Welcome to my world and beyond...

A collection of snippets of the books I write and, occasionally, my life and the things that inspire my writing...

Sunday, April 15, 2012

A to Z "N" is for Namaste: we are one

I started to see this word online, quite often--starting a couple of years ago.   I had no idea what it meant, and have no trouble admitting that.  As is often the case nowadays, the world is a much smaller place.  And even though I always enjoyed reading the dictionary--it can't compare with the ease of learning new words online.  Our vocabularies, I reason, must be growing at an increased pace relative to our constant exposure online.

Namaste...a beautiful word, a beautiful greeting, from an ancient language called "Sanskrit".  From the subcontinent of India, we get this lovely word.

"Namaste: I honor the place in you in which the entire universe dwells. I honor the place in you which is of love, truth, of light, and of peace. When you are in that place in you, and I am in that place in me, we are one."

I love words, and consider myself to be a somewhat humble wordsmith.  And I suspect that everyone who reads this blog feels the same way about themselves.  Words... how we reach one another when the physical touch is impossible.  And for writers, most of all, words are the building blocks of our lives.

We need to never close the door to learning.  More than anyone else on the planet, we need to appreciate etymology...yet, remember the audience we write for.  I have read books full of five dollar words that befuddled my buck-fifty brain.  Save the big ones for scientific papers. And I don't mean to "dumb-down" our writing.  But we have to find the sweet spot.  Not every reader is pressed to seek out the meaning of a word they have never before heard.

Namaste...a word for writers.  When we set pen to page, we want to communicate. We know what we are trying to convey, and we work at creating a bridge from our minds to the readers' minds. We seek a way to pour the passion of our words and stories, from our souls...into theirs.

                                                    
In our creative zone, we are visualizing worlds, characters, and living their lives.  In our creations, if we have achieved a literary namaste, the reader is visualizing our worlds, characters, and living their lives.  We share that place in each other. We are one.

To you my fellow writers, my kindred spirits laboring at your tales, I say, "Namaste".

25 comments:

  1. A greeting we use on a daily basis here in India. In a few short weeks I shall bestow upon you in person "Namaste my friend" (hugs)

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  2. Woohoo! Just sent you a DM on facebook with my phone number. I actually thought of you when I wrote this post. A big hug to you! Journey safely, my friend. :-)

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  3. That is a new word to me. What a beautiful sentiment.

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    1. Thank you! I agree; it is a beautiful sentiment. :-) Thanks for visiting, Botanist :-)

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  4. The first place I heard this song was in a song by one of Devin Townsend's bands ;) Needless to say it was a hair-raising introduction! Then I started yoga classes, and heard it at the end of every lesson!

    It is indeed a great word.

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  5. errr, I meant "the first place I heard this word was in a song" ;) Guess that's what you get for not proof reading!!

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    1. Ha! Trisha, I am so guilty of not proofreading, too. BUT, I do tend to catch it--just like you did. Right after I click "publish" ;-) I will have to look up the Devon Townsend's Band on youtube. Thank you so much for visiting :-)

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  6. The first time I heard the word was when I trekked through the Himalayas. The word meant so much.

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    1. Hi Lynda...wow, that must have been amazing! Trekking through the Himalayas.. What incredible memories you must have :-) Thanks for visiting :-)

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  7. A great post and good choice of word :)

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  8. Hello Mistress Teresa
    Victor the guinea pig here, just visiting. I should say 'Namaste' then. :)
    I like your blog. Thank you for visiting mine.
    Namaste in farewell.
    Victor xx

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    1. Ha! I love it! There is room for everyone here, all visits and comments appreciated--from two legged friends as well as four-legged. :-)

      Such a cute blog you have! :-)

      Thank you for visiting :-)

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  9. Thank you for your kind word.

    Lucy

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    1. You are so welcome, Lucy, and thank you for visiting and commenting. :-)

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  10. Made me think of this lawyer who read my query letter. I wanted to know what he thought, his opinion was that I was really using simple words. Since he wasn't my target market I took that as a compliment. Right word, in the right setting speaks volumns eh?

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    1. Hi Tanya! Yes, indeed! And I think I'd have taken it as a compliment, as well. :-)

      I hope spring has found you up north :-)

      Thanks for visiting :-)

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  11. Namaste is the most conventional greeting we use in my country. It's used when you meet someone and also when you're leaving them, sort of like Good day...
    It feels good when someone appreciates your language for it's beauty and resonance. Thanks!

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    1. Hi Effervescencia, I think it is a beautiful language. The first comment on this post was from a friend who is currently living in India. I hope to make it to visit her before she moves back to the states. I think you have a beautiful country.

      Thank you for visiting and taking the time to comment. :-)

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  12. What a beautiful word! I've seen it too and never knew what it meant. Great post.

    Thanks for stopping by my blog, it's great to meet you. :)

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    1. Thank you Julie! You are welcome. :-) It's great to "meet" you too! Thank you for visiting :-) ~

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  13. It is a joyous, connecting word- I know it from my old yoga classes, but haven't heard it for a while, this was a sublime reminder. And I'd never thought of it in connection to writing, but this makes total sense. Thank you :-)

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    1. Hi Lily! Thank you! Yoga always looked like something I'd like to do, but life got in the way. :-)

      See you in a bit :-)

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  14. Like Lily who posted above, I have only heard it spoken on the Yoga floor, at the end of our session. I love to hear it, though...and I love saying it. It feels like a gift being given. Lovely post.

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    1. Thank you, Jess! "It feels like a gift being given." What a nice way to summarize your feelings :-) Thank you for visiting :-)

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