I have a few minutes now in between committments...as my band prepares to play in about a half hour...
I wanted to say NAMASTE!
Doesn't that feel good?
The Divine in me honors the divine in you.
We should say Namaste to our children it just dawned on me.
We should raise them to say "Namaste", and teach them it's meaning, and honor the divine in them, not silently, but LET THEM KNOW, that we honor the divine in them.
All I wanted to say was "Let's teach our children Namaste", and say it to them daily.
Just a little flow from your Arkansas bro!
Love you all,
John
Namaste Dear Family,
As Paul Harvey would say 'Now for the rest of the story'.
Be Well
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Namaste Pronounced:
Na-Mas-Te
The a sound is a light "ah"
and the e at the end sounds like a hard "a"
NA MA Stay
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The gesture Namaste represents the belief that there is a Divine spark within each of us that is located in the heart chakra. The gesture is an acknowledgment of the soul in one by the soul in another. "Nama" means bow, "as" means I, and "te" means you. Therefore, Namaste literally means "bow me you" or "I bow to you."
To perform Namaste, we place the hands together at the heart charka, close the eyes, and bow the head. It can also be done by placing the hands together in front of the third eye, bowing the head, and then bringing the hands down to the heart. This is an especially deep form of respect. Although in the West the word "Namaste" is usually spoken in conjunction with the gesture, in India, it is understood that the gesture itself signifies Namaste, and therefore, it is unnecessary to say the word while bowing.
We bring the hands together at the heart chakra to increase the flow of Divine love. Bowing the head and closing the eyes helps the mind surrender to the Divine in the heart. One can do Namaste to oneself as a meditation technique to go deeper inside the heart chakra; when done with someone else, it is also a beautiful, albeit quick, meditation.
Namaste allows two individuals to come together energetically to a place of connection and timelessness, free from the bonds of ego-connection. If it is done with deep feeling in the heart and with the mind surrendered, a deep union of spirits can blossom.
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Uses in Indian and Nepalese culture
In the word namaste there is sandhi or coalescence between the two Sanskrit words - namah + te - meaning " I bow (reverentially) to you." Also common is a polite form using the imperative astu meaning "let there be": namo: stu te literally meaning "let there be a salutation to you".
In everyday life, namaste can be necessarily considered a religious salutation. However, namaste is salutation that is a Sanskrit term which can be understood to mean, "I respect that divinity within you that is also within me".[2]
In Nepalese culture, Namaste is done when younger meets older in family relatives. It also varies upon the social status and prestige, the minor do the namaste first to show the respect to them of their status they achieved.
Also when greeting a peer, a namaste can be said together with hands in front of chest and a slight bow. To indicate deep respect, one may place the hands in front of the forehead and reverence for a god or the holiest of persons may be indicated by placing the hands completely above the head.[2] Namaste is also used as a friendly greeting in written communication, or generally between people when they meet.
In some parts of India (for example, Punjabi speaking areas), namaste is used not only to greet Hindus but everyone. The proper greetings for Muslims are As-Salaam-Alaykum, for Sikhs it is Sat Sri Akaal and Jains its Jai Jinendra. The gesture is used to greet (as well as a parting remark) people with the verbal "Aayushman". Aayushmaan means 'may you live long'.
When used at funerals to greet the guests, the verbal part is usually omitted. The aayushman gesture is also a cultural symbol of Sri Lanka and Sri Lankan hospitality. This is also the means used by Sri Lankan air hostesses to greet passengers and used in other hospitality settings. When the gesture is performed with hands in front of the chest it is usually considered as aayushman. When hand position is higher it usually means reverence and/or worship. The higher the hands, or the expression with hands placed on top of one's head, is usually the sign of utmost reverence or respect.
In Sindh, Pakistan, the gesture of namaste is still maintained even by Sindhi Muslims.
A sadhu performing anjali in Madurai, India.The gesture used when bowing in namaste or gassho is the bringing of both hands together, palms touching, in front of the person—usually at the chest, or a higher level such as below the chin, below the nose, or above the head.
This gesture is called Añjali Mudrā, a well-recognized symbolic hand position in eastern religions. One hand represents the higher, spiritual nature, while the other represents the worldly self. By combining the two, the person making the gesture is attempting to rise above his differences with others, and connect himself with the person to whom he bows. The bow is symbolic of love and respect.
Particularly in Hinduism, when one worships or bows in reverence, the symbolism of the two palms touching is of great significance. It is the joining together of two extremities—the feet of the Divine, with the head of the devotee. The right palm denotes the feet of the Divine and the left palm denotes the head of the devotee. The Divine feet constitute the ultimate solace for all sorrows—this is a time-honored thought that runs through the entire religious ethos.
Namaste is one of the few Sanskrit words commonly recognized by Non-Hindi speakers. In the West, it is often used to indicate Indian Hindu culture in general[citation needed]. Namaste is particularly associated with aspects of Hindu culture such as vegetarianism, yoga, ayurvedic healing, and other cultures that are derivatives of Hinduism such as Buddhism and Jainism.
In recent times, and more globally, the term "namaste" has come to be especially associated with yoga and spiritual meditation all over the world. In this context, it has been viewed in terms of a multitude of very complicated and poetic meanings which tie in with the spiritual origins of the word. Some examples:
"I honor the Spirit in you which is also in me." -- attributed to author Kabir Chopra[3]
"I honor the place in you in which the entire Universe dwells, I honor the place in you which is of Love, of Integrity, of Wisdom and of Peace. When you are in that place in you, and I am in that place in me, we are One."[4][5]
"I salute the God within you."
"Your spirit and my spirit are ONE." -- attributed to Lilias Folan's shared teachings from her journeys to India.[citation needed]
"That which is of the Divine in me greets that which is of the Divine in you."[6]
"The Divinity within me perceives and adores the Divinity within you."[7]
"All that is best and highest in me greets/salutes all that is best and highest in you."
"I greet the God within."
That said, these are all arguably simply attempts at translating the same concept, which does not have a direct parallel in English, although Aloha would be a good attempt. In Buddhism, the concept may be understood as Buddha nature. Also used as Namo Buddhaye.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Namaste
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