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In traditional personal letter writing usually Namaste is used once and Om, Shanti Om or Guru's name etc is used the other time.. Saying of Pranaam with touching the elders feet is also very common in more traditional families in India.

I agree with your observations about 'Thank you' n 'I love you'.. in the west... I too feel they are overused.

In the Indian context.. words are only tools for expressing emotions feeling thoughts and can't always do the work .. or even do it right ... as everything material is limited after all.
One doesn't have to thank at all .. body language can say it all.. with or without words. Please, thank you etc. are still not common place in India but that can also depend on who one is talking to.

As far as Namaste, if is your preference .. it is becoming more and more uncommon to use namaste in Bharat (i.e. India) as Indians are aping the west but for me I truly like it a lot ... perhaps because I live in the west .. but I think it is because of the beautiful meaning that it connotes that I use Namaste with everyone online here.

Are list's like that: http://www.mailerindia.com/hindu/veda/index.php? giving pretty much good overview for westerns/outsiders or is there better/shorter way to get most important basics with fewer words?

Do you know Alan Watts?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SNyHUX8bkJs
or
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P99TTyVwrv0
&
specially talk here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-MbNN9jXTQA

Do you agree with what he is talking as far the explains Hinduism ideas / philosophy go's ?


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You can take time to answer to these, specially the Watts question as it's important to me.

Then i happen to read from somewhere that it's (unless i misunderstood) something basic in India to "feel thank you" anyway and to feel that others are feeling like that if you do something good for them so one should not feel like one wants "thanks" for return. Just slight body language is enough. That they feel also, - words should not be over used to devalue it. - can you please clarify this "thankful" and saying "good words" aspect in Hindu culture?
Namaste - i will be back with more thoughts soon :)

So I am a bit confused with this matter - should I say it out loud or how should I say it when talking in Internet? Some people use Namaste before letter, some in the end, it's okey one and other way, right? As i do not know English so well it kind of feels for me like really technical language not best for talking about feelings/'higher' things.

:)

In my own world i feel people to much use "thank you" or feel (to much) not appreciated if one is not thanking them before & after hand. I kind of feel that if one is helping another it's elementary that one is feeling "thanks" anyway. To say it out all the time devalues the meaning when it's needed to be significant & maybe same go's for "i love you" in some sense, maybe not for others.

Namaste and all the best in your quest.

Of course you may.
I will be thrilled to be of any help in this regard. Also, please check my Facebook wall from time to time to get access to Indian/Hindu resources.

'Can I write you more if i have some questions relating to Hinduism or Indian culture?..'

'It always makes me wonder' ...
the way it is looked at in the Hindu context is there is always a constant struggle between good vs. evil. The difference is which side are you on .. solution or problem.

'I wonder how or why this guy is sucked in with people like that?'





It has to do with psychological disorder like attention seeking for some unknown inferiority complexes .. from the western 'scholars' to gain access to the 'West'.
For the West will only allow you if and only if you denigrade your roots :(

Thank you, for this is info!

I wonder how or why this guy is sucked in with people like that? I mean... if one has been in TED - the road to the world should be open... to full fill the dreams .. strange.

It always makes me wonder - how, why, & if all good, that is presented to the people in different culture - will be infected with greed, profit, ego.. (what is that anyway?) and so on..


Can I write you more if i have some questions relating to Hinduism or Indian culture?

These these so called scholars twist the meaning originally intended by Hindu philosophers, scientist, intellectuals and God men.. to suit their own theories and agendas.. which creates not only Hindu mistrust but animosity towards them.

Michael Witzel, in 80s perhaps, is a Sanskrut Dept head at Harward University. He is a working for Christian interests of Proselytizing in India so he needs to demean Hindu Philosophy and presents everything accordingly.

I hope this suffices.

WD misconstrues the Hindu theology and mythology by giving her own Jingoist twist and presents it in a way that is totally not Hindu.

Namaste Waffa ji.
Pattanaik seemed fine at TED but it is his aligning with Wendy that is hugely problematic as WD is a Hindu hater simply put.

Greetings Sucheta

I come across a video in yt http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I7QwxbImhZI and saw you have had an oppion about it. As i am a bit new in this aria, can you summarise your views about people like Wendy Doniger & Devdutt Pattanaik (and maybe some other names you know) ? From video one did not seem as bad as some other people have told - what is the biggest problems / wrong doings that people like them do?