To Everna and Beyond!

An exploration of Fantasy and Science Fiction Worlds in literature and multimedia entertainment
The official blog and novelblog for Evernade Saga and FireHeart Saga by Andry Chang

"Come forth, Paladins! Fulfill your destiny!"

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Monday, December 31, 2007

FireHeart Character Update 301207

Characters of FireHeart – Legend of the Paladins

With Descriptions

Update: 30 December 2007

Timeframe: At the time of Book Two: Masks of the Soul

Thalakon, Demonic General

Race

Devil

Class

Slayer

Status

One of the Three Demonic Generals

Nation

Sylvania

Abilities

Armor of Thorns (Class B), Two-Pronged Spear (Class C)

Description

A winged devil with thorns all over his face and body. The horns on his head are like a deer’s prongs.

Thalakon is one of the three Demonic Generals under Archdevil Arachus.

Arachus, the Archdevil

Race

Archdevil

Class

Slayer

Status

Viceroy, Caretaker, Grand Marshal of the Army of Darkness

Nation

Sylvania

Abilities

Weapon: Vordac’s Legacy, the Crow (Deathscythe, Class A)

Skill: Abyss of Evil (Dark)

Description

Tarot Sign: The Devil

Vordac’s Viceroy who rules Sylvania in his stead after Vordac’s demise. He is said to be very loyal to Vordac and gives his best efforts to open the way for Vordac’s return, but truthfully he has ambitions and plans of his own.

The Succubus Queen

Race

Succubus (She-Devil)

Class

Martial Artist

Status

Succubus Queen, Vordac’s ally and mistress, Archdemoness

Nation

Sylvania

Abilities

Weapon: Adair’s Arsenal, The Ultimatum (Twin Daggers, Class A)

Skill: Unholy Seduction (Dark)

Description

Tarot Sign: The High Priestess

Feeds from lust, the Succubus Queen makes her debut in the end of Chapter 12, sparring with Archdevil Arachus.

Depicted as a scantily clad, winged woman with dense dark aura surrounding her. Her face comes into the dim light – a beautiful face with an evil grin. Her skin is all deathly indigo; her eyes are black with yellowish pupils; two fangs stick out from her blackened lips. Her long, blue hair is flailing like dancing snakes, evoked by her dark aura. She’s a succubus, a she-devil who feeds on lust-generated dark energy.

Sir Vincent Williams, the Raging Bull

Race

Human, age 52

Class

Knight

Status

East Pillar General, Order of the Lions

Nation

Lore

Abilities

Ram-Head Great Hammer (Class C)

Description

Said to be very brave and always takes the vanguard in every battle, Sir Vincent is somehow quite intelligent, a little rude but sometimes humorous and somewhat naive. Loves his wife, family and nation.

Sir Cyril Lenderdough

Race

Human, age 44

Class

Knight

Status

Order of the Lions, Knight, Infantry General

Nation

Lore

Abilities

Twin Swords (Class C)

Description

The Knight of the Twin Swords who uses speed and agility during combats rather than full defense. He loves to carry out tactics carefully and admires Rael’charon.

Sir Zigurd Rodder (a.k.a. Zach or Zachary)

Race

Human, age 53

Class

Spy

Status

Order of the Lions, Knight, Espionage Leader

Nation

Lore

Abilities

Information Gathering, Persuade People

Description

Tarot Sign: The Hanged Man

He’s the spy who got caught in Vochaux, Arcadia and meets Robert Chandler there. Then Robert rescues him from the gallows and together they go back to Lore. A versatile warrior who can handle almost any weapon but moderately. He’s wise and a good judge of character. Too bad it doesn’t prevent him from being betrayed.

MacLair, Oliver, the Rogue Assassin, the Death Dealer

Race

Human, age about 30s

Class

Assassin

Status

Freelance, Vagabond Assassin

Nation

Wardstone, trained in Terranova

Abilities

Skill: The Sudden Deathbringer (Dark)

Weapon: Adair’s Arsenal, The Ultimatum (Twin Daggers, Class A)

Description

Tarot Sign: Death

A typical psycho assassin who loves to kill. Every time he kills, he feels more “alive”, a satisfaction to his huge ego and very disturbed mind. Tragedies of his past makes him hate all humans. He hates to see them happy and have good and normal life – the typical of “envy”.

