Spiritual Portal

I don't know if avatars are avatars or not. I don't much care. It's not that interesting to me, really. I am only interested in being free from suffering. I do know that when thoughts subside, there seems to be a freedom from suffering. I take this to be the beingness that they talk about. The thoughts are a superimposition on this freedom which we experience also in sleep. In sleep we aren't concerned with anything whatsoever. This is because thoughts are not present. I understand meditation to be this state as well.

I missed something, why was the avatar thing a big deal?

Yes, it's really not necessary to adhere to the hindu concept of avatar to evolve spiritually.

The hindu philosophy actually enables you to believe to whatever you want. A rock may be your avatar like you were perhaps implying in another thread.
Whatever makes you happy but has the objective effect to improve your spiritual awareness (without damaging the bodily vessel) ihas reached its purpose.

Monism, dualism, panteism, immanentism, trascendentalism, theism, deism, gnosticism, skepticism, they are all catered for by hindu philosophy. Your personal effort is what counts. No pain no gain though. The law of increasing entropy works in the astral and spiritual planes as well.

Ramana Maharshi said that his gurus was a (really big) rock, Arunachala. He said Arunachala was Siva.