Buddha as Avatāra in Vaiṣṇava Theology: Historical and Interpretive Issues: Journal of Vaishnava Studies

Abstract

This article will focus on an examination of the development of the concept of Buddha as an avatāra of Viṣṇu, with special attention given to interpretive issues pertaining to two eras: 1) the period from 4th-11th centuries CE, when the core of most of the mahāpurāṇas was composed; 2) the 15th-21st centuries, with an emphasis on Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇavism, beginning with Caitanya (1486-
1533 CE), continuing with the six Gosvāmīs and Kṛṣṇadāsa Kavirāja (15th-16th century CE), and ending in the modern period of “Neo-Gauḍīya” tradition, as taught by Śrīla Bhaktivinoda, Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī, and A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda, the founder of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON hereafter).