One definition of namaste is,
The divine within me acknowledges the divine within you.
It's a reminder that divinity resides in each of us,
And the greeting helps us regard everyone as holy.
This is easy to do when we are surrounded by loving,
Generous,
And considerate people who treat us and others with kindness and compassion.
But what happens when you come across someone who is rude,
Hostile,
Impatient,
Or greedy?
It becomes difficult to see them as divine,
Which is why I think we need a term for the opposite of namaste.
Something that says,
The ego in me acknowledges the ego in you.
After all,
I've been rude,
Hostile,
Impatient,
And greedy before,
Haven't we all?
So the opposite of namaste immediately makes everyone more relatable,
And it stops us from falling into the trap of thinking ourselves superior to anyone.
Everyone does what they do because they believe it's a path to happiness,
Or they wouldn't do it.
And people won't stop doing what they do if they still find value in it.
That's all there is to it.
Personally,
I have either knowingly or mindlessly purchased clothes or electronics that were made through slave labor,
For example.
And I have eaten food that tasted good even though its production was harmful to the environment and to other beings on the planet.
I am no saint.
Once I knew better,
I started doing better,
But not a moment before.
From the perspective of radical self-awareness,
Whenever someone acts out of their ego,
I totally get it.
There's an ego within me,
Too,
So there's no judgment whatsoever.
The opposite of namaste removes any and all belittling of others because we wouldn't see them as any different from us.
The ego in me sees the ego in you.
People will continue doing quote-unquote bad things,
But that wouldn't make us any better than them.
Let's not criticize what we haven't even made the effort to understand,
For once we understand,
There is nothing left to criticize.
We have all experienced how powerful and blinding the ego can be.
When you complain about somebody else's behavior,
Whether you personally know them or not,
It's because you jump straight to judgment without making the effort to understand them.
So next time you are upset with someone,
Remember that we all have an ego within us that can overpower the divine.
The ego's main obsession is self-preservation at all costs.
It is not concerned with healing or altruism,
It is solely fixated on making itself happy.
With the opposite of namaste in mind,
Can't you already better understand more people in your life?
Maybe you can even see yourself more clearly.
Having said all that,
I am not suggesting we come up with an actual word to say out loud to anyone.
This mantra is to only be used in your head.
Just look at everyone and think to yourself,
The ego in me acknowledges the ego in you,
And the divine in me loves the whole of you,
Ego and all.
This may just be the skill we need to level the playing field,
It will certainly do away with any holier-than-thou attitudes.
Non-judgment day is here,
Your participation is encouraged.
Next time you walk into a room full of people,
Instead of trying to impress everyone,
Find something impressive about everyone you meet.
