PHILOSOPHY OF NAMASTE नमस्ते

The main point of all Indian Spiritual practices is to raise the Kundalini Shakti कुण्डलिनी शक्ति / Serpent power (The agent of soul expansion) from the Muldhara Chakra मूलधारा चक्र in the perineum to the Sahasara Chakra सहसरा चक्र in the head, thereby enlarging knowledge and insight and opening up the world of higher consciousness. All the exercise found in our various systems of Yoga, namely, Bhakti भक्ति, (Devotion,) Karma कर्म (action), and Jnana ज्ञान, (Knowledge), are based on Dharma धर्म (Righteousness) and are complementary in the process which is evolutionary in nature. This is the concept of Ardhanaareesware अर्धनारेश्वर (Shiva शिव and Shakti शक्ति in one cosmic form). Basically Man and Woman are not separate entity. The combination of man and woman is ONE. Man is incomplete without woman and Woman is incomplete without man. ARDHNAAREESWARE अर्धनारेश्वर mean Half man and Half woman.

Shiva शिव is the Lord of Yoga योग in our tradition and the Shakti शक्ति is Bio-Energy that is Creative power in us to realize the highest goal in life. Ardhanaareeswara अर्धनारेश्वर is the one cosmic Form in which both the matter and spirit are perfectly united and integrated. We are reminded of this highest philosophy of life as and when we do NAMASTE नमस्ते in our day to day life because the wise people who introduced this Namaste in our culture knew that in this practice alone lays our real happiness.

The literary meaning of Namaste नमस्ते is; I bow my head in front of you. The simple act on the part of a person of bringing the left hand and right hand together. Just over the breast is accepted as a humble greeting and reciprocated accordingly knowing or unknowingly, however helped themselves to make any progress in their lives and in the lives of the others did it in tune with the spirit of Namaste नमस्ते. Where ever the humility is absent and not expressed in any human forms of matter and spirit, whether it is in the relationship between employer and the employed, Student and teacher, rich and poor, man and woman etc. there remain tension and frustration in the life of man and woman and nation.

We do many things, which include criticizing and fault finding without knowing why and for what we are doing them. These actions produce no meaningful result compared to those of a man who acts with proper understanding. The gesture of Namaste नमस्ते embodies the efforts to know and act properly. The spirit of this simple practice does produce better understanding and genuine interest in human welfare, not only in our country but also in the whole world.

Namaste नमस्ते is part and partial of the system of self-culture of this land, which has been revived recently by Seer / Saints and others. Therefore, in addition to cultivating a life according to its great philosophy, Namaste नमस्ते helps us to work out life in harmony with the progress of our evolutionary process.

We can find not in India but in Asia millions of religious minded people doing Namaste नमस्ते to various deities in our temples, but many people now a day, do it quite mechanically without knowing its significance. That they are not sincere to the philosophy of Namaste नमस्ते may be due to their not knowing about it.

The purity that develops in us is based on the right understanding of two aspects of life symbolized by the folded hands in Namaste नमस्ते. The folded hands are always drawn towards the breast and placed right in front of the heart. What is the reason for this?

The body is a combination of chemical elements. Indian Saints knew this fact thousands of years ago and it was clarified and taught by Kapila Maharishi कपिल महर्षि through Sankhya Yoga संख्य योग . This was long before the discoveries of modern science in this line. He explained that all the forms are a combination of Earth (Solid), Water (Liquid), Fire (Gas), Air (Oxygen), and Ether (Subatomic Matter). Tantric तांत्रिक School of Yoga योग without it no form can ever exist also recognized the source of Bio-Energy on which all these elements depend as Kundalini Shakti कुण्डलिनी शक्ति / Serpent power.

In the Kundalini Yoga कुण्डलिनी योग system and tantric practice, stage of understanding has been linked with the knowledge of the chemical combination of this world and the spirit that keeps it going. The location of these centers of consciousness had been made on the Torso. A man can still live when both the legs and hands are amputated. But none can survive when the torso is cut apart. This proves the correct location of Bio-energy of Kundalini Shakti कुण्डलिनी शक्ति / Serpent Power in connection with the special cord in living beings.

The energy of spirit is that which is important in man and it is to be maintained in harmony with the form. In this alone lies hope for progress in human evolution. This harmony is the basic theme of Namaste नमस्ते in our culture. This is also the cream of the teachings of various yoga systems. The sum total of this energy or spirit is called self or GOD and is one and the same to everyone in this world. It is so because the principles of functioning of the form and spirit are common to all mankind’s.

The spiritual heart in man is recognized in Yoga systems as Anahata Chakra अनहता चक्र or air element. Consider the working of a turbo-generator. It though the co-operation of the solid form of the engine with the suitable steam form boiling water that results are achieved and work is done, Similar is the case with the body. It works because we take solid and liquid food and convert it to energy by digesting it with the aid of digestive fire, this stirs the heart to life and the relationship between cause and abstaining from food for a few days can test effect here.

The spiritual heat, which is made of the air-element, is the seat of feeling in us. To start with, it is this little feeling that helps us to expand emotionally and intellectually in thought, word, and deed. Therefore, the simple silent Namaste नमस्ते remind us to recognize the important center of our life principle and communicate the feeling of welcome and friendship to the person when we wish it.

