Why Do We Do Namaste?

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Meaning of Namaste

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Namaste means, I bow down to you.

Normally, you can bow down to some because that person is powerful. Or, out of her/his power, either she/he can give or punish you. So out of that fear you do Namaste. This is Vyapar Drushti. My business will lose if I don’t pay my due.

Second reason for Namaste may be wisdom. Because of someone’s behavior you learn that he or she is wise and his presence makes your life experience rich. He can help you dive deeper in life so because of that greed you bow down to someone. This is Swakalyan Dristi. I will grow if there is grace of this person upon me.

Third reason may be habits, which are given to us by our culture. Out of habit we do Namaste. It doesn’t have much meaning or depth. It is like you are driving your car and out of habit whenever you see a traffic light or traffic police you slow down or stop, even without desire. Sometimes meaningless but yes this is how we are trained in training school or on the road by earlier drivers. This is Sanskar Drushti. People will call me bad if I don’t follow the rules of the game.

Final reason for doing namaste is I have seen something deeper in you. The same tattva which I am, Atma Tattva. As a body I bow down before that Tattva. Although that Tattva is in me and you and all life around. Yet whenever I see some life moving around, it may be a cow going by, or a flower in the garden, or tree standing around, or a lovely laughing/ joyful face going before me, I experience that Tattva in me. I see there is life, and hence there is that same tattva behind, which is moving me. Hence I do namaskar to that Tattva. This is Gyan Drushti.

Your body and my body both have come from the same soil. Every day it is recycling. Body is always dead, Atmatattva keep it live. Therefore a body that came 20 years before or some came 20 years after doesn’t make any difference from Atmatattva or Atmabodha perspective. Because Atma is never born and never dies. Which has not born is ageless and actually everyone is that ageless being. It is different that this truth never comes in our experience like the speed of earth never comes to our experience but truth is, the earth runs around the sun at 1.10 lakh kilometers/hours.

What kind of namaste or namaskar, you do or expect from others? You can ask yourself.

But good morning is completely meaningless. Somebody had fought with his or her spouse in the morning, you ignorantly saying morning is good, does he even have that experience at that moment? He will simply repeat the words out of etiquettes.

Hari Om Tat Sat
Yours Truly Hari