Bowing Down: Eastern Cultures & Practice

Since the earliest days of recorded human history, humans have fallen to their knees, bowed down and put their faces/foreheads on the ground and/or flattened their bodies (also known as prostration) to each other and to their deities - showing honor, respect and/or obedience.

To us Americans, this is a rather foreign concept, as we as a nation do not have a tradition of bowing to each other or people in power like a president or king - but we are familiar enough with movies and TV shows featuring European culture (where men bow at the waist and women curtsy), and/or Asian/Eastern cultures (where people bow to each other).

In Eastern and Middle Eastern cultures (Japan, Tibet, Mongolia, Korea, Vietnam, China, Persia, Arabia, etc.) and also some African cultures, bowing down on the ground was - and still is - a very common practice.

From a Biblical perspective, we can see evidence of this from the first chapter in the Bible to the last chapter: in the ancient Middle Eastern culture as far back as the 18th chapter of Genesis with Abraham - all the way through to the time of Jesus, in the 1st century A.D.

Herodotus, a Greek historian who lived in 500 B.C., described the way Persians greeted each other (Histories 1.134). It makes very much sense to me that this was the practice of those in the Biblical lands as well

“When the Persians meet one another in the roads, you can see whether those who meet are of equal rank. For instead of greeting by words, they kiss each other on the mouth; but if one of them is inferior to the other, they kiss one another on the cheeks, and if one is of much less noble rank than the other, he falls down before him and prostrates“

So why is this important to understand? Well, the Bible translations we have now in English are missing and mistranslating this practice most of the time. You might see a phrase like “someone fell down and worshiped”. The “fell” part is usually translated correctly, but the bowing down part is usually translated as “worship”.

Here are some other examples of this practice in other cultures and religions:

Japan: here they perform "Dogeza", here is what wikipidia says on the subject:

"Dogeza is an element of traditional Japanese etiquette which involves kneeling directly on the ground and bowing to prostrate oneself while touching one's head to the floor. It is used to show deference to a person of higher status, as a deep apology or to express the desire for a favor from said person.

The term is used in Japanese politics such as "dogeza-gaikō", which is translated to "kowtow diplomacy" or "kowtow foreign policy". In general, dogeza is translated into English as "prostration" or "kowtow""

China, Mongolia, Vietnam & Korea: In Chinese, Mongolian, Vietnamese and Korean cultures they perform a kowtow. Per Wikipdia on subject "A kowtow is the act of deep respect shown by prostration, that is, kneeling and bowing so low as to have one's head touching the ground.

The kowtow is the highest sign of reverence and is/was widely used to show reverence for one's elders, superiors, and especially the Emperor of China, as well as for religious and cultural objects of worship.

Since one is required by Confucian philosophy to show great reverence to one's parents and grandparents, children may also be required to kowtow to their elderly ancestors, particularly on special occasions. For example, at a wedding, the marrying couple was traditionally required to kowtow to both sets of parents, as acknowledgement of the debt owed for their nurturing."

In Korea in 2021, South Korean Buddhists joined with Burmese activists, prostrating themselves in an act called ochetuji, in which their knees, elbows, and forehead each touch the ground.

Tibet: People in Tibet also kowtow and do a "long kowtow".

"Long Kowtow is one phenomena that in various parts of the roads that leading to Lhasa, people from time to time see the pilgrims, dressed with a “Leather made Apron ” putting their bodies on the ground and stretching their whole body as long as they can, then standing up with two hands together.

Each time, the pilgrim only move the distance that their body covers. This action that to cover the whole road from beginning to the end with their body is one holy ritual which last for years.

Long Kowtow – Procedure

The procedure is usually to be started with putting the hands together in front of the chest; then rise it up over the head...then lower hands and touch the forehead, nose, mouth and finally back to the chest, then kneel down, and put two hands on the ground to hold the body, then stretching the upper body down till the whole body is to touch the ground;

then put two hands together again, bending over elbows to rise two hands over the head again; after that, put two hands on the two sides of the body and push upper body up and stand up to complete one circle ; then repeatedly to do this. "

Burma: In Burma they perform gadaw. "Gadaw (also spelt kadaw) is a Burmese verb referring to a Burmese tradition in which a person, always of lower social standing, pays respect or homage to a person of higher standing (including Buddhist monks, elders, teachers and Buddha), by kneeling before them and paying obeisance with joined hands, and bowing.

