Bell
The bell is the common and essential musical instrument in the tantric Buddhism rituals. Deities and apotheosed lamas hold this symbol, along with the dorje in their hands.
The bell features an natural function and its sound is esteemed auspicious; it is also said to dispel evil spirits.
The base of the bell must be round, above which there is a vase with the face of the Prajnaparamita. Higher up these are a lotus, a moondisc and a dorje.
The hollow of the bell symbolises the fact that wisdom is not separated from emptiness. The tongue represents the sound of emptiness. The eight lotus petals are the eight female deities and the vase simbolically contains the nectar of accomplishment.
In Buddhist rituals, the bell is paired with the dorje. The bell represents wisdom, the female principle, and the dorje represents the compassion or activity, the masculine principle. To accomplish enlightenment, these two principles must be combined. The bell is visualised as the body, the dorje is the mind, and the sound of the bell is took to be the speech of the Buddha..
The use of the dorje and the bell differs depending on the ritual performed. The dorje may be used for visualisation or evocation of deities; the bell may be used to asking protection or another actions from a deity, or it may represent the teachings of dharma, and may also be an offering of a sound. Ringing the bell thus represents the sound of dharma, the Buddha teaching, and symbolises the accomplishment of wisdom and the realisation of emptiness.
During chanting, the dorje is held in the right hand, faces down, and the bell is held in the left hand, typically faces up. Some of the times the hands are held up with the wrists crossed. It represents the union of the male and female principles.
Ven. Lopon Tsechu Rinpoche holds dorje and bell