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Healing ourselves, Healing the World
The sound of the bell invites us “home” to our deepest peace, presence and freedom. A bell master may train three years or more so that each strike expresses solidity, mindfulness and awakening. Before sounding a small bell you bow, hold it in a lotus-hand of five petals, and practice mindful breathing with the four-line gatha:
- Body, speech, and mind in perfect oneness.
- I send my heart along with the sound of this bell.
- May those who listen awaken from forgetfulness.
- May they transcend the path of sorrow and anxiety.
Half-sound (in-breath + out-breath) warns people to prepare; then one full sound followed by three in-breaths and three out-breaths with the two-line gatha “Listen, listen, this wonderful sound brings me back to my true home.” Repeat for a total of three full sounds, always allowing extra breaths for adults. Children today will practice inviting the small bell to sound under young guides’ supervision.
Awakening Together hinges on two insights: we and the Earth both need healing, and that healing is available within us and around us if we cultivate right thinking and appropriate attention. Karma (thought, speech, action) shapes both our “body-mind” and our environment. By generating three energies—mindfulness (smṛti), concentration (samādhi), and insight (prajñā)—through basic practices—
• Mindful Breathing
• Mindful Walking
• Mindful Eating
—we touch healing elements every moment and transform suffering into understanding, compassion, and joy.