Talbot du Bois

Race

Human, age 57

Class

Scholar

Status

Chief Royal Advisor, titled Counselor

Nation

Arcadia

Abilities

Articulate reasoning, persuading and influencing people, war strategies

Description

Tarot Sign: the Hierophant

His bald head, his cobra-skin robe, his long mustache and his snake tongue-like beard completes his image as the infamous Snaketongue, the man who plots, schemes and lies along the way to reach his goal. A very fanatic supporter to the Crown Prince Alexis, Talbot always uses every means, every chance he gets to discredit Prince Cristophe.

Note: We’d rather not use the term “Snaketongue” in order for the readers not to confuse it with “Wormtongue” in “Lord of the Rings.”

Saint Seiya - Asgard - Episode 21

Episode 21

Saint Seiya - Asgard - Episode 20

Episode 20
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ePsLASRAWmg

Saint Seiya - Asgard - Episode 19

Episode 19


"Happy New Year 2008!" from BJ Vadis (Andry Chang), author of FireHeart Saga Novelblog http://fireheart.tk

Saint Seiya - Asgard - Episode 18

Episode 18

Tuesday, December 25, 2007

Merry FireHeart Christmas!

Merry Christmas 2007 from BJ Vadis!

Blog Jockeys all around the world, unite!

Christmas glitter graphics from glitterfy.com

christmas simpsons

Glitterfy.com - Glitter Graphics


christmas greetings

Glitterfy.com - Glitter Graphics


Greetings from BJ Vadis, the author of these blogs:
FireHeart Saga Novelblog - http://fireheart.tk
KICK ASS Inc. GetAmped Fansite - http://kickassinc.tk
Vadis E-Zine - http://vadis.multiply.com, http://vadis.tk
Vadisworld Blog - http://vadisworld.blogspot.com
Accell Cellulars - http://accell.tk

=AQ= Final Battle with the Nightmare Queen!

THIS WEEKEND IN ADVENTUREQUEST!
>
> Log in to AQ this weekend for the final fight with Khandie Khain's toy
> soldier army and her mother, the Nightmare Queen!!
>
> PLUS:
>
> --Get your Gift Boxes in the Guardian Tower!
>
> --Sail East on the Travel map to find a new cutscene on the continent of
> Deren!
>
> --Find a special new Frostvale Stone Cottage in the House shop!
>
> --Find the Moglo-Habilis pet in Valencia's Z-Token shop!
>
>
> Log in at http://www.BattleOn.com

now and read on for more!
>
> NOTE:
> You are receiving this newsletter because you registered your email
> address after creating your AQ game account. If you no longer wish to
> receive the newsletter, follow the instructions at the end of this email
> message.
>
> ::: YOUR INFO :::
> Login Name: bjvadis
> Last Accessed: 2007-12-14 00:48:00
> Game Website: http://www.BattleOn.com
>
> Lost your password? Recover it easily by going to the homepage and
> clicking on "Lost your password" to have your account info emailed to you.
>
> ::: THIS WEEK'S NEWS :::
>
> THE NIGHTMARE QUEEN: FINAL BATTLE!
> The battle to save the holiday of Frostval from the forces of evil (and
> EBIL) continues this weekend! Every year, the Moglins of the village of
> Frostvale in the north create gifts to give to everyone in the worlkd as a
> thank-you for all the good things we do. But every year, villains plot to
> ruin the holiday! UPDATE: After saving the Moglins from Sandy Claws and
> Frosty the Snow Golem, we found ourselves pulled into the Nightmare Realm!
> A little girl named Khandie Khain then launched an all-out assault on
> Battleon with an army of ebil toy soldiers and ice monsters! Now, it's
> time to take the fight to the gate of the Nightmare Castle itself! Log in
> and help save Frostval!!

