Bell with string

Mindfulness bells in Plum Village

The first time you experience it can be a bit awkward: you carry on speaking, not realising that everyone has gone silent. But, at Plum Village, you soon get used to stopping when the bell rings.

The mindfulness bell can be the grand temple bell, the activity bell, or even the distant church bells. It can also be a chime set to go off every fifteen minutes, or even the sound of a telephone ringing.

Whenever a bell sounds, everyone pauses in what they are doing. It is a chance to stop and to take a few breaths in full awareness.

People might recite to themselves the gatha (practice poem) for listening to the bell:

Listen, listen
This wonderful sound brings me back to my true home

Returning to our true home means bringing our awareness back to our body. By connecting with the physical sensations of our breathing and our body, we can return to the present moment.

The bell helps us to stop and fully enjoy breathing and being for a few moments; a mini mindfulness refresher.

Although the first part of meals at Plum Village usually take place in silence, people do have conversations after lunch and dinner. At these times, it is amazing to see the dining hall briefly fall silent at the sound of a bell. People have often been saved from potentially heated debates by the bell offering a chance to stop, pause, and reflect!

The Plum Village App feature: the Bell of Mindfulness

The Plum Village App aims to be a monastery that you can put in your pocket – so it naturally includes a bell of mindfulness.

To find this feature, tap the bell icon in the top right corner of the screen and choose ‘Bell of Mindfulness’. Then tap on the toggle next to ‘Enable bell’ to configure its settings.