A good bell master, before inviting the bell, must bow to the bell and practice breathing with the verse:
“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.”
And after breathing in and out several times like that, our mind becomes calm and peaceful, and only then should we begin to invite the bell. …
The sound of the bell is simple and bathes us in its lovely tone. As a community we recognize it as “the voice of the Buddha” that grounds us, nourishes us, guides us, and brings us back to our true home. This is the essence of who we are and strive to be. To help us along the path, Thầy has offered us this gatha, included in Stepping into Freedom: An Introduction to Buddhist Monastic Training:
Listening to the bell,
I feel my afflictions begin to dissolve.
My mind is calm, my body relaxed,
a smile is born on 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,
Dear Still Water Friends,
Lately, I have been thinking quite a bit about the simple yet resonant sound of the mindfulness bell. The effect of this sound on my body never ceases to amaze me, whether I’m sitting with the Sangha or by myself. It is as if a physical wave ripples through the essence of my very being. It is quite astonishing! While it calms me, touching my mental consciousness and quieting my mental formations, I am more struck by the physicality of the tones on my physical body. It is a joyful, warm, spine-tingling, peace-generating, spiritual wave. It makes me smile.
Over many years of practice, the sound of the bell has changed for me. When I was in my late thirties and early forties, practicing at Budding Flower Sangha in upstate New York, the bell’s sound was important but my focus was more on becoming acquainted with and learning to be comfortable with the teachings of Thích Nhất Hạnh (Thầy). I was learning to accept them, flow with them, and understand them. When I was in my fifties, practicing with Still Water, the sound of the bell took on a different tone. A near decade of practice solidified my connection to the sound, contributing to making my practice deeper and less conceptual and more a part of my daily life. Finally in my sixties and into my seventies, I gradually began to notice that tingling physicality that arises in synchronicity with the vibration of the bell and ripples through my very existence. It is wonderful. It is peaceful. My practice—while solid—is also a daily work in progress. The sound of the bell is invariably very good at helping me find the path back to the present moment.
There is a scientific basis for what I’ve called “tingling physicality.” It is rooted in the physics and psychology of sound and its effects on the body and the brain. The healing effect of sound has been known in many cultures for thousands of years. In an article in Psychology Today, psychotherapist and author Marlynn Wei writes:
A more technical study published in the Journal of Education and Health Promotion notes:
All very technical. Yet, it brings us back to the pure benefits of our practice. It is a practice deeply tethered to the sacred, spiritual sound of the bell. In a 2005 Dharma talk at Deer Park Monastery, Thầy describes the tradition in monasteries of sounding the Great Bell in the morning and the evening, an ancient practice that has great spiritual significance:
In a video entitled Bells of Mindfulness, Sister Đẳng Nghiêm of Deer Park Monastery describes how practicing with the bell has helped her relieve her own suffering. She demonstrates the proper sequence of actions for inviting the bell—but even more important than the physical actions is the attitude of reverence in the person inviting the bell:
The sound of the bell is simple and bathes us in its lovely tone. As a community we recognize it as “the voice of the Buddha” that grounds us, nourishes us, guides us, and brings us back to our true home. This is the essence of who we are and strive to be. To help us along the path, Thầy has offered us this gatha, included in Stepping into Freedom: An Introduction to Buddhist Monastic Training:
So, dear Sangha, I invite you to join us this Thursday to share your thoughts and deep, heartfelt feelings on your relationship with the sound of the bell. We will begin our meditation with the Great Bell Chant. During our Dharma sharing we may want to consider these questions:
Paul Flippin
I feel my afflictions begin to dissolve.
My mind is calm, my body relaxed,
a smile is born on 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,
the flower of peace blooms beautifully.
The text above is excerpted from the Oct 22, 2026 email from Still Water Sangha.
The Sound of the Bell
Thursday Evening Online Program
October 22, 2026, 7:00 to 8:45 pm Eastern time
Thursday Evening Online Program
October 22, 2026, 7:00 to 8:45 pm Eastern time
Dear Still Water Friends,
Lately, I have been thinking quite a bit about the simple yet resonant sound of the mindfulness bell. The effect of this sound on my body never ceases to amaze me, whether I’m sitting with the Sangha or by myself. It is as if a physical wave ripples through the essence of my very being. It is quite astonishing! While it calms me, touching my mental consciousness and quieting my mental formations, I am more struck by the physicality of the tones on my physical body. It is a joyful, warm, spine-tingling, peace-generating, spiritual wave. It makes me smile.