http://www.BattleOn.com
>
> GIFT BOXES!
> This year, for the first time ever, EVERYONE can get Gift Boxes in the
> Guardian Tower! Find Gift Box armors, weapons, pets, and more. The Gift
> Boxes will open up just before the first day of the New Year to reveal the
> awesome items inside! Until then, you can actually use the gift boxes
> themselves in-game in your battles and quests (which always results in
> some fun screenshots!).. As a special gift to Guardians, who keep AQ
> going, they will be able to unlock bonuses in each of the items after the
> boxes open. Be sure to visit the Guardian Tower as soon as you can and
> get your gift boxes! http://www.BattleOn.com
>
> NEW MONSTER ARENA CHALLENGE!
> Talk to Nimrod as soon as you enter the Guardian Tower to take on a new
> monster challenge! Battle new enemies (including the Snout and the
> Horseman!) of increasing power to unlock several reward items.
> http://www.BattleOn.com
>
> Z-TOKEN UPDATE: MOGLO-HABILIS PET!
> Valencia has convinced a tribe of rare Moglo-Habilis from Paxia to help us
> in our battles! The cute little Moglos can actually drastically reduce
> your enemy's stats, and also pack a weird but powerful magical attack!
> Who knew?? Find Valencia in front of the town Inn. Special elite items
> are available using Z-Tokens. Find a complete listing here:
> http://www.BattleOn.com/aq-tokens-list.asp
>
> ARTIX ENTERTAINMENT PARTNER PROGRAM
> If you have an active website that gets a lot of visitors, you should
> check out our new affiliate program. Artix Entertainment offers
> constantly updated and fun online gaming that your visitors might enjoy!
> http://www.battleon.com/aq-partner.asp
>
> INFERNO SPELLS!
> Find these new spells in the Guardian Tower shop! Rain a massive column of
> fire down on monsters! http://www.battleon.com/aq-guardian.asp
>
> MORE ABOUT GUARDIANSHIP:
>
> Here are 2 links for you, and some of the most important things a Guardian
> upgrade will get your character:
>
> http://www.battleon.com/aq-guardian.asp
>
> http://www.battleon.com/aq-guardian-FAQ.asp
>
>
> * The elite Guardian Armor and Guardian Blade! The Guardian armor has
> solid defenses and a 3-hit attack (the second and third hits unlock at
> levels 40 and up). The Guardian Blade can summon the powerful Guardian
> Dragon to blast your enemies with Element X damage!
>
> * Full access to ALL towns and quests: places like Lolosia, Granemor, and
> all the quests to the East and South, PLUS special minigames and quests
> within Isle d'Oriens. You'll find awesome stories, the most powerful
> monsters, reward items, and new characters!
>
> * The Guardian Tower! Inside the tower you will find a special shop full
> of awesome items, an armory, stables where you can take out a mounted
> armor (unicorn, nightmare, winged horse), a teleporter room that can send
> you to different quests, and the Guardian Arena, where you can fight
> through 10 big levels to get the title of Champion!
>
> WHAT ARE Z-TOKENS?
> Valencia in town and she has brought with her a hoard of new special
> items, that can only be bought using Z-Tokens! Take a look at what
> Z-Tokens can get you:

http://www.battleon.com/aq-tokens-list.asp

You now
> have a chance to get Z-Tokens by using the Battle Monsters button in town,
> or you can buy them in bundles here:
> Http://www.BattleOn.com/aq-tokens.asp
>
>
> ADVENTURE ON
> Coming soon: The Order Returns -- Assassin Class -- Martial Artist
> Class -- and more!
>
> AQ gets bigger and more exciting all the time, as new events, quests
> and items are added each week.
>
> Battle on!
> Galanoth & the AQ Team
>

Thursday, December 20, 2007

Alagaesia News: Holiday Greetings from Christopher

Kvetha Fricäya. Greetings Friends.

As many of you have heard, I am writing the final chapters of Book Three, which will be published September 23, 2008. Earlier this year, I realized that I had too much story to fit into one volume and that a fourth novel was necessary to complete the adventures of Eragon and Saphira as I originally envisioned them. Therefore, what began as the Inheritance trilogy has become the Inheritance cycle.

I know from your letters that you are curious about the name and cover design of Book Three. The decision to add a fourth book to the Inheritance cycle has affected many things, this included. I promise you'll be the first to hear as soon as the title of Book Three is announced. And, like you, I am excited to see what the cover will look like!

My friends at Random House have some exciting pre-publication activities planned for 2008. You can anticipate that something new and interesting will be revealed each month, beginning in January.

I wish you a happy holiday season, and . . .

May your swords stay sharp!


Christopher Paolini

p.s. The picture above, taken in snowy Montana, shows me holding the Hawaii Nene Award plaque for Eragon.

