Many people know the sound of a singing bowl, but sometimes various questions arise on the subject. In this article, we will offer their history and take a closer look at them.

The origin of the singing bowls

The countries of the East are considered their homeland. Despite the fact that both the origin and the original purpose are still shrouded in mystery, it is known that once upon a time, these bowls were used in rituals and ceremonies that required work with sound. They were first brought to the West from the Himalayas only in the second half of the 20th century, after the Chinese invaded Tibet in the XNUMXs.

They have different names for us. Musical, sounding, Tibetan bowls or singing bowls of Tibet. They are not designed to store liquids or loose materials. They create sound energy fields that fill the space of positive energy.

In addition to Tibetan bowls (originally from the Himalayas), there are also Japanese and Thai, and each has its own distinctive sound, shape and function. But the purest sound and aliquot tones are made by Tibetan bowls. The remarkable mastery of ancient craftsmen, who many centuries ago were able to create works of art endowed with such extraordinary power and sonority, deserves great respect and careful study. There are also bowls made of crystals or quartz and they are made in the USA. They look very nice and sound very strange. It is possible to fine-tune them to a specific tone.

If you use several bowls, place crystal clear crystals between them. It cleanses and amplifies the energy that interacts with each other, and the resonance they create, purifies the crystals.

Tibetan singing bowls are an instrument of meditation that has long been used in spiritual practice. They were made of a unique metal alloy, which makes them sound very unusual and thus significantly different from other musical instruments. If we put several of them next to each other, then we will see how they differ from each other. Each will be different, even with the same diameter. This effect is achieved both thanks to the method of forging and the various metal alloys used in their production.

The shape of the singing bowls

Their sound and almost depends not only on their size, but also on the width of the circuit, the thickness of the walls, the relationship between the lower and upper diameters, as well as the bottom profile.

During the production of most singing Himalayan bowls, special rules were followed, determining the width, profile and decor and the angle of inclination of the walls in relation to the bottom. A good singing bowl must have a regular shape and all its bends are harmonious. When we try to make it clear, we usually place it on a fabric base or hold it in our hand. However, if its bottom is too flat, then it does not resonate strong enough on a hard flat surface. The extent of their aliquot tones depends on the wall thickness and the composition of the alloy. The surface of the ones actually made by hand is covered with small scratches, which are traces of the tools of the master who shaped the alloy. These depressions must be in harmony with the overall shape of the bowl, otherwise there is a discrepancy in aliquot tones. The thicker its walls, the more clearly the audible undertones; the thinner the walls of the dish and the smaller the dish, the more audible the high tones are. However, it must not make a vibrating or any secondary sound when struck with a hammer. Quality bowls sound clean and clear.

There are a lot of legends about how they were made, but the real history of their origins is as mysterious as the Himalayas itself or the Tibetan monks themselves.

Description

According to the first legend, their origin is connected with the Fifth Dalai Lama, the spiritual ruler of Tibet, who built his first palace in Däpung and named it Kungar Ava. The ruler's throne was in the shape of a singing bowl, and many believers come to the monastery to worship the sacred bowls. According to their faith, a person who hears her singing will never get to the Tibetan hell called narak.

The second legend assumes that they come from itinerant monks. They walked the world with bowls in which they received money or food as alms. They had to be grateful for even the smallest, and thanks to this acceptance they achieved a higher spiritual enlightenment and then a feeling of unity with the whole world and love for all living things.

The third legend is the oldest and tells of a time when shamanism was still the basic religion in Tibet, and the highest lamas gained knowledge through direct communication with higher spirits. Once they were promised such objects of power by which each person could connect with the higher mind directly. In deep meditations and trances, the priests saw that these objects were in the shape of a bowl and were made of an alloy of eight different metals. It was tin, iron, copper, zinc, lead, gold, silver, but the eighth element remained hidden. At first, the Lama tried to make them from the seven elements, but they could not connect with the Universe. So they turned to the higher spirits again. Soon after, a meteor shower appeared at Mount Kailas. This sent them an unknown eighth element, which was actually a meteorite ore. The bowl, made of all eight elements, made a very unusual and vibrating sound. Thousands of monks attended the religious ceremonies in which they were used. They purified the space and sent streams of life-giving positive energy into it.

Vibration

Nada Brahma: the whole world is a sound

Current science confirms the old Indian saying that everything in the world, including the densest matter, creates vibrations. The human body is essentially composed of water, and it is an excellent conductor of vibrations. When you throw a stone into the water, waves are created that run evenly not only on its surface, but also under the water. External vibrations, such as light, electromagnetic radiation or sound, cause various reactions in our body, not only through auditory perception, but mainly through resonance taking place at the cellular level. Our bodies respond promptly to all sorts of fluctuations in our surroundings, including sounds. The sound and vibration of the singing bowls have a calming and harmonizing effect.

