FREE: Vintage Ritual Bell From Tibet

The listing, Vintage Ritual Bell From Tibet has ended.

Very Good Condition. Measures 8&1/2IN. HIGH x 4&1/4 in. Wide at Largest.

'The significance of this ritual bell lies principally in its symbolism and ritual function rather than its provenance, as the individual history of ownership and use is not known.
Tibetan Buddhism is rich in symbols, many of which have multi-layered meanings that reflect the different layers of the Dharma or teaching. The bell, known as drilbu in Tibetan and ghanta in Sanskrit, is inseparably linked to the thunderbolt, known as dorje in Tibetan and vajra in Sanskrit.
Together, they are two of the principal ritual objects of Tibetan Buddhism. The bell, held in the left or female, hand, is the female principle of the perfection of wisdom and is said to proclaim the sound of emptiness. The dorje ('the hard or mighty one') is the symbol of the thunderbolt or the 'diamond vehicle', the Vajrayana Buddhist path. Also representing compassion, the dorje is symbolic of the male principle and is always held in the right, or male, hand.
Together the drilbu and dorje represent the perfect union of wisdom and compassion. The combining of these two principles is seen as an undivided unity necessary for attaining enlightenment; thus the drilbu and dorje are never parted or used separately. Kept on altars, or in monks' cells, they are used at communal ceremonies.'

REF:
Levenson, Claude B, 'Symbols of Tibetan Buddhism'