For more information and news about the Inheritance Cycle, visit Alagaesia.com.
http://info.randomhouse.com/cgi-bin21/DM/y/ewWc0MifC80B5X0Mft0Ej


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Tuesday, December 18, 2007

Avatar



Enlarge picture
The ten avatars of Vishnu, (Clockwise, from Left upper corner) Matsya, Kurma, Varaha, Vamana, Krishna, Kalki, Buddha, Parshurama, Rama and Narasimha, (in centre) Krishna
In Hindu philosophy, an avatar (also spelled as avatara) (Sanskrit: अवतार, avatāra), most commonly refers to the incarnation (bodily manifestation) of a higher being (deva), or the Supreme Being (God) onto planet Earth. The Sanskrit word literally means "descent" (avatarati) and usually implies a deliberate descent into lower realms of existence for special purposes. The term is used primarily in Hinduism, for incarnations of Vishnu whom many Hindus worship as God. Shiva and Ganesha are also described as descending in the form of avatars, with the Ganesha Purana and the Mudgala Purana detailing Ganesha's avatars specifically.

The word has also been used by extension to refer to the incarnations of God or highly influential teachers in other religions, especially by adherents to dharmic traditions when explaining figures such as Jesus.

Types of avatars

According to the Puranas countless numbers of avatars descend into our universe.[1] Theologically within Vaishnavism the many avatars have been categorised into a number of different types depending on their specific personality and role as described in scripture. Not all are recognised as 'full' or 'direct' incarnations of Vishnu. Some avatars are believed to be souls blessed with certain abilities of 'divine origin', although being a jiva themselves.

Purusha avatars

Purusha avatars are described as the original avatars of Vishnu within the universe:

Guna avatars

Main article: Trimurti
The personalities of the Trimurthi are also sometimes referred to as Guna avatars, because of their roles of controlling the three modes (gunas) of nature[2], even though they have not descended upon an earthly planet in the general sense of the term 'avatar'.
  • Vishnu - As controller of the mode of goodness (sattva)
  • Brahma - Controller of the mode of passion and desire (rajas)
  • Shiva - Controller of the mode of ignorance (tamas)

Manvantara avatars

Manvantara avatars are beings responsible for creating progeny throughout the universe, said to be unlimited in number. For further information see: Manu.

Shaktyavesa avatars

The Shaktyavesa incarnations are classified as two kinds
  • direct (sakshat) and
  • indirect (avesa).
When Vishnu himself descends, he is called sakshat, or a direct shaktyavesa-avatara, and when he empowers some living entity to represent him, that living entity is called an indirect or avesa incarnation[3].

There are said to be a great number of avatars of this second type in particular. An example would be Narada Muni or Buddha. The secondary avatar class is sometimes called Saktyamsavatar, Saktyaveshavatar or avesha avatar.

Other secondary avatars, include Parashurama in which Vishnu does not directly descend. Parashurama is the only one of the traditional ten avatars that is not a direct descent of Vishnu.

According to Srivaishnavism, there are two types of secondary avatars:
  1. Vishnu enters a soul with His form . (e.g., Parashurama) or
  2. Vishnu does not enter a soul with His own form, but gives him extraordinary divine powers (e.g., Veda Vyasa.) The secondary avatar class besides being called shaktyavesa avatar is also called Saktyamsavatar, or avesha avatar.


Worship of Shaktyavesa avatars

The secondary avatars are generally not worshiped as the Supreme being. Only the direct, primary avatars are worshiped in this way. In practice, the direct avatars that are worshiped today are the Purna avatars of Narasimha, Rama and Krishna. Among most Vaishnava traditions, Krishna is considered to be the highest kind of Purna avatar. However, followers of Chaitanya (including ISKCON), Nimbarka, Vallabhacharya differ philosophically from other Vaishnavites, such as Ramanuja and Madhva, and consider Krishna to be the ultimate Godhead, not simply an avatar. In any event, all Hindus believe that there is no difference between worship of Vishnu and His avatars as it all leads to Him.

According to Madhvacharya, all avatars of Vishnu are alike in potency and every other quality. There is no gradation among them, and perceiving or claiming any differences among avatars is a cause of eternal damnation. (See Madhva's commentary on the Katha Upanishad, or his Mahabharata-Tatparya-Nirnaya.)

