Baba
True Ananda Margiis never do
namaskar to any human being
namaskar to any human being
Namaskar,
Some have the wrong idea that when doing namaskar they are saluting another human being. When in fact the truth is we are saluting the Divine within that human being. But due to their misunderstanding, some "big" Dadas are hesitant to do namaskar to those who are their juniors. Those Dadas think that, 'I am more senior and more respected than he is, so why should I salute or bow down to such & such person'. Sadly, with their dogmatic understanding, those "big" Dadas refrain from doing namaskar when seeing others.
At the same time, Baba guides us that we should always do namaskar to others first. And if those Dadas understood that by doing namaskar they are honoring the Supreme and not bowing down to some human being, then they would surely follow Baba's guideline: They would be the first to do namaskar.
But since they suffer from the dogmatic view that by doing namaskar they are bowing down to some human being, then they do not like to do namaskar. And that is exactly what happens when "big" Dadas go to any public gathering or retreat. They expect the entire campus to do namaskar to them, but unto others they refrain, or at best do namaskar in reply. But again, this entire situation can be averted if our entire Marga society becomes more aware about the real nature of our namaskar practice.
Namaskar: meaning of the term
Here following then is Baba's special explanation about the meaning of namaskar. In various discourses, Baba has explained that:
(a) The prefix 'namah' means 'I salute';
(b) The root 'kr' means 'do'; and,
(c) 'Ghain' is simply a standard Sanskrit suffix.
(d) So: Namah - kr + ghain = Namaska'r
So the full meaning of 'namaskar' is 'I salute'. By this way 'namaskar' indirectly refers to Parama Purusa. That is why it is fitting to use the term 'namaskar' when addressing other jiivas-- other human beings. Because the term 'namaskar' recognises those humans as being expressions of Cosmic Consciousness.
'Namaskar': Not a salutation to other human beings
We should not forget that no human being should salute any other human being. Ours is not like that of the military. Rather one should always salute Parama Purusa. Because why should we bow down to any human being? That is the spirit and this is the uniqueness of our Ananda Marga philosophy. Ananda Marga is not a religion. In the various religions this supreme idea is wholly absent. They salute human beings, but we don't.
Namaskar means paying homage to the Supreme
By doing 'namaskar' (literally meaning 'I salute'), we are paying our salutations to the Divine in an indirect way. Because we are recognisng 'Ramesh' or 'Manoranjan' or 'Tom', 'Dick', or 'Harry', as being manifestations of the Supreme. The word 'namaskar' acknowledges the Divine within them; it is an indirect reference to Parama Purusa.
So 'namaskar' means: O' Mr Ramesh or O' Mr Manoranjain, I salute the Divine which is residing within you. That is the true spirit of doing namaskar. But if Ramesh or Manoranjan is ignorant and foolish, they will think that someone is saluting them directly. And if the one doing namaskar is foolish, they will think that they are saluting Ramesh or Manoranjain etc. Those who do namaskar in this misguided way are just treating it as some mundane greeting. That is why we say this is a simple but often misunderstood point in our day to day life. None should get confused and think that by saying 'namaskar' we are saluting another human being or that someone else is saluting us.
Ananda Marga ideology says, "As ideal human beings you should not wait to do namaskar after another has greeted you: you should rather take the first opportunity to greet others. When someone greets you...you do not become an ideal human being thereby. Rather one who seizes the first opportunity to salute others is the ideal. So you should always make an effort to do namaskar to others first: you should not care whether the person whom you greet will greet you in return or not. (When people come to me during personal contact, I greet them first whether they salute me or not.) By giving honour to others you will not be belittled, you will rather enhance your prestige." (1)
In Him,
Satyendra
References
1. Ananda Marga Ideology and Way of Life - 11
== Section 2: Important Teaching ==
Key thing: dancer remains above the ground
Ananda Marga philosophy, "Tandava: As long as a dancer remains above the ground, he derives much benefit; when he touches the ground, then those benefits are assimilated by the body. That is why in the tandava dance there is much jumping, because jumping requires the practitioner to remain off the ground for a fairly long period of time." (1)
Reference
1. Namah Shivaya Shantaya, Shiva – the Focal Point of Everything (Discourse 3)
== Section 3:
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