Guest guest Posted July 21, 2004 Report Share Posted July 21, 2004 GOD AND GOD-MEN IN VEDANTA (7) Swami Ashokananda It is maintained that when a person has only the first vision of God, he still retains his own individuality, in which there are likes and dislikes and limitations, but when such a person becomes more and more merged in God, then many of his human aspects drop off. A little remains of them, but they become so transformed that rarely can you call him an ordinary human being. You may call him a saint to imply that he or she has had the direct vision of God. We Hindus have many other words to designate such a person. For example, you are well acquainted with the term mahatma, the term that was applied to Mahatma Gandhi. Mahatma means 'great soul' - that is to say, one who has shed the limitations of an ordinary individual and has become maha, 'great'. Maha indicates not only greatness of quality but also greatness of dimension; there is a largeness about such a person, and it is that intangible largeness that is specifically indicated by this term maha. It does not always mean 'noble soul', as it is sometimes translated. It means 'great soul', because that souls is great, literally great. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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