According to Srivaishnavite doctrine, there are two types of avatars, primary avatars and secondary avatars. The most common type of primary avatars are called Svarupavatars, in which He manifests Himself in His Sat-cid-ananda form. In the primary avatars, such as Narasimha, Rama, Krishna], Vishnu directly descends. The Svarupavatars are subdivided into Amsarupavatars and Purna avatars. In Amsarupavatars, Vishnu is fully present in the body but He is manifest in the person only partially. Such avatars include the first five avatars from Matsya to Vamana except for Narasimha. Narasimha, Rama and Krishna, on the other hand, are types of Purna avatars, in which all the qualities and powers of the Lord are expressed. Narasimha and Rama are also additionally considered to be Lila avatars.

Avatars of Vishnu

Dasavatara: Ten Avatars of Vishnu in the Garuda Purana

The ten most famous incarnations of Vishnu are collectively known as the 'Dasavatara' ('dasa' in Sanskrit means ten). This list is included in the Garuda Purana (1.86.10-11) and denotes those avatars most prominent in terms of their influence on human society.

The majority of avatars in this list of ten are categorised as 'lila-avatars' as will be discussed below. The first four are said to have appeared in the Satya Yuga (the first of the four Yugas or ages in the time cycle described within Hinduism). The next three avatars appeared in the Treta Yuga, the eighth incarnation in the Dwapara Yuga and the ninth in the Kali Yuga. The tenth is predicted to appear at the end of the Kali Yuga in some 427,000 years time.[4]
  1. Matsya, the fish, appeared in the Satya Yuga.
  2. Kurma, the tortoise, appeared in the Satya Yuga.
  3. Varaha, the boar, appeared in the Satya Yuga.
  4. Narasimha, the half-man/half-lion appeared in the Satya Yuga.
  5. Vamana, the dwarf, appeared in the Treta Yuga.
  6. Parashurama, Rama with the axe, appeared in the Treta Yuga.
  7. Rama, Ramachandra, the prince and king of Ayodhya, appeared in the Treta Yuga.
  8. Krishna (meaning 'dark coloured' or 'all attractive') appeared in the Dwapara Yuga along with his brother Balarama. According to the Bhagavata Purana Balarama is said to have appeared in the Dwapara Yuga (along with Krishna) as an incarnation of Ananta Shesha. He is also counted as an avatar of Vishnu by the majority of Vaishnava movements and is included as the ninth Dasavatara in some versions of the list which contain no reference to Buddha.
  9. Buddha (meaning 'the enlightened one') appeared in the Kali Yuga (specifically as Siddhartha Gautama).
  10. Kalki ("Eternity", or "time", or "The Destroyer of foulness"), who is expected to appear at the end of Kali Yuga, the time period in which we currently exist, which will end in the year 428899 CE.

Avatars of Vishnu in the Bhagavata Purana

Enlarge picture
Deity form of Varaha, Khajuraho, 12th C AD
Twenty-two avatars of Vishnu are listed numerically in the first Canto of the Bhagavata Purana[5] as follows:
  1. Catursana [SB 1.3.6] (The Four Sons of Brahma)
  2. Varaha [SB 1.3.7] (The boar)
  3. Narada [SB 1.3.8] (The Traveling Sage)
  4. Nara-Narayana [SB 1.3.9] (The Twins)
  5. Kapila [SB 1.3.10] (The Philosopher)
  6. Dattatreya [SB 1.3.11] (Combined Avatar of The Trimurthi)
  7. Yajna [SB 1.3.12] (Vishnu temporarily taking the role of Indra)
  8. Rishabha [SB 1.3.13] (Father of King Bharata)
  9. Prithu [SB 1.3.14] (King who made earth Beautiful and Attractive)
  10. Matsya [SB 1.3.15] (The Fish)
  11. Kurma [SB 1.3.16] (The Tortoise)
  12. Dhanvantari [SB 1.3.17] (Father of Ayurveda)
  13. Mohini [SB 1.3.17] (Beautiful/Charming Woman)
  14. Narasimha [SB 1.3.18] (The Man-Lion)
  15. Vamana [SB 1.3.19] (The Dwarf)
  16. Parasurama [SB 1.3.20] (The Rama with an Axe)
  17. Vyasa [SB 1.3.21] (Compiler of the Vedas)
  18. Ramachandra [SB 1.3.22] (The King of Ayodhya)
  19. Balarama [SB 1.3.23] (Krishna's Elder Brother)
  20. Krishna [SB 1.3.23] (The Cowherd)
  21. Buddha [SB 1.3.24] (The Deluder)
  22. Kalki [SB 1.3.25] (The Destroyer)


