Namaste means hello.

In the past, I've avoided using "Namaste" because friends I know who are from India tell me it just means "hello" or something, and doesn't really have any spiritual meaning. I figured it was like the English word, "goodbye." That word could be said to mean "God be with you," but we certainly don't understand it that way.

Anyway, I felt like saying "Namaste" would be like having a Japanese Kanji tatoo that was supposed to say "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" but actually says "Duck, cat! Here comes a dragon you can't see!" (I always thought it would be fun to get one that says "Stupid Gaijin" just for kicks, and pretend I think it's a good luck symbol.)

I also worried that it might be supporting the bad habit of objectifying eastern people, seeing them as "spiritually aware" rather than human like the rest of us.

However, I've decided that in my community, here, with you all and in Eugene, Oregon, "Namaste" does have a clear meaning. So today, I renounce my intellectual snobbery, my fear of appearing foolish to Indian folk, and my silly worries about objectifying them and being racist, and I openly say to all of you (including Indian folk)...

Namaste! The divine spark in me acknowledges and loves the divine spark in you.

Angela