Comparative Study of the Incarnations in the Christian and Hindu Religions

         
 Hinduism originated in India between 2000 BCE and 1500 BCE and is a direct descendant of the Vedic religion. It is the oldest religion in India and has the largest followers amounting to approximately 80.5% of the population in India. Christianity is believed to have started its movement in Jerusalem around 33 CE in a country called Palestine.

Hinduism is the religion of the East and Christianity the religion of the West. Europe and the near East owe their religion directly to the Jews and further Asia owe directly to India. Religions like Christianity, Judaism and Islam are close and have similar histories and teachings on the one hand and Hinduism and Buddhism on the other.

Concept of Incarnation in Christianity and Hinduism
Cambridge Dictionary defines incarnation as “The appearance of a god as a human” and Oxford Dictionary “The act of god coming to earth in human form.” So in religious context, incarnation means the manifestation and birth of god in a human form on earth. In The New Testament the incarnation of Jesus Christ is the focal doctrine. Jesus Christ had to come into the world to atone for the sins of mankind after the “Fall of Man.” God commanded not to eat from the forbidden tree “But from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat from it you shall surely die” Genesis 2:17. The eating of the forbidden fruit by Adam and Eve masterminded by Satan in the form of a serpent culminated the fall. Genesis 3:13 says “…the serpent deceived me and I ate…”  This led to the incarnation of Jesus Christ. John 11:35 says “For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son. That who so ever believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life.” Jesus Christ the Son of God manifests himself into this world in the form of a human being through the Virgin Mary. 

Hinduism also has a firm belief in the concept of Avatar or incarnation. When we talk about incarnation in Hinduism it is generally associated with Lord Vishnu. The ten avatars of Vishnu known as Dashavatara is given reverence by the Vaishnavites. Vishnu is the Preserver among the Trinity of Hinduism. The other two are Brahma the Creator and Shiva the Destroyer.


It is important to explore the teachings of other religions and respect their religious ethics. The desire to love our neighbours as we love ourselves will emerge only if we learn and respect other religions. Paolo Coelho in Like the Flowing River rightly said that “All religions lead to the same God, and all deserve the same respect…” The final message to the king put forward in the Shantiparva of The Mahabharata rightly states “Regard all religious faiths with reverence and ponder their teachings but do not surrender your own judgement.” And in The Quran 109:3 it says “To you your religions, to me mine.” It is a message of reverence and respect for other religions at the same time standing firmly on the solid ground of your own religion. All humans are children of the same God. Though differences exist between Hinduism and Christianity, both emphasise on virtues such as honesty, respect, peace, faith, compassion etc. Both religions believe in universal brotherhood.

           

Concept of Destiny in Hinduism and Christianity

 Hinduism believes in cyclical concept of man’s destiny. The transmigration of souls is governed by a cosmic law known as Karma. The word “Karma” is derived from the Sanskrit word “kri” meaning “to do.” So literally it means “that which is done” or “action.” It is Karma which controls births and deaths. It is said that when a body dies he is reincarnated either in the form of human or animal. According to popular Hindu belief this life itself has no meaning. It has its meaning only as a link in a chain of births which extend from the past into the future. This cycle depends upon how one lives on earth and is justified by one’s own actions. So it is clear that life after death will be justified according to our past actions. In a simple sense a good person gets a good reward and a bad person gets a bad reward. So by doing good deeds in this life, one can attain true freedom (Moksha) from the endless cycle of transmigration into a state of perfect bliss. This belief in the continuity of life despite births and deaths, creation and destruction is at the base of the Hindu social and metaphysical thought. It is expressed in such popular sayings as “He who has come will go, and he who has gone will come again.” The soul is called Jiva (life substance) or atma (one’s spirit). The soul is eternal similar to the soul in Christianity.

Christianity believes that though the body dies the spirit never dies. Life after death is defined by one’s own actions on earth. True Christians who follow the gospel and live according to the ways of God will be saved.  The reward will be either perfect bliss in Heaven or a blazing fire in Hell. In the Bible of the Gospel of Mark 12:30-31 when asked what the most important commandment Jesus was answered: “And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.” ‘The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbour as yourself. There is no other commandment greater than these.” Jesus is here emphasizing the importance of loving our fellow men. And in the Old Testament in the Book of Leviticus it says "Thou shalt not avenge, nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people, but thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself: I am the Lord" (Leviticus 19:18). In the New Testament it says “After judgment, men receive their eternal destinies. The righteous receive eternal life, a state of bliss, in the presence of God. The wicked receive eternal punishment, suffering and sorrow, separated from God” (Matthew 25:46).

If we compare closely, Hinduism and Christianity emphasise that one’s actions on earth is of prime importance. Our love for God is equally as important as our love for our neighbours. This concept is similar to Hinduism and Christianity. The concept of Dharma speaks a lot about ones actions on earth. The good deeds done on earth that are unselfish and pure and de-emphasize material interests will have a good impact and will pave the way for   better achievement of reincarnation. In a simple sense we will reap what we sow.

Similarities between Christ and Krishna

 People might wonder at the comparison of Jesus and Krishna. There are certainly many differences but there are also convincing similarities between Jesus and Krishna. In the Book of John 1:2-3 it says “He (Jesus) was with God in the beginning. Through Him all things were made; without Him nothing was made that has been made.”  Similarly, in the Bhagavad Gita 10:15, Krishna is described as "O Krishna, O greatest of all personalities O Lord of all Gods O Lord of the universe; only you personally know yourself by yourself.” And it continues in 10:8 where Krishna says “I am the original generating cause of all causes, everything emanates from me…" and 7:7 says "Everything existing is connected to me like pearls on a threat." Christianity teaches that it is through Christ people are set free from sins. The Bible John 6:20 reaffirms this. It says “When you were slaves to sin, you were free from the control of righteousness.” And, in the Bhagavad Gita 10:3, Krishna echoes the same: "One who knows me as birthless, beginningless, and the supreme controller of all the worlds; he being undeluded among mortals is delivered from all sins."

The Bhagavad Gita says that Krishna will appear age after age. It says in 4:7 “Whenever and wherever a decline of righteousness and a predominance of unrighteousness prevail, at that time I manifest Myself personally…” Similarly the Bible in the Gospel of Acts 17:31 it says “For he has set a day when He will judge the world with justice…” Both Jesus and Krishna are described in terms of Light. In the Gospel of John 8:12 Jesus says “I am the light of the world.”  Krishna is compared to "a mass of light shining everywhere with the radiance of flaming fire and the sun…” In the Bible the Book of Revelation 22:13 says “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.” And in The Bhagavad-Gita 10:20 it echoes the same: “…I am the beginning, the middle and the end…”

Max Muller a Sanskrit scholar and also the great pioneer of religions believe that comparison and study of other religions is necessary. He says “He who knows one knows none.” He is of the opinion that religion started when humans became aware of something beyond their contact. This made people realise that surely there must be a Creator who is all powerful.