Vanessa Zuisei Goddard, Sensei

Zen Mountain Monastery, 10/28/2018

Bowing before a teacher, an image, a sacred space, or a fellow practitioner, are inseparable acts of Buddhist practice. But what does it mean to bow? And is it the same as bowing to an adversary? A mountain? A meal? In this dharma encounter, Zuisei Sensei asks Ango participants to step forward and present their understanding or their questions about bowing. As you’ll hear, many of the exchanges are illuminating and might even challenge your own notions about faith, identification, and gratitude.