The Buddhist meditation Tingshas are used today for a variety of reasons. They include:
To mark the beginning and end of your session. You can ring your bell a couple of times to introduce ritual and ceremony into your practice.
To clear your space. A bell can create an atmosphere of purity and inspire deeper meditation. Some people believe that the sound of a meditation bell wards off negative energies.
As an object of meditation. For an alternative to concentrating on the breath during sitting meditation, you can use the ephemeral sound of the meditation bell to help keep the mind centered.
Two common types of meditation bells
Tingsha
Also referred to as Tibetan prayer bells, tingsha consist of a pair of small metal cymbals held together by a leather string. They are usually about 3”-4” in diameter and produce a pleasant, melodious ringing on contact. Tingsha are popular meditation bells in the West where they are often used to begin and end a meditation or yoga session. They have their origins in Tibetan Buddhism where they are played during certain rituals: the tingsha sound is believed to attract non-human entities that will be benefitted by these specific forms of compassion practice.
Larger tingsha emit a low-toned sound that continues to vibrate for a long time. Smaller ones provide a higher-pitched, pure sound. Though the two Tibetan prayer bells may vary slightly in pitch, the tones are chosen to be harmonious. The sound produced by each of the disks in a pair of the very best hand-crafted tingsha cymbals is practically identical.