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Difference between revisions of "Prostration"

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(Created page with "thumb|250px| <poem> A prostration (Pali: panipāta, Skt.: namas-kara, Ch.: li-pai, Jp.: raihai) is a gesture used in Buddhist ...")
 
 
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A prostration (Pali: panipāta, Skt.: namas-kara, Ch.: li-pai, Jp.: raihai) is a gesture used in Buddhist practice to show reverence to the Triple Gem (comprising the Buddha, his teachings, and the spiritual community) and other objects of veneration.
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Among Buddhists prostration is believed to be beneficial for practitioners for several reasons, including:
 
  
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    an experience of giving or veneration
 
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    an act to purify defilements, especially conceit
 
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    a preparatory act for meditation
 
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    an act that accumulates merit (see karma)
 
  
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In contemporary Western Buddhism, some teachers use prostrations as a practice unto itself, while other teachers relegate prostrations to customary liturgical ritual, ancillary to meditation.
 
  
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Prostrations may also be subsumed within sadhana repetitions of various vinyasa forms of yogic discipline, such as Trul Khor, e.g. Importantly, vinyasa forms were directly influenced from Buddhist 'impermanence' (anitya) as was the language of Patanjali's Yoga Sutras informed by Buddhist discourse.
 
  
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Theravada Buddhism
 
  
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In the Pali canon, laypersons prostrating before the then-living Buddha is mentioned in several suttas. In Theravada Buddhism, as part of daily practice, one typically prostrates before and after chanting and meditation. On these occasions, one does typically prostrates three times: once to the Buddha, once to the Dhamma, and once to the Sangha. More generally, one can also prostrate before "any sacred object of veneration."
 
  
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Theravada Buddhists execute a type of prostration that is known as "five-point veneration" (Pali: patitthitapanca) or the "five-limbed prostration" (Pali: pañc'anga-vandana) where the two palms and elbows, two sets of toes and knees, and the forehead are placed on the floor. More specifically:
 
  
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    ... In the kneeling position, one's hand in añjali [palms together, fingers flat out and pointed upward] are raised to the forehead and then lowered to the floor so that the whole forearm to the elbow is on the ground, the elbow touching the knee. The hands, palm down, are four to six inches apart with just enough room for the forehead to be brought to the ground between them. Feet are still as for the kneeling position and the knees are about a foot apart....
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'''[[Prostration]]''' ([[Wyl.]] ''[[phyag 'tshal]]'') is the first of the [[seven branches]], and is described as the antidote to [[pride]].
  
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In Thailand, traditionally, each of the three aforementioned prostrations are accompanied by the following Pali verses:
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=={{Wiki|Etymology}}==
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First Prostration
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[[Prostration]] (or homage) in [[Tibetan]] is ''[[chak tsal]]'' ([[Wyl.]] ''[[phyag 'tshal]]''). According to the [[oral lineage]], the first part, ''[[chak]]'' ([[Wyl.]] ''[[phyag]]''), means something like ‘sweeping away’ any harmful [[actions]] and [[obscurations]], just as we sweep away dirt and dust using a broom. Then, ''[[tsal]]'' ('' [['tshal]]''), means that we receive the [[blessings]] of [[enlightened body]], [[speech]] and [[mind]], and gain all the [[siddhi]]s.
  
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Araham samma-sambuddho bhagava
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So what do we sweep away and receive?
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Buddham bhagavantam abhivademi.
 
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The Noble One, the fully Enlightened One, the Exalted One,
 
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I bow low before the Exalted Buddha.
 
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Second Prostration
 
  
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Svakkhato bhagavata dhammo
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*When we put our hands to our head, we sweep away all the [[negative actions]] and [[obscurations]] associated with the [[body]], and we receive the [[blessings]] of the [[enlightened body]].
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Dhammam namassami.
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*When we put our hands to our {{Wiki|throat}}, we sweep away all the [[negative actions]] and [[obscurations]] associated with the [[speech]], and we receive the [[blessings]] of [[enlightened speech]].
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The Exalted One's well-expounded Dhamma
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*When we put our hands to our [[heart]], we sweep away [[negative actions]] and [[obscurations]] of the [[mind]], and we receive the [[blessings]] of [[enlightened mind]].
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I bow low before the Dhamma.
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*When we {{Wiki|touch}} the ground with the five points of our [[body]] we {{Wiki|purify}} the [[five poisons]], and we receive the [[blessings]] of the [[five kayas]] and the [[five wisdoms]].
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Third Prostration
 
  
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Supatipanno bhagavato savakasangho
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==In [[Ngöndro]] Practice==
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sangham namami.
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In most [[ngöndro]] practices, [[prostrations]] are combined with the practice of [[taking refuge]], but in the [[Longchen Nyingtik Ngöndro]] they are combined with the [[Guru Yoga]].
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The Exalted One's Sangha of well-practiced disciples
 
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I bow low before the Sangha.
 
