The Great Bell Chant

This video of the Great Bell Chant featuring the voice of Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh is one of the most moving videos I have ever watched. Brother Phap Niem’s lovely voice sings out through the cosmos in Vietnamese. Thay, as Thich Nhat Hanh is known by his followers, narrates his poem in English.

The collection of images in the video, all by themselves, are a masterpiece. They were compiled and edited from “HOME, Earth and Baraka.”

The music is from “The End Of Suffering” by Gary Malkin.

Thay’s poem reads,

The Great Bell Chant

May the sound of this bell penetrate deep into the cosmos
Even in the darkest spots
Living beings are able to hear it clearly
So that all suffering in them cease
Understanding comes to their heart
And they transcend the path of sorrow and death.
The universal dharma door is already open
The sound of the rising tide is heard clearly
The miracle happens
A beautiful child appears in the heart of a lotus flower
One single drop of this compassionate water
Is enough to bring back the refreshing spring to our mountains and rivers.
Listening to the bell
I feel the afflictions in me begin to dissolve
My mind calm
My body relax
A smile is born on my lips
Following the sound of the bell
My breathe brings me back to the safe island of mindfulness
In the garden of my heart
The flowers of peace bloom beautifully.

You can use The Great Bell Chant as a guided meditation. Watch the video with this in mind and then answer the following questions. You may want to write down the answers in your journal.

1. How did the sound of the bell and Thay’s words help you in focusing your attention?
2. In what ways did the cinematography of sweeping, aerial vistas and intimate portraits aid you in your focus of nature and fellow people?
3. Did you find that Phap Niem’s fluid chanting helped you in letting go and being more aware of the compassion inside you?
4. How did/didn’t the combination of visuals and audio help guide you in this exercise? Did you find them more distracting then helpful? [Read More…]

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