★Listen to Tibetan Bowls★

According to Tibetan oral tradition, the existence of singing bowls dates back to the time of the historical Buddha Shakyamuni (560 - 480 B.C.). The tradition was brought from India to Tibet, along with the teachings of the Buddha, by the great tantric master Padmasambhava in the 8th century A.D.

Singing bowls produce sounds which invoke a deep state of relaxation which naturally assists one in entering into meditation, the ultimate goal being enlightenment. They are a quintessential aid to meditation, and can be found on private Buddhist altars, and in temples, monasteries and meditation halls throughout the world.

As you listen to the profound healing vibrations of these spiritual treasures of the Tibetan Singing Bowls you will notice the different tones which are created from the different sizes and shapes of the bowls intentially made for different sound frequencies and energy patterns they emit.

 photos via http://www.bodhisattva-store

In a world full of stress - relax and feel the love that comes from these special vibrations of beauty that take huge amounts of time to create.

Symbolically a dorje represents the 'thunderbolt of enlightenment,' that abrupt change in human consciousness which is recognised by all the great religions as a pivotal episode in the lives of mystics and saints. Once "enlightened," the observer can detach from the personal importance of money, romance, food and even life itself. Happiness then comes from inside -- not outside -- of the observer who recognizes that he (or she) is part of the Creation.

The Bell and Dorje, or thunderbolt, are inseparable ritual objects in Tibetan Buddhism. They are always used in combination during religious ceremonies.

The Bell held in the left hand, representing the female aspect as wisdom; the Dorje, or male held in the right hand, aspect as method. Together, they represent union of wisdom and method, or the attainment of "enlightenment."

bows and bell photos http://www.bodhisattva-store.

Christians also use the phrase "to be born again." This really has origins in the new reality that comes when a person awakens and realizes that he or she is part of God's creation, sharing in divine love, and can leave the old life of materialism. Like Saul, this realization or awakening often comes suddenly and is perceived as a bright light, or lightening bolt.

via http://www.bodhisattva-store.com

Ancient petroglyphs in Asia attest to the importance of this symbol

What is our REAL nature? Those who have found this through enlightenment often find it difficult to express in words, since words represent things of this dream world. Some have used terms like "Oneness" to describe the understanding that we are all somehow connected. Others have said that we are pure love.

The giant dorje of Swayambhunath, Nepal that is associated with Karmapa Rangjung Dorje.

A thangka (pronounced with the h silent) is the traditional form of religious painting produced by Buddhist monks for centuries in the Himalayas. They are usually painted on canvas or cotton cloth and framed in silk. The old ones are commonly worn, torn, faded, stained, and just generally beaten up by years of travel by caravan from one monastery to another, though some apparently never left their original monastery, or travelled little, so are in better condition.

photos via http://viewzone2.com/jesus/index.html

via http://viewzone2.com/jesus/index22.html

The central figure in the painting appears to be the Himalayan mountains themselves. This in itself, I believe, is unique among old thangkas. These paintings were created by monks or "lamas" as religious acts along strict guidelines. This one may have been painted by a monk familiar with the Moravian Christian missionaries who established themselves in the Himalayan region by the late nineteenth century.

So what are we to make of these murals? It appears to suggest some historical event involving Jesus of Nazareth appearing before a couple hundred individuals or monks near a building which clearly evidences the traditional architecture of a Himalayan "gompa" or monastery A - Himalayan religious center.

Nicholas Notovitch was a Russian journalist who travelled through the Himalayan region in the 1870's as part of a trip "through the orient" to learn about Far Eastern culture and religion and to see the sights.

At some point he fell from his horse and broke a leg. While convalescing in the monastery at Hemis he claimed he was shown old manuscripts, copied from ancient ones in a library at Marbour near Lahsa, which told the story of a great foreign teacher that had travelled from the Middle East to India and the Himalayas named Issa.