One night early on in my training, after I'd gotten used to the bow-in/bow-out, my teacher tossed us a little puzzle to work on. I don't remember the exact words, but he implied that there was a purpose and meaning behind the 2 claps, then 1. Some things are just too confusing to bother with, so that one's been on a back burner somewhere waaaaaay in the back. However, the thought that there's something more to the bow-in has been in my mind almost every time we sit in that line, clap, and bow.
I'm still nowhere near figuring out what those claps mean, but I think maybe possibly I'm getting somewhere with part of it. (Potentially.)
I've noticed that when we raise our pressed-together hands and open our eyes from mokuso, my eyes usually focus one of two ways: On the hands or on the world past them. The focus slides from one to the other, and where I look alters my intention (whether it's inward or projected outward). There seems to be some significance there, more so because I wasn't looking for significance when I first noticed it.
Thinking on it right now, it's a lot like something I learned working at Kanakuk Kamp last summer. One of the themes was this phrase: I'm Third. The fuller version is, "God first, others second, I'm third." About half the time I'm doing mokuso, I'm praying or in a spirit of prayer - God first. Then my eyes open, and I naturally have a distant focal point, seeing the area beyond where we'll be training - others second. And finally, my focal point will shift to where my two hands meet - I'm third.
Maybe that's something, maybe it's not. Regardless, thinking that way attaches a good mindset to something we do all the time. I've also thought of it as coming in from the world (distant focal point drawing inward) or as going outward to help better the world (close focal point going outward). Both are good things to keep in mind, I think, and they don't seem too far-fetched to me.
Anyone else have any thoughts they'd like to share about anything in the bow-in/bow-out?
