Spirit Rock Meditation Center is dedicated to the teachings of the Buddha. We provide silent meditation retreats, as well as classes, trainings, and Dharma study.
When Rahula Rang the Bell
From the Shurgama Sutra
The Buddha orders his son, Rahula, to ring the bell, and it becomes a teaching on the nature of sound
The Buddha then ordered Rahula to ring the bell and asked Ananda: “Do you hear it?” Ananda and the others in the assembly replied that they did. When the bell was no more heard, the Buddha asked again: “Do you still her it?” They all replied that they did not. Rahula again rang the bell and the Buddha asked: “Do you hear it?” They replied that they did. The Buddha then asked Ananda: “What do you mean by hearing and not hearing?” Ananda and the others replied: “If the bell is rung, we call it hearing and when the sound and its echo stop, we call it not hearing.”
Share with a Friend
Member Supported Content
Please login or join to continue.
Become a Supporting Member
*With Autorenew
- You Get
- Tricycle | The Magazine - a one-year subscription to premier Buddhist quarterly
- Tricycle Retreats - a new online video teaching every every week by a contemporary Buddhist teacher
- Tricycle | The Digital Edition - web based edition of the magazine
- The Wisdom Collection - nearly two decades of teachings by the world's most compelling teachers, from the pages of Tricycle
- Tricycle Gallery - the best in Buddhist art to download and share with friends
- Tricycle Book Club - online discussions with leading Buddhist authors
- Tricycle Discussions - teacher-led explorations of dharma in daily life
- The Tricycle Blog - our diary of the global Buddhist movement
- Daily Dharma - heart advice delivered direct to your inbox
- The Tricycle Newsletter - the latest news, teachings, events, and more, every Monday
Become a Supporting Member
Become a Sustaining Member
*With Autorenew
- You Get
- Tricycle | The Magazine - a one-year subscription to premier Buddhist quarterly
- Tricycle Retreats - a new online video teaching every every week by a contemporary Buddhist teacher
- Tricycle | The Digital Edition - web based edition of the magazine
- The Wisdom Collection - nearly two decades of teachings by the world's most compelling teachers, from the pages of Tricycle
- Tricycle Gallery - the best in Buddhist art to download and share with friends
- Tricycle Book Club - online discussions with leading Buddhist authors
- Tricycle Discussions - teacher-led explorations of dharma in daily life
- The Tricycle Blog - our diary of the global Buddhist movement
- Daily Dharma - heart advice delivered direct to your inbox
- The Tricycle Newsletter - the latest news, teachings, events, and more, every Monday













Latest Magazine Comments
I've got to to say, celticpassage, that it seems you're being disingenuous here. Surely if you had no hopes at all...
The interesting insight that arose while I was reading this article was that it is possible within one lifetime to...
This has resonance with me because it reminds me of the confession from the Episcopal prayers of the people, I.e. "...
Well, I don't want to save the sufferring masses.
I know I can't save even one person let alone the sufferring...