It is funny how often you will see dedicates to Krishna go out of their way to denigrate Lord Shiva, Shaivism, and other Vedic understanding such as Buddhism. It is funny as Krishna himself doesn’t deny any association with Rudra-Shiva in this manner. In fact, if he indeed was the avatar of Nārāyaṇa then wouldn’t he represent the godhead as a whole? This seems to be the case when analyzing his character of Creative / sexual energy, compassion and dharmic lawful understanding, and warrior mindset wielding karmic destruction.
In fact, most of what Lord Krishna teaches isn’t that different in the Gita than much of what other Vedic and Dharmic understandings that had been presented elsewhere. He just condenses, simplifies, and exemplifies it.
The other commonly misunderstood concept is that Buddhism is both inherently anti Vedic, which I have covered many times that it isn’t, and that Buddhism and other Vedic faiths are at odds. This is thought to be taken in how Buddhism denigrates or supplants the “Hindu” Gods such as Vishnu and Krishna. Of course, this isn’t true historically. While I have done plenty of writings to show how Shiva was very much integrated into Buddhism and most Buddhist deities and even the Boddhisatva and Buddha’s themselves are seen or depicted as enlightened versions of Shiva, this also applies to the rest of the Godhead to include Nārāyaṇa (the One).
In the Pali Vendu Sutta (Sutra) he as Vishnu is said to address the Shakyamuni Buddha directly celebrating a joint experience of those who follow dharma. In many Buddhist texts or temples his incarnation Narasiṃha is worshipped as a protector of dharma and wrathful incarnations of Vishnu are seen within the Vajradhara / Dharmapala such as the Japan Nio. Nārāyaṇa is the Godhead who much of the Womb Realm emanates from, not too dissimilar to that of his depiction within the Vedic context. In the Diamond realm he is controller of 12 primary deities much like the Indo-European Sky Father / King of the Gods. Nārāyaṇa has been said to have been born from the heart of Avalokiteśvara (1). Which is interesting when you note that the name Avalokiteśvara is the Ishvara (Supreme lord) who looks down over the worlds. And that Ishavara is often the term used for dedication to Vishnu, Shiva, and sometimes Krishna as the primary supreme deity in devotee practice. If any Boddhisattva / Buddha was considered a creator deity within the realms it most often is Avalokiteśvara.
In other Buddhist Sutras it is said that Nārāyaṇa has eight arms for every dharmic weapon.
It is also said in the Lalitavistara Sutra that the Buddha "is endowed with the great strength of Nārāyaṇa, he is called the great Nārāyaṇa himself."
While this may seem like just cults one upping each other. I prefer to see it as a means (Vehicle / Yana) to greater understanding of the divine and dharma.
In fact, some of this petty monotheistic / Henotheistic like supremacy seems rather dull and counter productive in the grand scheme of growing and teaching dharmic understanding.
While this is my personal view on the topic.
I respect those Krishna devotees who seek the divine, study the dharma, practice their faith, and try to promote good morals and dharmic values as much as I respect those of other Vedic and Indo-European sects who do the same. The more we work together the stronger our understanding of the divine and dharma will be.
Hammer and Vajra!
Written by Zachary Gill 23 June 2021
1. Roberts, Peter Alan; Tulku Yeshi (2013). "The Basket's Display". 84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha. Retrieved 25 December 2019.
2.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lalitavistara_S%C5%ABtra3.
https://www.sacred-texts.com/hin/gita/index.htm4.
https://www.onmarkproductions.com/html/kannon.shtml