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What’s the significance of the bell? The bell is a bell of mindfulness to encourage us to know when to begin or to end something. It acts like a bodhisattva, gently calling us back to awareness of the present moment. When the bell is rung three times, we stop whatever we are doing and relax and become aware of our breathing. We stay still and silent until the sound dies away. By stopping to breathe and restore our calm and our peace we become free and restore our mindfulness
How is the bell used? Within the practice we refer to inviting the bell to sound, rather than “striking” or “sounding” the bell. The small rod used to invite the bell is therefore known as the bell inviter. The person inviting the bell (“the bell master”) needs to feel really solid, at peace and present in the moment. Accordingly he or she needs to concentrate their awareness so that the bell will produce a beautiful sound and be of maximum benefit to the Sangha. To help the bell master accomplish this it is useful to first focus on one’s breath and recite the following gatha:
With 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 all anxiety and sorrow.
Usually before we invite the mindfulness bell to sound it is important to wake up the bell. To wake up the bell we gently strike the edge of the bell with the inviter and hold it there, creating a short muffled sound. This allows the Group to prepare for the full sound of the bell.
The sound of the bell gives us an opportunity to come back to our breath and dwell in the present moment. On hearing the sound of the bell, we stop what we are doing and concentrate for at least three breaths. The following gathas can help us in this practice:
Listen, listen, this wonderful sound
Brings me back to my true self.
OR
The sound of the bell is the voice of the Buddha
calling me back to my true home.
Before inviting the bell again, the bell master will allow enough time for three in- and out-breaths.
What’s all the bowing about? Group members bow to one another before and after speaking during the evening’s formal practice. Bowing is a standard feature of etiquette in many Asian countries. It has no religious connotations but many Westerners find it unnatural and wonder whether it is necessary to bow or not. Thich Nhat Hanh has often said to his students, “To bow or not to bow is not the question. The important thing is to be mindful.” When we greet someone with a bow, we have the chance to be present with that person and with the nature of awakeness, within us and within the other person. We do not bow just to be polite or diplomatic, but to recognize the miracle of being alive.
What is “Om”? Om (also Aum) is a mystical or sacred syllable in the Hindu Jain and Buddhist religions. It is placed at the beginning of most Hindu texts as a sacred exclamation to be uttered at the beginning and end of a reading of the Vedas or previous to any prayer or mantra and also is said in the beginning of any puja (religious ritual). Within Buddhism, Om is principally associated with Vajrayana Buddhism, practiced in Tibet. Whatever its origins it is a wonderful chant because everyone can do it and it does produce an inner vibration that helps us to become grounded.
How should I sit in meditation? Don’t feel you need to be supple enough to get into the lotus position on the floor in order to be able to meditate. Most Group members use a chair which is a good place for beginners to start. A chair is a perfectly acceptable meditation base provided you use it correctly.
Body: Sit comfortably on the front part of your chair, keeping your back straight with the head centred over the spine. Don’t lean on the back of the chair. Both feet should be planted firmly on the ground, legs at 90 degrees or slightly more to your body. You should have three points of contact to keep you steady in meditation – your bottom and your two feet. The importance of keeping the back straight is to allow the diaphragm to move freely. The breath is an important part of meditation as we shall see, so it is important to be able to breathe freely and deeply. In general, as we get older, our breathing becomes restricted, and less and less complete. We tend to take shallow breaths in the upper part of the chest. Usually, we've got our belts on very tight or we wear tight clothing around the waist. As a result, deep, complete breathing rarely occurs. It is important to loosen up anything that is tight around the waist and to wear clothing that is non-binding. Don’t worry what you look like – you and everyone else will have their eyes closed! The chin is slightly tucked in. Although meditation looks very disciplined, the muscles should be soft. There should be no tension in the body. It doesn't take strength to keep the body straight.
Hands: The hands should be folded in the cosmic mudra in your lap. The dominant hand is held palm up holding the other hand, also palm up, so that the knuckles of both hands overlap. If you're right-handed, your right hand is holding the left hand; if you're left-handed, your left hand is holding the right hand. The thumbs are lightly touching, thus the hands form an oval. If this isn’t comfortable, just rest your hands on your legs.
The objective is to find a comfortable position and to stay in it for the whole of the meditation session without fidgeting. Although pain can be a meditation subject, it rarely brings enlightenment to a new student of meditation! Move if you need to but move mindfully and learn from your mistakes so as to find a meditation position that works for you.
What should I do in the guided meditation? Listen and concentrate. A guided meditation is when your imagination is led on a journey with the purpose of achieving healing and realizations through purposeful contemplation and reflection. The idea is to let go of any thought you may have and allow your subconscious mind to follow the words that are spoken.
Getting ready for walking meditation.
- The inviting of the bell is the signal for us to stand up and arrange our chairs in the centre of the room. This creates a island of chairs for us to walk around. We then stand in a circle facing inwards (towards each other).
- When everyone is standing and still, a second sound of the small bell signals for us to bow to one another and turn to our left so that we are now in a circle facing clockwise around the room, our left shoulders to the outside walls.
- On the third sound of the bell the walking meditation practice begins, as described below.
- To end the walking meditation session there will be another sound of the bell. At this point we do not stop walking. This sound of the bell lets us know that we are on the final circumambulation of the room and should stop by our original place when we reach it.
