What is the meaning of the morning bell chant? Please explain
some of the lines.
Zen Master: The morning bell chant comes from the Avatamsaka Sutra.
This sutra talks about the interdependence of all beings. So all
animals, birds, human beings, demons, and beings in hell hear the
sound of the bell, wake up, get enlightenment, and become Buddha.
So, this sound penetrates all six realms of existence - heaven,
astral, human beings, animals, hungry ghosts, hell - and takes away
your ignorance; wisdom grows up, you get enlightenment, and save
all beings. Together, we all become Buddha.
There is a line in the chant that says, "Everywhere everything is
equal." This means in universal nature, everything is equal; there
is no form, no name. So at the time when you just hear the sound of
the bell, universal nature appears, name and form disappear, and
everything becomes equal.
Another line says, "Together you and I simultaneously attain the
way of the Buddha." This means we are all equal - all animals, all
birds, and all human beings are all equal - and all attain
enlightenment at the same time through hearing the sound of the
bell. When you hear the sound of the bell, it means you wake up;
wake up means going beyond time and space. Time and space are a
hindrance caused by thinking; so hearing the sound of the bell
makes this thinking disappear, makes time and space disappear, and
all become Buddha at the same time.
At another point, it talks about "great love, great sadness, our
great teacher." Great love is substance, and great sadness is
compassion. If other people are suffering, I am sad and
compassionate. If everyone is happy, I am happy. "Our great
teacher" means we are connected to everything else in the universe,
and everything is teaching us the lesson of great compassion and
great love.