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Namaste

WindwalkerWindwalker
edited November 2005 in Buddhism Basics
I've heard this word used in Hinduism but is it ever used in Buddhism and does anyone know precisely what it means? Also, what is the correct pronounciation?

Thanks

Comments

  • YogaMamaYogaMama
    edited November 2005
    Namaste literally means "I bow to you". I say this on a daily basis when I practice yoga. Some "deeper" meanings of Namaste are:

    '"The God in me greets the God in you" and "The Spirit in me meets the same Spirit in you", etc.

    As for the correct pronunciation...hmm...I am trying to figure out how to tell you how to pronounce it through this post! Let me think about that part for a minute.
  • YogaMamaYogaMama
    edited November 2005
    How about this:

    Namaste is pronounced "nah-mah-STAY". Does that help?
  • _BeautifulSpringtime_BeautifulSpringtime Veteran
    edited November 2005
    Namaste is widely spoken in all religions of Nepal - a place I visited as a 17 year-old.

    The pronunciation is as YogaMama says though I would add that sometimes a soft 'd' sound is combined with the T in STAY.

    So it is often said:

    nah-mas-s'dt'ay

    :)
  • fest64fest64
    edited November 2005
    Hi windwalker.... ..
    Windwalker wrote:
    I've heard this word used in Hinduism but is it ever used in Buddhism and does anyone know precisely what it means? Also, what is the correct pronounciation?
    Thanks
    "NAMASTE" is Hindi as "SALAM" is in Urdu. I use Namaste at work here in England when saying hello to the workers from "Goa"(India) its still a living word and spoken the way Yogamama said in hindi as I understand it.:hiding:
    "Nepal - a place I would like to visit"
  • KarlaKarla
    sorry for the SUPER late reply. but yes a similar phrase is used in Buddhism. We say Namo Amitabha or just Amitabha. The meaning is similar
  • CloudCloud Veteran
    edited August 2012
    @Karla, Namo Amitabha isn't similar to Namaste. Namo Amitabha is something Pure Land Buddhists say and it regards paying homage to Amitabha Buddha specifically. Namaste is non-tradition-specific and is a general greeting. Worlds apart. And we didn't need to drag up a thread from 2005 just to say that!
This discussion has been closed.