Korean Zen: Summoning Human Beings

Last Friday's video showed monks at Heinsa playing a large drum to summon earthbound creatures (animals) to practice.

Prior to the drumming, a cloud-shaped gong had been struck to summon creatures of the air and a fish-shaped wooden log had been struck to summon creatures of the sea.

Today's video shows the final summoning - of human beings. The temple bell is struck repeatedly for about 8 minutes (this excerpt shows just a portion of this). Immediately following the last strikes of the bell, evening chanting begins. (Sorry, the striking of the bell simply isn't as awesome as last week's drumming!)

The first chant is always the Evening Bell Chant - an ancient chant performed in the Zen temples of China and Korea. It's a solo chant, performed by a monk (or lay person in some temples):

Hearing the sound of the bell,
all thinking is cut off.
Wisdom grows;
enlightenment appears;
hell is left behind.

The three worlds are transcended.
Vowing to become Buddha
and save all people.

The mantra of shattering hell:
om ga-ra ji-ya sa-ba-ha
om ga-ra ji-ya sa-ba-ha
om ga-ra ji-ya sa-ba-ha

I hope you enjoy this brief segment of striking the temple bell. For a longer video of a temple bell (which includes a panoramic temple view), click here.

I hope you've enjoyed this recent overview of Korean Zen. Next week the blog will return to the usual  posting of diverse and random thoughts and discoveries.

Thank you for reading Ox Herding!

Barry

Comments

[Glenda]

Hi Barry,

Thank you for the taste of Korean Zen. The drumming was awesome, and the sound of the bell was also very beautiful. Have you been able to find a version of the mantra chanting?

Gassho,
Glenda

[Alice]

To me, as human, the bell is just as beautiful, if not more beautiful, than the drumming. The animated rhythmic percussion of the drum call is so appropriate for animals, or for the animal in us, or just simply being alive. Something very instinctive and visceral about it.

The bell, on the other hand, has a profound human element to it - the resounding depth, the wisdom, the ability to know and feel vaster, richer, complex dimensions. Most importantly, the capacity for us to contemplate and meditate on the teachings and our own experiences.

This was a perfect pairing to the rich black coffee I'm drinking right now. What a nice way to start a Friday. Thanks as always, Barry.

[Eric Lecours]

I have never heard a bell so large used at a Zen temple. Thanks for the video. I'm assuming they practice zazen after the sounding of the bell.

[Barry Briggs]

Hi Glenda - Thank you for tasting this tradition! In your question about the mantra chanting, are you asking about the "Evening Bell Chant" mentioned in today's post? If so, you can listen to this chant at:
http://kwanumzen.org/practice/chants/perceive-world-sound-cd/02-evening-bell.mp3
It's performed by Zen Master Seung Sahn (in Sino-Korean).

Thank you, Alice, for your insightful comment on the bell and drum. During my retreat times in Korea, I remember the visceral excitement I felt during the drumming (I'd be sitting quietly in the meditation hall, waiting for evening practice to begin). But then, when the bell started, I would feel my energy stabilize and my breath would deepen. The bell called me to practice in a profound way.

You might listen to ZM Seung Sahn chanting the evening bell chant (URL above) - his voice is wonderful, as is the small bell that he uses for this chant.

P.S. I save my rich black coffee for later in the day - right now it's green tea. First bowing, chanting, and sitting, followed by "Forest Ice" a very light oolong tea from Taiwan.

Hi Eric - Most temples in Korea have these unbelievably large bells - 6 to 12 feet in height, that are played in the evening. After the final strikes of the bell, a period of chanting begins (1 hour long in the temple where I practiced) followed by sitting meditation. Ah, so incredible...