Wow, where did that come from!! Very profound and true!

 

David

Hey Kevin,

 

That's a very very true statement. Have you ever watched "shallow hal" with Jack Black? That's pretty similar to what the movie's getting at. Is everything all right? It's like the statement "take the time to stop and smell the roses", by not stopping and paying attention...we let a lot of beautiful people slip through our fingers. Sorry if this isn't making much since, my mom just called and woke me up about 2 minutes ago...I'm not awake yet.

 

Take Care,

 

- Kaiten

Wow, where did that come from!! Very profound and true!

 

David

I dunno, just kinda came to me

 

Have a great day!

Kevin

Hey Kaiten,

Have you ever watched "shallow hal" with Jack Black? That's pretty similar to what the movie's getting at.

Yes, I did see that movie when it first came out! I quite liked it.

Is everything all right?

Yup, everything's fine

It's like the statement "take the time to stop and smell the roses", by not stopping and paying attention...we let a lot of beautiful people slip through our fingers.

Exactly!

 

Sorry if this isn't making much since, my mom just called and woke me up about 2 minutes ago...I'm not awake yet.

Naw, it made plenty of sense!

 

Have a great weekend and take care,

Kevin

That is a wonderful statement! I wish more people had feelings like that, people would be more understanding of others and see below the surface of things could change a lot of things in this world!

 

*Hugs*

Vance

Beautiful...

 

Is all I have to say.

namaste

namaste

 

I have no clue what that word means, so for the rest of you I am posting what I found. It is a bit long, but it is a great article. Kitty has really thrown one at us now.

 

 

Namaste!

How is it pronounced, what does it mean?

Subject: Re: Namaste

Newsgroups: soc.culture.indian,alt.religion.hindu,

alt.fan.jai-maharaj,hawaii.nortle,

alt.religion.vaisnava

From: jai@mantra.com (Dr. Jai Maharaj)

Date: Sat, 16 Aug 1997 22:26:20 UTC

In article <33f57cea.0@mapperley.innotts.co.uk>,

ukindia@innotts.co.uk (amar joshi) wrote:

> I am lookingh to verify the correct spelling and

> definition of the word "Namastee" from sandskrit.

 

Commonly written "Namaste", it is pronounced as "Namastay"

with the first two a's as the first a in "America" and the

ay as in "stay", but with the t pronounced soft with the

area just behind the tip of the tongue pressing against the

upper-front teeth with no air passing (as the t in "tamasha").

- Jai Maharaj

 

> I have been told it means something like to

> pay homage to the inner light in all living things.

> Can you help me with this???

> sgray@javanet.com

 

I had occasion to post the following in 1993 and 1996:

 

Subject: Re: Sukhmani says Namaskaar to Brahmins

From: Dr. Jai Maharaj <jai@mantra.com>

Newsgroups: soc.culture.indian,soc.culture.punjab,

soc.culture.indian.delhi,alt.fan.jai-maharaj,

soc.culture.indian.gujarati,soc.culture.indian.marathi,

soc.culture.indian.telugu,soc.culture.indian.karnataka,

soc.culture.indian.kerala,soc.culture.bengali

Date: Sun, 14 Jan 1996 14:01:55 -1000

 

In the article <30F7BAD4.5907@sky.net>,

of Sat, 13 Jan 1996 07:59:48 -0600,

Rahul Anand Narain <narain@sky.net> wrote:

COLLinda wrote:

>> What is the difference (if any) in saying "Namaste" and

>> "Namaskar"? Are they addressed to or used by different people?

>> Or are they essentially identical? I've heard people using

>> both, but I haven't noticed any pattern. / Linda Nelson,

>> Chicago Online

>

> Jai Maharaj had a lovely post regarding this. a couple of years

> ago or so. I had had saved it but am not able to locate it.

> Maybe he can repost the article?

 

There have been several posts on the subject during the last few

years, but I think the following authorized reproduction from

HINDUISM TODAY is one of the best. For subscription and other

information about Hinduism Today, please connect with the Web site

at this URL:

 

http://www.HinduismToday.kauai.hi.us/ashram/

 

Hinduism today is a full-color, international monthly which has been

published continuously since January 1979.

 

Copyright 1993 by Himalayan Academy. ISSN: 0896-0801. All Rights

Reserved. Please see full copyright notice at the end of the

article.

 

N::N "Shake hands and come out fighting." It's the referee's

A::A final counsel to two pugilists about to beat each other's

M::M brains out with clenched fists. Even outside the ring, a

A::A handshake can be a little off-putting. When one returns

S::S to the West from an extended sojourn in Bharat or

T::T elsewhere in Asia, the hand suddenly thrust forward can

E::E seem more ominous than friendly, especially if the hand

offered is that of a stranger. Of course, one soon

acclimates and the menacing aspect of this salutation subsides.

