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The Meaning of Gassho

In this video John discusses the meaning of ‘gassho’ – why do we bow? He looks at different explanations and connects it to Dogen’s reformulation of ‘koan’. In this view, a koan is the expression of the reality of this person, not some universal truth. And so with us when we bow, it is this person fully expressing themself in this karmic position.

Video adapted from Kusen 322 given on 2nd December 2020