Each week BBC features a half-hour audio program entitled “Heart and Soul” that explores spirituality in different parts of the world. This week’s installment is Japan’s Buddhist temple bells. From BBC:
This week’s Heart and Soul captures the physical and symbolic power of these bells, and they are awesome, some weighing more than 30 tons. They are struck on the side by a suspended tree trunk, swung by teams of up to 20 monks. Some are ancient – one bell featured was cast in the year 752.
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The head priest of Rengein Monastery, whose bell can be heard 30 miles away, reveals their spiritual meaning and the impact they have on people. The programme weaves Japanese haiku poems and interviews with the sounds of famous bells in the cities and countryside, each with its unique voice.
Visit BBC’s website to listen to “Japan’s Buddhist temple bells.”
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