A Bell at Rest

Some of the most profound and beautiful of Luang Por’s similes shed light upon experiences in meditation.

In one memorable image, he compared the mind existing in a state both at peace and yet primed to respond intelligently to conditions to that of a bell at rest. When a bell is rung and its natural silence disturbed by a forceful stimulus, the bell responds with a beautiful sound that, after a suitable duration, returns to silence.

In the same way, he said, the mind should dwell ‘with few wishes’ in the present moment; when a challenge arises, it should overcome that challenge with wisdom, and then, like a bell, return to a natural state of rest.

This reflection by Ajahn Jayasaro is from the book, Stillness Flowing, (pdf) pp. 200-201.