The Great Bell Chant: A Prayer for the End of Suffering

October 11, 1926 – January 22, 2022. We are profoundly grateful for the beautiful life, gentleness, and simple and direct teachings of Thich Nhat Hanh (Thay), a global spiritual leader, poet and peace activist, revered around the world for his pioneering teachings on mindfulness, global ethics, and peace. May he rest deeply in his great legacy of peace.

We offer here his timeless prayer for the end of suffering.

Transcript

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.
The universal dharma door is already open
The sound of the rising tide is heard clearly
The miracle happens
A beautiful child appears in the heart of a lotus flower
One single drop of this compassionate water
Is enough to bring back the refreshing spring to our mountains and rivers.
Listening to the bell
I feel the afflictions in me begin to dissolve
My mind calm
My body relax
A smile is born on my lips
Following the sound of the bell
My breath brings me back to the safe island of mindfulness
In the garden of my heart
The flowers of peace bloom beautifully.

Be transported to a place of serenity and hope with this exquisite prayer.

The creators of this audio track were Gary Malkin, the composer/arranger, producer, and collaborator Michael Stillwater for a CD/book called Graceful Passages: A Companion for Living and Dying.

Our warm thanks to R. Smittenar for creating this video in September, 2009 with visuals from: HOME, Earth and Baraka