We can't find the internet
Attempting to reconnect
Something went wrong!
Hang in there while we get back on track. If this problem persists help us by reporting it so we can investigate it.
Watch this talk
Login or create a free account to watch this talk and discover other teachings from Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh.
Log in or create an account
Practicing the Three Prostrations
The basic teaching is non-self – there is no separate “I” – and only through practice can we penetrate this truth. The three prostrations are not for debating non-self but are a concrete method of practice, bringing about the unification of body, speech, and mind, and initiating mindfulness to return to the “here and now” through:
- the lotus in the hands combined with mindful breathing
- placing the thumbs on the forehead (the realm of the intellect) and then on the chest (the heart)
- the posture of five limbs touching the earth and opening the hands to surrender (letting go)
The first prostration is to make contact with our ancestors and descendants in two streams:
- the blood family (parents, grandparents, future generations)
- the spiritual family (Buddha, Bodhisattvas, ancestral teachers, teachers)
Through this prostration, the past and the future gather in the present moment, helping us to let go of self-clinging, to merge into the stream of life, and to open the path to the insight of non-self and the liberation from suffering.