Besides these, another three avatars are described later on in the text as follows:
  1. Prshnigarbha [SB 10.3.41] (Born to Prshni)
  2. Hayagriva [SB 2.7.11] (The Horse)
  3. Hamsa [SB 11.13.19] (The Swan)


After Kalki avatara is described in the Bhagavata Purana it is declared that the avatars of Vishu are 'Innnumerable'[6], however in that context the above list of twenty-five Avataras are generally taken as those of greater general significance.

According to Gaudiya Vaishnava interpretation of a verse in the latter texts of the Bhagavata Purana[7], and a number of texts from the Mahabharata and other Puranic scriptures[8], Chaitanya Mahaprabhu is also listed as an avatar and is worshiped as such by followers of the tradition. In this connection Chaitanya is often referred to as the Golden Avatar.

Symbolism of the Avatars of Vishnu

Some groups claim that the ten avatars represent the evolution of life and of mankind on earth. Within this theory Matsya, the fish, represents life in water. Kurma, the tortoise, represents the next stage, amphibian. The third animal, the boar Varaha, symbolizes life on land. Narasimha, the Man-Lion, symbolizes the commencement development of mammals. Vamana, the dwarf, symbolizes this incomplete development of human. Then, Parashurama, the forest-dwelling hermit armed with an axe, connotes completion of the basic development of humankind. The King Rama signals man's ability to govern nations. Krishna, an expert in the sixty-four fields of science and art according to Hinduism, indicates man's advancement in culture and civilization. Balarama, whose weapon was a plough, could stand for the development of agriculture. Buddha, the enlightened one, symbolizes the social evolution of man.

Note that the time of the avatars also has some significance: Monarchy reached its ideal state in the Treta Yuga with the incarnation of Rama; social justice and Dharma were refined and protected in the Dwapar Yuga with the avatar of Krishna. Thus the avatars represent the evolution of life and society against the backdrop of changing epochs from Krita Yuga to Kali yuga. The animal evolution and development connotations also bear striking resemblances to the modern scientific theory of Evolution.

The avatars described above are of Vishnu, which in a sense a symbol of the "current state" of the society. The wife of Vishnu is "Laxmi" the goddess of Wealth. The Wealth is generated by the society, and is required to keep it going. This is symbolized by keeping Laxmi at the feet of Vishnu and basically taking care of him. Brahma, the "Creator" god, is the god of Knowledge. He is supposed have created knowledge.

The four Yugas are again the symbolically represented. The description of each Yuga is given as follows:
  • Satya Yuga is represented by a man carrying a small piece of pot (kamandalu).
  • Treta Yuga is represented by a man carrying a Cow and an Anchor.
  • Dvapara Yuga is represented by a man carrying a Bow and Parashu (Axe).
  • Kali Yuga is represented by a man who is ugly, without clothes and making offensive gestures holding in his hand his genitals (sex organ).
If the above descriptions are seen carefully, one realizes that this also represents several technological advancements of the human society. In the first yuga there is a development of pottery, language and yagna (yadnya) rituals etc. The second yuga shows the mastering of agricultural techniques. The third yuga tells the development of weapons technology whereby the agricultural society (now staying in groups) and their generated wealth needs to be protected. The last yuga represents the complete anarchy of the values developed so far and is basically the last phase in the development of any society.

Other people who have been considered avatars

For more details on this topic, see List of people who have been considered avatars.