- Once everyone has stopped walking and is standing at their original place in the room there is a further sound of the bell. At this point everyone bows to one another, takes their chair and resumes their sitting position, ready for the next session of meditation.
What do I do in walking meditation indoors? Kinh Hanh literally means slow walking in Vietnamese. It is the form of walking meditation conducted in the meditation room. We refer to it as Kinh Hanh to distinguish it from Outdoor Walking Meditation. Kinh Hanh is a wonderful meditation which is central to our mindfulness practice. Usually Kinh Hanh is integrated with sitting meditation practice in the meditation room. It offers us the experience of the whole Group moving in mindful unity together in the meditation room.
When we practise Kinh Hanh our breath is coordinated with our steps. When we hear the bell to start we take an in-breath and make one step with the left foot. On the out-breath we take another step with the right foot. Then we begin the cycle again, the left leg always co-ordinated with our in-breath and the right leg always coordinated with our out-breath. Throughout we are continually aware of the body and relaxing the muscles of the mouth in a gentle smile: “Breathing in, I am aware that I am breathing in; breathing out, I smile.” Our body flows in a continuous movement in harmony with our breathing. We are aware especially of the contact of our feet with the ground, and the wondrous nature of the present moment: We hold our head still, focusing our attention about five feet ahead of us, but we are very aware of the Group. If we find that we need to slow down or speed up we alter the length of our steps; we do not aim to change our breathing which stays relaxed and light.
As always the key ingredient in this practice is awareness. Kinh Hanh is best practised in a spirit of celebration and joy. It helps the whole Group if we remember to smile.
What do I do in walking mediation outdoors? Outdoor walking meditation is a wonderful way to renew our contact with nature. It gives us a chance to refresh the body, to dwell in and appreciate all the aspects of our environment; the earth, the air, trees, sunshine, each other and even sometimes the rain.
The key to the practice of walking meditation is mindfulness. Dwelling in the present moment we are fully aware of our surroundings, of our breath, and the precious contact of our feet with the earth. Our lives often seem to be bound up in getting somewhere and reaching some future goal. In walking meditation there is no destination. We walk in order to walk; we have already reached our destination; it is the here and now; we can move slowly, relax and smile. “Breathing in, I dwell in the present moment. Breathing out, I know this is the only moment.”
The practice of outdoor walking meditation is very simple and very profound. As with Kinh Hanh, we coordinate our steps with our breathing, but this time we take several steps for each breath. The number of steps we make depends on what we find comfortable. Many people find three paces for each in and each out breath works well. As we step we can silently recite a short gatha to help us. This can be as simple as: “in-in-in: out-out-out”, each word representing one step. There are many such mindfulness verses that we might find useful. We may wish to compose our own to help us. Another example is “With-every-step: I kiss-the-earth.” If we are conducting walking meditation as a group then periodically there will be a sound of a hand bell. This is the signal for us to stop walking and breath in and out at least three times. We look around us, breathe, and appreciate our surroundings.
What do I do in silent meditation? There are many different forms of sitting meditation. In our practice, concentration on breathing forms the basis of sitting meditation.
Silent periods of meditation generally last for about twenty minutes. These usually commence with three sounds of the bell. If we are waiting for the session to begin, we can make sure our posture is comfortable and begin the process of focussing awareness on our breathing. At all stages we are aware of our body which should be relaxed and alert.
Our breathing during sitting meditation should be unhurried, light but at the same time deep. We do not aim to control our breathing but rather we allow it to deepen as we relax with the practice. As we concentrate on our breath it becomes possible to follow it with our awareness. We follow the passage of air in and out, aware of our diaphragm or our belly rising and falling. The breath provides a focus for our awareness which unites the body and mind.
When we are distracted with unrelated thoughts, feelings or sensations during sitting meditation – as we all tend to be at times – we try not to dwell on these but simply acknowledge their presence and return to our breathing. We let them go; we do not follow them. Such thoughts, feelings and sensations become like clouds which we allow to pass by without clinging to them. Eventually, if we practise well, the sky will begin to clear.
When we begin to learn sitting meditation it can be helpful to silently recite the word In as we breathe in and Out as we exhale. Alternatively we can count a cycle of inbreaths and outbreaths – say from 1 to 10 before starting again.
Tell the facilitator if you are a beginner and we will try to find a more experienced meditator to mentor you in the early stages.
What are mindful speaking and mindful listening? Care over the use of speech is one of the Five Precepts taken by Buddhists of all disciplines. Thich Nhat Hanh has expanded the wording of the precept in a very beautiful and loving way:
Aware of the suffering caused by unmindful speech and the inability to listen to others, I am committed to cultivating loving speech and deep listening in order to bring joy and happiness to others and relieve others of their suffering. Knowing that words can create happiness or suffering, I am determined to speak truthfully, with words that inspire self-confidence, joy and hope. I will not spread news that I do not know to be certain and will not criticise or condemn things of which I am not sure. I will refrain from uttering words that can cause division or discord, or that can cause the family or the community to break. I am determined to make all efforts to reconcile and resolve all conflicts, however small.
When we speak to the Group we try to follow these guidelines and it is obviously enormously beneficial if we can carry this practice into our everyday lives.
Speaking from the heart The period of sharing is a valuable opportunity to speak from the heart to a supportive community. It is a chance to highlight something from the Dharma reading or to share the fruits and difficulties of our practice, time to speak from the heart about our personal experience, and to support each other by mindful, non-judgemental listening.
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