In today's Western world, we are surrounded by sources of vibration that are dangerous to our health. They are means of transport, high-voltage lines, fluorescent lamps… All this disturbs the balance of the organism and depletes not only the body but also the mind.

The magic of meditation

The sound of the singing bowls is rich in aliquot tones and they successfully resist this devastating effect. They are so pure and harmonious that they are able to restore order even in the midst of the chaos of negative vibrations. Just sit or lie down, relax and open up to these sounds. Everything else is going alone.

They are used as an aid in meditation, but they also cleanse and harmonize the space, they can be used to purify water and to give it healing properties. It is a unique object designed for spiritual practices, which hides in itself and gives us harmony, goodness and peace, and which, even in inexperienced hands, does not harm anyone.

Resonators for singing bowls

Singing bowls are in themselves a type of bell, a resonator that propagates sound and energy waves and thus charges the surrounding space. The most important thing is that they are handmade, so that their "voice" has its own individuality, is in accordance with your inner setting and tuned to your aura.

The plates create vibrations and produce aliquot sounds of divine sounds. They purify and soothe the soul, fill it with harmony, prepare for meditation practices, and turn negative energy into positive.

If you want the bowl to sing, you can use two methods. One is friction, the other is blows, and both use a special resonator rod. When you guide it along the edge of the bowl, it makes a sound reminiscent of vibration or hum. It is important that this sound is pleasant for you, it does not throw you away, but on the contrary soothes.

This short, strong wooden hammer or mallet resembles a mortar and pestle in shape and its diameter, length and weight are important. If the bowl does not sing, it is not that it is bad, but the problem is in the wrongly chosen mallet or its incorrect use.

Important parameters

It must be chosen to match the diameter of the singing bowl. It should be noted that, for example, a mallet with a diameter of twenty-five millimeters is not able to produce a harmonic sound from a larger bowl, but is well suited for a small bowl. For massive forged bowls with great depth and volume, a hammer with a diameter of four centimeters and above is suitable.

In order for the bowl to sing beautifully, it is important that you keep your wrists in one position when rotating around it. In this case, the contact angle of the resonator and the dish does not change. It is also important not to change the pressure on the walls. You should pay the same attention to all these elements, ie pressure, angle of contact and uniformity of movement, especially if the bowl has a high edge.

There are different types of resonators, which is also important. They can be made of various types of wood, they can be pure wood or covered with leather or carved. For small bowls with thin walls that make a louder sound, we can use metal hammers to help us get clear high tones.

For wooden resonators, the sound depends on what wood was used in their production. Nepali are made of hardwood, but are considered less "obedient" and can slip out of an inexperienced hand. They are suitable for experienced masters, for beginners mallets made of softer wood are better.

Small bowls and their tiny resonant hammers are usually used in conjunction with larger bowls. This sound-increasing effect can be used, for example, for a sound massage or a musical performance by folk ensembles.

Keynote

Smooth swirling movements create an almost uninterrupted base tone. Its intensity can be changed by slightly changing the speed of friction. Sometimes you can start by hitting the bowl to create a base tone. Subsequent friction supports it and creates more sounds. But it is better if you give up the blow, you do not "have" the sound from the bowl, but let it grow gradually.

You can also use a violin string. Sometimes a little water pours into the bowl, which makes the sound change in a clear way. When it reaches a certain intensity, the water begins to climb (hence the jars are sometimes jokingly called "splashing").

If you use a number of different size slides, you can create a complex musical composition in which both low and high tones can harmoniously support each other and complement each other.

Metal or hardwood mallets create sharp, clean tones, and a felt hammer creates a softer tone.

In any case, it is important to understand that the bowl and the mallet form two inseparable parts of a harmonious musical process and must fit together perfectly. Therefore, if you choose a singing bowl, you must choose the mallet just as carefully.

Finally, in the opinion of some specialists, the therapeutic effect of sound largely depends on whether the mallet moves clockwise or counterclockwise.

Patterns on singing bowls

As has been said, the right singing bowl is not to be made by machine, but by hand, and it is very important that it be made of an alloy of several metals. Their number must be odd, from five to nine. The basis is gold, silver, iron, tin, mercury, copper and lead. Only five metals can be used, without gold and silver. Bowls that originated from the end of 19. century, also contained zinc and nickel. However, it is necessary to keep an eye on the balance between the number of metals used and their volume in the alloy.

Tibetan bowls are often decorated with Buddhist symbols calling for success. It can be a mantra text Óm mani padme húm, crossed Vajra, eight Tibetan symbols of happiness or special Tibetan ornaments.

