The Way of the Gong™

Beyond the Terrestrial Sphere According to ancient and medieval science, aether (Greek: αἰθήρ aithēr[1]), also spelled æther or ether , also called quintessence , is the material that fills the region of the universe above the terrestrial sphere. -  (courtesy of good old Wikipedia)  In working with the Gongs/Bowls/Bells, it’s easy to think about bringing all of our experience and ideas with us when we play them. After all, this is the Western way we have been taught, “practice hard, work on your ideas, refine your technique.” If you are a performing musician, you know that when you play you bring with you all your accumulated knowledge and ideas. You are expected to produce (or more accurately, reproduce ) a specific musical experience. Photo Credit: Toby Frost, ABC Classic FM It's easy to get caught up in planning and perfecting what we do. “I've got to remember to do this, because it always gets a reaction.” Or you may have a basic list/o...

There's no way to avoid it. There are always 2 sides to everything. It's the nature of the Universe.  Black/White Up/Down In/Out Left/Right Hot/Cold Good/Evil And so there is also 2 sides to every story. In Part 1, we looked at facts that were more or less wishful thinking . In Part 2, we looked at how wishful thinking , or more accurately, intent, may actually create our Universe. So where do we go from here? If you play Gongs/Bowls/Bells long enough, it becomes clear that something is happening. It may be difficult to put your finger on exactly what is happening, but you know something is. And this something may be experienced differently by each and everyone of us. So that makes trying to find a solid answer a bit of a sliding floor. Perhaps the preeminent philosopher of the 20th century, Alan Watts, may have hit on the ultimate answer: To Speak The Truth     As you make more and more powerful microscopic instruments, the ...

First Things First 1) If you haven't read last week's blog post, please read it first here . 2) Take a few minutes to read this article and watch the video on recent experiments in Quantum Physics here . 3) Please realize that this blog is my thoughts and ideas filtered through a mix of music, Buddhism, physics/science, various spiritual traditions and esoteric organizations.  4) It's important to understand that I reserve the right to change my mind and beliefs based on being presented with new evidence. 5) I believe above all, that the Universe is fluid, and everything we know is changeable and changing.  Now this week's blog: A Question of Intent In my previous blog, we looked at how many people assign specific ideas to Gongs, Bowls, and Bells; especially connecting them to the Chakras. This is suspect at best. Even the whole ancient Chakra systems have been bent and folded to fit western ideas. For example, assigning a note from the western 12-note...

[As of July 9, 2016, I have added additional content at the end of this blog in order to clarify a few things. ~ MB] Rarely a week goes by without some sort of amazing claims being made on the internet about the powers of Gongs or Singing Bowls. There is an unbelievable amount of 'fact' that is really more personal opinion, or even wishful thinking. I've written before about the folly of assigning various Chakras to Singing Bowls (That's a Heart Bowl, that's a Crown Bowl) and how that's more a way to sell bowls than anything. I remember years ago, when buying Singing Bowls, that they were just Singing Bowls . There was no description or properties assigned to them. It was just, “Here's a stack of bowls, go through them and see what you like.” Now, especially if you look on Ebay, There are Heart Bowls, Root Bowls, Crown Bowls, Healing Bowls, and even complete Chakra sets of bowls. These are all labels that were assigned to them by someone. And they are grea...

Sound . Those of us who work with it know it's power, some of us very intimately. Those just starting out along the path may not yet realize the power and it's complexity. Sound is nothing to trifle with, nothing to just play around with, especially when it comes to playing Gongs/Bowls/Bells for others. Besides the great aspects of meditation and healing we can bring forth with sound, we can also cause confusion and disorientation with it too. Again, this is why I am so opposed to people who take a weekend course, get a pretty certificate, then proceed to claim themselves some sort of master and offer their services far and wide. Sound and all its aspects is a lifelong journey . And it's tricky. Just when you think you've got a hold of it, it presents something new and different to you, as if to say, “There's much more to me than you think!” Alan Watts Sound is the primordial force, the first mover. In his book, Buddhism The Religion Of No-Religion , the ...

If like me, and you travel and set up/tear down your gear often, then it's important to check it over and make sure things are fine. Last time I talked about mallets and Gong cords. This time we'll look at everything else. Your Instruments It's important to regularly check your instruments for damage. Gongs, bells, bowls can all be nicked or dented while traveling. Sometimes these things can lead to further problems like cracks, or they can seriously change the sound. So it's important to regularly inspect your instruments. Small nicks or burrs can often be smoothed out with a fine emery cloth or steel wool. Larger ones may need to be carefully filed. Dents, depending if they affect the sound or playability, can often be hammered out. If you find something and are not sure of fixing it yourself, seek out someone qualified to take a look at it. As I have said many times before, if you travel with your instruments, you need to have quality cases or bags to protect the...

Mallets, sticks, wands, strikers—these are your tools. Much like a wrench or hammer, to a plumber or carpenter, these are the tools we use to do our work. We can have all the best instruments, but if our mallets are in bad shape, we won't get the best sound or response. So taking care of them is a must. Besides, they are expensive. and if you are like me, you may have a lot of different mallets that you use, which is a large investment. I can't believe how many people I see who just throw their mallets in a case or bag with their stand. Of course the stands are hard, and they can easily damage your mallets. Care must especially be taken with Singing Bowl Wands. You want to avoid nicks and dings that will interfere with getting a good, clean sound as you move them around the bowls. Wrapped and covered mallets can become frayed or torn if thrown into a case with hardware/stands.  The mallets shafts can become kicked or damaged, which can make them uncomfortable to hold. If yo...