The three types of prostrations - Amidaji style (video)

Click here for the explanations in Spanish

Click here for the explanations in Romanian

There are three types of prostrations presented at Amidaji temple:

1)      Half body prostration from sitting

2)      Half body prostration from standing

3)      Full body prostration from standing

1)      Half body prostration from sitting

We place our hands in gassho on the crown of our head, at the forehead, at the throat level, and at the level of the heart. Then we bow with our head touching the ground and our palms facing upwards. We slightly raise our palms and we keep them there for a few seconds. We do this three times and at the end we bow with our hands in gassho from sitting.

2)      Half body prostration from standing

We place our hands in gassho on the crown of our head, at the forehead, at the throat level, and at the level of the heart. Then we crouch and we bow with our head touching the ground and our palms facing upwards. We slightly raise our palms and we keep them there for a few seconds. We do this three times and at the end we bow with our hands in gassho from standing position.

3)      Full body prostration from standing

We place our hands in gassho on the crown of our head, at the forehead, at the throat level, and at the level of the heart. Then we lie down with all body touching the ground. We raise our palms on the crown of our heads and we keep them there for a few seconds. We do this three times and at the end we bow with our hands in gassho from standing position.

All the time we do these prostrations we continually say Nembutsu, especially when we touch the crown of our head, the forehead, the throat, the heart, when we raise our palms facing upwards in the first two prostrations, and when we finish any type of prostration with the final bow.

The significance of the gestures:

All three types of prostrations are addressed to Amida Buddha.

Placing our hands in gassho on the crown of our head means that we consider Amida Buddha  and Amida Dharma above ourselves, and above everything, that He is the most important (Enlightened) Person in our religious life, and that we rely exclusively on Him. To put Amida Buddha there, on the highest part of our body is the highest gesture of respect.

Then, when we place our hands in gassho at the level of our forehead we mean we worship Amida Buddha with our mind, at the throat level – we worship Him with our voice, at the heart level – we worship Him with our heart and when we prostrate fully or partially – we worship Him with our body and entire being.

Raising the hands with palms facing upwards is like lifting the Buddha's feet above our head, which is another profound gesture of worship and respect.

Of course, these three types of prostrations are not mandatory as simple faith and Nembutsu are enough. However, I post them here just in case you would like to use them at home in your daily devotions. Sometimes we use them at the temple, too.