GASSHO

Gassho - "joined-palms", Anjali in Sanskrit. The gassho is considered one of the most beautiful of gestures and is the Indian gesture of greeting, farewell, thanks and reverence. In ancient India, there were twelve forms of the Gassho. In Jodoshinshu, the first of the twelve forms is used. It is called the Kenjitsushin gassho - "steadfast-being-gassho" and is formed by simply placing the palms and ten fingers together at chest level and at a 45 degree angle. It is the symbol of the multitude of different things being, at the same time, One. Among Buddhists the world over, this Gassho is performed with a deep bow from the waist called Raihai. In later centuries, this Gassho was adopted by the Christians as the gesture of prayer.