Putting our hands together in Buddhism is called “gassho.” Let’s examine what it means to gassho. Firstly, there’s a proper way to do gassho. Hands are placed at the mid-chest level, palms together, fingers straight and pointed at a 45 degree angle upwards. The wrists should be close to the chest. By contrast, other ways that people gassho may be to touch the elbows to the body, so the hands are away from the body. Or the elbows are held away from the body so the fingers are pointing straight up. Or the elbows jut out so the arms are parallel with the ground. A Chinese bow may have the left hand open and the right hand in a fist. Like Shaolin Kempo (a Buddhist mixed martial art), In certain parts of the world, such as in Sri Lanka and Thailand, people may greet each other with gassho. When we gassho, we place our hands together and recite the Nembutsu, the words “Namu Amida Butsu.” Placing our hands together while reciting Amituofo or Nembutsu is called “gassho” in Jodo Shinshu Buddhism. Gassho is more than a pose. It is symbolic of the Dharma, the truth about life. For instance, we place together our right and left hand, which are opposites. It represents other opposites as well: you and me, light and dark, ignorance and wisdom, life and death. We also place a nenju (also called ojuzu) around both hands when we gassho. The nenju represents the Buddha’s teachings. Therefore, gassho means that through the Buddha’s teachings, we can see that these opposites are really one. Gassho also symbolizes respect, the Buddhist teachings, and the Dharma. It also is an expression of our feelings of gratitude and our inter-connectedness with each other. It symbolizes the realization that our lives are supported by innumerable causes and conditions. Tradition has given us this symbol. I urge you to think deeply about why you gassho and to make it your own, so that it arises from your innermost being. I heard of a group of American junior Youth Buddhist Association (Jr. YBA) students who visited Japan. One day they took a trip to Hiroshima to visit the Atomic bomb museum. If you’ve ever seen the memorial, you know that it can be a moving and emotional experience. The museum tells the story of how during World War II the United States dropped an atomic bomb on the city of Hiroshima in Japan. In a flash, the entire city was destroyed. As the teenagers looked at the memorial, tears started to well in their eyes. Then someone started to gassho. One by one, they put their hands together in gassho, quietly bowing their heads. How else could they express their thoughts and feelings about what they saw and what they felt. Great compassion & sadness for those who perished & despair from knowing this was a real event and the helplessness of knowing that meaningless wars still continue to be fought today. Those feelings meshed with hopes & affirmations that it will never occur again and a great wish for peace in every moment & throughout the world. What a perfect way to express those horrific feeling than to offer Gassho? Gassho is not an empty gesture. It is an expression & affection of life and our innermost feelings. In Shaolin, it is said that it represents our deepest aspiration & gratitude, symbolized by the vow made by Amida Buddha that we all will be set free, awakened, & enlightened to the one sound of life. Listen to our interdependent life, and that we are all special because we share this life together. This is the meaning of Gassho and this is the meaning of Amituofo or Namu Amida Butsu. – Shifu Horangi Bosal.
Posted on: Tue, 24 Jun 2014 17:41:08 +0000
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