FAQ

At Bodhisattva, we sometimes list the approximate age of our singing bowls based on our evaluation of authentic wear on the metal and date them “circa” their century of manufacture. Absent a specific date inscribed on the piece, this term is used by art historians to indicate an approximate range of 100 years before or after the manufacture.  For example, if we label a bowl “Circa 18th Century", that means we estimate that the date of manufacture could have occurred either 100 years prior to, or after, the 1700s.  It is important to note that even amongst art historians, experts sometimes disagree.

Our system of dating singing bowls was developed based on the work of Indo-Tibetan bronze art historian Ulrich Von Schroeder, author of the authoritative volume “Indo-Tibetan Bronzes” published in 1981.  In an attempt to discover a system of dating Indo-Tibetan sculpture, Von Schroeder assembled a collection of thousands of photographs of bronze sculptures acquired from collectors and museums throughout the world.  Starting with the known dated pieces, he identified them by stylistic characteristics and classified them together with other similar pieces.  This body of work then showed similar levels of wear of the surface of the bronze consistent with known ritual practices in handling, such as touching and ritual washing.  Similarly, as we know how singing bowls were used and played throughout the centuries, we can observe the wear on the metal surface and conjecture an approximate date range of manufacture.

Each of the Tibetan Singing Bowls offered are personally selected in Kathmandu, Nepal; some on buying trips and others over video chat. We've worked with the same families since our founding in 1996, including one that has been purveying singing bowls in the Kathmandu Valley for four generations.

These families have a large network of collectors who travel throughout the Himalayas, traveling from village to village trading for the bowls.

The bowls are brought out of the mountains and consolidated, then the finest pieces are set aside for us to make our selection according to age, harmonic balance, ease and smoothness of playing, sound volume, and long sustain. We test hundreds of singing bowls each year to select the 1/2 percent which is awarded our Master-Quality label.

Our contemporary singing bowls are made by one of these families in Nepal and others are imported from India. They all use similar metallurgy and the same manufacturing techniques that have been in use for thousands of years.

Simply put, we pay more. Since the inception of our company, we have been committed to offering only the best quality, harmonically balanced singing bowls to our customers. We have always found that one gets what one pays for and in order to have the top-quality material reserved for us, we pay a premium. Therefore, our Himalayan suppliers are happy to give us the first pick. After we have made our selection,  then our suppliers offer the remainder of their collection to other buyers. Keep in mind that we only select and buy the top 1/2 percent available inventory on the market!  The difference between the best –  what we call “Master-Quality” – and the other 99.95% of the bowls that we reject, is enormous.

Harmonic balance refers to the quality of harmonies between the fundamental tone, rim tone, and sub-harmonics of a singing bowl. We have found that a bowl that is harmonically balanced will greatly help to put the user into a balanced state. Whereas the bowls we reject, which are harmonically unbalanced or out of tune, sound discordant and can actually create agitation. So if you want to create harmony and balance, then it’s wise to use a  harmonically balanced singing bowl. People with musically trained ears will hear and feel the difference right away. Other newer users of singing bowls take time to develop this perception, and there may be a learning curve. So it’s best to select a Master-Quality bowl right from the start.

There are many different sound healing systems worldwide. In the West, most purport the chakras correlate to our Diatonic scale, which is derived from the ancient Vedic scale. This system follows:

B = crown/ 7th chakra
A = third eye (pineal gland)/ 6th chakra
G = throat/ 5th chakra
F = heart/ 4th chakra
E = solar plexus/ 3rd chakra
D = sacral/ 2nd chakra
C = root/1st chakra

Those who are doing healing work in this system will want to acquire a set of bowls that will be able to affect all of the chakras. 

But even within the realm of the Diatonic scale, there are other considerations. Which octave is the scale in: the second, third, fourth or fifth? The octaves matter. Also, please note that most Tibetan singing bowls produce more than one note (most produce between two dominant tones plus semi-tones). Whether you tune your set to the rim or the fundamental tone will determine to octave of your set.

However, there are many other systems that are not based on chakras: some based on the meridians, and others are derived from Bon (the indigenous people of Tibet) practices. There are many other systems based on planetary, historical and metaphysical influences as well. Although we honor all of these systems, we consider them all to be subjective. Some sound healing systems are based on no particular scale at all, but are based on the individual practitioner’s experience using bowls. Most of these systems are not supported by science, and while metaphysical tools for sound healing need not be, we are unable to validate any one particular sound healing school over any other. Hence, while we no longer list chakra correlations for our products, we still offer sets in scales – and custom sets – that practitioners can use for their sound healing methodologies, whatever they are.

We are snow flakes; each of us completely unique, vibrational entities. The bowls themselves are hand-made, also unique, and affect us differently. So above all, feel the sound. If we can be help to put together a set that resonates with you, please contact us.

The silicone glass, or as they are popularly called “crystal” bowls produce a pure sine tone, plus a third interval harmonic. This intense tone is louder and sometimes can be experienced as intrusive, as opposed to the subtler, complex interweaving of harmonics produced by Tibetan singing bowls. Also, most Tibetan bowls create a “binaural beat effect”, which has been shown scientifically to entrain our brainwaves from the Beta to Alpha state, inducing a positive feedback loop of calming physical responses, creating relaxation in the body and mind. Aside from the difference in their sound characteristics, it’s also important to note that being made of glass, crystal bowls break fairly easily. Although the bronze alloy from which Tibetan Singing bowls are forged is not indestructible, it is certainly much more durable, enabling Tibetan singing bowls to last hundreds of years with normal use.

Around 1997, both machine-made and hand-forged, new-made singing bowls started showing up in the Himalayan marketplace. The hand-forged bowls come in a variety of sizes, from 3 1/3″ to over 24″!  Authentic antiques were rarely made in sizes over 12″. Although we believe the new bowls are made with a similar bronze alloy as the antiques, we suspect they may have more iron content, as they are usually a heavier weight as compared to a same-size antique bowl. Some, like most of the contemporary bowls Bodhisattva offers, are a highly polished finish. Other have an oxidized dark finish (fake patina) that’s added. Most of these darker bowls now have either etched or bright gold design motifs. Our own etched bowls have this patina to give the etching work dimensionality.

As is the case with antique bowls, the most important feature of new bowls is their sound. Unfortunately, due to the pressures of the exponential demand for singing bowls worldwide, most manufacturers pay little attention to the quality of their product’s sound. It takes exhaustive quality control to go through the mountains of bowls that are produced to find the Master-Quality bowls amongst them. Finally, the budget of a contemporary bowl will usually be roughly half of a similarly sized antique bowl – or less.

Whether a bowl is contemporary or antique, the most important consideration is: how do you feel when you hear it?

Absolutely. If you're an established retailer interested in carrying Bodhisattva products, contact us to inquire.