Besides the avatars of Hinduism listed in the Puranas and Vedas, some other Indian Hindus are considered to be avatars by themselves or by others. Some of these include: Some Hindus with a universalist outlook view the central figures of various non-Hindu religions as avatars. Many other Hindus reject the idea of avatars outside of traditional Hinduism. Some of these religious figures include:

Influence of the concept of the avatar

Theosophy

The avatar concept was adapted by orientalising Western occultism, specifically Theosophy and Neo-Theosophy. In a series of four lectures delivered at the Theosophical Society at Adyar, Madras, in December 1899, Annie Besant, the president of the society, combines Theosophical concepts with classic Vaishvanite ideas. A decade later, her co-worker the clairvoyant Charles Webster Leadbeater would claim that his young protege Jiddu Krishnamurti was actually the avatar of a Cosmic Christ-like being called the Maitreya. Later Krishnamurti denied being the Christ and this almost destroyed the Theosophical Society.

The New Age

Many New Age teachings have been strongly influenced by Neo-Theosophical ideas (primarily through Alice Bailey), and feature a celestial hierarchy of ascended masters. At the head of the hierarchy is the same being, the Maitreya, that Leadbeater claimed to see in Krishnamurti. Some New Age teachings speak of the coming return of Christ, or the coming of the Maitreya, which will usher in a new cosmic Era. According to Benjamin Creme, the Maitreya has already incarnated, and will soon reveal himself.

Criticism of contemporary avatars

Swami Tapasyananda of Ramakrishna Mission said:

The avatar doctrine has been excessively abused by many Hindus today and we have the strange phenomenon of every disciple of a sectarian Guru claiming him to be an avatar. Christianity has therefore limited the Divine Incarnation as a one-time phenomenon. The theory has strong points and equally strong defects but it surmounts the gross abuse of the doctrine indulged in by many Hindus.


As early as the 17th century, the Vaishnavite saint Raghavendra Swami, in his last speech before his death, said on this subject:

The search for knowledge is never easy. As the Upanishads say it is like walking on the razor's edge. But for those who have strong faith and put in sustained effort and have the blessings of Shi Hari and guru this is not difficult. Always keep away from people who merely perform miracles without following the shastras and yet call themselves God or guru. I have performed miracles, and so have great persons like Shri Madhvacharya. These are based on yoga siddhi and the shastras. There is no fraud or trickery at all. These miracles were performed only to show the greatness of God and the wonderful powers that one can attain with His grace. Right knowledge (jnana) is greater than any miracle. Without this no real miracle can take place. Any miracle performed without this right knowledge is only witchcraft. No good will come to those who perform such miracles and also those who believe in them.


A different viewpoint was voiced by Swami Sivananda, who said that a guru can be likened to God if he himself has attained realization and is a link between the individual and the Absolute. Such a guru, according to his definition and interpretation, should have actually attained union with God, inspire devotion in others, and have a presence that purifies all.

See also

References

1. ^ Bhag-P 1.3.26 "O brahmanas, the incarnations of the Lord are innumerable, like rivulets flowing from inexhaustible sources of water"
2. ^ gaudiya.com - theology
3. ^ Teachings of Lord Chaitanya - Avatars
4. ^ B-Gita 8.17 "And finally in Kali-yuga (the yuga we have now been experiencing over the past 5,000 years) there is an abundance of strife, ignorance, irreligion and vice, true virtue being practically nonexistent, and this yuga lasts 432,000 years. In Kali-yuga vice increases to such a point that at the termination of the yuga the Supreme Lord Himself appears as the Kalki avatara"
5. ^ Bhag-P 1.3 Canto 1, Chapter 3
6. ^ Bhag-P 1.3.26
7. ^ Bhag-P 11.5.32 "In the age of Kali, intelligent persons perform congregational chanting to worship the incarnation of Godhead who constantly sings the names of Krishna. Although His complexion is not blackish, He is Krishna Himself."
8. ^ Vedic Encyclopedia "Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu predicted"
9. ^ Gupta, Mahendra. Hans Puran, (1969) New Delhi.
10. ^ Jesus in India

External links

General

Academic

An avatar is the incarnation of a higher being.

Avatar may also refer to:

In computing:
  • Avatar (icon), the graphical representation of an Internet user
  • AVATAR, a text graphics protocol used by BBSes


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This article refers to codes used as commands for computing devices. Escape sequence can also refer to a sequence of escape characters used in parsing source code.