This is usually done by students to their teachers or children or grandchildren to their elders (parents, aunts, uncles and grandparents), in order to show gratitude and reverence and an opportunity to ask for forgiveness, often involving gift-giving." Wikipedia link here to gadaw.

Hawaii: In ancient Hawaii, a form of prostration known as kapu moe required all to prostrate in the presence of a chief on the pain of death. The only people exempt from this were chiefs of the next grade... who were required to sit in their presence. Other Polynesian groups are known to practice this. Wikipedia link

Africa: In Africa, "in traditional and contemporary Yoruba culture, younger male family and community members greet elders by assuming a position called "ìdọ̀bálẹ̀". The traditional, full Yoruba prostration involves the prostrator lying down almost prone with his feet extended behind his torso while the rest of his weight is propped up on both hands.

This traditional form is being replaced by a more informal bow and touching the fingertips to the floor in front of an elder with one hand, while bending slightly at the knee. The female form of the greeting is the "ìkúnlẹ̀", a form of kneeling where the younger party bows to one or both knees in front of an elder relative or community member. Both gestures are widely practiced; to not perform them would be considered ill-mannered.

Modified versions of both greetings are also common in traditional Yoruba religious and cultural contexts in the African diaspora, particularly in Brazil and Cuba."

Bowing as part of Religion

Sikhism: In India, "Sikhs prostrate in front of the holy scripture of the Sikhs...by prostrating, Sikhs present their head to their Guru.

Sikhs call the prostration "lowering the forehead". Whenever and however many times a Sikh is in the presence of Guru, he will prostrate, usually upon the initial sight of Guru and again upon leaving the presence of Guru.

Sikhs, in their personal worship, will prostrate upon the completion of prayers. The direction of prostration is not important as Sikhs place emphasis on the omnipresence of God: however, if it is possible, Sikhs tend to prostrate in the direction in which books containing the word of God are kept.

Other prostrations practiced by Sikhs from an Indian culture are touching of the feet to show respect and great humility (generally done to grandparents and other family elders). Full prostration is reserved for Guru Granth Sahib, as prostration is considered to be the ultimate act of physical humility and veneration. Wikipedia Link.

Judaism: "in Judaism, the Tanakh and Talmudic texts (as well as writings of Gaonim and Rishonim) indicate that prostration was very common among Jewish communities until some point during the Middle Ages.

In Mishneh Torah, Maimonides states full prostration (with one's body pressed flat to the earth) should be practiced thrice daily.

Karaite Jews: practice full prostrations during prayers.

Orthodox Ashkenazi Jews: prostrated during Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur, as did Yemenite Jews during the Tachanun part of daily Jewish prayer.

Ethiopian Jews: traditionally prostrated during a holiday specific to their community known as Sigd. Sigd comes from a root word meaning prostration in Ge'ez, Aramaic, and Arabic.

There is a movement among Talmide haRambam to revive prostration as a regular part of daily Jewish worship.

Rabbinical Judaism teaches that when the High Priest spoke the name of God in the Holy of

Holies of the Temple in Jerusalem on Yom Kippur, the people in the courtyard were to prostrate themselves completely as they heard the name spoken aloud."

Here is an additional note concerning Jews and prostrating on stone floors:

The Bible states, in Leviticus 26:1, “Nor shall you install a kneeling-stone in your land, to bow down upon it.” Idol-worshipers often placed a special stone before their idol and then used it to kneel upon while they prayed to their idols. The above verse forbids prostrating yourself flat-out on a stone floor, even if you are worshiping the One G‑d.

Our Sages extended this prohibition to include kneeling. However, the Code of Jewish Law states that if you put an intervening substance on the stone floor, then it is permitted to kneel. Therefore, on Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, when we do kneel and bow down with our faces to the floor, people bring towels to kneel on, since many synagogues (especially in Israel) have stone or tile floors.

