| Although they are commonly referred to as bowls, | | | | ancient bowls have a much richer, more complex |
| they are technically a standing bell. They are not hung | | | | sound than Tibetan singing bowls made today. |
| upside down or put on a handle, but stand alone on | | | | Ancient singing bowls are still available, but they can |
| the bottom side. By tapping with a wooden mallet, or | | | | be quite expensive. Most singing bowls available are |
| rubbing the rim with a leather covered piece of | | | | modern creations, and are not made from the exotic |
| wood, a Tibetan singing bowl can be made to sound. | | | | alloys of ancient bowls. They are usually made from |
| They have been used for centuries by Buddhists and | | | | combinations of bronze, zinc and iron. They are |
| others as an aid to meditation, health care, relaxation | | | | usually not hand hammered, but are cast. Modern |
| and certain religious practices. They are also more | | | | singing bowls are made in Nepal, Tibet, Japan, Korea |
| correctly known as Himalayan Singing Bowls, for their | | | | and India. |
| traditional ranges of occurrence are Nepal, Bhutan, | | | | If you have ever rubbed a wet finger around the rim |
| Mongolia, India, China, Tibet, and Afghanistan. | | | | of a wine glass, or gently tapped the side of it with a |
| Although they are associated Buddhism, they date | | | | finger, the sounds you heard are vaguely similar as |
| before Buddhism. Some scholars believe their | | | | sounds from a singing bowl. The wine glass vibrates |
| beginnings were in India. A Buddhist master traveled | | | | in the air, and emits sounds. So does the Tibetan |
| to Tibet and introduced Buddhism and the bowls to | | | | singing bowl, but the sound itself is different. |
| that region in the 9th century A.D. Ancient bowls | | | | Research has been done that suggests that the |
| were made from a combination of precious and | | | | sounds coming from these bowls, especially the |
| semi-precious metals and stones. From 3 to 12 | | | | ancient ones, resonate with certain brainwaves and |
| different ingredients, including pieces of meteorites, | | | | can help calm the mind and relax the body. The |
| were used to make the ancient bowls. They were | | | | sounds of Tibetan singing bowls resonate with people |
| hammered by hand into shape. The ancient | | | | today as they did with people of centuries past. The |
| metallurgy and hammering techniques to make these | | | | music they make is the sound of meditation, calm |
| bowls is now considered a lost art. | | | | mind, and relaxed body. |
| Because of all the different ingredients in the alloy, | | | | |