One of the things I love about being on this forum is what you can learn about different cultures from the many backgrounds here. While I worked in a lot of different countries before retirement I never made it to India. Namaste, was a new word to me, even if I had seen the gesture. Thanks.
One of the things I love about being on this forum is what you can learn about different cultures from the many backgrounds here. While I worked in a lot of different countries before retirement I never made it to India. Namaste, was a new word to me, even if I had seen the gesture. Thanks.
Dave Smucker - "Namaste, was a new word to me, even if I had seen the gesture."
It's often how you know yoga class is over: The teacher faces the class with their hands together in a bow and says, "Namaste." Maybe you bow and say it back.
But that's not the only place you'll encounter "namaste." In the years since yoga became commercially popular in the United States, the word has taken on a life of its own. Namaste has found its way onto T-shirts, welcome mats, mugs, socks, pencil cases, and tote bags.
The first part of namaste comes from "namaha," a Sanskrit verb that originally meant "to bend." Deshpande says, "Bending is a sign of submission to authority or showing some respect to some superior entity." Over time, "namaha" went from meaning "to bend" to meaning "salutations" or "greetings."
The "te" in namaste means "to you," Deshpande says. So all together, namaste literally means "greetings to you." In the Vedas, namaste mostly occurs as a salutation to a divinity.
But the use and meaning have evolved. Today, among Hindi speakers throughout the world, namaste is a simple greeting to say hello.
A lot of words we use today have religious roots, but just like "adios," "inshallah" or "goodbye" (an abbreviation of "God be with ye"), it doesn't have to be that deep.
When it comes to yoga, it's a different story. The commercial yoga industry in the United States often uses "namaste" in a way that is almost completely divorced from its use in Hindi. Some yoga websites claim that namaste is "𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘦𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘢 𝘋𝘪𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘦 𝘴𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘬 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯 𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘩 𝘰𝘧 𝘶𝘴" or "𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘥𝘪𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘦 𝘭𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘪𝘯 𝘮𝘦 𝘣𝘰𝘸𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘥𝘪𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘦 𝘭𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯 𝘺𝘰𝘶."
Having spent time in India and attending daily “services” at a Temple as well as one of my best friends (someone I considered my sister and to her I was her brother), had a PHD and was an American author. Her sole purpose in life was to make Hinduism better understood in the west (aka the USA). She was devoutly Hindu.
Some of your text is correct some not. Namaste to Hindus does speak to the spiritual soul of each of us, speaks to that “light” in each of us. While it gets used as a gesture essentially saying hello (much like Jai Sia Ram), it is not simply meant as a gesture of “greetings / hello” to Hindus. It is meant to acknowledge the oneness of all. As another friend stated regarding it’s meaning, “I honor that place in you, where when you are in that place in you and I am in that place in me, there is only one of us”.
You wrote: “In the Vedas, namaste mostly occurs as a salutation to a divinity.” No, not to “a divinity/ a god”. It is a salutation to the divinity in each of us, to the divine nature of all.
One of the things I love about being on this forum is what you can learn about different cultures from the many backgrounds here. While I worked in a lot of different countries before retirement I never made it to India. Namaste, was a new word to me, even if I had seen the gesture. Thanks.
Dave Smucker - "Namaste, was a new word to me, even if I had seen the gesture."
It's often how you know yoga class is over: The teacher faces the class with their hands together in a bow and says, "Namaste." Maybe you bow and say it back.
But that's not the only place you'll encounter "namaste." In the years since yoga became commercially popular in the United States, the word has taken on a life of its own. Namaste has found its way onto T-shirts, welcome mats, mugs, socks, pencil cases, and tote bags.
The first part of namaste comes from "namaha," a Sanskrit verb that originally meant "to bend." Deshpande says, "Bending is a sign of submission to authority or showing some respect to some superior entity." Over time, "namaha" went from meaning "to bend" to meaning "salutations" or "greetings."
The "te" in namaste means "to you," Deshpande says. So all together, namaste literally means "greetings to you." In the Vedas, namaste mostly occurs as a salutation to a divinity.
But the use and meaning have evolved. Today, among Hindi speakers throughout the world, namaste is a simple greeting to say hello.
A lot of words we use today have religious roots, but just like "adios," "inshallah" or "goodbye" (an abbreviation of "God be with ye"), it doesn't have to be that deep.
When it comes to yoga, it's a different story. The commercial yoga industry in the United States often uses "namaste" in a way that is almost completely divorced from its use in Hindi. Some yoga websites claim that namaste is "𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘦𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘢 𝘋𝘪𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘦 𝘴𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘬 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯 𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘩 𝘰𝘧 𝘶𝘴" or "𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘥𝘪𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘦 𝘭𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘪𝘯 𝘮𝘦 𝘣𝘰𝘸𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘥𝘪𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘦 𝘭𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯 𝘺𝘰𝘶."
https://www.npr.org/sections/codeswitch/2020/01/17/406246770/how-namaste-flew-away-from-us#:~:text=So%20all%20together%2C%20namaste%20literally,simple%20greeting%20to%20say%20hello.
Having spent time in India and attending daily “services” at a Temple as well as one of my best friends (someone I considered my sister and to her I was her brother), had a PHD and was an American author. Her sole purpose in life was to make Hinduism better understood in the west (aka the USA). She was devoutly Hindu.
Some of your text is correct some not. Namaste to Hindus does speak to the spiritual soul of each of us, speaks to that “light” in each of us. While it gets used as a gesture essentially saying hello (much like Jai Sia Ram), it is not simply meant as a gesture of “greetings / hello” to Hindus. It is meant to acknowledge the oneness of all. As another friend stated regarding it’s meaning, “I honor that place in you, where when you are in that place in you and I am in that place in me, there is only one of us”.
You wrote: “In the Vedas, namaste mostly occurs as a salutation to a divinity.” No, not to “a divinity/ a god”. It is a salutation to the divinity in each of us, to the divine nature of all.
Thanks,
When the Muslims of my acquaintance say "inshallah", they do mean "Gd willing". Just saying.
The light in me honors the light in you.
Exactly.