What is a singing bowl?

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A singing bowl is actually a reversed standing bell made from metal alloys--usually bronze--or crystal. Today, singing bowls are used in religious rituals, meditation practices, alternative therapies and as music to calm and focus the mind.

History

Few facts are known about the original uses of the singing bowl due to lack of written records. However, detailed representations in paintings and statues date back to about the eighth century B.C.E. Traditionally they were made in Tibet, Nepal, Japan, China, Korea, Bhutan and India.

Playing a Singing Bowl

Playing a singing bowl consists of tapping the side of the bowl with a mallet--called a Puja--and slowly rubbing the mallet along the rim, before the sound ceases, to prolong the "singing" tone. Quality instruments produce several harmonic overtones---natural resonances---at the same time. These tones are a unique property of the composition of the bowl. And, like fine wine, they improve with age.

The Teachings of the Singing Bowl

According to a transcribed interview with Lama Lobsang Leshe, a Tibetan monk born in Lhasa, Tibet, the song of a singing bowl is more than a mere sound or music. The song is a teaching--a transmission of information via vibrational energy about broadness and emptiness (the essence of the Buddha). The sound of the bowl is the sound of the Void, and each different sound is a different teaching.

Interpretations of Singing Bowl Songs

The tones of the singing bowl mimic the "Aum" or "Om" sound utilized in Buddhist meditations as a representation of the name of god and the sound of the universe. Scientists have discovered that these tones also mimic the alpha and theta waves in the brain--which may explain their soothing effect.

Curious Fact

Apparently there is a reason behind all of the secrecy surrounding these special bowls. Oral legends tell that the secrets of sound, if revealed, could confer so much power that they must remain hidden. Therefore, discussion of the bowls was strictly forbidden. Given the vibrational nature of the universe revealed by quantum science, perhaps this was indeed a wise precaution.

Source:

manufacturer description of singing bowls

transcribed interview with Lama Lobsang Leshe

artisian reference section

More Information:

Singing Bowls: A Practical Handbook of Instruction and Use ; Eva Jansen ; 2001

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