namasté

One of Buddhists’ customary greetings is the beautiful Namasté which originated in India and is accompanied by palms joined, placed in front of the heart and a gentle head bow. This greeting, or salutation, has rich symbolic and deep spiritual significance. It recognizes the equality of all, and pays honour to the sacredness of all. In Sanskrit the word is namah + te = namasté means ‘I bow to you’. The word ‘namaha’ is also interpreted as ‘na ma’ = not mine. The spiritual significance negating or reducing the ego in the presence of another. The bowing down of the head is a gracious form of extending friendship in love, respect and humility. In the simplest of terms it is a humble greeting straight from the heart. At its most general, Namasté is a non-contact form of respectful greeting and can be used universally when meeting another of different gender, age or social status. A few Buddhist interpretations of Namasté with the palms joined in front of the heart and head gently bowed are: The Light in me recognises the Light in you; Honour the peace within; The Divine Wisdom in me recognises the Divine Wisdom in you and I honour the Buddha nature in you. When Christians join their palms in front of their heart, bow their head lightly and say Namasté, this carries the spiritual meaning of: The Christ-light in me honours the Christ-light in you and All that is sacred in me greets all that is sacred in you. In Yogic practice, Namasté and its accompanying gestures, means: The divinity in me bows to the divinity in you. In India, the greeting accompanied with palms joined in front of the heart and a gentle head bow means: The God/Goddess Spirit within me recognises and honours the God/Goddess Spirit within you; Welcome; May our minds meet; and I pay my respect to you.  Nitin Kumar believes that Namasté recognizes the duality ever existing in our world and suggests an effort on our part to unite these forces, ultimately leading to Oneness. Albert Einstein said: “Buddhism has the characteristics of what would be expected in a cosmic religion for the future. It transcends a personal God, avoids dogmas and theology and covers both the natural and spiritual as a meaningful unit”. Buddhism is the 4th largest religion in the world with approximately 376 million followers. The key tenets are: 1. Nothing is permanent; 2. Suffering is caused by desire and attachment; and 3. Suffering can be eliminated by following the noble eightfold path, which consists of: Right aspirations, speech, conduct, livelihood, effort, mindfulness and meditational attainment.  Namasté!

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