The origin of Tibetan singing bowls: a brief history
There is no written record of the origin of Tibetan bowls. According to most sources, the first bowls were made in Mongolia by nomadic blacksmiths, over 5 000 years ago. The nomads worked with sophisticated alloys. Over the centuries, these alloys were rened, along with the hammering techniques used.
Mongolian shamans are thought to have gradually become interested in the vibrations emitted by these bowls, which led to the creation of the rst singing bowls. These shamans would later take the bowls to the Himalayas and teach priests of the Bon religion – practiced in the region before Buddhism – how to use them.
Later, when Buddhism replaced the Bon religion, the tradition is thought to have been passed down to Tibetan Buddhist monks. The alloys used were further improved when the Tibetans came into contact with the Nepalese. The former had the metals (mainly gold); the latter had the skills. This encounter ultimately led to the creation of the seven-metal Tibetan bowl.
Tibetan monks often say that the bowls were originally only used for eating, keeping alive the mystery surrounding this tool used by shamans in folklore. In Lamaism, we know that the bowls were used for healing, bringing them into contact with the body as is done nowadays.
Accounts from explorers in the early 20th century esoteric literature attest to the bowls’ use. These namely include the accounts of Alexandra David Néel, the rst woman of European origin to stay in Lhasa, Tibet.
The dierent types of singing bowls
Tibetan bowls
Tibetan bowls are shaped in the form of inverted bells, and are made of a metal alloy. They often come with fairly thick mallets, used to make the bowls vibrate and produce sounds and vibrations.
These bowls are mainly made with three, ve or seven metals. The majority of bowls are made mostly of copper, tin and iron. Lead and mercury are added for ve-metal bowls, as are silver and gold for seven-metal bowls. Lead, mercury, silver and gold only make up a very small proportion of the composition, except for some rarer and often older bowls that contain more gold. The alloy of these seven metals is linked to the seven chakras, the seven stars that make up the solar system and the seven days of the week.
The associations with the seven metals are :
• Silver symbolizes the Moon, and corresponds to Monday.
• Iron symbolizes planet Mars, and corresponds to Tuesday.
• Mercury symbolizes planet Mercury, and corresponds to Wednesday.
• Tin symbolizes planet Jupiter, and corresponds to Thursday.
• Copper symbolizes planet Venus, and corresponds to Friday.
• Lead symbolizes planet Saturn, and corresponds to Saturday.
• Gold symbolizes the Sun, and corresponds to Sunday
In the traditional manufacturing process, the bowls are hot-hammered and polished. They are then sometimes also engraved.
The metal alloy and the manufacturing process play a decisive role in the quality of the bowl and its sound.
Tibetan singing bowls can be used for :
• Energy work on the dierent bodies
• Sound massages
• Purifying and harmonizing a place
Quartz crystal bowls
Unlike metal bowls, these bowls produce only one note. This note is linked to a chakra. Quartz crystal bowls are made from quartz melted at very high temperatures and blown like glass. The sound is very clear and pure.
The main virtues of crystal bowls are :
• The energization and harmonization of cells
• The re-harmonization of the associated chakra
• An immediate sense of well-being
The benets of using singing bowls
The sounds of singing bowls have an impact on the chakras
Each note produced by a Tibetan bowl will act on a particular chakra :
First chakra: Muladhara, the root chakra
The note C corresponds to the rst chakra, the root chakra Muladhara. It is located in the perineum, between the anus and the genitals. It is fundamental, as it is the gateway and the seat of energy. It is the earth chakra. Its colour is red, and in Hinduism it is represented by a lotus with four petals. As an extension of its “root” signicance, it symbolizes anchoring, stability, the sense of safety and the home. It is the base chakra, which is associated with fundamental needs. It governs the lower part of the body: the legs, hips, feet and pelvis, as well as action and inaction.
Second chakra: Svadhisthana, the sacral chakra
The note D corresponds to the second chakra, the sacral chakra Svadisthana. It is called the sacral chakra, hara chakra, or navel chakra, as is situated about 5cm below the navel. It is the seat of sexuality, fertility and procreation. Its colour is orange and it is represented by a lotus with six petals and a crescent moon. It is associated with the water element, and is therefore the seat of emotions. It governs sexuality, creativity, pleasure, self-esteem and intimate relationships. It governs our hormones, sexual organs, bladder and intestines. It is associated with iron and planet Mars. Its mantra is VAM, and it is associated with the note D, which corresponds to 288Hz.
Third chakra: Manipura, the solar plexus chakra
The note E corresponds to the third chakra, that of the solar plexus – Manipura. It is located below the chest by the rst lumbar vertebra, at the front of the diaphragm. It is the chakra of action and self-condence or, on the contrary, if it is imbalanced, of diculty with selfassertion and one’s relationship with the world and others. This chakra governs digestion, the adrenals, the pancreas and the gallbladder. It is associated with tin and Jupiter. Its mantra is RAM, and it is associated with the note E, which corresponds to the frequency 320Hz.
Fourth chakra: Anahata, the heart chakra
The note F corresponds to the fourth chakra, the heart chakra Anahata. It is located by the heart, along the central axis of the body. In many traditions, this is a double chakra, with a second smaller chakra located in the back. It is the chakra of love, in the purest sense of seless love, compassion and our ability to give and receive. Its colour is green (sometimes with pink) and it is represented by a 12-petal lotus within which sits a yantra, a six-pointed star representing the union of the divine and the manifested world, or Shiva and Shakti, the male and female principles. This chakra governs the heart, the lungs and the sense of touch. It is associated with the air element, gold and the Sun. Its mantra is YAM. It is associated with the note F, close to the associated frequency 341Hz.
Fifth chakra: Vishuddha, the throat chakra
The note G corresponds to the fth chakra, that of the throat – Vishuddha. It is located by the throat. It is the chakra of communication, self-expression, and listening. To have a balanced throat chakra is to have a voice, in every sense of the word. In more abstract and traditional terms, it is also a chakra associated with purication. Its colour is blue. It is represented by a lotus with 16 petals, on which the 16 Sanskrit vowels are written. Vishuddha governs our endocrine system and the thyroid, throat, jaw and ears. It is associated with ether, copper and planet Venus. Its mantra is HAM. It is associated with the note G, which corresponds to the frequency 384Hz.
Sixth chakra: Ajna, the third-eye chakra
The note A corresponds to the sixth chakra, that of the third eye – Ajna. It is the eye of intuiton and intellect, associated with perception, mental focus and acuity. As its name suggests, the third eye is located on the forehead between the two eyes. It is linked to the brain, particularly the epiphysis, the seat of clairvoyance, of the sixth sense. Its colour is indigo. It is represented by a white lotus with two petals, each petal corresponding to the right and left energy channels (ida and pingala). It is associated with light, silver and the Moon. It is the chakra of vision and clarity. Its mantra is OM. It is associated with the note A and the frequency 448Hz.
Seventh chakra: Sahasrara, the crown chakra
The note B corresponds to the seventh chakra, the crown chakra Sahasrara. It is located on the crown of the head in the inward curve of the fontanel, at the tip of the central energy channel. It is the chakra of pure consciousness, lucidity, knowledge and connection to the divine and the universe. It governs concentration, complex thinking, music and our relationship to time and space. Its colour is purple. It is associated with planet Mercury and the metal named after it. It is associated with either silence or the mantra OM. The associated musical note is B, which corresponds to the frequency 480Hz.