Namaste

[Vajradhara]

Namaste :)

i wasn't sure if a new topic was needed or not however i thought it may get lost in the clutter of the ongoing conversations.

Namaste has various meanings depending on who is being asked :) mostly because the word is from Sanskrit which is no longer a spoken language and as such, there are various interpetations when it's translated into modern languages.

the one that i think get's closest to the heart of the meaning (a direct translation is rather difficult :) is thus:

'I honour that place in you where the whole Universe resides. And when I am in that place in me and you are in that place in you, there is only one of us.'

the greeting is made with palms pressed together, held at the level of the heart and a slight bow is made. it's a greeting of respect and compassion.

~regards~



Edited by - Vajradhara on 05/01/2003 15:16:49

[sadlyyours]

vajradhara

"'I honour that place in you where the whole Universe resides. And when I am in that place in me and you are in that place in you, there is only one of us.'"

sounds awesome good. i think a little more explanation is very desireable. would you please expand on it?

To me, "namaste" promotes unity, no difference between you and me. am i right?

[Vajradhara]

Namaste sadlyyours,

thank you for the post.

yes, it is very much a "unity" oriented greeting. in our tradition, we believe that all sentient beings possess what is called "buddha-nature". in essence, we share the same essence :)

as such, when i'm very mindful and aware of that aspect within myself, and you are very mindful and aware of that aspect within yourself, we are, in fact, dwelling mindfully on the same place and by doing so, we can "become one" with each other.

when that happens, i take your sorrows and pains as my own and work towards relieving them, and you take my pains and sorrows as your own and work towards relieving them.

in my opinion, it's quite a beautiful greeting and would be helpful for our world, in general, to practice.

~compassionately~

[Searching]

Vajdradhara,

Thanks for explaining for me. I'm just starting to move beyond the scope of Christianity and learn about other religions. I am very appreciative of people such as yourself who are willing to explain something and not get all uptight and defensive.

It is quite an interesting concept. I'm not sure I fully grasp "becoming one" with another person, but that's probably because I've never been exposed to the idea. It reminds me of the verse, Galatians 6:2, that says: "Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfull the law of Christ." (NIV) If I took a liberty I shouldn't have, I apologize. That's just the closet way I know how to associate it with something in my own mind.

Thanks for explaining.

"Come now, let us reason together," says the Lord.
Isaiah 1:18

[Searching]

Vajdradhara,

Thanks for explaining for me. I'm just starting to move beyond the scope of Christianity and learn about other religions. I am very appreciative of people such as yourself who are willing to explain something and not get all uptight and defensive.

It is quite an interesting concept. I'm not sure I fully grasp "becoming one" with another person, but that's probably because I've never been exposed to the idea. It reminds me of the verse, Galatians 6:2, that says: "Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfull the law of Christ." (NIV) If I took a liberty I shouldn't have, I apologize. That's just the closet way I know how to associate it with something in my own mind.

Thanks for explaining.

"Come now, let us reason together," says the Lord.
Isaiah 1:18

[Vajradhara]

Namaste searching,

i, too, appreciate those that are interested in true dialog and not an exchange of rhetoric.

in a very real sense, the "becoming one" is analgous to the concept of the Christian marriage where two people cleave together to become one.

however... this is obviously not a marriage situation and, rather, is a more fundamental acknowledgement of our essence.

you may want to check out my thread on The Shared Myth for a more comprehensive explanation about this concept from the Oriental point of view.



~compassionately~

[Vajradhara]

Namaste searching,

i, too, appreciate those that are interested in true dialog and not an exchange of rhetoric.

in a very real sense, the "becoming one" is analgous to the concept of the Christian marriage where two people cleave together to become one.

however... this is obviously not a marriage situation and, rather, is a more fundamental acknowledgement of our essence.

you may want to check out my thread on The Shared Myth for a more comprehensive explanation about this concept from the Oriental point of view.



~compassionately~