 Modern Sound Healing and Bells in the Hindu TraditionThere is great popularity now in the Western New Age movement for "sound healing" and the use of what are marketed as "Tibetan singing bowls" in particular. Miraculous healing powers are attributed to these bowls, but they are not Tibetan in origin and have no traditional ritual or healing use in the East. It is thought by many that when offering bowls were sent to the West, the Westerners who could see little use in making offerings decided to try to strike or ring the bowls to make sound instead. There are certain Buddhists sects which do strike similar bowls as a part of meditation and chanting practice, but the use of these bowls for healing is a modern, Western phenomenon, as are bowls made for singing, which were first imported to the West in the 1970's from India and Nepal. But many people wrongly believe that the use of singing bowls in healing is connected to an ancient healing tradition. Sets of bowls are marketed which are said to be tuned to the different chakras and wild claims are made about their ability to heal various physical ailments. Great healing powers are attributed to the bowls themselves. In reality, such bowls have very little ability to heal physical conditions unless they are used by a gifted healer. While it may be tempting for people to believe that they can purchase an implement which is capable of helping them to facilitate healing for others without the many years of study and difficult inner work that healers traditionally undergo in authentic systems of healing, this is not the case. It is possible to feel the vibrations made by bowls when struck or sung and many people wrongly think that because they can feel the vibrations that healing has occurred. It is possible to feel the vibrations of a lion roaring or heavy music blasted through a large speaker, but this does not mean that healing is occurring. This simply means that a person can feel the vibration. Some vibrations have inherently more beneficial or detrimental energy to them, but most will not counteract the effects of diet and lifestyle which influence a person's health and immunity. In general, we should be very suspicious of any tradition which attributes healing powers to the chakras. Though the chakra system has arisen from the Hindu scriptures, no traditional Hindu text has attributed healing power to the chakras and the many texts on Ayurveda make no mention of chakras for use in healing. The use of chakras in healing is a modern Western new age adaptation of the spiritual system of chakras which were used by the ancient yogis to gain access into higher realms of consciousness, not for having effects in the physical realm or body. Neither have the Ayurvedic texts made mention of the use of bells for healing, except within the context of the traditional use of bells as a part of prayer rituals and meditation.
The Importance of Bells in the Hindu Tradition Bells on the door of a Hindu Temple The bell, called घण्टा ghaṇṭā in Sanskrit, is an important part of every Hindu prayer ritual. Many offerings are never traditionally made without the accompaniment of the melodious ringing of the bell. Bells are designed for ritual use with various auspicious symbols of the Gods and cast in brass and other metals alloys. Some have images of Nandi or Garuda or Mayura or Ganapati or other sacred symbols at the tip of the handle. Some have beautiful designs on the body of the bell also. Every Temple has a large bell near its entrance and the doors to altars are often decorated with bells to ensure that the doors cannot be opened without the ringing of bells. The mystical properties of a chiming of bell has been understood by various religious traditions and many Buddhist and Christian Temples and Churches employ large bells to help drive away dark forces and to open channels into the higher spiritual realms so the people's prayers may be heard. But there is perhaps no tradition which reveres the sacred prayer bell nor which uses bells to the extent of the ancient Hindu tradition. Certain offerings, like ritual bathing of the Deity, offering incense, light, or food are never made without the accompaniment of the bell. My guru taught me about the mystical properties of bells and their use in spiritual practice.
