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I had never realised that an action used by millions but taken up by many freethinkers around the world is not as commonly known or understood as I thought. The action is to clasp each hand in front of you palm to palm. It may or may not be accompanied by a slight inclination of the head but is never accompanied by a scowl or snarl.
The emoji that I use to symbolise the action known as namaste is this - 🙏
Someone mistook it for me praying over them. It was only after I had picked myself up off the floor where I had been having paroxysms of laughter at the thought of praying that I realised the lack of understanding. Here is the free dictionary definition of 🙏 :
nam·as·te (nŭm′əs-tā′ )
interj.
Used especially among Hindus to express a polite or respectful greeting or farewell.
[Ultimately (via Hindi, Punjabi, and other South Asian languages) from Sanskrit namas te, obeisance to you : namaḥ, homage, obeisance; see nem- in Indo-European roots + te, enclitic second person sing. genitive and dative pron.; see tu- in Indo-European roots.]

FrayedBear 9 Apr 29
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8 comments

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2

And it is so much more sanitary than shaking hands....especially the Presidents. Eewwww.

ROFL

I wouldn't even bother namasting him.

2

nice greeting.

1

When I learned of "Namaste", I was told the greeting had a more secular, New Age, meaning.
(And think beyond the mere words, to me, and many, it doesn't mean what you might first think it does. )
The greeting was to have meant: " The god in me, recognises the god in you." Think about it before commenting, k?

1

Sign of humbleness and tolerance too namaste

Rosh Level 7 Apr 29, 2018
1

I did not know that, thanks you.

?

1

Here's a stock praying hands image. It's typical.

Duke Level 8 Apr 29, 2018

But you didn't Google for namaste - how negative.

@FrayedBear I'm just pointing out that it's usage for praying hands is more common than you were aware.

@Duke Yeah I try not to hang out with go dbotherers or their symbols.

1

That's interesting. I can't wait to ask a few praying Christians if they are Hindu!

?

2

Dude. I've never used that symbol. It's always interpreted as praying hands in my world.

Duke Level 8 Apr 29, 2018

@Duke Neither you nor I, I suspect can help where you live. You can however start to act rationally and point out to those using ? as a praying symbol that more than a billion people use it to mean something else as well. The American percentage of world population is but 4% compared to about 16% Hindus.
Sounds like hubris to me.

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