  
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In Theravadin countries such as Sri Lanka, when one goes before one's teacher, in order to "open one's mind up to receive instructions," one bows and recites the phrase, "Okāsa ahaṃ bhante vandāmi" ("I pay homage to you venerable sir").
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==Further Reading==
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Mahayana Buddhism
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{{Nolinking|*[[Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche]], ''Guru Yoga'' (Ithaca, New York: Snow Lion Publications, 1999), pages 41-43.
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*[[Khenpo Ngawang Pelzang]], ''[[A Guide to the Words of My Perfect Teacher]]'', translated by Padmakara Translation Group (Boston & London: Shambhala, 2004), pages 268-270.
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*[[Patrul Rinpoche]], ''[[The Words of My Perfect Teacher]]'', translated by Padmakara Translation Group (Boston: Shambhala, 1998), pages 317-321.}}
  
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In Zen Buddhism, both half- and full-prostrations are used. Zen master Robert Aitken writes:
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==See Also==
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*[[Three kinds of prostration]]
  
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    The Zen student is taught that in raihai [prostration] one throws everything away. Pivoting the forearms on the elbows and raising the hands [palms up] while prostrated is the act of raising the Buddha's feet above one's head.
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{{RigpaWiki}}
  
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Roshi Philip Kapleau writes:
 
  
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    The act of unself-conscious prostration before a Buddha is ... possible under the impetus of reverence and gratitude. Such "horizontalizings of the mast of ego" cleanse the heart-mind, rendering it flexible and expansive, and open the way to an understanding and appreciation of the exalted mind and manifold virtues of the Buddha and patriarchs. So there arises within us a desire to express our gratitude and show our respect before their personalized forms through appropriate rituals.
 
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Ninth-century Zen master Huang Po is said to have done prostrations so intensely that he wore a permanent red mark on his forehead.
 
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In Vajrayana Buddhism, prostrations are often performed before meditation or teachings, but can form a separate practice by itself. Prostrations are seen as a means of purifying ones body, speech and mind of karmic defilements, especially pride. Prostrations are used in tandem with visualization and can be used to express reverence to Guru Rinpoche and others.
 
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For example, in the context of offering homage to Guru Rinpoche, prostrations are to be performed as follows:
 
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    ...Bring your hands together in the 'lotus bud' mudra (the base of the palm and the fingertips together, and thumbs slightly tucked in) and place them on the crown of the head, then to the throat and heart. As you place your hands on your crown, you offer homage to Guru Rinpoche's enlightened body, purify defilements and obscurations incurred through the avenue of your body, and establish the potential to realize nirmanakaya. At your throat, you offer homage to his enlightened speech, and establish the potential to realized sambhogakaya. Bringing your hands to your heart, you offer homage to his enlightened mind, purify your mind's obscurations, and establish the potential to realize dharmakaya. The actual prostration is performed by dropping the body forward and stretching it full length on the floor, the arms outstretched in front.... Again, with hands in the lotus bud mudra, bend your arms back and touch your hands to the top of your head, a gesture that acknowledges the blessing flowing from Guru Rinpoche. Then stretch your arms out once more and push yourself up.... Bring your hands into the lotus bud mudra for the third time and touch your heart in a gesture of reverence. Then, with a smooth motion, bring your hands to your crown and perform the next prostration....
 
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This type of prostration is often done 3, 7, 21, or 108 times. A prostration mala can be used to facilitate counting.
 
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This form of prostration is used with enlightened beings other than Guru Rinpoche as well.
 
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Prostrations done in large numbers (like 100,000) can be part of the preliminary practices to the practice of tantra. Other practices like this can be reciting the Refuge prayer, mandala offerings, Vajrasattva mantras and other practices called ngöndro.
 
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[[Category:Buddhist Terms]]
 
[[Category:Buddhist Terms]]
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[[Category:Rituals]]
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[[Category:Bow]]
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[[Category:Ngöndro]]

Latest revision as of 09:19, 17 February 2024

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Prostration (Wyl. phyag 'tshal) is the first of the seven branches, and is described as the antidote to pride.

Etymology

Prostration (or homage) in Tibetan is chak tsal (Wyl. phyag 'tshal). According to the oral lineage, the first part, chak (Wyl. phyag), means something like ‘sweeping away’ any harmful actions and obscurations, just as we sweep away dirt and dust using a broom. Then, tsal ( 'tshal), means that we receive the blessings of enlightened body, speech and mind, and gain all the siddhis.

So what do we sweep away and receive?

In Ngöndro Practice

In most ngöndro practices, prostrations are combined with the practice of taking refuge, but in the Longchen Nyingtik Ngöndro they are combined with the Guru Yoga.

Further Reading

See Also

Source

RigpaWiki:Prostration

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