"If the universe is the answer, what is the question?"
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An avatar is an earthly incarnation of a divine being. They aren't simply their children or creations, but rather the avatar is the god, albeit on different level of existence. Think of it as Jesus Christ to God, or Krishna and Rama to Vishnu.
An Avatar, often referred to as an incarnation or corporeal manifestation, is the physical or material appearance of a deity or a similar divine being in the mortal world. This concept is prevalent among all types of spirits, where gods or divine entities take on human or tangible forms to interact with humanity or fulfill a specific purpose.
Avatars can be created in three different ways; the first is through the power of the being itself, which removes a shard from its body and uses it as an avatar (ex: Jesus Christ). The second is through parental gametes, where the deity creates a physical avatar that is born as a "average person", but still exists as the alternate persona of their true self (ex: Norea and Krishna). And the third is when an entity can transform another being into an avatar, linking the two through their essence (ex: Grim Reaper).
According to Christian theologians, Avatars and incarnations are completely different concepts. Within this system, an incarnation is of the flesh and imperfect, while an avatar is mythical and perfect. Theologians under this paradigm would say that it make Jesus Christ an incarnation. In reality, incarnations are just a different form of avatars, and that would make Jesus an avatar. However, it is notable that there is a misconception regarding the idea of Jesus being an avatar of God the Father, as this idea ignores the concept of the Holy Trinity, where God exists in three persons united in essence, with Jesus being the incarnation of God the Son and not from God the Father. The incarnation of Christ is seen as literally God becoming a human, not creating a physical form on Earth, but taking his own unfathomable, spiritual body and making it a material body of flesh and blood, with Jesus being both fully God and fully human simultaneously, having two natures.
Description[]
Normally, to create Avatar Beings, deities usually take a shard of their own body. However, other beings such as angels or demons when going to use physical forms (image avatars) they do not use their own body, since being spiritual, taking a shard of equal essence would not allow the interaction of the physical world. To create their physical avatars, angels and demons use ectoplasm to create their vessels.
However, although there are two types of avatars, God seems to have created a system of avatars specifically for Him, which are Name Avatars. These avatars are different faces that God uses in Creation, each being the embodiment of one of His thousands of names. These avatars include, but are not limited to, Jehovah, Jesus Christ, Holy Spirit, Nebro, Abraxas, the Ancient of Days, and Yaldabaoth (in Gnosticism). These specific avatars are incarnations of divine attributes (with the exception of Yaldabaoth) of the Almighty. These avatars can be created by God in any universe, multiverse or megaverse, in Heaven and Hell, at any time, whether in the past, present and future.
Myths and Legends[]
Types of avatars[]
Image Avatars[]
Image avatars are beings whose only purpose is to allow people to interact with the powerful being without being in their presence, they aren't separate from the deity in any form, they have now will of their own, they are essentially living breathing messages, some examples are: Chuck Shurley (God), Amara (The Darkness), etc.
Beings Avatars[]
Being avatars are separate beings in their own right given a destiny from the deity they are connected to, however after they're finished with their quest they can lead perfectly normal lives without the intervention of the deity, some examples are: Krishna, Grim Reaper, Khepri, etc.
The most beautiful thing that ever happened, and that ever existed, and that will never have another like it is this: God taking human form. If you think about it, this is the most beautiful act that has ever been performed by God. In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was God. The world was made by Him. And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us.
God is ineffable, invisible, unspeakable, unknowable. He is the author of the world, not an entity in it. But sometimes it’s useful for an author to have a self-insert character, so to speak. Like Jesus, Yaldabaoth, Jehovah, etc.
Avatars are a bit of a complicated concept. I mean, God is an all-encompassing entity of pure being. God is Elohim, and He is also Jehovah. God is Heaven, and Hell, and the Nothing from Absolute Zero. And beyond. He exists as the author of the world, which paradoxically means that God exists outside the universe, while being one with it. There is no way for God to enter into God. If God put his little finger into the universe, it would crack like a rotten egg. An avatar is, as if God took and created another him, a self-inserting character, and placed it inside his body. Yeah, weird, but it's the best example I can give. Why do you think Azathoth's avatars usually speak in the third person? It is because they speak of the other Azathoth, who exists outside the universe and everything exists within his ineffable dream.
Look at your left and right hand. They are themselves, but they are also you. At the same time, your hands are not part of your "self". Same thing with avatars in regards to their true selves.
A Human
Oh! I understood. In the Bible it is mentioned that Jesus is the Right Hand of God. He is God and, at the same time, He is distinct from God.
The term avatar can be used to refer to the physical form created by a deity or any incorporeal entity in order to interact with the material world. Although similar, it is not the same thing as a true avatar, which is the physical form of a deity that has their own will, desire and consciousness. For example, the physical form assumed by God called Chuck Shurley is not the same thing as Abraxas or Nebro.
Avatars can be born from a shard of the entity itself, or it can be born through transforming some being into an avatar, as was the case with Yaldabaoth who became an avatar of God, or Enuma who became an avatar of Azathoth.
Human beings with a high level of magic are also capable of creating avatars. However, these avatars are usually not physically stable so don't really last long. Many don't even have minds of their own, simply being vessels for their creator.
These avatars will usually assume the opposite gender to their progenitor.
Despite the similarities, Avatars should not be confused with Fragments, Vessels, or Emanations.
ʻAbdu'l-Bahá writes in the Tablet of the Universe ("Lawh-i-Aflákiyyih") that there are infinite Avatars of God in the infinite worlds of God.
