The gesture Namaste represents the belief that there is a Divine spark within each of us that is located in the heart chakra. The gesture is an acknowledgment of the soul in one by the soul in another.

Does this describe your Mah Jongg game? 

There are two ways to look at how the game is played…the first is calm and without emotion…

Or, you can play this way – with great exuberance and expression when you cry out, “Mah Jongg”…lots of angst and “kvetching” when you lose…and then quickly move on to the next game!

How does your group play? Which do you think is the best way to play? Personally, I like to congratulate the winner and behave as much as possible as a gracious loser (although sometimes I do like to point out that I almost had Mahj!). And I don’t like to gloat when I do win – so much of that win had to do with luck. But do any of us keep a serene character during our game play?  Would the game be quiet and dull if we did so? Serene is probably not a typical profile of someone playing American Mah Jongg! What are your thoughts?

Thanks to the incomparable Mah Jongg teacher, Johni Levene, for “The Tenet and Spirit of Mahjong!”