I attended a crystal bowl meditation recently and afterwards a gentleman asked about the origin and history of the bowls. The question was answered in a general way but I found that I was curious about it as well so I decided to see what I could find. I found a transcript of a 1989 interview between Rain Gray and a Tibetan monk, Lama Lobsang Leshe, with additional commentary and translation by Lama Lobsang Molam. It seems that much of the history of Tibetan singing bowls has been lost as a result of the Chinese occupation of Tibet in the 1950s. The occupation of Tibet destroyed, almost completely, the monasteries and an unimaginable number of Tibetan people died (1.2 million according to this article). Lama Lobsang Leshe states that the Tibetan singing bowls originated in India with the third incarnation of the Buddha, used as a begging bowl. According to the article, there are three original bowls at sacred locations in Tibet. Disciples come to listen to the bowls and it is said that the Buddha’s teaching comes through the sound of the bowl. The sound from the singing bowls, and the other instruments of Tibet, is referred to as “Voidless” teaching, teaching about emptiness. The monk says beautifully that sometimes the Buddha does not offer teaching through speech, rather from his heart. This vibration is received through the sound of the singing bowl. The communication is from heart to heart rather than a voice and information being digested through the ears and brain. This differs from the sound and effect of mantra. The three original bowls have been duplicated. Singing bowls are widely available now.
According to Gray and his Tibetan sources, “singing bowls are reputed to be made of an alloy consisting of (depending upon who one is talking to) five, seven, or nine different metals. Legends state that one of these metals is meteorite iron. It has been hypothesized that this use of meteorite iron may be one of the reasons why Tibetan bells have such amazing sounds. As the meteorites found in Tibet have traveled through a thinner layer of oxygen there would have been less burn-up of the meteorite iron, hence the meteorites found there may have a quality different than any others found in the world.”
Crystal bowls, on the other hand, are manufactured (hopefully with the same sacred intent as Tibetan bowls!) from 98.9% silicon quartz. It is said that “when the crystal bowl is played, the crystalline cells in our bodies begin to vibrate at the same frequency as the bowls” (www.infinitematters.com/bowls). I have some experience with this type of healing. I visited the angelic Angela Vaughn Clark some time ago (www.singingbowlplanet.com). It is a beautiful experience that I highly recommend. Please visit Angela’s website for more information about the benefits of healing through crystal bowls.
The facilitator of the meditation said that our most important sound was the sound of our own voice and she encouraged everyone to connect with their voice and use it to sing or speak our truth. I respectfully disagree. I believe that the most sacred sound is the beat of our own heart with its unique vibration. Our heart center is the connection between ourselves and the universe. It has been said that the heart has direct communication with the environment. I can remember sitting at pow wow ceremonies and listening to the pulse of the drum and feeling that vibration in my heart. What a beautiful reminder that we are connected to each other, to the pulse of mother earth and the pulse of the universe at large.
