Namaste

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Namasté or Namaskar (नमस्ते [nʌmʌsˈteː] in Nepali and Hindi; from internal sandhi between namaḥ and te) is a South Asian greeting, which is used when both Hello and Goodbye would be used in English. The meaning is quite different, however.

Sanskrit na reflects a simple negation. Maḥ points to ego, referring "I" and "my". Thus namaḥ means "bow, obeisance, reverential salutation, adoration to your inner truth", but not next to your ego. Te is the dative of the personal pronoun tvam, "you". A literal translation of namaḥ te is thus "reverential salutation to your inner."

1 Uses
2 Origins
3 Gesture and symbolism
4 Esoteric connotation of the posture of joining palms
5 Quotations
6 See also
7 External links

[edit] Uses

It is commonly accompanied by a slight bow made with the hands pressed together, palms touching, in front of the chest.

In a normal context this word is a respectful way of greeting someone. Generally done by younger (or in a hiearchy - underlings) to elders/higher-ups, although, the elders reply back in the same manner.

In a religious context this word can be taken to mean any of these:

The Spirit in me meets the same Spirit in you.
I greet that place where you and I are one.
I salute the Light of God in you.
I bow to the divine in you.
I recognize that within each of us is a place where Divinity dwells, and when we are in that place, we are One.
My higher energy salutes your higher energy.
The God in me sees and honors the god in you.
May the God within you, bless you

In other words, it recognizes the equality of all, and pays honor to the sacredness and interconnection of all, as well as to the source of that interconnection. Namaskar is the term for such greetings, and is also used as a greeting itself.

[edit] Origins

"Namaste" is sometimes used in the context of practicing Yoga as a greeting or goodbye, generally taken as an expression of good will. Namaste is sometimes misinterpreted as a greeting associated with Yoga only, but it is much more widely used than that in South Asia, particularly in greeting elders. Moreover, it is used throughout Asia, especially in the context of Buddhism or Buddhist cultures, even though it is known by different names in some languages.

Namaste is a Hindi word, and hence has widespread use in North India where Hindi and its dialects are the languages spoken. Gassho is the term used in Japanese contexts for the hand-gesture, and for the wider bowing, as a whole. In Chinese speaking places, the term 合十 (Mandarin: héshí; Cantonese: hahp- sahp-) is used. In Thailand, the gesture is known as wai (pronounced "why" with a falling tone).

In some parts of India (for example, Punjabi-speaking areas), Namaste is used only to greet Hindus. The proper greeting for Muslims and Sikhs being Assalamu Alaikum and Sat Sri Akaal respectively.

[edit] Gesture and symbolism

Image:Indian sadhu performing namaste.jpg 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 a mudra; a well-recognised 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 their differences with others, and connect themself to the person they bow to. The bow is a symbolic bow of love and respect.

[edit] Esoteric connotation of the posture of joining palms

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-honoured thought that runs through the entire religious ethos.

[edit] Quotations

In Fady Bahig's novel The Journey of The Fool, Sri Bakashananda, a fictional guru, talks about the word saying that "It means that I salute the light of God that is in you. In fact, It means that the light of God in me salutes the light of God in you. But you know, there is no difference, for the light of God that is in me is the same as the light of God that is in you. And since salutations are made only between two separate entities, it is better for us not to speak of salutations at all. But to say that the light of God in us celebrates its presence in our hearts eternally."

Dōgen Zenji: "As long as there is true bowing, the Buddha Way will not deteriorate." In other words, as long as we can fully recognize the goodness of others, and can focus ourselves fully in paying homage to that, without any thoughts of self-interest or ulterior motives, but to pay our respects wholeheartedly, we are very close to the enlightened state of mind, which is the focus of Buddhist practice.

Dr. Marvin Candle: "Thank you, and namaste". Dr. Marvin Candle appears in the TV series Lost (season 2 - 2006) as presenter of the Hanso Foundation's orientation films and ends all his speeches with this sentence that has, thus, recently become very popular.

In the Diversity Day episode of the US version of The Office televsion series, boss Michael Scott says "namaste" to Kelly Kapur as she excuses herself from a meeting.