- Why do Hindus do Namaste?
Hindus greet each other with namaste. We place both palms together in front of the chest and slightly bow our head.
It has different interpretations.
- The folded palms signify that the two are actually one. It is the founding principle of the Advait school of thought. The distinction between you and me is seen as an illusion. The only truth is that We are All One. Everything is an expansion of Brahman and therefore part of Brahman. We bow our head to acknowledge the divinity within the person before us.
- In Sanskrit namah + te = namaste. It means – I bow to you – my greetings, salutations or prostration to you.
- The two palms coming together signify meeting of minds. The Boeing of head is to acknowledge divinity within the person before us.
- To touch another with the feet is considered an act of misdemeanor. Why is this so?
Physical cleanliness and mental cleanliness are closely related. A messy room often (not always) signifies a disorganized (messy) mind. This is why in Hinduism physical cleanliness is stressed upon before the conversation about mind cleansing can be taken up. There are rules for hand washing, how many times one should rinse their mouth after brushing, peeing and pooping. There are also hygiene rules around procreation.
As we go about our day, the one part of our body that takes most abuse and gets dirty easily is our feet. Not only do our feet touch a whole lot of stuff physically but they also pick up a lot of other people’s vibrations. To touch someone with our feet is to touch them with the dirtiest physical and vibrational part of our body. Therefore, it is considered disrespectful.
- Why is it considered bad to touch a paper or a book with your feet?
A book or a paper or any other instrument through which we can gain knowledge is considered a physical manifestation and an expansion of Brahman in the form of Goddess Saraswati. Therefore, we do not touch books, pencils, papers, any kind of stationery with our feet.
- Why do Hindus touch the feet of parents, teachers and other elders?
There is a reason why bowing down is a universal gesture of humility. It is impossible to bow down and not feel humbled (Try it!). This is why we touch the feet of people who are in a respectable position in our lives. By humbling ourselves we open up to them and are able to learn from them. Without humility there can be no learning.
- Why do Hindus wear marks on the forehead?
The shape and colour of a mark along with certain other markers in dressing function as physical demonstrations of a person’s background and associations. To an informed onlooker it presents the proper decorum for addressing the person before her.
Also, every tilak (mark on the forehead) other than the bindi on a woman’s forehead is applied after offering the morning prayers. It’s akin to sprinkling holy water on yourselves before starting the day.
It must be noted that the bindi on the modern Hindu woman’s forehead also has another purpose, a very popular and common-sense purpose. It looks pretty!