Who is Lord Buddha? Understanding the Avatar's Mission

Srimad Bhagavatam 1.3.24

Then, in the beginning of Kali-yuga, the Lord will appear as Lord Buddha, the son of Añjanā, in the province of Gayā, just for the purpose of deluding those who are envious of the faithful theist.

The Historical Context

At the time of Lord Buddha's advent, society had fallen into a deeply troubling pattern. As the purport explains:

At the time when Lord Buddha appeared, the people in general were atheistic and preferred animal flesh to anything else. On the plea of Vedic sacrifice, every place was practically turned into a slaughterhouse, and animal-killing was indulged in unrestrictedly.

The situation was spiritually untenable. People were misusing the sanctioned animal sacrifices mentioned in the Vedas as an excuse for unbridled meat-eating. The actual purpose and restrictions of such sacrifices had been completely forgotten, leaving only the violence without the spiritual benefits.

Lord Buddha's Compassionate Strategy

Lord Buddha, appearing as a powerful incarnation of the Personality of Godhead, adopted a remarkable approach:

1. He preached non-violence (ahimsa), taking pity on the poor animals being slaughtered
2. He rejected the Vedas, ostensibly removing the very scriptural authority people were misusing
3. He emphasized the psychological harm that animal killing inflicts upon the killer

This strategy was deeply compassionate. Rather than directly confronting the atheistic population with complex Vedic philosophy they would reject, Lord Buddha met them where they were.

The Divine Paradox

Here lies the beautiful paradox:

He deluded the atheists because such atheists who followed his principles did not believe in God, but they kept their absolute faith in Lord Buddha, who himself was the incarnation of God. Thus the faithless people were made to believe in God in the form of Lord Buddha. That was the mercy of Lord Buddha: he made the faithless faithful to him.

Lord Buddha made the faithless faithful. Those who would never have accepted Vedic authority or the concept of a personal God nevertheless developed faith in Buddha. In doing so, they unknowingly developed faith in God's incarnation.

Moral Discipline as a Stepping Stone

Lord Buddha's teachings served a specific purpose in the broader scheme of spiritual evolution:

…for the time being they were trained in moral discipline and nonviolence, the preliminary steps for proceeding further on the path of God realization.

Before one can understand higher spiritual truths, a foundation of moral behavior and non-violence is essential. Lord Buddha provided this foundation to those who would have rejected any other approach.

Whether through strict adherence to scripture or through apparently unconventional means, the Lord's ultimate purpose remains constant: to guide all living beings, according to their individual capacity, toward the supreme destination.

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Article based on lecture by Bhakti Raghava Swami: Who is Lord Buddha | SB 1.3.24