Boxerdude

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 | Copyright

Hey as long as Jerry O'Connel and Scott Bakkala get it on, I will pay $14k to see the movie. Love those hunks. Let the chicks do the dangerous work while some heavenly love is made David

Does a Ding Dong count as cake! LOL (well that too) Yummmmm The person below me is about to watch a XXX movie with a really hot friend!!!

I am still hurting from laughing so hard!!! I am with Lawrence, I am sure it has happened somewhere here it Texas. If you made that up yourself, you are a amazing. Thanks for sharing, we need all the laughs we can get cause of this darn depressing heat!! David

Oh, I wish!!! I went to Collin County Community College to take some continuing ed classes, wow, it was difficult, so many pretty boys!!! Yikes! Oh, I am with you Lawrence, I am sick if this 100 degree weather. Let's see the person below me will go skinny dipping to cool off and have some fun, but not alone! hehe

Damn, and I thought that radar detecter was working!!! The person below me is cooking dinner for a date Saturday Night!!

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

Hey Nick. Sorry about the sports thing and really really sorry about the rough past few days. Please just don't forget I am a friend and will do anything I can to help. As you have said so many times, give it to the Lord it is his to handle. I also wanted to let you know that I hope you get the heart issue resolved. My mother has something similar but it has never really given her any problems. Hugs and Kisses David

I just saw the commercial for that show, it is going to be so bad! I just don't know where they come up with that crap. I agree with you!!! Sorry, already been done!! David

Heehee, I have a date everynight when my hubby gets home! The person below me got lucky last night!!

Hey Camy, I am happy for you and Mick! I know what it is like to find that person. And by the way, because of your advice in helping me, Mike and I are doing great. Thanks for that. As far as looking, I think that it is something that changes as your relationship grows. I started out being very jealous of anyone Mike looked at because I always felt he was the hunk eveyone else wanted. My problem not his. But it was a reality that I had to grow past. Well now that we have been together so long, we talk openly about other guys. We are secure enough now to feel free to share out thoughts with each other. We still at the computer and cruz sites of great looking men all the time together. He will even come get me when he runs across someone who is really hot so I can enjoy what he is enjoying. But, that comes with time and security with your relationship. Give it time. It is kind of fund to share that openly with the one you love. Straight people can't do it, so they sneak around and do it. We don't have to do that and it makes it all the more fun. Congrats on the gig!!! So do you listen to Robbie Williams a lot? I love his music. It took me forever but I finally found his CD "Escapology". Have a Good Day! David

Absolutely!!! Always there for a friend or someone who needs one. Judging is for the almighty not me! The Person Below me wants to have a romantic night out and then an "all nighter."

I agree with CJ. I feel like they just want to win a prize or something. Maybe the publishing companies funded it so all the books would have to be re-written. I just think there was something else behind it for someone's financial benefit. Oh, Well, I guess I should not be surprised. David

Kevin, congrats on the license!! Let me know if there is anything I can help with since I work for a brokerage firm. I have a lot of in's. The water think sucks. When that happens at least we can go to our neighbors. Several of them would be happy to help out. I imagine most of your friends work 8 - 5 jobs and hence no one to call. Well, with the bottled water yould have given yourself a sponge bath. That would at least have taken some of the ick away. Of course, by now I am sure your water is on and this advice is all well and good. Hope tomorrow goes better for you!! Hugs, David

Congrats C James!!!! Wow, I can't believe it that is a lot of posts!!! Well it helps that your a great guy to talk to as well. Post to you soon!! Hugs, David