Now we can well imagine how significant is Namaste नमस्ते in our culture and how it can help us to attain cordial relations with one and all in this world. This Namaste नमस्ते creates a feeling of belonging, friendliness, and brotherhood among people and establishes a true welfare society where there is no dearth of basic necessities of life for common man. At the same time it makes us ponder our matter and spirit, life and death in humanity with feeling that keeps on expanding in every one of us in tune with nature.

Namaste नमस्ते is the cultivation of a new trend in our personality and integrated approach to life. It is like the negative and positive terminals that help to generate light. It cannot be cultivated by indulging in any one thing without any inhibitions.

Purity is the backbone of four spiritual progresses. Purity of body and mind are essential to make any progress in the field of higher consciousness or even to transcend our subconscious. Consciousness is ever pure and limitless and purity in life identifies us with it. We are neither sure of the existence of this nor do we have any knowledge of it as a thing in itself because our bodies and minds are not pure. But Namaste नमस्ते can help us here, objective study can guide us to subjective understanding but it is practice and discipline which leads to reduction of impurity. This cannot be achieved through any kind of indulgence.

In Namaste नमस्ते we are integrated with purity of thought into oneness and with the proper understanding of matter and spirit embodied in the joined hands and humanity expressed by the bowed head, we attune ourselves to the unknown power consciousness with us.

Namaste नमस्ते is distinct from all other forms of greeting, such as the handshake, in that it helps us to transcend the self-imposed physical and mental limitations. Two people must be involved in the handshake for each to be satisfied. This imposes limitations and it became physically impossible to deal with large number of people, as in an assembly, but in Namaste नमस्ते one man can greet thousands of people. And simultaneously thousands in the audience respond with Namaste नमस्ते.

We also find our artists doing it as and when they come on the stage. This, no doubt, brings individual satisfaction to all. Namaste नमस्ते mentally takes shape in the heart and transcends beyond it, until it enables us to achieve unity in diversity is expended consciousness. Therefore Namaste नमस्ते helps to establish report with people without any inhibition or limitations. What so ever.

Repetition of our action establishes strong tendencies and from character and conduct. This process operates both for good and for evil. Therefore, if a custom like greeting with Namaste नमस्ते is done by us in our daily lives sincerely and humbly. After us in our daily lives sincerely and humbly, after knowing its philosophy and significance, it is bound to help us to mould our lives in tune with the true spirit of Namaste नमस्ते.

It is customary to do Namaste नमस्ते to one’s deity, parents, teachers, guests, friends, and holy men. This helps a man to extend it to all human beings who comes in contact with him. Gradually this practice even helps him to do Namaste नमस्ते to all living beings as all the living beings are considered to be within the family of one God, who is the real creator. Soon after the (Aarti आरती) or showing of the light made of wicks of chamfer to the deity is over, it is customary for all the participants to do Namaste नमस्ते to the presiding deity. This is done to remind the devotees who take part in such congregations to surrender themselves to the source of life without any reservation. It is also a reminder to the people of the Namaste नमस्ते Philosophy. Many sculptures and paintings in our temples and museums indicate that this practice was prevalent in ancient India.

Self-surrender is the essence of devotion and faith and this faith develops out of the repeated performance of Namaste नमस्ते before any form of deity. In the matter of self-surrender, most people do it half-heartedly.

The self-surrender demanded by the practice of Namaste नमस्ते should not be mistaken for the surrender of the ego of a person to the ego of another person. It is surrender to the self or Bio-energy in both. It is the feeling of the unity in diversity that is achieved by the element of humility and surrender in Namaste नमस्ते.

When persons inimical to each other do Namaste नमस्ते in proper attitude, it is bound to reduce tension in mind and animate and help them to achieve cordially and friendship.

Though simple and easy Namaste नमस्ते is the higher form of Sadhana साधना or spiritual practice containing the cream of selfless service, devotion, dedication and self-surrender for attaining the wisdom of unity in diversity. It helps a man to cultivate spirit of selfless service; devotion to God, dedication to noble causes self –surrender to divinity and a feeling or oneness and brotherhood of humanity in his relation to fellow beings in tune with Reality.

A man is transformed into this attitude by doing Namste नमस्ते in it’s to spirit. But Namaste नमस्ते, if practiced sincerely, will definitely lead a person day by day nearer to the final goal while helping to maintain a harmonious relation with his surroundings and contact. Sincerely and humility in our daily practice of Namaste नमस्ते build-up honest in life.

Whenever anyone succeeded in any undertaking material or spiritual, we find that he was always sincere, humble, and honest to his establishment or ideas. In the same manner, whenever we see the downfall of a powerful person who was pretending to be trying that he was lacking in these qualities.

In fact, our ego melts in Namaste नमस्ते when we make up our mind to feel that there are many more universes yet to be discovered by us. The spirit of integrating elements in Namaste नमस्ते helps a millionaire to understand the plight of a poor man to appreciate the position of a rich man. Namaste नमस्ते, in fact, practically, helps us to integrate these two aspects in all walks of life. No methods however cleverly, logically and scientifically planned and designed for propaganda can ultimately produce better results if the Namaste नमस्ते spirit of integrating matter and spirit based on the minimum of qualifications needed for its practice is absent in our day to day life.