In

c ake L

in la K hA

Mitakuye Oyasin

It wasnt all that long ago that I had no idea what namaste (nahmah-stay) was or meant. It took only one picture to know what it was. It is an eastern greeting found often within Hinduism and Buddhism. Namaste involves the coming together of the two hands about chest level (heart) accompanied by the bowing of the head. I also had no idea what In Lakech Ala Kin was or what it meant, nor did I know what Mitakuye Oyasin was or what it meant. In Lakech Ala Kin is a Mayan greeting and Mitakuye Oyasin is Lakota greeting. I found it fascinating how similar these greetings are despite the fact that the Lakota are part of the Sioux and are from the area around North and South Dakota, the Mayans are from Mexico and Central America and of course despite being spread out around the world, Hinduism and Buddhism find their roots in places like India and Tibet. Namaste has several related meanings. According to one web site, this word conveys the following meanings: 1) the spirit in me greets the spirit in you 2) I greet the place where you and I are one 3) I salute the Light of God in you 4) I recognize that within each of us is a place where Divinity dwells and when we are in that place, we are One 5) The God in me sees and knows the God in you and 6) May God within me, bless you.

Namaste: a Sanskrit word I bow to the divine in you

It has been said that this greeting recognizes the equality of all and pays honour to the sacredness and interconnection of all as well as the source of that interconnectedness, which I would call God. What would this world look like if we all believed this to be true about everyone we came in contact with? What would happen if we actually lived our lives from a place of namaste?

I am you and you are me

According to Aluna Joy Yaxkin (www.AlunaJoy.com) In Lakech Ala Kin, the Mayan greeting, means I am another yourself. Traditionally, it is interpreted as I am you, and you are me. As you can see, it isnt much different than I greet the place where you and I are one, found within the namaste meanings.

It may be a little hard to see but if you look closely you can see the hands upon the chest in this photo, somewhat similar to the namaste greeting. We have come to a time where spirituality and science are confirming that everything we do, everything we say and even the things we think, not only impact us, but they impact others as well and actually impact our universe. What would happen if when you met someone you actually took the time to be aware, to be in the NOW, and with reverence placed your hands over your heart, bowed and with love and respect greeted that person with namaste or In Lakech Ala Kin? Mitakuye Oyasin is a simple two word Lakota prayer that means all my relations or we are all related. This involves honouring the sacredness of each persons individual spiritual path. Mitakuye Oyasin also means we recognize the sacredness of all life and we make it a priority to create an awareness that will not only be positive for the one who says the prayer but will also bring about an increase in positive energy for the entire planet. It is prayer that leaves no one out, something Jesus pointed us to when he let us know that even our so-called enemies are truly our neighbours.

We are all related

Several months ago, concerns were expressed when I included in my weekly teaching a section on namaste. Some wondered why I included a Hindu greeting in a Christian Bible study. Today, not only do I share with you a Hindu greeting but Mayan and Lakota ones as well. Why? Because the world would be a much better place if we all honoured the divine within ourselves and everyone else, if we realized that we are all inter-connected and I am you and you are me on a deep spiritual level and, as a result, we truly are all related. Wouldnt the world be a different place if all our actions were based on those truths?