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Returning to Happiness
Breathing in, I know that I am breathing in; breathing out, I know that I am breathing out. In the breath, I recognize that I am alive, I smile to life all around me, I feel the joy of breathing in and breathing out. I invite my father and mother to breathe with me; these two lungs are not only mine, but also my father’s, my mother’s. Breathing in, I feel healthy; breathing out, I feel light. Breathing in is delightful, breathing out is happiness.
More than twenty years ago, I dreamed I was a music student, confused because I had never studied music, suddenly discovering the bell that had accompanied me through sixteen years of monastic practice. Thanks to the bell, my mind became steady; I realized that becoming a monk does not mean abandoning music, but learning music through the sound of the bell, the drum, the wooden fish, the small bell, and the great bell. The young man in the dream was myself, still caught in old notions; when I let go of those views, transcending myself, the old self was left behind, and I could move forward with new and higher understanding.
The sound of the bell is an invitation to return to our spiritual roots, helping body and mind to be fully present in the here and now. Inviting the bell means inviting the bell to sound, not striking it; the one who invites the bell must recite the four-line gatha and breathe with the gatha so that the mind becomes calm and pure. There are three main kinds of bells:
- The small bell for supporting practice
- The hanging bell for informing the community
- The great bell in the bell tower
Every family should have a small bell to breathe together for nine breaths each day, both to maintain the energy of peace and to nurture connection through the breath and the gatha:
Body, speech, and mind in perfect oneness,
I send my heart along with the sound of the bell.
May all who hear it awaken from forgetfulness
And transcend the path of sorrow and pain.