I was asked to start a brief period of silent online meditation by ringing the singing bowl that I keep by my monitor. As I toggled “Original Sound for Musicians” to on, I said I would “invite the bell.”
It turns out, there is a wonderful short video where Thich Nhat Hanh explains this phrase and offers this poem to would be “bell masters”:
“Body speech and mind in perfect oneness
I send my heart along with the sound of the bell
May the hearers awaken from their forgetfulness
And transcend the path of anxiety and sorrow.”
The ringing of a singing bowl can remind us to pay attention in the moment – so we actually come awake to what is happening now – the only time we can really do that.
Before I found that video which puts “invite the bell” in context, I had decided to contemplate that phrase to see where it might take me – In what ways are we like bells? Can bells be thought of as being “alive”? Human actions can certainly “ring out” impacts in all directions. Our screens show us this in almost real time these days. It can seem like too much with so much going on at once – a veritable cacophony.
I was taught to use the word “invite” rather than “direct your attention to” when offering guidance for meditation practice. A non-demanding humble approach provides a gentle welcome that leaves the participants with a sense of choice and agency. But to invite a bell to ring. Does it really have a choice? Perhaps not, but we can bring an attitude of respect and appreciation to the bell for what it provides for us. Modeling that kind general attitude of gratitude and care to others could certainly matter. It can make life meaningful.
It is possible to have an intimate personal relationship with a singing bowl? They can begin to feel something like reliable pets or wise companions that live with you, always waiting and ready to be rung as needed, or for no reason at all. And singing bowls are certainly individuals. They have distinct “personalities.” They come in a wide variety of sizes and shapes. Their voices can be light and clear, or deep and boomy often with wonderful expressive overtones. You can check out some most interesting “characters” here.
A bell does have a way of drawing us in when it sounds – we tend to take notice. I imagined my breathing self merging with the bell’s vibrating substance so we became one shining resonance with no separation. When that began to feel weird, I returned to my embodied memory of the grounded simplicity of listening to a bell at the start of meditation practice. And with that I realized that somehow the idea of “inviting the bell” had begun to make perfect sense.
Radiant Refuge 