Why Namasté?

'Namasté' isn't just a gesture that belongs to Hindus. It isn't religious although it was initially practised  by Hindus.

'Namasté' is a deeper and much more spiritual switch that enables in ascension of individual souls and thus in that of the planet.

The internet is full of loose translations, often grammatically incorrect, however correct in emphasising what the term implies . From my little knowledge of Sanskrit I take the privilege of sharing my understanding of the term and what it stands for. The information I thus share is to the best of my knowledge and is not taken from any references. I request that any corrections needed be pointed out.

Importance of the word:

'Namasté' may be read as a combination of two words 'namah' and 'te'.
'Namah' implies 'to pray' or 'to bow', not physically but from a mental point of view. 'To bow' implies 'shedding of ego' in this context. It is not 'prayer' as people offer to God or deities. Nonetheless, no conventional prayer can be successful unless the ego is shed. Hence, 'namah' is significant in prayers as well as in daily greetings. This is also why most Sanskrit Shlokas and chants have 'namah' somewhere in them. For instance, 'om namah shivay' wherein we shed our ego (or, so to say, surrender) to lord Shiv.

'Te' means 'to you'

The term 'Namasté' thus implies '(I) bow to you' which actually means 'I surrender my ego to you'

Often the gesture is associated with a physical bowing of the head. That is complimentary and Namasté doesn't necessarily require us to bow physically as it is the bending of ego that is far more important than bowing of the head. Those who lose in wars also bow their head to the victor. It doesn't guarantee allegiance. It doesn't imply that there shall be peace. Often such people get back with much vengeance!

Namasté, or bending of the ego on the other hand, is the foundation of peace! For when we bend our ego, we see the divine in the other. When we see divine in all, we have no problem in accepting their point of view.
Bending the ego kills superiority complex and when we are not superior to anyone, we are free from the fear of becoming inferior to anyone. When we are free from fear, we are free from greed and jealousy as lack of this fear renders the competition worthless.
And when we see the divine that is present in all,  we are not afraid to love all. When we love all, we unite and contributed to peace!

The gesture:

The physical act of 'Namasté' brings the  together, close to each other and to the heart chakra. This is also very significant. Hands are tools of magic. Like mouth is a portal for the entry of food, our hands are portals for exchange of energy.
Usually, the left hand is receptive while the right hand transmits. When we bring the palms together, we neither receive nor radiate any energy to or from the other person. In a way it is protective to both as a greeting may be made at anytime irrespective of our state of mind and while greeting someone, we don't know their energy either. Folding the palms together protect both the people involved from transmission of unwanted energy.
(This is also why most deities are shown with their right palm facing us as that signifies their grace radiating out us. But harnessing energy using consciousness and intent is another topic.)

Bringing the palms together also shiftd our consciousness to them and subsequently as we bring them close to the heart chakra , we shift our consciousness to it. This ensures that our greeting is from a place of 'love'. Love cannot be without mutual respect and we cannot honour the divine in anyone unless we love and respect them.

The knowledge of the gesture enables us to focus on the intent behind the term. The entire process is akin to casting a spell for universal peace and brotherhood!

The simple yet profound act of 'Namasté' is a powerful act of watering the tree of peace that can wither unless it is carefully nurtured.

The act of Namasté unites us and I encourage you to try to simply speak it and then speak it with the gesture and intent. You will notice the difference yourself!

ANCIENT ADVANCES

SCIENCE IN THE ANCIENT INDIAN TEXTS:

Sanskrit texts not only describe advanced technology, but also guide as to how to make the machines and operate them. No wonder scientists from across the globe have been interested in learning Sanskrit.
Ramayana describes double decker cylindrical vimanas and also mentions visiting the moon:

"The Ramayana, does have a highly detailed story in it of a trip to the moon in a Vihmana (or "Astra"), and in fact details a battle on the moon with an "Asvin" airship. This is a small bit of evidence of anti-gravity and aerospace technology used by Indians."
(Read here.)

