Tibetan bells and dorges serve many purposes. Firstly, they are excellent for clearing and purifying any auric field or space of negative energy. Some traditions even say they ward off evil spirits.
Their clear, sharp resonant sounds quiet and focus the mind during meditation and spiritual retreats. This enhanced ability to concentrate dispels wandering thoughts and fosters our attention to the present moment which allows for greater receptivity to the teachings and guidance of Spirit.
A third purpose is their use during sound healing, sound journeys or baths. The transcendent sounds promote healing and relaxation, decrease stress and bring balance and peace to the body and mind. They have been known to awaken latent spiritual energy.
Bells and dorjes are also frequently used during rituals or ceremonies to create a more auspicious atmosphere. They may be rung to mark the beginning or end of a practice. They are also effective during transitions in ceremonies, moving a participant from one state of mind to another, marking a change in rhythm of a particular ceremony or signifying an important message is coming. The bells may also signal time for a particular prayer or for making offerings to Spirit.
SYMBOLLISM:
The bell symbolizes wisdom in daily actions. But it also represents the “Principle of Wisdom in Buddhism–which is a profound, transcendent insight into the nature of reality and a deep understanding of ultimate truth.” It also symbolizes the perfection of “emptiness or shunyata. Shunyata refers to a lack of inherent, fixed, or independent existence in everything.”
The dorje also has many meanings and associations. It represents compassion, skillful means and methods, and indestructible truth. It connotates indestructible power, representing the permanent, unyielding and steadfast nature of enlightened consciousness. It combines a diamond-like quality of being unbreakable with the irresistible force of a thunderbolt, representing the ability to destroy ignorance and delusion. (A thunderbolt is the weapon of the god Indra, king of the gods, which can cut through and destroy obstacles such as ignorance but also any negative emotions.) As a ritual object used in ceremonies, dorje’s also signify spiritual strength and protection.
When struck together they represent the perfect union of wisdom and compassion and create an enlightened mind that can embody many dualities: bliss and emptiness, compassion and wisdom, appearance and reality, conventional truth and ultimate truth, male and female.
If you’d like to experience the transcendent duality of Tibetan bells and dorje’s, contact Cheri Petro at Wholeharmonichealing@gmail.com for a Tibetan bell/dorje sound session today.