Over many years of practice, the sound of the bell has changed for me. When I was in my late thirties and early forties, practicing at Budding Flower Sangha in upstate New York, the bell’s sound was important but my focus was more on becoming acquainted with and learning to be comfortable with the teachings of Thích Nhất Hạnh (Thầy). I was learning to accept them, flow with them, and understand them. When I was in my fifties, practicing with Still Water, the sound of the bell took on a different tone. A near decade of practice solidified my connection to the sound, contributing to making my practice deeper and less conceptual and more a part of my daily life. Finally in my sixties and into my seventies, I gradually began to notice that tingling physicality that arises in synchronicity with the vibration of the bell and ripples through my very existence. It is wonderful. It is peaceful. My practice—while solid—is also a daily work in progress. The sound of the bell is invariably very good at helping me find the path back to the present moment.
There is a scientific basis for what I’ve called “tingling physicality.” It is rooted in the physics and psychology of sound and its effects on the body and the brain. The healing effect of sound has been known in many cultures for thousands of years. In an article in Psychology Today, psychotherapist and author Marlynn Wei writes:
Sound has an ancient kinship with meditation and healing. Sound healing has ancient roots in cultures all over the world, including Australian aboriginal tribes who used the didgeridoo as a sound healing instrument for over 40,000 years to ancient [rituals] such as Tibetan or Himalayan singing bowl spiritual ceremonies.
A more technical study published in the Journal of Education and Health Promotion notes:
Recent neuroimaging studies also suggest that auditory meditation practices promote enhanced connectivity between the anterior insula and medial prefrontal cortex, which supports autonomic calming. Sound-based meditations may amplify this mechanism via rhythmic auditory entrainment that slows respiration and lowers cortical arousal, explaining the significant GSR [Galvanic Skin Response] effect registered here.
All very technical. Yet, it brings us back to the pure benefits of our practice. It is a practice deeply tethered to the sacred, spiritual sound of the bell. In a 2005 Dharma talk at Deer Park Monastery, Thầy describes the tradition in monasteries of sounding the Great Bell in the morning and the evening, an ancient practice that has great spiritual significance:
A good bell master, before inviting the bell, must bow to the bell and practice breathing with the verse: “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.” And after breathing in and out several times like that, our mind becomes calm and peaceful, and only then should we begin to invite the bell. …
The atmosphere in the temple, the air in the meditation hall, is very majestic, very pure, very gentle, and full of the energy of strength and vitality. This is thanks to everyone in the meditation center practicing mindful breathing with the sound of the bell. The sound of the bell is truly sacred.
The sound of the bell is the true presence of the World Honored One (Đức Thế Tôn). And when we respectfully follow the sound of the bell, it is as if we are respectfully following the guidance of our Teacher, the Buddha.
That is why, in the morning, when we hear the bell, we must listen with our whole heart and breathe in harmony with the bell. And we listen to the bell, breathe with the bell, in such a way that we can generate mindfulness, concentration, and happiness. And this happiness is created by the whole community, not just by one person.
The bell was created so that we can practice, so that we can touch peace and happiness. The sound of the bell is not a command, but a gentle reminder. The bell is a true friend on the path. That is why we must make a commitment with the bell: every time we hear the bell, we practice wholeheartedly.
In a video entitled Bells of Mindfulness, Sister Đẳng Nghiêm of Deer Park Monastery describes how practicing with the bell has helped her relieve her own suffering. She demonstrates the proper sequence of actions for inviting the bell—but even more important than the physical actions is the attitude of reverence in the person inviting the bell:
The sound of the Bell is very important to me. I can say it saved my life. A lot of suffering arose in me and sometimes it felt so overwhelming I couldn't bear it. … Many times I would go to the big Meditation Hall of New Hamlet … and I would invite the Bell again and again sometimes for hours just to breathe, just to embrace and calm my feelings. …
Thầy teaches us very clearly the steps that we can take to invite the Bell for many of us who live at home and not in the monastery. … It’s the ritual, it's the establishing the relationship with the Bell that can mean everything to us. …
Slowly the mind learns to calm down and to quiet, and to just taste that moment of quietness, of quietude in the mind is very delicious. The breath is the best music there is; it is the truest reflection of our state of body and mind. The most powerful thing that is in my power … is to be able to sit with myself, to be there for whatever that arises.
The sound of the bell is simple and bathes us in its lovely tone. As a community we recognize it as “the voice of the Buddha” that grounds us, nourishes us, guides us, and brings us back to our true home. This is the essence of who we are and strive to be. To help us along the path, Thầy has offered us this gatha, included in Stepping into Freedom: An Introduction to Buddhist Monastic Training:
Listening to the bell,
I feel my afflictions begin to dissolve.
My mind is calm, my body relaxed,
a smile is born on 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,
the flower of peace blooms beautifully.
So, dear Sangha, I invite you to join us this Thursday to share your thoughts and deep, heartfelt feelings on your relationship with the sound of the bell. We will begin our meditation with the Great Bell Chant. During our Dharma sharing we may want to consider these questions:
- Is there a reaction in your body and mind when you hear the sound of the bell?
- How does the mindfulness bell help you deepen your practice?
- When acting as a bell master, what intention do you bring to inviting the bell?
Paul Flippin
