlds such as the one we live affected by Birth, death, oldage and disease are termed as lower worlds or material world. The worlds free from them governed by eternal life and everincreasing bliss are termed higher worlds - the spiritual world. When a person comes from the Spiritual world into the material world - this phenomenon is called Avatar. The purpose of Avatar is to transform people in the material world to become fit to gain entry and lead a life in the spiritual world. When the Supreme Being comes down and mixes with the Human society like Krishna and Rama, they are called Lila Avataras. When a ordinary resident of Spiritual world comes down empowered by the supreme being, he is termed as Saktyavesa avatars. There is always presence of Saktyavesa avatars in human society and they are always performing the service of transforming individuals to higher existance. They are also technically called as 'Acaryas' or 'Sadgurus'. The Lila avataras are not so frequent and they have certain timeline in which they appear. In the Gita the time line is defined as 'Yuge' 'Yuge'(once in a millenium). According to sastras, the humanlife is meant to endevour for this transformation to become fit to reside in spiritual world. Otherwise it is animal life. If we squander our life only for endevouring for higher and finer sensual pleasure it is animal life. Such a soul will be degraded to animal species and another entity is given chance in human body to attain this transformation. Remember folks, there are souls in waiting to obtain the human form. This is the essence of the principle of reincarnation.
By association with avataras especially the acaryas and sadguru, one should subject himself to the discipline of spiritual practices. Then we will start realising the freedom from the 3 modes of material nature. The acaryas teach how to meditate constantly on the lila avataras and develop the spontaneous inner attraction for the supreme being. How to become a lover of the supreme being?Our Human life can be made successful by becoming fit to enter the spiritual realm with the help of avataras as our teachers. If the film 'Avatar' inspires us to enquire about the real meaning of avatara for the perfection of human life, then it will be a great service to society. Otherwise it will just pass on as another hype lost to human memory after some months..........
Comments
Wonderful article, thank You.
Last night, my wife and I watched this amazing piece of art called James Cameron's "AVATAR" in IMAX 3D.
It is by far the most incredible movie experience I've ever had.
Even more beautiful than the story and movie itself, is the underlying spiritual and philosophical message. There are Vedic references all throughout the film. Did Sir Cameron read the Vedas? He definitely has been exposed to it's teachings either directly or indirectly so much is certain.
The phrase "I See You" is used very often by the Navi in the film. It's meaning is beyond the words themselves, and has more in common with the Sanskrit word "Namaste".
Namaste "The Divinity within me perceives and adores the Divinity within you" or "I honor the Spirit in you which is also in me".
The entire film is also a metaphoric reference to the Colonial Imperialists (Spain, England, France) who came to seek riches in the new world and consequently destroyed the beautiful natural culture and religion practiced by the enlightened indigenous tribes in America.
These materialists do not perceive with the right brain nor the third eye.
The corporate mercenary PMC's aka marines in "Avatar" clearly display no respect to a higher power or energy that governs all creation.
In Hollywood fashion, they give it a "happy ending" and the Navi succeed in expelling their would-be conquerors from their home-world.
Avatar is the battle of not "good" vs "evil". It is the struggle of Universal Nature and it's principle energy trying to maintain balance in the presence of the destructive and selfish force that is the materialistic desires of atheistic demoniac individuals and their organizations (governments, military, corporations etc.)
Very deep movie and highly recommended. One of the most important movies ever made.
James Cameron tops himself again.
∞Hare Krishna, Hare Krsna, Hare Krsta, Hare Christ∞
Blessings.
Nick thomas