Ghaṇṭā pūjā - Worship of the BellGod is seen as all-pervasive in the Hindu traditions. Nothing in creation has sprung forth without the grace of the Divine Creator, who dwells in all things. As such, anything in the world is worthy of worship, as a manifestation of the Divine. The sacred bell is seen as especially worthy of worship for its mystical properties to help connect people to the inner realms. So in ghaṇṭā pūjā, we actually worship the bell as a manifestation of God, which helps draw us closer to the Supreme. A simple version of this ritual follows: ॐ घण्टाय नमः। दिव्यगन्धान्-धारयामि॥ om ghaṇṭāya namaḥ | divyagandhān-dhārayāmi || "Om, I bow to the Sacred Bell, and offer fragrant Sandalwood paste." आगमार्थं तु देवानां घमनार्थं तु रक्षसां। āgamārthaṁ tu devānāṁ ghamanārthaṁ tu rakṣasāṁ | "For the purpose of summoning the Divine and to attract all beneficial forces, and to bestow protection by dispelling dark forces," कुर्यात् घण्टा-रवं तत्र देवता-ह्वानलाङ्चनं ॥ kuryāt ghaṇṭā-ravaṁ tatra devatā-hvānalāṅcanaṁ || "I ring the sacred bell as a sign of invoking the Devas." For the first mantra, namaskara mudra is held, hands joined with palms facing and fingers pointed upward, and then sandalwood paste is applied to the bell. With the next two lines, the bell is rung. After this, it is common to offer various prayers to dispel negative forces while continuing to ring the bell. The Vedic Tradition of Sound Healing Hindu Temple Bell The Vedic tradition does attribute healing properties to various sounds and has traditionally incorporated a vast and complex system of sound healing. One of the four Upavedas or subsidiary sciences stemming from the ancient wisdom of the Vedas is Gandharvaveda, which is a mystical science of sacred music and dance. Gandharvaveda was revealed to the Sages by various spiritual beings who have guided its development, called Gandharvas and Apsaras. According to the Vedas all music has its origins in the sacred musical Ganams or Songs of the Samaveda. Of the four Vedas, the Samaveda is the most melodic and its complex. Its musical hymns are said to be the favorite of the Devas. They are the most difficult to learn to recite properly due to their extremely complex nature and it requires 7 - 9 years of dedicated study to learn. The musical hymns of the Samaveda do not rely upon any instrument except for the human voice. The hymns are composed of the 52 sounds of the sacred Sanskrit language which have been revealed to the Sages and seven swaras or notes combined in various sequences and rhythms for a melodious sound. The sacred hymns of the Samaveda are the oldest form of music, generated by the cosmos itself and they are unrivaled in their power to open channels to the inner realms for communion between people and spiritual beings for the healing of consciousness and the purification of the environment.  Vedic Students  Gandharvaveda also includes various classical forms of music and dance. Like the sacred hymns of the Samaveda, these mystical traditions of sound healing also require many years of dedicated study to master. Classical Carnatic music incorporates dozens of instruments and relies upon harmonic structures and rhythms which are far more complex and sophisticated than those of Western classical music. Carnatic music is so complex compared to Western music that it is difficult for Westerners to understand or appreciate. Indian classical music has a marked effect upon human consciousness and masters of the system of classical music are capable of producing effects in the world by playing the sacred music. Musicians can make it rain by playing a certain raga or make the rain stop. There are stories of musicians playing specific ragas in order to kill their enemy's armies on the battlefield, who dropped dead where they stood on account of the mystical sounds. Specific ragas can be used to heal disease, or even to cause disease.  The classic systems of dance like Bharatanatyam, Kathakali, Kuchipudi, Odissi, and Manipuri are similarly complex and incorporate various mystical mudras or gestures along with various bodily movements designed to have a spiritual effect upon those performing the dance, those who witness it, and the place where the dance is performed. Experts of these classical systems of dance are capable of producing the same sorts of results as classical musicians due to the sacred nature of the practice of dance. But a serious student must find a Guru to empower their studies and then they must dedicate a great deal of time and effort to the study, performing severe austerities for the duration of their study.  These are the traditional systems of sound healing in the Vedic tradition which go far beyond the modern new age practice of sound healing in their complexity and scope of practice and application. These sacred traditions can not be learned from a book, but have been traditionally passed down through the ages directly from teacher to student. The student learns the intricacies of the practice from their guru and the guru energizes the practice for the students so that it can bear its results in the world. The musical hymns of the Samaveda do not rely upon any bells or other instruments at all, but use the human voice for their healing effects. The systems of classical music rarely employ bells, but certain traditions like the Panchavadya tradition of Kerala have relied upon certain idiophonic instruments like the Elathalam, a pair of metal cymbals which are struck to produce a sound, as a part of a mystical musical performance. The Use of Bells in Hindu Rituals and PracticeThe use of metal bells as a part of religious rituals in India dates back at least 5,000 years. Though metal bells have not been traditionally used in and of themselves for healing, they have been incorporated into various rituals, meditations, and chanting practices.
