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| Mindfulness through the sound of bells.
Singing bells have come to the west to be appreciated as a tool of Mindfulness. Allowing the sound of the bell to fully complete into the silence can center one’s thoughts. This is tool used for many centuries by Tibetan Monks. Thich Nhat Hanh travels around the world to introduce the bell teaching to the world. At Deerpark Monastery in Escondido, California, they practice in the teachings of Thich Nhat Hanh. The following video introduces these teachings of the bells.
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In an 1986 interview with Lama Lobsang Leshe, a Tibet Monk born in Lhasa, Rain Gray, a Tibetan Musicologist, received this answer regarding the West’s role in singing bowls.
Rain Gray: “At this time I’m wondering what is the significance that this singing bowl and this sound is going to the West. Padmasambhava said that ‘When the iron bird flies, the Dharma will be spread to the West.’ So, I’ve been feeling for many years now that somehow this sound is important for the world because the sound is the sound of the Dharma. And it carries the Dharma, whether people realize it or not, because in my experience with many types of people, whether Buddhists or non-Buddhists, young people and very old people, everybody is attracted to this sound. And specifically, they can’t exactly say why, but they like to hear this sound. So this is very appreciated in the Western world. Now that the Dharma is becoming so strong in the Western world my intuitive feeling is that, somehow, this sound has some importance for the world today.
Lobsang Leshe: “Yes, if so Dharma goes to the West, Guru Padmasambhava said that ‘Dharma goes to West’ means that definitely they have seeds. Of course, you know, all sentient beings have enlightened beings seeds, nature of Dharma, of Buddha, you know, really. So, before all teaching is Asia, most teachings in Asia. So, actually, yes, yes. Also, Buddha is not in the world now, this world. So many other worlds his presentation now, he’s giving teaching. So, Buddha is not here, but his Dharma is here. So, singing bowl can give teaching to someone who has the seeds of Dharma. Each sentient being has many different natures, many different ‘ears’. That’s why, yes of course, singing bowl can give you Dharma. Really have that connection of that Buddha or Shambhala, same you know, really connection of singing bowl or those sounds connection to the Shambhala. Means singing bowl sound gives you teaching then you can go to Shambhala. That is really the connection.
Connect to your heart through the sound of the bell.