Tibetan temple bells

[Тясто Марина В.]

Dear Raffi,

I noticed that Tibetan bells play magic role in my TOP meetings with all
groups. It's really like a soft alarm clock bringing people's presence. The
atmosphere immediately changes in the room. Participants attention is
concentrated on the bells, then on you and what you have to tell.
At the end I send bells to everyone to speak  and it is interesting that
everyone touches them but not everybody tries to make a sound. In some
groups everybody rings. In some groups very few people. If I say that the
bell is like a microphone - some people hold bells like a mike and speak
into it. Almost always people ask what it is and where it is possible to get
them. Even though I work more often with state and municipal servants or
business people I didn't meet people who would feel uncomfortable with the
bells.

Best regards,

Marina

-----Original Message-----
From: Raffi Aftandelian [mailto:raffi at BK.RU]
Sent: Thursday, March 20, 2008 1:40 AM
To: OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU
Subject: Tibetan temple bells


Dear friends and colleagues,

The recent discussion on choosing not to talk about bumblebees reminds me of
my hesitation in using Tibetan temple bells to open the space and to invite
everyone to the closing circle.

I really like Tibetan temple bells and their place in OST meetings. They
seem to mark an entrance into a different time and space, from chronos
(sequential time) to kairos (spacious, potential-filled time). They seem to
invite presence. And I particularly like the bells given to me because of
their story.

And, I worry that by using these bells, I am appropriating something that is
not from my original culture.

And very occasionally, the bells seem to evoke something mystical, bringing
on great discomfort to some participants. I am not sure this dissonance is
necessarily something harmful for participants, however.

How do others see the questions, concerns I raise here?

appreciatively,
raffi

raffi at bk.ru, raffi_1970 at yahoo.com

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