The Encyclopedia of World Religions

Rapture S 373

Muslim women pray facing Mecca, on the first day of Lebaran or Id al-Fitr, the end of Ramadan. (Getty Images)

Mother as supreme Godhead. Into this vision of personal deity he integrated the impersonal BRAH MAN of S ANKARA ’s Advaita V EDANTA . He also had visions of and worshipped A LLAH and C HRIST , whom he saw as manifestations of the Mother. All religions, Ramakrishna taught, were different paths to the same goal. Eventually, Ramakrishna became the catalyst for a Hindu revival movement in eastern India. His disciple V IVEKANANDA was the most influential of those who spread his ideas. Rapture In popular Christian APOCALYPTIC LIT ERATURE , the Rapture (from Latin for “taken up” or “caught up”) refers to a belief that, before openly coming for the Last J UDGMENT OF THE DEAD , C HRIST , will secretly return to take those who truly believe in him

The fast has other meanings, too. For exam ple, some say that voluntary fasting teaches them compassion for the poor, who may have no choice but to fast all the time.

Ramakrishna (1836–1886) a very influential Hindu SAINT He is often referred to as Ramakrishna Paramahamsa. The second name means “the supreme ascetic.” Ramakrishna was a priest at a temple of the GODDESS Kali near Calcutta. From an early age, he experienced trances when he was overcome with religious emotion. Later, he experienced similar trances in visions of the goddess Kali as Mother. After several years of spiritual struggle and searching, Ramakrishna came to develop an inclu sive vision of reality in the nurturing arms of the