Krishna is, like in any religion, a character or a symbol that has many different aspects, different meanings, different levels of importance and different interpretations. Of course, over the centuries, the character of Krishna has been understood by people at many different levels, some accurate, some inaccurate.
For Westerners, Krishna may appear exotic and hard to understand, but in Asia, Krishna is a very ubiquitous presence, even amongst Buddhists, Taoists and other types of traditions. Krishna is a widely recognized and respected figure, and plays a role in many different religions, not just in Hinduism. As a person, as a human being, there is a man named Krishna who was active in India several thousand years ago, and he still lives.
The man Krishna, the Master, came several thousand years ago, long before Jesus of Nazareth. He came in order to deliver a message to the peoples of South East Asia, and that message is still being circulated today.
Krishna as a man, as a Master, is a very great Master. But, we are not gathered here to talk about him. In this image we see the originator of that message represented as Vishnu. Krisha devotees are found everywhere and their method of worshipping differs.