The six-letter mantra literally means Oh, a pearl, shining in the lotus flower !, but in fact it can have many meanings. Their connection conveys the purity of the body, mind and Buddha's words. The second word hands -jewel, symbolizes compassion and love, the path to awakening and transition to a higher degree. Word padme - lotus flower denotes wisdom, húm then the indivisibility of wisdom and action.

Vajra (Tibetan dordes) is actually a Buddhist scepter or an instrument of gods, and its two ends are totally identical. It is considered a special weapon capable of cutting even rocks as a diamond. Its ends are reminiscent of flower buds or cones. The more complex its structure, the more powerful. The depiction of these two crossed instruments is often placed on the bottom of the Tibetan bowl and symbolizes strength.

Symbols of success

As for the symbols of success, with which they are also sometimes decorated, they are often different, depending on the groups into which they are divided. Each of them carries a certain sense and shade of happiness and success.

The eight symbols of success are the gifts that the gods brought to Buddha after he attained enlightenment. The first is a precious white umbrella or parasol, whose task is to protect against suffering, disease and evil spirits, the second is a pair of goldfish symbolizing spiritual liberation, the third is a white shell that frees from ignorance and helps to gain knowledge, the fourth is the white lotus flower, a symbol of enlightenment, wisdom and spiritual growth, the fifth is in the form of a rare vase that fulfills wishes, the sixth is an infinite knot, representing infinite time and interconnectedness of all things, the seventh is a triumphant banner or victory banner indicating the victory of Buddhism over ignorance and the eighth gift is the golden wheel of learning.

All objects together are called ashamangala and are often depicted on the walls of temples, houses, monasteries, but also on the hinges and doors.

But small symbols of happiness also appear on the dishes. Eight valuable substances in the form of eight different objects. They relate them to the steps that make up the sublime octagonal path. These are a mirror, a rare medicine or medicinal stone ghivanga (the stomach stone of a magic elephant), sour milk, Bilva fruit, white mussels, purple sindhura powder, durva grass and white mustard seeds. They symbolize wisdom and right beliefs, longevity, common sense, power, happiness, success and virtue.

The spell of the singing bowl

Tibetan singing bowl

In itself, it is the most positively charged musical instrument. It is difficult to imagine the way it could be used in negative goals. Therefore, decorative patterns cannot make it better or worse, they can only intensify the intention directed by vibrations into space and charge it in a certain way. For example, fill it with health, enlightenment or success. In any case, it will be a harmonious and strong stream of cleansing energy that will help in all activities. Creates unique and unique sounds. It is not possible to confuse it with any other musical instrument.

This is just one of the reasons why we must call singing bowls a real miracle. Their complex healing influence was discovered in the West and began to be studied only in the last decades of the 20th century.

There are excellent music therapists who, with their help, are able to bring harmony to the deepest foundations of our lives. In the hands of a talented specialist, even a single carefully selected bowl can create real miracles.

Resonance plays an important role here. The vibrations of the bowl resonate with the internal vibrations of the human body and restore their balance. Thanks to this, one dives into a state of calm and peace and its sounds penetrate to the level of brain waves, which convert to a more harmonious frequency. None of the musical instruments used in medical therapy has such an effective effect.

The bow has to be tested

Each individual singing bowl is either suitable for you or not. The third option does not exist. To understand how you are doing, try it carefully. Listen carefully to its sound and your own feelings. If you don't feel anything special or the sound seems unpleasant to you, there is no point in working with it. When choosing it, don't just settle for being almost comfortable with you, and don't let what you don't really like be forced on you. It will just be wasted money. If its sound brings you satisfaction, helps you to relax or clarifies your thoughts, then it means that this bowl has touched some deeply hidden strings in you.

The same goes for recordings of their sounds. Choose only those songs that seem comfortable to you at the moment and are in line with your mood.

If you want to buy a singing bowl, you have to focus on yourself in the first place. When you see it, take it in your hands and let it resound. It's not just about making sure you can make her sing. This sound must also leave traces in your soul in order for you to understand that this singing bowl is yours.

Meditation with Tibetan dishes

We invite everyone to meditation with Tibetan dishes, which will take place 11.10.2018 from 19.hodin in Šamanka teakhouse (Hálkova 1630 / 8, Prague 2).

What can meditation bring you?

• calm the mind
• harmonizing the internal world
• will learn how to focus on the present moment
• can improve sleep
• helps you better manage daily stress
• due to the reduction in stress hormone cortisol can improve immunity

Where will meditation take place?

Meditation will be enjoyable the environment of Šamanka Tea Room. The environment guarantees intimacy and good acoustics.

Who will lead meditation?

Meditation will lead Ing. Radim Brixi, who has long-term experience with meditation. He also held a meditation course at a college in the system analysis lab, where he studied EEG meditation and emotion recording.

Price

Ticket price: 100Kč

Due to limited capacity, please book your reservation by phone: 777 703 008.