A good one ..

[Guest guest]

Shankaram Shiva Shankaram

 

 

Regards,

Srinivas.

 

Meaning of Namaste

 

 

 

" Namaste " (pronounced " Nam-a-stay " ) is used as a greeting or upon

parting.

Namaste is a composite of the two Sanskrit words, nama, and te.

Te means you, and nama has the following connotations:

to bend

to bow

to sink

to incline

to stoop

All these suggestions point to a sense of submitting oneself to

another, with complete humility. Significantly the word 'nama' has

parallels in other ancient languages also. It is cognate with the

Greek nemo, nemos and nosmos; to the Latin nemus, the Old Saxon

niman, and the German neman and nehman. All these expressions have

the general sense of obeisance, homage and veneration.

 

The word nama is split into two, na and ma. Na signifies negation

and ma represents mine. The meaning would then be 'not mine'. The

import being that the individual soul belongs entirely to the Supreme

soul, which is identified as residing in the individual towards whom

the namaste is directed. Indeed there is nothing that the soul can

claim as its own. Namaste is thus the necessary rejection of 'I' and

the associated phenomena of egotism. It is said that 'ma' in nama

means death (spiritual), and when this is negated (na-ma), it

signifies immortality.

 

In general Namaste can interpret:

'The God in me greets the God in you' or

'The Spirit in me meets the same Spirit in you' or

'I honor the Atma in you as in in me.' There are many other

interpretations, all have the same meaning.

 

Translated into a bodily act, yogic practice, greeting and

farewell, Namaste has its complex meaning and symbolism.

 

1. In general the gesture (or mudra) of Namaste is performed by

bringing together both palms of the hands before the heart, and

lightly

bowing the head. In the simplest of terms it is accepted as a humble

greeting straight from the heart and reciprocated accordingly. (The

following points are more proper explanation of Namaste from

different

angles).

 

2. The whole action of Namaste unfolds itself at three levels:

mental, physical, and verbal.

 

3. Namaste starts with a mental submission. This submission is in

the spirit of total surrender of the self. By performing namaste

before an individual we recognize the divine spark in him. Further by

facilitating our partaking of these divine qualities, namaste makes

us aware of these very characteristics residing within our own

selves.

 

4. 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.

 

5. 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.

 

6. The proper performance of Namaste requires that we blend the

five fingers of the left hand exactly with the fingers of the right

hand. The significance behind this simple act in fact governs the

entire gamut of our active life. The five fingers of the left hand

represent the five senses of karma, and those of the right hand the

five organs of knowledge. Hence it signifies that our karma or action

must be in harmony, and governed by rightful knowledge, prompting us

to think and act correctly.

 

7. By combining the five fingers of each hand, a total of ten is

achieved. The number ten is a symbol of perfection, and the mystical

number of completion and unity. It is true for all ancient

traditions. Ten is the number of the Commandments revealed to Moses

by God. In the Pythagorean system, ten was a symbol of the whole of

creation. Ancient Chinese thought too thought of ten as the perfectly

balanced number.

 

8. Another significant identification of Namaste is with the

institution of marriage, which represents a new beginning, and the

conjoining of the male and female elements in nature. The idea of

human divine association was often expressed in terms of marriage, as

in the description of nuns as " brides of Christ " . Thus in the

exhaustive marriage rituals of India, after the elaborate ceremonies

have been completed, the new husband and wife team perform Namaste to

each other.

 

9. Namaste, which symbolizes the secret of this unity, holds the

key to maintaining the equilibrium of life and entering the area

where health, harmony, peace and happiness are available in plenty.

 

10. 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.

 

11. Namaste recognizes the equality of all, and pays honor to the

sacredness of all.

 

12. Namaste recognizes the duality that has ever existed in this

world and suggests an effort on our part to bring these two forces

together, ultimately leading to a higher unity and non-dual state of

Oneness. Consequently, no sphere of our existence untouched by the

symbolic significance of Namaste.

 

13. The gesture of Namaste is unique in the sense that its

physical performance is accompanied by a verbal utterance of the

word " Namaste. " This practice is equivalent to the chanting of a

mantra. The sonority of the sacred sound 'Namaste' is believed to

have a quasi-magical value, corresponding to a creative energy

change. This transformation is that of aligning oneself in harmony

with the vibration of the cosmos itself.

 

14. In general Namaste is usual for individuals to greet when

they meet each other. It is not only a sign of recognition but also

an expression of happiness at each other's sight. This initial

conviviality sets the positive tone for the further development of a

harmonious relationship. In human society it is an approach

mechanism, brimming with social, emotional and spiritual significance.

 

15. It is said also that in Namaste the hands are put together

like a knife so that people may cut through all differences that may

exist, and immediately get to the shared ground that is common to all

peoples of all cultures.

 

16. It is interesting to compare Namaste with the 'handshake.' is

Though shaking hands is an extremely intimate gesture, namaste scores

over it in some ways. You do Namaste with God (and not shake hands).

It has been conjectured that both the Namaste and the handshake

developed out of a desire on the part of both the parties to show

themselves to be unarmed and devoid of malicious intention.

 

17. As much as Yoga is an exercise to bring all levels of our

existence, including the physical and intellectual, in complete

harmony with the rhythms of nature, the gesture of Namaste is an yoga

in itself. Any yogic activity begins with the performance of this

deeply spiritual gesture.

 

18. According to Indologist Renov " Meditation depends upon the

relationship between the hands (mudras), the mouth (mantras) and the

mind yoga) " . The performance Namaste is comprised of all these three

activities. It is in essence equivalent to meditation.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

______________________

______________________

 

Message: 3

Thu, 27 Jan 2005 21:29:38 -0000

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