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Bulletin board system, or BBS, is a computer system running software that allows users to dial into the system over a phone line (or Telnet) and, using a terminal program, perform functions such as downloading software and data, uploading data, reading news, and exchanging
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ANSI escape codes are used to control text formatting and other output options on text terminals. In this context, ANSI refers to the ANSI X3.64 standard (which was withdrawn in 1997). It was replaced by ISO/IEC 6429, and is equivalent to ECMA-48.
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ASCII art is an artistic medium that relies primarily on computers for presentation and consists of pictures pieced together from the 95 printable (from a total of 128) characters defined by the ASCII Standard from 1967 and ASCII compliant character sets with proprietary
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FidoNet is a worldwide computer network that is used for communication between bulletin board systems. It was most popular in the early 1990s, prior to the introduction of easy and affordable access to the Internet.
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RemoteAccess is a MS-DOS Bulletin Board System (BBS) software package written by Andrew Milner and was published by his company Wantree Development in Australia. RemoteAccess was written in Turbo Pascal with some Assembly Language routines.
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ANSI escape codes are used to control text formatting and other output options on text terminals. In this context, ANSI refers to the ANSI X3.64 standard (which was withdrawn in 1997). It was replaced by ISO/IEC 6429, and is equivalent to ECMA-48.
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ANSI art is a computer artform that was widely used at one time on BBSes. It is similar to ASCII art, but constructed from a larger set of 256 letters, numbers, and symbols — all codes found in IBM code page 437, often referred to as extended ASCII and used in MS-DOS
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An avatar is the incarnation of a higher being.

Avatar may also refer to:

In computing:
  • Avatar (icon), the graphical representation of an Internet user
  • AVATAR, a text graphics protocol used by BBSes


..... Click the link for more information.
Hindu ( pronunciation , Devanagari: हिन्दु), as per modern definition, is an adherent of the philosophies and scriptures of Hinduism, and the
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Sanskrit}}} | style="padding-left: 0.5em;" | Writing system: | colspan="2" style="padding-left: 0.5em;" | Devanāgarī and several other Brāhmī-based scripts ! colspan="3" style="text-align: center; color: black; background-color: lawngreen;"|Official
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Incarnation, which literally means embodied in flesh, refers to the conception, and live birth of a sentient creature (generally human being) who is the material manifestation of an entity or force whose original nature is immaterial.
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Deva (देव in Devanagari script, pronounced as /'d̪ev.ə/) is the Sanskrit word for "god, deity".
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God

General approaches
Agnosticism Atheism
Deism Dystheism
Henotheism Ignosticism
Monism Monotheism
Natural theology Nontheism
Pandeism Panentheism
Pantheism Polytheism
Theism Theology
Transtheism

Specific conceptions
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EARTH was a short-lived Japanese vocal trio which released 6 singles and 1 album between 2000 and 2001. Their greatest hit, their debut single "time after time", peaked at #13 in the Oricon singles chart.
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Sanskrit}}} | style="padding-left: 0.5em;" | Writing system: | colspan="2" style="padding-left: 0.5em;" | Devanāgarī and several other Brāhmī-based scripts ! colspan="3" style="text-align: center; color: black; background-color: lawngreen;"|Official
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Hinduism (known as Hindū Dharma in modern Indian languages[1]
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For other meanings, see Vishnu (disambiguation).


Vishnu (IAST
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Shiva (IAST: Śiva
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Ganesha (Sanskrit: गणेश; Gaṇeśa
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Ganesha Purana (Sanskrit:गणेश पुराणम्;
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The Mudgala Purana (Sanskrit:मुद्गल पुराणम्;
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Dharmic tradition (Dharmic religion) refers to any religion, religious philosophy, or tradition that has a notion of dharma:
  • Indian religions
  • Buddhism


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Jesus (8–2 BC/BCE to 29–36 AD/CE),[2] also known as Jesus of Nazareth, is the central figure of Christianity, and is also an important figure in several other religions.
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Purana (Sanskrit: पुराण
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Vaishnavism is one of the principal traditions of Hinduism, and is distinguished from other schools by its primary worship of Vishnu (and his associated avatars) as the Supreme God.
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jiva (alternate spelling, jiwa) is a living being[1], or more specifically the immortal essence of a living being (human, animal, fish or plant etc...) which survives physical death[2].
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Vasudeva (Sanskrit: वसुदेव) in Hinduism was the son of Śũrasena, of the Yadava dynasty. His sister Kunti was married to Pandu.
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Shesha (Śeṣa
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