Namaste

Nah, me stay.

Namaste: while I wasn't paying attention for a moment, the sacred greeting with which I was expected to greet the elders in my family as a child, as a sign of respect, became part of Western hipster vocabulary. Not to anyone's detriment, mind you, because it was precisely during this period that I started to wonder why we would use words from a language that isn't our own. To me, it was merely a greeting; I never knew the deeper meaning. It wasn't until wordplay started popping up on the internet, such as ‘nah ma stay in bed’ and ‘namascray’ (the crazy in me honours the crazy in you), that I began to delve into this Hindu greeting.

The meaning

‘The God in me honors the God in you’ – the word comes from the Sanskrit word nam, which means something like ‘to bow’. With this, you indicate that you are bowing to the other person. It is about mutual respect and veneration and is a sign of humility. By greeting someone in this way, you indicate that you honor the other as a reflection of the entire universe, just as every human being is. We are one; what dwells in me dwells in you—that is essentially what you are declaring. It is the belief in unity: there is no energy field where I, as a soul, cease to ‘be/exist’ and you begin. With this kind of philosophy, your reason stands no chance of success: you must feel it.

The bow

Then there is the bow: When you pronounce the sacred greeting, you press your palms together, with the fingers pointing upwards towards your own forehead, your third eye. You make a slight bow. Your left hand—the lower nature, the earthly—represents the moon: this is the giving hand. Your right hand—standing for your higher nature—represents the sun: the receiving hand. Moreover, each finger represents 1 of the 5 elements:

• The thumb stands for emptiness;
• The index finger for air;
• The middle finger represents fire;
• The ring finger represents water and;
• The little finger stands for earth.

Moreover, the fingertips each have their own quality. Insight arises from the thumb, the index finger facilitates activity, the middle finger promotes perception, the ring finger determines your receptiveness, and the little finger stands for form.

Namaste is for everyone

I now realize that the word Namaste is untranslatable due to its meaning and weight. These kinds of ‘spiritual’ terms belong to everyone. They translate a higher idea, a life conviction: namely, that everyone’s soul is a piece of God – a special concept that is not compatible with every religion and that, unfortunately, does not exist in every language. I can certainly relate to it.

Eastern Trading Agencies sells keychains and river stones engraved with the sacred greeting. I chose a river stone of perfect pocket size. I carry this with me to give away to someone who needs to be reminded of their divine core.

Namaste-ji.