Let’s play in the grand namaskar of being human.
Don’t know the word namaskar? We understand its meaning best by comparing the words namaste and namaskar. The much more well-known word namaste literally means “I bow to you.” And in a fuller sense, it means the holy and sacred part of me sees the real you—the holy and sacred part of you–and I bow to that spiritual part of you.
Namaskar, on the other hand, literally means “I bow to your form.” And in an expanded sense, it suggests the holy and sacred part of me sees the form of your life—the form you have presented to the world. My soul recognizes the full range of the human path you’re walking and it bows to it in great reverence. Form is much more than just the physical body. It represents all those parts of your physical life, such as what you do for a living, your family life, your financial health, physical well-being, and more.
We say namaste quite a bit but use namaskar much less often. That makes sense. We emphasize the spiritual aspect of our lives here. But, as much as we love spirituality, there are many “form” things to be done—namaskar-ish activities to be accomplished, responsibilities of the forms of the world. At Unity, for example, we have grounds to keep, and children to teach, and lattes to make, and prayer shawls to knit, and prayers to hear, and kitchens to clean, and treats to bring, and libraries to cataloge, and music to sing and…well, several other tasks to do. They are part of the form of our center.
Why don’t you come and namaskar the form of Unity with me? Discover the essence of its form—bow to it and then improve on it. Is the namaste part of Unity more important? Perhaps. But the reality is that it’s all important. It all has to be done. So, as a part of that human journey you’re making, I invite you to also show up as a volunteer here at Unity. I have 25 different volunteer teams in which you can discover more about your human form, as well as our physical form.
And we salute it all. Shoot me an email at dashley@unityspokane.org and let’s explore some ways you can help build the form of Unity. We need you. If you see me on a Sunday, just say, “Namaskar me.” And then together we will find the right and perfect way for you to serve. ~Dennis Ashley
