Gassho

If you, like me, sometimes feel silly bowing to the computer screen, the zafu, or the buddha:

So, joining our hands palm to palm, we simultaneously create and express the absolute, the oneness which goes beyond all dichotomies. It is from this perspective that we make the gassho, and that we bow.
It is no ordinary person who bows; it is the Three Treasures recognizing itself in all things. If anyone thinks of himself as "just ordinary", he is, in effect, defaming the Three Treasures. And as we place our palms together we unite wisdom and samadhi, knowledge and truth, enlightenment and delusion.
BOWING:
Dogen Zenji once said: "As long as there is true bowing, the Buddha Way will not deteriorate." In bowing, we totally pay respect to the all-pervading virtue of wisdom, which is the Buddha.
In making the bow, we should move neither hastily nor sluggishly but simply maintain a reverent mind and humble attitude. When we bow too fast, the bow is then too casual a thing; perhaps we are even hurrying to get it over and done with. This is frequently the result of a lack of reverence.
On the other hand, if our bow is too slow, then it becomes a rather pompous display; we may have gotten too attached to the feeling of bowing, or our own (real or imagined) gracefulness of movement. This is to have lost the humble attitude which a true bow requires.

Quoted from:
http://www.dharmaweb.org/index.php/N..._Maezumi_Roshi

Gassho,
Bill

GASSHO

and meanwhile...stars, water, trash, people, planes, candles, trees, hello, music, fishes, birds, genjokoan, spOOn!

GAssho




Taigu

_/_
:D

Bill

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Taigu

GASSHO

and meanwhile...stars, water, trash, people, planes, candles, trees, hello, music, fishes, birds, genjokoan, spOOn!

GAssho




Taigu

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thank you.
r

What he's saying is: just bow.

Suzuki Roshi could tell someones practice by the way they bowed. It's not something we can perfect. The bowing bows.


W

I'll add:

In Zen, nothing is hidden. We can't fool anyone.

Gassho

W

Interesting this endless game which says, Maezumi says, Suzuki says, Deshimaru, no not Deshimaru :) ...Nishijima says, and so forth.
What is bowing? Not even bowing bows.
Maezumi's teaching is typical of the Japanese Soto tradition. Deshimaru used to make the same observation about slow and fast bowing.
Why not getting this nothing hidden and pure practice out of the way?
I used to stick to this approach. Now i stick everywhere. Whatever the bow, I accept fully.Not judging is it. Somebody takes one second:OK. Two hours to bow: OK.
Meanwhile...

Let's have a cup of something. Shall we?

gassho

taigu

:wink:

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Taigu

Interesting this endless game which says, Maezumi says, Suzuki says, Deshimaru, no not Deshimaru :) ...Nishijima says, and so forth.

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I don't know enough to argue about any of this :D . . . I keep bowing everyday . . . somedays I bow and feel silly, somedays serious, somedays happy, somedays oblivious . . . whatever, the bowing continues.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Taigu

Let's have a cup of something. Shall we?

gassho

taigu

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How about today? Say 7ish? :)

Gassho,
Bill

I bow to Maezumi and Suzuki and Deshimaru and Nishijima and Taigu and Bill and Will and Jinho ... oh, and stars, water, trash, people, planes, candles, trees, hello, music, fishes, birds, genjokoan, spOOn!

GASSHO, J

Quote:

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Interesting this endless game which says, Maezumi says, Suzuki says, Deshimaru, no not Deshimaru :) ...Nishijima says, and so forth.
What is bowing? Not even bowing bows.
Maezumi's teaching is typical of the Japanese Soto tradition. Deshimaru used to make the same observation about slow and fast bowing.
Why not getting this nothing hidden and pure practice out of the way?
I used to stick to this approach. Now i stick everywhere. Whatever the bow, I accept fully.Not judging is it. Somebody takes one second:OK. Two hours to bow: OK.
Meanwhile...

---

When we bow we bow. :)

Sometimes we worry about the bow. Sometimes we don't even bow. Forgetting one's self in the bow. What came first, the bow or breakfast?

Is anything more important than this?

Hi Will,

Thank you so much for being so patient with the old bloke,

I cannot agree more with you but at the same time, please read Jinho's post about fear.
There is a gassho that arises from...well,
let's share with you the memory of a child being held at gunpoint and realizing that the dad that gave him life was about to take the life of his own kid. The gassho i did without even knowing it was gassho had nothing to do with Buddhist theory, preaching and the likes. It had nothing with dropping whatever, making a long or short one, measuring or even guessing what kind of student stands in front of me ( I respect Suzuki and like him so much, at the same time we both share a basic conditonning almost impossible to shake off, he is soooo Japanese , I am sooooooooo French, and all is well) it arised from a complete broken heart. The child I was had nothing, just sheer and utter pain.

The gassho of Ryokan-so-sad, Sawaki-so-lonely, Trungpa-so-whatever, Issan-sooooooooo-messed up and the one of the guy next door arise from the same experience of being totally brokenhearted. And all is well baby.

I don't mind sharing these intimate memories with you because I know I am not the only one. Many people on this path suffered incredible pain and went through endless hells.
And a guy like me or you is going to tell them how to gassho?
Are you kidding?

Your presence and teaching are incredibly precious to us all. We like Will as Will, with no Buddhism, Dogen, the guy that walks the streets of China, up and down.Sits and forgets about it. Enjoys the company of girls. Enjoys the children playing over there. The guy who is pissed too.

I feel so close to you. What is more important than the truth of your-mine-their life?
We are all brokenhearted, Will, but please, show us how to gassho, don't teach us, show us!

Thank you for your patience and taking the time to read this very clumsy post.

Take care and have fun too :D





Bow and meanwhile...



Taigu

very good posts all.
Thank you!

Gassho, Shohei (who bows a lot in his noggin)

Taigu, I really like your last post... and the very natural and open way you said things :D

Gassho to all beings,
Luis
ps: don't be sad Will your posts are precious too :wink: