Why do we do namaste?

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Why do we do namaste?

 

 

>

> Indians greet each other with namaste. The two palms are placed together

in

> front of the chest and the head bows whilst saying the word namaste. This

> greeting is for all - people younger than us, of our own age, those older

> than us, friends and even strangers.

> There are five forms of formal traditional greeting enjoined in the

> shaastras of which namaskaram is one. This is understood as prostration

but

> it actually refers to paying homage as we do today when we greet each

other

> with a namaste.

> Namaste could be just a casual or formal greeting, a cultural convention

or

> an act of worship. However there is much more to it than meets the eye. In

> Sanskrit namah + te = namaste. It means - I bow to you - my greetings,

> salutations or prostration to you. Namaha can also be literally

interpreted

> as " na ma " (not mine). It has a spiritual significance of negating or

> reducing one's ego in the presence of another.

> The real meeting between people is the meeting of their minds. When we

greet

> another, we do so with namaste, which means, " may our minds meet, "

indicated

> by the folded palms placed before the chest. The bowing down of the head

is

> a gracious form of extending friendship in love and humility.

> The spiritual meaning is even deeper. The life force, the divinity, the

Self

> or the Lord in me is the same in all. Recognising this oneness with the

> meeting of the palms, we salute with head bowed the Divinity in the person

> we meet. That is why sometimes, we close our eyes as we do namaste to a

> revered person or the Lord - as if to look within. The gesture is often

> accompanied by words like " Ram Ram " , " Jai Shri Krishna " , " Namo Narayana " ,

> " Jai Siya Ram " , " Om Shanti " etc - indicating the recognition of this

> divinity.

> When we know this significance, our greeting does not remain just a

> superficial gesture or word but paves the way for a deeper communion with

> another in an atmosphere of love and respect.

>

> Swami Chinmayananda

>

> THIS & MORE IN... http://www.hindumythology.com/why.htm

>

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