--- In [email protected], TurquoiseB <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > The word 'worship' is indeed Bob's. My understanding, > from many Indian sources is that 'namaste' means simply, > "I *greet* or *recognize* the divine or eternal in you." > 'Worship' is another thing entirely, and not connoted > at all. > *************
I used the word "worship" only because the post I replied to ( http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FairfieldLife/message/54219 ) indicated that "Each bija mantra is associated with a different Devata. And the advanced techniques add words that denote a reverential relationship with that Devata," phraseology which equates with the word "worship." My intention was to show that in Hindu culture, the use of namah in daily greetings of other humans, even if you consider it to be worship or a reverential relationship, was not unusual and not an indication of subservience. Many people who are not Hindus are afraid of talk about gods, thinking that one needs to surrender to Hindu gods or whatever, but MMY makes it clear that (speaking about TM leading to life being lived as a yagya in his commentary on v.11, ch.3 of the Gita) "This manner of offering actions to the gods does not imply surrender to them or coming under their subjugation. The Self in this state becomes completely free from all the influences of relative life, including the gods." Bob > Another aspect of 'namah,' which I remember Maharishi > talking about, and have certainly heard other teachers > speaking about, has also to do less with 'worship' than > it does *recognition*. There is a certain value placed > on *recognizing* the eternal in the ephemeral, the value > coming from *identification* with the eternal. If one > cannot *identify* with that with eternal and timeless, > one cannot ever live it in the form of enlightenment. > The idea of 'worship,' if it perpetuates the notion > that there is a *difference* between the eternal and > one's self, is actually counterproductive to enlight- > enment in the view of many traditions. > > Unc > > > > My intention is to understand and > > > discuss. Not attack or make wrong, but understand. Bob B in an > > > early post used the word "worship" when responding to my > inquiry. > > > > ******* > > > > You have completely misunderstood and misrepresented what I said in > a > > previous post. What I said is that Indians, in their gesture of > > greeting "namaste" (namah plus te, "you" in sanskrit) which means > > something like I worship the divine in you. In TM, with advanced > > techniques or not, we are "worshipping" the infinite divine within > by > > transcending, and on the way to transcending, we greet the subtle > > levels of creation on the way, which has a harmonizing influence on > > the meditator and on the creation: > > > > When people meet in India, they bow and say "namaste," which is > about > > the same as what is done in advanced techniques: > > > > http://www.namastecafe.com/library/trans.htm > > > > So, it's traditional in Hindu culture to bow down to the divine in > > everybody, so it's not really an unusual sort of worship to employ > > namah in TM advanced techniques, since one in TM is on the path to > > the universal soul, the transcendental reality which is the divine > > nature. > > > > The purpose of the additional syllables (namah and so on) is to slow > > down transcendence, so that one gains more familiarity with the > > subtle and powerful levels of creation, in order to have a fuller > > experience of Cosmic Consciousness. > > > > Hindus properly practicing advanced TM techniques, as well as those > > practicing basic TM, are instructed to regard the mantras, advanced > > or not, as meaningless sounds during the period of meditation. > > Outside of meditation, Hindus assign values that non-Hindus who > > practise TM do not. But, whether Hindu or not, people who are > > properly practicing TM and its advanced techniques are not thinking > > about gods (or impulses of creative intelligence, or angels, or > > whatever one regards as more powerful, subtle, or celestial levels > of > > existence) or bowing down to gods. To subscribe, send a message to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Or go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FairfieldLife/ and click 'Join This Group!' Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FairfieldLife/ <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