"Gurkha flying in his swift and powerful Vimana hurled against the three cities of the Vrishis and Andhakas a single projectile charged with all the power of the Universe. An incandescent column of smoke and fire, as brilliant as ten thousands suns, rose in all its splendor. It was the unknown weapon, the Iron Thunderbolt, a gigantic messenger of death which reduced to ashesthe entire race of the Vrishnis and Andhakas.

The after-affects of this Iron Thunderbolt have an ominously recognizable ring. Apparently, those killed by it were so burnt that their corpses were unidentifiable. The survivors fared little better, as it caused their hair and nails to fall out."

This is clear cut description of nuclear warfare and radiation poisoning. Certain sites still have elevated levels of radiation and manifest as birth defects and cancer.

The Samara Sutradhara is a scientific treatise dealing with the construction, take-off, cruising, normal and forced landings, and possible collisions with birds

Exerpts from Samarangana Sutradhara state: Strong and durable must the body of the Vihmana ... Inside one must put the mercury engine with its iron heating apparatus underneath... The movements of the Vimana are such that it can vertically ascend, vertically descend, move slanting forwards and backwards.

Ancient Indians flew around in these vehicles, all over Asia, and even, apparently, to South America.
In fact this site questions if Easter Island was an Indian Airbase.

The Vaimānika Śāstra ( वैमानिक शास्त्र, lit. "shastra on the topic of Vimanas"; sometimes also rendered Vimanika, Vymanika, Vyamanika) is an early 20th-century Sanskrit text on aerospace technology. It makes the claim that the vimānas mentioned in ancient Sanskrit epics were advanced aerodynamic flying vehicles, similar to a rocket.

The existence of the text was revealed in 1952 by G. R. Josyer.

Video

The Vaimanika Sastra, written by Bharadvajya, using even older texts found as his source, deals with the operation of Vimanas and included information on the steering, precautions for long flights, protection of the airships from storms and lightning and how to switch the drive to "solar energy" from a free energy source which sounds like "anti-gravity." The Vaimanika Sastra describes three types of aircraft in texts and diagrams. It includes fire resistant apparatuses and construction materials (of 16 types) which absorb light and heat.

Ancient nuclear warfare:

A heavy layer of radioactive ash in Rajasthan, India, covers a three-square mile area, ten miles west ofJodhpur. There is a very high rate of birth defects and cancer in the area and very high levels of radiation have been registered.

Scientists have unearthed sites in the Indus Valley where evidence shows an atomic blast dating back thousands of years, from 8,000 to 12,000 years, destroyed most of the buildings and probably a half-million people. One researcher estimates that the nuclear bomb used was about the size of the ones dropped on Japan in 1945.  

Video

Modern application:

Shivkur Bapuji Talpade, a Sanskrit scholar, flew an unmanned aircraft, eight years before the Wright brothers flew in 1903, He built his aircraft entirely from the rich treasury of India’s Vedas. His demonstration flight took place before a large audience in the Chowpathy beach of Bombay. The historian Evan Koshtka, has described Talpade as the ‘first creator of an aircraft’.

Robert Oppenheimer inventor of the atom bomb was well known for studying ancient Indian texts and famously quoted from the Gita saying, ‘I have become Death, Destroyer of Worlds'
(See the first video)

Starting in 1930's, Hitler used to send expeditions to India and Tibet for acquiring scientific data.

Only a few years ago, the Chinese discovered some Sanskrit documents in Lhasa, Tibet and sent them to the University of Chandigarh for translation. The document contains directions for building interstellar spaceships

Read here.

Dr. Ruth Reyna says Their method of propulsion was "anti- gravitational" and was based upon a system analogous to that of "laghima"

According to Hindu Yogis, it is this "laghima" which enables a person to levitate and is “The power to decrease the weight of the physical body to that of a feather. We can float in the air with the physical body, thanks to this power.” - Samael Aun Weor

Dr. Reyna said the ancient Indians could send men onto any planet. The manuscripts were also said to reveal the secret of "antima"; "the cap of invisibility" and "garima"; "how to become as heavy as a mountain of lead."

This reminds of the Ramayana quoting Anagad, after placing his foot firmly, challenged Ravana to move it, which he couldn't.

It is just amazing how much information is stored in ancient texts!