 Christian Church Bell The bell has a purifying effect upon the atmosphere and is thought to drive away negative forces. The ringing of bells helps to open channels to the higher spiritual realms and to drive away demonic beings and negative energies. It is said that the melodic ringing of the bell can be heard in the inner realms by the Devas. It is for these reasons also that every ritual is started with the ringing of bells and that certain important offerings are always accompanied by ringing bells. Throughout the world, Christian Churches and Hindu Temples and other places of worship have used bells for their mystical ability to open channels to the inner realms. Many Eastern Buddhists have used gongs in the same way.  Specific fragrant herbs like sandalwood and various resins which are burned as incense have similar effects to drive away negative forces. The essential oils in various fragrant substances have been shown in scientific studies to kill bacteria. But they are also capable of driving away negative energy and malicious spiritual beings. In the mind, negative thoughts distract us from our meditations. Within our own minds, these negative thoughts are like demons, which serve to open channels to the lower astral realm and make us susceptible to demonic forces around us. These thoughts are allayed by the fragrant incense which has an aroma-therapeutic effect to help induce peaceful thoughts and feelings and meditative states of consciousness. If people are cooking foods to offer to the Devas while the rituals are going on, people will smell the tantalizing aromas and begin to salivate. Suddenly, their minds are distracted from their prayers and meditations and focused on their bellies. Similarly, if a person smells a foul odor, their mind becomes disturbed. They feel disgusted and many negative thoughts may arise. It is not safe to be thinking these sorts of negative thoughts while performing rituals designed to open channels to the inner realms. In this case, the negative thoughts will lead consciousness to the lower astral realms where many demonic beings are lurking with an intention to gain access to the physical realm in order to do harm to humanity. To prevent such distractions and negative mental states which can open a person to various negative forces, incense is always burned during Hindu rituals.  Hindu Priest Ringing Bell and Offering Incense In the same way, bells are employed to prevent distractions and keep the mind focused upon higher vibrational thoughts, feelings, and realms. The properties of various herbs inherently lead the mind to higher states of consciousness. The melodious sound of a bell has a similar effect upon human consciousness. The chiming of a bell generally does not heal a person in and of itself, but it can help induce transcendent states of awareness when used as a part of one's spiritual practice. Being in a higher state of consciousness can have a healing effect, which is the true gift of any genuine healer. The heightened consciousness of the healer has a healing effect upon others around them. This is why shamanic traditions around the world have all incorporated complex rituals and chanting practices to help the healer access higher realms of consciousness before they attempt healing work. Just like certain smells can cause the mind to become distracted, various sounds can also pull the mind out of meditative states of consciousness. When a person hears an audible sound with the ears, their awareness is drawn into the senses of the physical body. The higher realms are not physical however and cannot be perceived with the senses of the physical body. If a person is meditating in a room and hears a commotion outside, they may be startled. If the mind investigates further, that person may become alarmed or concerned. Suddenly, a person is not meditating but actively analyzing the situation around them. They may be wondering what sort of potential threat is lurking outside and planning routes of escape should a real danger present itself. This is the opposite of meditation, which does not analyze, but simply witnesses with detachment. The white noise of a ringing bell helps to veil any such disturbing noises which may distract the mind in practice. In this way, the bell puts the inner demon of the mind to rest. The sound of the bell can also drown out mental chatter which may disturb a person's meditation. The bell repels outer demons also, by drawing awareness into higher realms of consciousness inaccessible to demonic beings. It should be noted that the sound of blowing the sacred conch shell has similar effects to dispel negative forces, and can even kill bacteria and viruses. The conch is often sounded in puja rituals, but its use is not quite as common as the ringing of the bell.  This is why a bell is often rung at the beginning of a meditation practice, because the sound of the bell which is audible in the higher spiritual realms, helps to draw awareness to those realms. The bell is also rung at the end of a meditation. This is because the bell can be heard in the inner realms, so the sound of the bell can safely guide a yogi deep in meditation back to the physical realm. It is said that it can be very dangerous to disturb a yogi deep in meditation. If that yogi has gone far within and is suddenly jerked from their meditation by some outer commotion, this can be a shock to their nervous system and potentially cause them serious harm. This is why my Guru used to say that if you encounter a person deep enough in meditation that they cannot hear you speak, it is best to leave them undisturbed. However, if it is necessary to try to get the attention of a person deep in meditation, rather than to yell or shake their body, my Guru suggested that a bell be rung. Because the bell can be heard even in the causal realm, the sound of the bell can safely guide a yogi in deep samadhi (spiritual union and transcendental meditative awareness) back to the senses of the physical body.  So the bell has an effect to summon the awareness of beings in the higher spiritual realms, whether it is the Devas who we desire to hear our prayers or a yogi deep in meditation. Because the bell connects the spiritual realms to the physical realm, it is held as very sacred in the Hindu tradition. But modern traditions which are not aware of the spiritual realms have tried to understand the sacred nature of the bell by making claims that it has effects in the physical realm. The mystical effects of the bell can only really be understood by those who have performed intense austerities and prayed and meditated a lot. Then it is possible to witness and appreciate the mystical effects of the bell in different spiritual realms.
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