 

Perhaps that moment of intimidation derives from the history of

the handshake. According to one anthropologist, the handshake

evolved in medieval Europe, during the times of knights. It seems

not all were laudable Lancelots or gallant Gallahads. More than a

few would approach opponents with concealed weapons and when

within striking distance do the needful, driving dagger or

striking sword into the unguarded paladin.

 

To fend off the fear of a foe's foul foil, knights took to

offering their open and visibly empty hand to each other. It was

a kind of surety, a gesture of trust which said, "See, I am

unarmed, so you may safely let me approach." As the story goes,

soon the gesture itself took on meaning and the less noble, less

lethal man on the street adopted the handshake as the proper way

to greet others.

 

In much of the world today, people do not shake hands when they

meet. They may hug formally or kiss one another on the cheek, as

in eastern Europe and Arab states. They may bow softly, eyes

turned to the ground, as in Japan and China. The Hawaiian

greeting, termed "honi," consists of placing the nostril gently

beside that of the person greeted, a kind of sharing of breath,

which is life and Pran(a).

 

For, Hindu(s), of course, the greeting of choice is "Namaste,"

the two hands pressed together and held near the heart with the

head gently bowed as one says, "Namaste." Thus it is both a

spoken greeting and a gesture, a Mantr(a) and a Mudr(a). The

prayerful hand position is a Mudr(a) called Anjali, from the root

Anj, "to adorn, honor, celebrate or anoint." The hands held in

union signify the oneness of an apparently dual cosmos, the

bringing together of spirit and matter, or the self meeting the

Self. It has been said that the right hand represents the higher

nature or that which is divine in us, while the left hand

represents the lower, worldly nature.

 

In Sanskrit "Namas" means, "bow, obeisance, reverential

salutation." It comes from the root Nam, which carries meanings

of bending, bowing, humbly submitting and becoming silent. "Te"

means "to you." Thus "namaste" means "I bow to you." the act of

greeting is called "Namaskaram," "Namaskara" and "Namaskar" in

the varied languages of the subcontinent.

 

Namaste has become a veritable icon of what is Bharatiye. Indeed,

there must be a Bharatiye law which requires every travel

brochure. calendar and poster to include an image of someone with

palms pressed together, conveying to the world Bharat's

hospitality, spirituality and graceful consciousness. You knew

all that, of course, but perhaps you did not know that there can

be subtle ways of enhancing the gesture, as in the West one might

shake another's hand too strongly to impress and overpower them

or too briefly, indicating the withholding of genuine welcome.

 

In the case of Namaste, a deeper veneration is sometimes

expressed by bringing the fingers of the clasped palms to the

forehead, where they touch the brow, the site of the mystic Third

Eye. A third form of namaste brings the palms completely above

the head, a gesture said to focus consciousness in the subtle

space just above the Brahma-randhra, the aperture in the Crown

Chakr(a). This form is so full of reverence it is reserved for

the Almighty and the holiest of Sat Guru(s).

 

It is always interesting, often revealing and occasionally

enlightening to muse about the everyday cultural traits and

habits each nation and community evolves, for in the little

things our Big ideas About Life find direct and personal

expression. Take, for instance, the different ways that American

and Japanese tool-makers approach the same task. A saw for

cutting lumber, if designed in the U.S., is made in such a way

that the carpenter's stroke away from his body does the cutting.

But in japan saws are engineered so that cutting takes place as

the carpenter draws the saw toward himself. A small detail, but

it yields a big difference.

 

The American saw can, if leaned into, generate more power, while

the Japanese saw provides more control and refinement in the cut,

requiring surprisingly less effort. Each has its place in the

global toolbox. each speaks -- like the handshake and namaste

greetings -- of an underlying perception of man's relationship

with things.

 

In the West we are outgoing, forceful, externalized. We are told

by Ma bell to "reach out and touch somebody." We are unabashedly

acquisitive, defining our progress in life by how much we have --

how much wealth, influence, stored up knowledge, status or

whatever. Every culture exhibits these traits to some extent, but

in the east Mother is there to remind us, "Reach in and touch the

Self." here we are taught to be more introspective, more

concerned with the quality of things than their quantity, more

attuned with the interior dimension of life.

 

So, there you have it, the whole of Eastern and Western culture

summed up in the handshake which reaches out horizontally to

greet another, and Namaste which reaches in vertically to

acknowledge that, in truth, that there is no other.

 

As a test of how these two greetings differ, imagine you are

magically confronted with the Divine. The Paramatma, Almighty,

walks up to you on the street. What do you do? reach out to shake

His hand? Probably not. Though suitable between man and man, it;'

an unseemly expression between man and Paramatma. We never shake

hands with paramatma. I mean, what if your palms are sweating?

