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Many Buddhist traditions do prostration or bowing as an important element of practice. Each country and lineage offers specific ways for prostrations to be performed. The practice of prostration is believed to date back to the time of the Buddha and the Pali canon mentioning that both monks and lay people prostrate before the Buddha. There are two types of prostration, short and full. In short prostration five points of the body touch the ground - forehead, two hands, two knees. In full prostration the entire body is place on the ground like a tree trunk which has fallen.



Here are some reasons why this is done:
  • to acknowledge the wisdom of the Buddha
  • to cultivate humility
  • to show gratitude and honor for the three jewels - the Buddha, the Dharma, the Sangha
  • to burn away negative karma
  • to prepare the body for meditation
  • to be centered in the present moment
  • to honor a teacher
  • to gain swifter spiritual realization
  • to connect with one's Buddha nature
The number of prostrations can range from 3 to 108, often using a mala bead for counting. Some Buddhists strive to do 100,000 over the course of many months.




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Victor M. Parachin ... 

a Vedic educator, yoga instructor, Buddhist meditation teacher and author of a dozen books. Buy his books at amazon or your local bookstore. Sadly, Victor passed away in August 2025, but his blog continues. Janet Parachin, his partner of 45 years, shares quotes from his books and articles each week. 

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