On Sunday we are marking the New Year with zazen and by ringing the bell 108 times. Each of us takes a turn ringing the bell and being reminded of how we contribute our practice to the sangha jewel. The number 108 indicates the “defilements” which we can all get caught up in when we are infected and motivated by the three poisons – greed, anger and ignorance. The number 108 is derived by multiplying the 6 senses X 3 feelings – pleasant, unpleasant or neutral X 2, whether internally generated or externally occurring X the 3 times – past, present and future. Ringing the bell 108 times reminds us.
This Bell of Mindfulness expresses our Bodhisattva vows as our first act of the new year. Each time we hear the voice of the bell, we indicate atonement for past harms and are sending out a vow for liberation from suffering, for ourselves and for all beings. It reverberates well beyond our immediate intention, resonating throughout the world of samsara and arousing the spirit of enlightenment. Please join us for this wonderful ceremony which begins at 9:30pm this Sunday night.