Shalom: <1>(used by Jews) hello, good-bye, and peace.

Salaam: <2>(used by most Moslems) comes from the root "tasleim" which means "surrendered." Therefore, "salaam" means "to be surrendered."

Salute: <3>(a universal greeting) health, safety, greeting; <4>to address with expression of kind wishes, courtesy, or honor; <5>to give a sign of respect, courtesy, or good will; <6> the position (as of the hand) or the entire attitude of a person saluting another person.

<7>Therefore, "Sal-Om" is a greeting of "hi" and "good-bye." <8>At the same time by the position of the hands over the fourth chakra, which is the center of love in humans, we express our love and courtesy to the other person and wish him to be surrendered to the Will of the Divine God, and for peace to be upon him. <9>Also we wish him health, a long-lasting life, and we honor him.

<10>However, all wishes we make for the person and all respect he deserves can come to him only by being surrendered to the Father and His Laws (Daharmas).

<11>On the other hand, the word "sal" is an abbreviation of the word "salute." Therefore, the word "Sal-Om" can be translated to be: "salute to the sound OM ." <12>The sound OM is the root sound of all sounds in the universe <13>and will be heard in the high state of realization. <14>By greeting another person with the word "Sal-Om" we are really greeting his most Divine nature within, or his consciousness in pure form.

<15>Therefore, not only do we greet a person by "Sal-Om" and give him many other good wishes, but we greet him as a Divine being who is able to reach Pure Consciousness. <16>We pay our salutations to the Divinity within him.

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