May the sound of this bell penetrate deep into the cosmos, even in the darkest spots. Living beings are able to hear it clearly so that all suffering in them cease, understanding comes to their heart, and they transcend the path of sorrow and death.

So begins the spoken portion of a seven-minute video  which features a prayer/poem written by the Vietnamese Zen Buddhist monk Thich Nhat Hanh, with chant exquisitely sung by Brother Phap Niem.

In the days since I first watched this, I have called its images and the bell sound to mind whenever my thoughts raced, or I was rattled by traffic, or I felt grief at the death of a friend and the anniversary of the death of another, or sleep just wouldn’t come. When my attempts at mindfulness felt like a sputtering engine that just wouldn’t turn over, this video helped.

Beyond its effects on my personal distractions and challenges, this poem is vast and the chanting is balm.

I am grateful.

 

[This video was created by R. Smittenaar, with audio by Gary Malkin in collaboration with Michael Stillwater, and with visuals from  HOME, Earth and Baraka.]

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Editor: Bryonie Wise

Photo: elephant journal archives