“With body, speech and mind in perfect oneness, I send my heart along with the sound of this bell…”

Brother Phap Linh was encouraged by Thay (Thich Nhat Hanh) to use “local material” to compose music. This piece became like a meeting of two ancient traditions of Celtic Christianity and Buddhism – a new beautiful flower is born.

With body, speech and mind in perfect oneness,
I send my heart along with the sound of this bell.

May the hearers awaken from forgetfulness,
and transcend the path of anxiety and sorrow.

I listen, I listen this wonderful sound
brings me back to my true home.

May the sound of this bell penetrated deeply into the cosmos,
in even the darkest places, living beings hear it clearly,
so that understanding lights up their hearts and with out hardship,
they transcend the cycle of birth and death.

Listening to the bell,
I feel my afflictions begin to dissolve,
my mind becomes calm, my body relaxed,
and a smile is born upon my lips,
following the sound of the bell, my breath guides me back,
to the safe island of mindfulness.
In the garden of my heart, flowers of peace bloom in beauty.

The Universal Dharma Door is already open,
the sound of the rising tide is clear, and the miracle occurs,
a beautiful child is born in the heart of a lotus flower,
a single drop of this compassionate nectar,
is enough to bring back the spring to mountains and to rivers.

Namo Valokiteshvaraya
Namo Valokiteshvaraya
Namo Valokiteshvaraya

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What is Mindfulness

Thich Nhat Hanh January 15, 2020

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