Bowing is a very serious practice.
You should be prepared to bow,
even in your last moment.
Even though it is impossible
to get rid of our self-centered desires,
we have to do it.
Our true nature wants us to.
Sometimes the disciple bows to the master,
sometimes the master bows to the disciple.
A master who cannot bow to his disciple
cannot bow to the Buddha.
Sometimes the master and disciple
bow together to the Buddha.
Sometimes we may bow to cats and dogs.

Shunryu Suzuki (1904 CE-1971 CE), Shunryu Suzuki, often called Suzuki Roshi; was a Sōtō Zen monk and teacher who helped popularize Zen Buddhism in the United States, and is renowned for founding the first Zen Buddhist monastery outside Asia. Suzuki founded San Francisco Zen Center which, along with its affiliate temples, comprises one of the most influential Zen organizations in the United States.