Namaste!

Namaste!

The best way to immediately calm our minds is to hold the Namaskar?? position. In India it is customary to greet everyone (not followed much now though) with Namaste. It involves very simple method of joining two palms facing each other vertically. In ancient China this was more treated as balancing the yin and yang. In Sanskrit language it is called as Namaste ?????? meaning “I bow to you.” The Upanishads (one of the ancient Indian scriptures) mentions it in a deeper way. It means “I see the same Spirit in you, which is present in me and I bow to that Spirit.”

There are times when we join our hands together and silently pray for someone or reflect on something very profound.

In Zen it is called as “gasshō.” The right hand represents anyone other than yourself. It might be the Buddha or God or perhaps someone around you. The left hand represents you. Gasshō signifies bringing these two together to become one. It is a feeling of respect for those outside of yourself – an offering of humility.

By joining our hands together, we foster a sense of gratitude. It allows no room for conflict. You cannot attack someone when your hands are joined together, can you? An apology given with joined hands soothes anger or irritation.

It’s a good idea to designate a space within our home where we can join our hands together. It need not be an altar or a shrine – it can be just a pillar or a corner where we hang an amulet or a talisman – a place we can turn to and silently join our hands together. This small practice can have a surprisingly calming effect on our spirit.*

*ZEN - The Art of Simple Living by Shunmyo Masuno