Why white people need to stop saying 'namaste'

I need to start a list

white people may NOT:

1. wear dreadlocks
2. say 'namaste'
3. check the 'african american' ethnicity box on applications
even if you hold dual citizenship for both the US and South Africa.

LOL WOW just wow what's next!

a reply to: Dark GhostMaybe she should stop wearing western clothes, eating western food, shopping in western shops. Quite frankly, I find it insulting that she is appropriating my culture, look, she's even using out language!

I always smirk a little when someone says 'Namaste' because it sounds pretentious to me.

But to tell someone not to say it is just silly and to be ignored.

If I say or do something that can be taken one of two ways and one of those ways you find offensive, then I meant the other one.

As far as you know.

a reply to: Dark GhostI agree.. I used to go to Yoga class.. I loved the class, the teacher, the exercises and it all made me feel great.. EXCEPT.. At the end of class everyone would say "Namaste" .. I don't know exactly what that means but I feel it has a depth or religious connection that I do not understand and it makes me uncomfortable to say it. I would love to take Yoga class with some one from India that not only understands the translated word but has the depth of knowledge to feel it.. I think (my personal only opinion) that Namaste has a deep intent ..

I do whatever the hell I want.

If someone doesn't like it, tough. They can cry me a river and yell nasty things at me all they want.

They don't know me. Their opinion of me doesn't matter to me. I know who I am, I know I'm a good person.

a reply to: Dark Ghost

she is really going to be mad if she finds Jesus was teaching Buddhism. Jews and whites stealing her cultural stuff and making it more popular than politics.

I almost am tempted to get Namaste tattooed down my middle finger...

I think I would get some enjoyment out of that.

If you are a christian you should definately not do yoga, since every position is a honoring to a god/godess or so I've heard, essentially you are praying to other gods. Thou shalt have no other gods before me - Exodus 20:3.

People in India are of all known human skin colors, and have always been. Some people in India who are native to that land and speak the local languages are as white as any Norwegian. Should they not be allowed to say "namaste" either? I mean, REALLY, people. Sheesh!

Kind of ironic considering yoga and meditation were introduced to the West by Paramahansa Yogananda. The yogis wanted to spread this form of cleansing and relaxation. The mission was to invoke happiness in people and have them think with a more clear and happy mindset. At least most people are willing to accept that this is a worldly practice. However, it does bum me out that this has been brought up by someone who doesn't even know their own heritage. Namaste.

a reply to: Dark Ghost

a reply to: Dark Ghost

Really..... who cares? She has no authority over your actions any more than you have over hers. So who really cares? Don't we have more pressing issues to waste our time bickering over?

I'm a young white Australian and I honestly could not care less about these kinds of issues. And it's not because I hate myself, it's because I don't give a sh#. And furthermore, the word Namaste is used as a humble gesture of respect to one's fellow human being. So unless the yoga person was using it in the wrong context (which it seems to me they weren't) then this girl has completely missed the point of her own culture's inspiring style of openness, which is what's actually sad about this stupid little story.

A genuine yogi wouldn't be offended at our use of the word, so who cares what some young Indian-Australian expat woman (or man) thinks? Hindu culture has always embraced humanity at large and I'm sure any true Hindu person would be perfectly comfortable with white people using their terminology, even if we're awkward at it. It's why it was invented after all; for communication. Most benevolent cultures are humbled when others bother to learn their language and philosophical concepts. So yes, it's the girl who has the problem, but not for the reasons you outlined in your borderline Neanderthal post.

Accusing some girl of getting offended over trivial matters on the internet in a forum post about you getting offended about the girl posting about trivial matters that offended her on the internet is about as smart as these posts get around here.

What a waste of her time, our time and yours.

Namaste

I'm guessing not many of you read the full article, because your all moaning and crying about something that isn't being portrayed.

Did the fact a Hindu girl wrote the article offend you enough to go all white-martyr about it?

News Flash * being born white is the greatest advantage anyone can want* yet, here you are crying saying how hard it is because people constantly label you.

a reply to: TheAnarchist

It's funny some people assume because I linked the article that I am somehow "offended" by her words. No, I am not personally offended, I just wanted to demonstrate another example of a double standard which is excused because white people are the subjects. And just because I have the spine to highlight an example of a minority trash-talking white people and experiencing no repercussions when the roles reversed would result in a fire-storm about how racist a country Australia and the average white person is, doesn't mean it was time wasted.

a reply to: Agit8dChop

Thanks for inserting some good old racial agitation into the thread. I can see you are one of those "being born white is like winning the lottery" type people, so I won't waste my time trying to help you see the utter ignorance of your ways.

originally posted by: Brotherman
Didn't Bruce Lee catch a lot of flak in a similar fashion teaching martial arts in the west?

Yes, and was almost killed.

a reply to: Dark Ghost

What confuses me, is people that practice yoga. Then claim to be Christians.Do they not realize they are both religions?

Yoga is not an excise that you do at the gym.

It is a religion.

Bible.

I just wish people would stop getting offnded by everything or tell you you cant do something because of this syndrome. Try drinking a nice hot cup of Shut the ×%!#$! Up.

a reply to: Dark Ghost

Indians should stop saying hello to Europeans.