 

So you namaste instead. the reason it feels natural to namaste

before Paramatma is that it is, in its very essence, a spiritual

gesture, not a worldly one. By a handshake we acknowledge our

equality with others. We reveal our humanity. We convey how

strong we are, how nervous, how aggressive or passive. There is

bold physicality to it. For these and other reasons, Popes never

shake hands. Kings never shake hands. Even mothers don't shake

hands with their own children.

 

Namaste is cosmically different. Kings do namaste, Sat Guru(s)

namaste and mothers namaste to their own family. We all namaste

before the Almighty, a holy man or even a holy place. The namaste

gesture bespeaks our inner valuing of the sacredness of all. It

betokens our intuition that all souls are divine, in their

essence. It reminds us in quite a graphic manner, and with

insistent repetition, that we can see Paramatma everywhere and in

every human being we meet. It is saying, silently, "I see the

Deity in us both, and bow before Him or Her. I acknowledge the

holiness of even this mundane meeting. I cannot separate that

which is spiritual in us from that which is human and ordinary."

 

And while we are singing the praises of Namaste, it should be

observed how efficient a gesture it is in an age of mass

communication. A politician, or performer can greet fifty

thousand people with a single Namaste, and they can return the

honor instantly. In such a situation a handshake is unthinkable

and a mere waving of one hand is somehow too frivolous.

 

There are other, more mystical meanings behind Namaste. The nerve

current of the body converge in the feet, the solar plexus and

the hands. Psychic energy leaves the body at these junctures. To

"ground" that energy and balance the flow of Pran(a) streaming

through the nerve system, Yogi(s) cross their legs in the lotus

posture, and bring their hands together. The Anjali Mudra acts

like a simple Yog(ic) Asan(a), balancing and harmonizing our

energies, keeping us centered, inwardly poised and mentally

protected. It closes our aura, shielding us psychically. It keeps

us from becoming too externalized, thus we remain close to our

intuitive nature, our super consciousness.

 

Here are some insights into Namaste from a number of Hindu(s):

 

o Namaste elevates one's consciousness, reminding one that all

beings, all existence is holy, is the Almighty. It

communicates, "I honor or worship the Divinity within you."

Also it draws the individual inward for a moment, inspires

reflection on the deeper realities, softening the interface

between people. It would be difficult or offend or feel

animosity toward any one you greet as Paramatma.

 

o Namaste is a gesture of friendship and kindness, also of

thanks or special recognition. Mystically it is called

"Namaskara Mudra" in the Agami© Pooja, and it centers one's

energy within the spine.

 

o I've heard it means "I salute the Almighty within you." The

true Namaste gesture is is accompanied by bowing the head and

shoulders slightly. This is a gesture that lessens our sense

of ego and self-centeredness, requiring some humility to do it

well -- whereas shaking hands can be quite an arrogant event.

 

o Touching the hands together puts you in touch with your

center, your soul. namaste puts you forward as a soul, not an

outer personality.

 

o The gesture has a subtle effect on the aura and nerve system.

bringing focused attention and a collection of one's forces,

so to speak. It also protects against unnecessary psychic

connections which are fostered by shaking hands. This might be

called a form of purity also -- protecting one's energies.

 

This form of acknowledgment is so lovely, so graceful. Just

look at two people in Namaste and you will see so much human

beauty and refinement.

================================================================

Copyright 1993 by Himalayan Academy. ISSN: 0896-0801. All Rights

Reserved. No part of this article may be reproduced, stored in a

retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means,

electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise,

without the prior written permission of the publisher.

================================================================

End of Forwarded Article.

 

Edited, formatted for electronic media by Jai Maharaj <jai@mantra.com>

 

 

 

Jai Maharaj, Jyotishi, Vedic Astrologer

http://www.flex.com/~jai

 

Om Shanti

 

| Home | Top | More Articles |

 

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That is a wonderful statement! I wish more people had feelings like that, people would be more understanding of others and see below the surface of things could change a lot of things in this world!

 

*Hugs*

Vance

Awww thanks, Vance!!!!

 

I think you're right too

 

have an awesome day and take care!

Kevin

Beautiful...

 

Is all I have to say.

awww thanks Lawrence!!

 

namaste

hehehe, thanks Kitty!

 

You guys take care and may your days be pleasantly exciting and your nights peacefully enjoyable!

Kevin

namaste

 

I have no clue what that word means, so for the rest of you I am posting what I found. It is a bit long, but it is a great article. Kitty has really thrown one at us now.

Namaste!

How is it pronounced, what does it mean?

Subject: Re: Namaste

 

 

Edited, formatted for electronic media by Jai Maharaj <jai@mantra.com>

 

 

 

Jai Maharaj, Jyotishi, Vedic Astrologer

http://www.flex.com/~jai

 

Om Shanti

 

| Home | Top | More Articles |

 

Copyright