Gassho
がっしょう - 合掌 - (Ga-o-shi-yo-u)
Mudra
In Buddhism, they have 'mudra's (identity), these are gestures of spiritual significance.
Have seen this from one source also being called 'attjali'.
We do have another mudra which we use, called the Zenjō-in - ぜんじょう いん - 禅定印. This means the Dhyana-Samadhi Seal in English.
Dhyana and Samadhi are 2 of the 8 limbs of Yoga. Dhyana meaning Meditative absorption and Samadhi meaning Union, or integration.
Literal meaning
The word /gassho/ literally means "To place the two palms together". It's very important to Japanese buddhism, and is still used regularly today.
In Buddhism, everything is connected. Nothing is truly separate. The bringing of the hands together is to acknowledge the connection.
Use in Seido
But what we do in Seido, the 3 motions, seems to stem from Indian Buddhism. We bring ourselves closer to, pay respect to, and acknowledge ourselves in the 3 jewels or treasure of Indian Buddhism. These are:
- The Buddha. Either the Teacher, or the Enlightened.
- The Sangha. Either the Teachings, or the Community. The Teachings have taken on a bit of a modern interpretation, as the reality around you. Your surroundings.
- The Dharma. Either the Community, or the Path. The Path meaning the steps you take in your daily live of which you are connected to intrinsically.
This generally means in Seido, we pay respects to & acknowledge our teachers, our peers, and our dojo.
Sources
https://www.lionsroar.com/what-is-gasho/
https://www.onmarkproductions.com/html/mudra-japan.shtml
https://culvercitykarate.wonderhowto.com/news/gassho-and-kokoro-0117260/
https://www.bombu.org/content/dharma-talks/27-meaning-of-gassho
https://tricycle.org/magazine/nembutsu-pure-land-chant/
https://terebess.hu/zen/mesterek/Gassho-Bowing.pdf