| I recently had the pleasure to interview Richard Rudis, | | | | There are only three sources in the United States that |
| a Buddhist who has traveled to Tibet many times, who | | | | I can recommend where someone can go and say I |
| also teaches people how to work with Gongs, | | | | want a Tibetan Bowl, and get a real one. There were |
| Tingshas, and Tibetan Singing Bowls. | | | | two groups in Tibet that made them, and the groups |
| One question I asked him was about the fact that | | | | have not existed for over a hundred years, so if the |
| lately it seems that everyone and their brother is | | | | bowl was truly made by them, then the bowls are at |
| offering Tibetan Singing Bowls for sale. I asked Richard | | | | least 100 years old. |
| to discuss this phenomenon: | | | | The research I've done shows that the fourth Dalai |
| Richard: In regard to the singing bowl proliferation, we | | | | Lama, separated these special bowls from drinking |
| should start in India. Now, India is a wonderful country | | | | bowls, so we can date true bowls back from at least |
| and it is full of wonderful opportunists. If there is a way | | | | 100 to over 1000 years ago. |
| of financially gaining from anything within their realm of | | | | The older bowls coming from that spiritual path, they |
| understanding, they are on it in a moment. | | | | are spectacular. But there are a finite number of them, |
| So in India there are warehouses full of what are | | | | so when you see all these bowls out there, the |
| referred to as "singing bowls" or "Tibetan bowls." They | | | | sources have to be questioned. You need to use a lot |
| have been machined. They are not handmade like real | | | | of discernment and knowledge. |
| Tibetan Singing Bowls. The alloy that real Tibetan | | | | I do workshops over the country and people will bring |
| bowls are made from is sacred in origin; I have no idea | | | | me a bowl they have and to them, it's a wonderful |
| if these bowls are made from same alloy, but probably | | | | bowl in their mind. But once they experience a true |
| not. For example, the iron in ancient bowls is meteorite | | | | quality bowl that I bring to the workshop, the bowl that |
| iron. | | | | they thought was great now becomes mediocre. It |
| That's not to say that some of these Indian bowls | | | | can still work for them in many ways, but it is not the |
| can't be useful. It is just that they are being marketed in | | | | same bowl they once thought it was. |
| a way that is not completely honest. | | | | |