Beginner’s Mind: Bowing Practice

by Eva Kaniasty, with guidance from Zen Master Tan Gong (José Ramírez) & Kwan Haeng Sunim JDPSN

“Prostrations are a very powerful technique for seeing and working through the karma of a difficult situation because both the mind and the body are involved. Something that might take days of sitting to digest may be digested in a much shorter time with prostrations.” – Dharma Mirror

Bowing is a common practice for greeting and communicating respect in collectivist cultures such as Korea, the homeland of our founder, Zen Master Seung Sahn. Along with sitting & chanting, bowing also rounds out the trifecta of Kwan Um Zen practice forms. More than any other ritual, bowing is woven into the fabric of Zen life: we bow respect to the Buddha upon entering the dharma hall; sitting and standing bows mark the beginning and end of chants and practice periods; the morning practice of 108 bows (or prostrations) clears the cobwebs of sleep, setting the tone for a mindful day.

For Westerners, the idea of bowing (especially the full prostration) may appear quite foreign, triggering cultural constructs of worship, subservience, or even humiliation. This may naturally result in the arising of a strong “dislike mind.” When considered within the context of Zen teachings, however, bowing is less about symbols and more about taking advantage of the mind-body connection to enable us to put down discursive thinking, which sometimes may be difficult to reach through sitting alone.

PZC abbot & co-guiding teacher Kwan Haeng Sunim JDPSN has talked extensively about the benefits of bowing for lowering the ego, getting in touch with the intuitive mind, and processing anger and other strong emotions. He stresses that the difference between bowing and traditional exercise is that bowing is not done with a specific outcome in mind (e.g. improving the condition of the body), but rather as a powerful technique for bringing the mind back to the present moment. As Zen Master Dae Bong wrote, with bowing practice “their center will become very strong, they can control their karma, take away their karma, and become clear.”

How you personally relate to bowing is less important than putting down your ideas and trying it for yourself. Bowing is part of the daily practice at our Zen centers and during long retreats. To quote Zen Master Dae Bong again, “Our bowing takes away our karma mind, our thinking mind, and returns us to this moment very clearly”.

References and Learn More

Bowing Q&A

When I bow, am I worshiping the Buddha?

No. Zen teaching emphasizes that the Buddha (“The Awakened One”) was not a God but a regular human being who attained clear mind, and that we can all wake up to our own Buddha nature through practice. Therefore, we bow to the Buddha as a gesture of respect and gratitude for the dharma (Zen teaching).

Why 108 bows?

108 is a meaningful number in eastern wisdom traditions, likely originating in ancient Vedic cosmology. In Why We Bow, Zen Master Dae Bong notes that in Buddhist traditions there are “108 defilements” of the mind that are symbolically cleared by bowing. It is also traditional for mala bead necklaces (which may be used to count bows) to have 108 beads.

While 108 is the traditional number of bows and an expedient goal for beginners to work toward, you are encouraged to use your own discernment to develop a personal bowing practice that works for your body and situation.

Is doing a full prostration in front of the teacher during Kong-an interviews mandatory?

While a full prostration before and after an interview is part of the Kwan Um tradition, a half bow is an acceptable substitute for those with physical limitations or philosophical objections.

I have a yoga or another physical practice that works for me. Should I bow as well?

When at the Zen Center, follow the schedule exactly, including bowing. If you are unable to do 108 full prostrations, substitute standing or sitting half bows.

Outside of Zen center settings, bowing can work as a dedicated practice, as a targeted prescription when more intensity is needed, or as part of a mind-body routine of your own design.