I know not all praying religions have their adherents join their hands, but I think it’s the case for most. Many cultures even use clasped hands in day-to-day life as a sign of deference or pleading (which I guess makes them “social prayers”).

My only ‘armchair anthropologist’ theory is that hands that are gripped together are unable to present a threat to you, so it is a signal of voluntary vulnerability. But that doesn’t make sense in a religious context (although it does in the social context), because how would you ever be a threat to any god in the first place? 🤔 If anything, you’re displaying arrogance by saying to god “yeah I COULD fuck you up, but just for this conversation, I’m gonna decommission my arms, arms which I have to register as deadly weapons by the way”.

A secondary question on this topic is what is the function of praying hands in the praying process? If you say a prayer without joining your hands, does it not reach god? Or does he hear it but he’s like “uhhh, excuse me?? Forgetting something? No childhood leukaemia cure for you, I guess!” like an overly-pedantic lawyer?

Third question: Do any holy books actually describe or prescribe ‘praying hands’? If so, what do they have to say about it?

Cheers! 🙏

  • ReadMoreBooksEnglish
    9·
    4 days ago

    Do any holy books actually describe or prescribe ‘praying hands’? If so, what do they have to say about it?

    Hinduism originated in the Indus River valley as a collection of oral traditions for a couple millennia. Then, 3000-3500 years ago, the Sanskrit word “namaste”, meaning “bowing to you”, and it’s hands-together pose was documented in what’s today the Hindu Vedas.

    In the Vedas it symbolized the connection of the human and divine. Today “namaste” is commonly used as a respectful greeting. Instead of “namaste”, in America we might say, “Thank you for inviting me to your home.”