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The Sound of the Bell
The poem by Truc Lam Thuong Si begins with the image “spring comes, the colors of flowers entangle the heartstrings,” expressing the youthful mind’s infatuation with the beauty of spring flowers, not yet understanding the meaning of form and emptiness. Through practice, from “entangled heartstrings” we progress to sitting in meditation peacefully before falling flowers, the mind unmoved, manifesting the journey from ordinary emotional turbulence to the serenity of a practitioner.
There are two ways to translate the poem:
- Expressing the philosophical depth: “The true face of spring, now I have discovered”—having understood the true countenance of spring.
- Simply, for ordinary people: “The Lord of Spring is now a familiar friend”—easy to feel, suitable for daily life.
Practicing mindfulness daily with the sound of the bell: each time the bell sounds, it is an invitation to pause, to breathe, to recognize our habitual energies, and to bring gentle joy. From washing pots to giving a Dharma talk, pausing in the middle to breathe helps maintain wakefulness and health for both the speaker and the listener.
The spirit of community is expressed through the printing and dissemination of the Dharma:
- Preparing books, chanting tapes, and practice manuals so that everyone—families, young people, monks and nuns—can easily practice.
- Each retreat, each work (such as the story of Buoi, Diamond Sutra Commentary, June retreat, etc.) is the result of the collective, not belonging to any individual, aiming to build a strong Sangha and to spread the Dharma everywhere.