Gassho
合掌
A greeting with palms pressed together in front of the chest, taken over from Buddhism. In Shorinji Kempo it replaces the usual bow.
Quick Facts
Term typeEtiquette and ceremony
LanguageJapanese
Formnoun
Pronunciation[gahs-shoh]
Alternative Namesjoined palms
Readings and romanizations
Reading (kana)がっしょう
Hepburn romanizationgasshō
Word breakdown
合gasjoin
掌shōpalm
Definition
Gassho (合掌) means “joined palms”. The palms are placed together in front of the chest, the fingers point up, and one often bows slightly as well. The gesture comes from Buddhist practice, where it expresses respect and gratitude. In Shorinji Kempo, which Doshin So founded as a Buddhist practice, gassho rei is the basic greeting instead of a bow with the hands at the sides. It is used in some other dojo too, mainly in meditation.