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Inviting the Bell, Dwelling in the Breath
Practicing with the bell:
Inviting the bell to sound is to return to oneself and fully inhabit the present moment:
- Greet the bell with reverence, smile, then breathe in and out twice while holding the bell, right hand in left hand. During the in-breath: “Body, speech, and mind in perfect harmony.” During the out-breath: “I send my heart with the sound of this bell.”
- A second in-breath: “May all those who hear me emerge from their world of forgetfulness.” Out-breath: “And transcend all anxiety and suffering.”
- Make a half-sound as a warning, wait about ten seconds to allow everyone to prepare, then invite the bell to sound fully.
- With each full sound, silently breathe in: “Listen, listen, this wonderful sound brings me back to my true home,” and silently breathe out the same phrase, three times (for a total of nine breaths).
Exercises in mindful breathing:
- First exercise: I breathe in, I know this is an in-breath; I breathe out, I know this is an out-breath.
- Second exercise: I follow the in-breath from beginning to end, then the out-breath.
- Third exercise: I breathe in, aware of my suffering body; I breathe out, offering it relaxation and rest.
Mindful breathing and walking become an inner music: they restore the harmony of body and mind, nourish mindfulness and concentration, and open the door to peace, joy, and the experience of the “true home.”
