Tricycle | Awake in the World

The benefits of prostrating are these. The Sutra for Classifying Karma mentions ten benefits—one will have a handsome body, a golden complexion, and so on. Other sutras say that one acquires the merit to become a world emperor for each atom in the ground covered by one's body. The semi-prostration was discussed in the Tantras; it was how Pandit Naropa used to do his prostrations. Purchog Ngagwang Jampa is supposed to have said, "If you believe in the benefits of making prostrations, you will feel, 'If only my body, hands, and feet were longer.'"

[Before you prostrate, you join your hands together.] The Tirthikas traditionally press their palms together, but we do not follow this practice: we place our thumbs inside our cupped hands so that our hands are not empty. The shape of our hands then resembles the wish-granting gem.