Varied taken from the Net
Fri,04 Sep 2009
Terri
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What does Namaste mean?
Here are a few answers I have found on the net from people who think they know what it means. Obviously I cannot verify these but take what you want and ignore the rest!
It is a manner of greeting used by many Hindu, Taoist and Buddhist as a form of reverence to those we greet. 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").
The word is derived from Sanskrit (namas): to bow, obeisance, reverential salutation, and (te): "to you".[1] Namaskar is considered a slightly more formal version than namaste but both express deep respect. It is commonly used in India and Nepal by Hindus, Jains and Buddhists, and many continue to use this outside the Indian subcontinent. Namaste and Namaskar are used commonly in Northern India. However, Namaskara and Namaskaram are used in Southern part of India, instead of Namaste.
When spoken to another person, it is commonly accompanied by a slight bow made with hands pressed together, palms touching and fingers pointed upwards, in front of the chest. This gesture, called Añjali Mudra, can also be performed wordlessly and carries the same meaning. In Indian and Nepali culture, the word is spoken at the beginning of written or verbal communication. However, upon departure only the wordless hands-folded gesture is made.
Many people ask me what Namaste means, so I thought I would give a definition
of what it means to me and to others.
Namaste comes from the Sanskrit word namah te. Namaste is pronounced
Nam-a-stay. In Sanskrit namah means "bow, obeisance, reverential salutation, adoration". Te is the durative of the personal pronoun tvam, "you". A literal translation of Namaste (namah te) is thus "reverential salutation to you." It is commonly accompanied by a slight bow made with the hands pressed together, palms touching, in front of the chest called Gassho.
Often times one will use this as a greeting to say hello or goodbye. It is a
common greeting for Yoga or Reiki practitioners, but the meaning is far more
then a greeting.
There are many translations in English to Namaste and here are some of them:
The Spirit in me meets the same Spirit in you.
I greet that place where you and I are one.
I salute the divine in you.
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.
I greet the place where you and I are one.
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