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Listening to Life
The sound of the bell is the Bodhisattva of Mindfulness, inviting us to return to our inner Buddha nature instead of seeking happiness in the future. There are three kinds of bells in the Zen tradition:
- the great bell (chuông đại hồng)
- the announcement bell (chuông báo)
- the mindfulness bell (chuông gia trì)
Before inviting the bell, it is necessary to:
- maintain absolute silence, up to 99%,
- turn off mobile phones and refrain from taking photographs (only those permitted may do so),
- minimize movement.
When the sound of the bell rings out, stop all thinking, remain silent, and focus on the breath—the subject is the mind, the object is the breath. The in-breath may last 3–5 seconds (for some, up to 10 seconds), and the mind follows the breath closely throughout, generating mindfulness and concentration, from which insight arises instantly. Mindfulness and concentration in the breath help to end the endless stream of thoughts, bringing freedom from the past and the future, and returning us to the stillness of the present moment.
At home, each family can:
- invite a small bell (mini bell) to be placed in a “breathing room” with a symbolic flower vase,
-
in the morning and evening, invite the bell three times, practicing nine breaths with the following gatha:
- Breathing in, recite “Body, speech, and mind in perfect oneness”
- Breathing out, recite “I send my heart along with the sound of the bell”
- Make the aspiration “May the hearer awaken from forgetfulness and transcend all anxiety and sorrow”
- when angry or sad, enter the breathing room, invite the bell, and breathe three times to calm the mind; parents may breathe together to offer support. Practice walking meditation from the parking lot to the workplace, following the rhythm of the breath (for example, two steps with the in-breath, three steps with the out-breath), bringing each step into the Pure Land in the here and now.