Hi Vic, I guess I was or thought I was lucky when I came out to my parents. It has been a long time ago, I was 18 when I came out to them and now I am 42. My mother was upset but said she loved me anyway and go up and left the room. I was there in the dining room left to look at my father. I just started crying and told him I was sorry if I disappointed him. I was not looking at him when I said this, I was looking down at the table. The, in some what of a stern voice he said, " Son look at me, I looked up, he continued, you only disappoint me when you disappoint yourself!" I cried even more. He asked why I was crying, and I told him that was the last thing I thought he would say. He came over to me and gave me the biggest hug. He then asked me again, are you disappointed, I answered no that I had never felt free in my life and I knew I was gay with out a doubt. He just hugged me and told me he would always love me. My mother on the other hand, oh I thought she was okay until about 6 months later when I started dating this guy and he would call the house to ask for me. After about the 3rd time, my mother told me that she did not want "any of those boys" calling this house ever again. I was torn apart. Cell phones did not exactly exist then let alone being able to afford one. But my boss at the time, had no problem letting them call me at the store, for short conversatons. My mother never really got over it until after I had met my current partner. I had moved to Dallas when I was 23 and found Mike about 6 months later. We then moved in together 2 days after my 24th birthday. I had always gone home or been home for the 4th of July, so I took Mike with me and we stayed at my best friends house. I went to my parents to visit and found my little brother home. He is 6 years younger than me so that would have made him about 17 at the time. I told him first about Mike. He gave me a hug and said he loved me and wanted to know when he was going to get to meet him. So I took him over to my friends right then and there. They hit it off immediately, my brother looked at him and said " I hear you are my new brother-in-law!" Mike just laughted and gave him a hug. Well after that, mom made it clear she was not ready to meet Mike, so I went back to my friends to be with Mike and we had a great weekend. We spent most of it with my brother and then went out to the "Bar" which one of my other best friends owened and he made a big deal out of it and we got free drinks and danced all night. Of couse, everyone was very envious of Mike as he was a real catch. My friend, Ron, who owned the bar look at Mike and said you know he is a lifer, right? Mike said he would have settled for nothing less. Everyone loved him. Well, we went back to Dallas and around Labor Day started thinking about the holiday's and wondered what we should do. So some time in September, I called my mom and dad and invited them down for Thanksgiving. I told them we would rent a hotel room for them to stay at so they would not be uncomfortable and could leave to go there if they felt that way at any time. Oddly, they accepted it. Well the nerves started getting all touchy now. I had gone and done it. They came in the day before Thanksgiving and we gave them directions to our apartment. About 3:00 the knock on the door, they had already checked in at the hotel, and Mike and I greeted them and I did the introductions. Mike was ready and took drink orders. Mom and Dad both wanted margarita's and Mike and I had our Scotch. Seemed like a little liquor could calm the nerves a bit. After about an hour of visiting in the living room, Mike and I showed them around the apartment and they were very impressed. It was nothing what they thought it would be like, my dad said actually nothing is what we thought it would be like. Mike then looked at him and said what do you mean? Well, since there had been a few drinks, my dad was honest. He said well we were really nervous to meet you. Then he started to giggle. I was in shock and afraid of what he was about to say. My mom got all red in the face. Dad said, "Well Vicki and I were afraid that you might actually answer the door in a dress." Oh my god, my mother could not stop laughing. Mike and the rest of us hooted and hollard for at least 30 minutes. Then my mother said something else completely out of the blue, she looked at me and said "Well at least he has a nice ass!" Oh my god! Now I was embarrased. Needless to say from that point on, everything went along very well and we had the start of a great many Holidays together. When they started to leave to go back to Ark, my mom turned to me and said "I would never have guessed that my son would marry someone more handsome than my sister would." She giggled again and they were off. Since then, everthing has been fine and they all love each other and we are a tight family. That was 17 years ago and it is only getting better. I have always thought it was a little tough, but in the end, we all had a good laugh. David

Cool, Nick, I like the way you think!!! I can't imagine what you will be doing 10 years from now, but I suspect it will be helping people in one way or another! Follow your heart, and the path will be fullfilling. David!!!

Would some one get me up to speed on who Jude, and all the other characters you are refering to are. I feel totally lost in this conversation. I am a newby. : )

Kevin, sounds like you are at least a live and kicking!! LOL It is good to hear that you are going out to, I think at your age it is important to get out and meet new people. I moved to Dallas the week of my 23rd Birthday and have never regretted it! So, I understand what you are going through. Houston has a pretty good night life pretty similar to Dallas so take advantage of it and have fun!! Hey, I met Mike through a friend of mine one night when I was at Throckmorton's Mining Co. We hit it off right away and could not believe that this gorgeous hunk was interested in ME!! So, my point is, you just don

Oh, you are much more adventerous than I am. I just pay the price and get the new one's. All though, for my printer, they have started coming out with generic brands. Much cheaper with the same quality. Power tools, hmmm, a man who is willing to use power tools - I may have to make a trip to England real soon!! LOL!!!! David

Congrats again! You are have come a long way. I for one am glad that you decided to write as I am enjoying everything you have written from you poems, your short story, and now all your other stories. You deserve all the encouragement all of can give you!! Great Job and well deserved!! I am very glad that I had the chance to get to know you!! Keep on writing!!! David

I have been very quiet up till now, but I will put my 2 cents worth in. If we take ourselves back, to when Ryan and Connor where a couple and things were good, the family was very together. Now that there is a rift, the family is not. I think that Connor has become the glue that pulls them together. I don't think it is Maggie or Connor alone, I think it is the dynamic of the family as a whole. Ryan and Connor, have an effect on the family as a whole. Ben, does not have any effect on the family, only on Connor. Connor deep down inside does not want to loose Maggie, he may act that way, but he knows with out her he would be lost. Ryan is the key, and Connor has the ability to use the key to unlock all of the doors. This seems obvious to me, but maybe I am just a romantic. Ryan's reactions may have changed, but his heart did not, other wise he would not be hurting. Connor's heart has not changed or he would "be in love" with Ben. Reconciliation comes with a lot of pain and I must say it is never easy and can take a lot of time to get over. But, "Love Conquers All" ,true love that is, and I think they have that. Communication has been the issue not love, it is the telling of the heart each has not been willing to do. Those walls will come tumbling down once the heart speaks. I to think Ryan is still the hero in this story. He pulled Connor out and now it is time Connor pulled him out. That is what love does. It does not give up, it continues to try and it continues to give. If they truely love each other, they have no choice. Believe me, I know. I have no choice either. I would fight for Mike until I die. We have had good times and bad times, but my love for him is that deep. That is real!! It is not fiction. I hope LB does justice to that. David

I agree 100%, you put into words what I have been thinking the whole time. I don't even know what to add. You really summed it up. Way to go!. Thanks for putting it into words. David

WOOT That is so cool Nick!! I read the first to Chapters of B.B. to day and loved it. I have to be careful, I was bored at work and printed them off so that I could read them. (had to look like I was working you know) You have a great start on the book so keep it up. I know something good will come of your site. Fate has a way of coming through that way!! You have worked so hard. No I can go back and finish WTDBYAM! Keep it up and Congrats again!!! David