Why Has the Physically Demanding Practice of “Full-Body Prostration” Endured in Tibet for Centuries?

Tibetans believe in the existence of “three lifetimes”: the past life, the present life, and the next. This belief is common among all Buddhist followers. In fact, the Chinese idiom “san sheng you xing” (meaning “blessed across three lifetimes”) originates from this idea. The act of “full-body prostration,” or what is known in Tibetan as kora or “kho long chag tsal,” is a spiritual ritual performed to purify negative karma in this life and accumulate blessings for the next.

This unique form of worship is something travelers to Tibet will never forget. It’s deeply moving to witness and leaves a powerful emotional impression.

During my recent journey through Tibet, I saw many devotees prostrating along China’s National Highway 318 in the Nyingchi region (eastern Tibet). However, when I traveled through Shigatse in western Tibet, I didn’t see any.

Along Highway 109 from Lhasa to Damxung County and Lake Namtso, I again saw men and women prostrating. I asked my young and talkative Tibetan driver if he had ever done this practice himself. He replied with a firm “yes” and explained that every Tibetan must undergo this ritual at some point in their lives.

In Tibetan Buddhism, full-body prostration is considered one of the most devout ways to show reverence to the Buddha. The phrase “five-point prostration” refers to how practitioners lay their entire bodies on the ground in devotion. This is considered an act of reverence through the “body.” Simultaneously, the practitioner chants the six-syllable mantra “Om Mani Padme Hum,” the most sacred utterance in Vajrayana Buddhism — comparable to how Chinese Buddhists chant “Namo Amituofo.” This represents reverence through “speech.” Lastly, the act is carried out with pure and unwavering faith in the heart — reverence through “mind.”

There’s a fixed ritual involved, almost like performing a spiritual exercise. First, one stands upright and recites the mantra while placing palms together above the head. With each recitation, a step is taken: hands at the forehead for the first step, chest for the second, and mid-body for the third. Then, the practitioner lowers themselves — knees to the ground, hands outstretched, body flat, and forehead touching the earth. Then they rise and begin again. Throughout the process, the mantra is chanted without pause.

What I described above is the “three steps, one prostration” method — often used for the first pilgrimage. For those who have done it before, they may adopt faster rhythms like one prostration every five, seven, or nine steps.

Pilgrims rest at sunset and begin again at sunrise. There are tents along the way where groups of families stay together. If they encounter difficult terrain like cliffs or landslides, they can bypass it. Since prostrators are not allowed to block traffic, you won’t see them on the roads in downtown Lhasa.

Regardless of where the pilgrimage begins, the destination is almost always the Jokhang Temple in Lhasa. Although some people consider the Potala Palace the end point, I didn’t see any prostrators there — likely due to limited space and restricted access. But in front of the Jokhang Temple, I saw many pilgrims prostrating.

There are generally three types of full-body prostration practices: long-distance pilgrimages spanning thousands of kilometers and taking months or even years; short-term journeys that last from a few hours to several weeks; and local daily prostrations performed in front of temples on regular days or during special Buddhist festivals.