The magical power of bells

 That bells have evoked certain feelings in us from time immemorial, even a child knows. They are mysterious, powerful - though often not enormous. Always, in every culture, the sound of bells has been a sacred sound. But often also fearful - for as far back as we can remember, they announced all sorts of situations, apart from calling the faithful to prayer. The bells were rung to announce a fire, to announce pain, e.g. the death of high church dignitaries, and also when the population was in danger, e.g. from the water. Bells were rung and rung. The sound reverberated and carried joy and hope, symbolising God.
In one Swiss cathedral there is a motto engraved like this - on the bells: "Vivos voco, mortuos plango, fulgura frango". That is, translated: "I summon the living, I mourn the dead, I crush the thunder".
Bell! An eternal voice associated with Christian culture, it accompanies us from birth until death. But is it only with us that the bell has great significance? In India, the sound of the bell was said to be circular, and according to Ayurveda, the ancient Indian art of healing and restoration, a circle signified, among other things, perfection.
In many cultures, bells have different purposes, and with that, shapes. Everywhere, however, they have been believed, and not without foundation, in their magical power. In the magical vibrations of bells.

We are accustomed to the shape of bells, bells that are used in our tradition. In churches, powerful and down to the smallest, but almost the same shape, we also find such in the towers of fire stations, and even in our homes they have from time immemorial signalled the time for meals, in schools they heralded the end of one lesson, a break, etc.
The shape was deeply engraved in our memory. While listening to them, we could feel this strange vibration, arousing admiration and at the same time calmness or "respect" for its history, but everyone always felt this vibration of bells, chimes etc.


The shapes of bells and chimes are not the same everywhere. Even here, for example in the Podkarpacie region, we find different shapes of bells The bell is one of the simplest and at the same time most noble instruments. Its sound disperses negative energies and raises the level of vibrations in the surroundings.
In ancient Europe, the sound of bells accompanied people throughout their lives, announcing births and deaths, warning of war, fire, pestilence, notifying of holidays and festivities, and calling to church services.
The bellmakers who produced the bells were held in high esteem, and they themselves guarded the secrets in their art of creating these magnificent specimens. Unsurprisingly, for some instruments were attributed extraordinary symbolism. For example, the sound of an organ was said to imitate the harmony of the universe, while the sound of a bell symbolised the voice of God.


In China, tubular bells are popular. Nowadays, they are very much used by us in the art of Feng Shui. They are several sections of properly cut metal pipe, attached to a piece of wood (or metal). This arrangement was used to give the sound the right timbre and pitch. A plate usually made of wood is suspended between these tubes. The movement of air, e.g. the wind, a slight draught, even our unintentional touch (when they are hung in the passage by the door), causes the plate to begin to sway and nudge the tubes, which gently sound. Tubular bells are traditionally hung where negative energy needs to be dissipated.


In India and Tibet, on the other hand, bells are used during rituals. There, they symbolise the female element of the universe. Monks hold them in their hands while chanting sutras and reciting mantras.
Another very specific type of bell is the Tibetan rubbing bowls. These are made of an alloy whose composition is a great, guarded secret. However, it is well known that the correct proportions of the alloy components determine the quality of the sound. The sound quality should be penetrating, yet pleasing and gentle to the ear. It is supposed to "give the impression of space". They are played with a wooden stick, which is rubbed against the edges. Tibetan musicians can conjure up unusual and mysterious sounds from several such bowls of different sizes. Japanese Buddhists use bells in monasteries. Their sound calls for meditation.
And in our present-day culture and also in everyday life, we use bells, bells of various kinds and for various purposes. We are already leaving aside the traditions we mentioned at the beginning of the text. Of course, many of us use all sorts of accessories to improve our living conditions, to create psychological comfort, to get rid of what we believe are many negative energies around us, etc. Among others, there are bells, chimes.


We can use and benefit from the sound of bells or gongs on a daily basis for meditation, reflection and also to get rid of stress.
And when we are carried away by negative emotions - according to the recommendations of the Vietnamese Zen master Thich Nhat Hanh - we can quickly help ourselves with a bell. He describes one of the methods in his book "Every step brings peace". "Every step brings peace". So what does he suggest to us? Whenever we are carried away by violent but negative emotions, just take the bell in your hand and ring it, listen to its sound, feel the change that occurs in us when we concentrate on our breathing and listen to the sound of the bell. This helps to restore calm and, most importantly, to look at the problem from a distance.