The Jewish Encyclopedia says this: [in the] Second Temple, and in accordance with the pharisaic love of minutiae, the number of bows in the Temple was exactly fixed. Every visitor... had thirteen to perform, with the hands and feet spread out and the face touching the ground (Mishnah Sheḳ. vi. 1, 3; Tosef. ib. ii. 17). Other optional forms are mentioned, such as (Ber. 34b) bending the knee with the face touching the ground, and kissing the floor of the Temple (Suk. 53a,).

After every sacrifice the priests had to make the full prostration (Mishnah Tamid, vi. 1, 2). A further form was the sudden and complete prostration with the face to the ground, which took place only once a year, on the Day of Atonement, when the high priest pronounced the Ineffable Name, on hearing which all present threw themselves on the ground. (Yer. Yoma, iii. 40d. The Mishnah in Bab.)

Samaritans: the Samaritans, who live in the same geographic area as the Jews and share some of the same religious beliefs and practices, also prostrate. There is photographic evidence of them doing this as recently as 1936, as in the photo below.

"The Samaritan prays twice a day and prayers require ruku' (bowing down) and sujud (prostration). [Sujud is the Arabic word for prostration, also used below by Muslims]" Original article here

Islam: Prostrations (sajadat, plural of sujud or sajda) are used to praise, glorify and humble oneself in front of Allah (The God), and are a vital part of the five obligatory prayers performed daily

Wikipedia source on prostration

Hinduism: The picture below is from 2012 and is part of festival to the sun god, where they prostrate themselves in thanks to him.

Buddhism: see previous info in this article about Tibet. Tibetan pilgrims often progress by prostrating themselves fully at each step, then moving forward as they get up, in such a way that they have lain on their face on each part of their route.

This is often done...in an extremely arduous pilgrimage, Mount Kailash is circumnavigated entirely by this method, which takes about four weeks to complete the 52 kilometre route. It is also not unusual to see pilgrims prostrating all the way from their home to Lhasa, sometimes a distance of over 2000 km, the process taking up to two years to complete.

Christianity: "Orthodoxwiki.com defines a prostration as “An act of distributing one’s weight on the knees, feet, and hands, touching the forehead to the floor, staying in the position as long as desired or necessary, then standing up." article here.

Oriental Orthodox Christianity and Western Orthodox Christianity: believers prostrate during the seven fixed prayer times; prayer rugs are used by some adherents to provide a clean space for believers to offer their Christian prayers to God.

Oriental Orthodox Christians, such as Copts [Coptic] Christians: incorporate prostrations in their prayers that are performed facing eastward in anticipation of the Second Coming of Jesus, "prostrating three times in the name of the Trinity; at the end of each Psalm … while saying the ‘Alleluia’; and multiple times" during the forty-one Kyrie eleisons".

Syriac Orthodox and Indian Orthodox Christians: make multiple prostrations at the seven fixed prayer times.

Old Ritualists: a prayer rug known as the Podruchnik is used to keep one's face and hands clean during prostrations, as these parts of the body are used to make the sign of the cross.

Eastern Orthodox (Byzantine Rite): prostrations are preceded by making the sign of the cross and consist of kneeling and touching the head to the floor. They are commonly performed both at specific moments during the services and when venerating relics or icons.

Roman Catholic, Lutheran, and Anglican Churches: use full prostrations, lying flat on the floor face down, during the imposition of Holy Orders, Religious Profession and the Consecration of Virgins. Additionally, in the Roman Catholic Church and United Methodist Church, at the beginning of the Good Friday Liturgy, the celebrating priest and the deacons prostrate themselves in front of the altar.

Dominican practice on Good Friday services in priory churches includes prostration by all friars in the aisle of the church.

I hope these examples and pictures have given you, the reader, a good idea of how common prostration and bowing down was - and still is - a very common practice, not just in the Eastern cultures, but in many religions around the world.

For many Christians in the USA, we have become distanced from the practice, not only due to changing of cultural norms, but also because the words for "bowing down" and "prostrating" have been translated as worship, which I will uncover in the related articles. Happy reading!