BuddhaBell(tm)
Frequently Asked Questions(FAQ)

Table of Contents

1. What is BuddhaBell(tm)?
2. How do I set a Meditation timer?
3. How do I set a Reminder timer?
4. Why don't I hear any sound?
5. How can I add my own sounds?
6. How do I make BuddhaBell startup automatically?
7. How can I customize the times used?
8. What are 'Clock Bells'?
9. What are 'Daily Bells'?

What is BuddhaBell?

The BuddhaBell(tm) software meditation timer will time your meditation session according to your needs. It uses your computer to keep accurate track of the time and uses your multimedia speakers to ring a "bell" at the beginning and ending of your session. You can program in a short delay so that you may get comfortable. After the delay a single "bell" sound will play. After the desired meditation time, a series of three "bell" sounds will play, signaling the end of the meditation.

BuddaBell also allows your computer to play periodic "reminder" bells during the day. You can use these sounds to help you return to the moment (mindfullness), or to help with other forms of contemplation.

You can use the included sounds or add your own soundfiles for playback.

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How do I set a Meditation timer?

Within the "Meditation Timer" area at the upper left of the display, select the length of your meditation from the pulldown menu. Then select the "Delay Time" - how long you want to wait before you hear the starting sound. You can select which sound will be played by selecting from the "Sound:" menu. Finally, press the "Start" button and the meditation timer will begin. The amount of time remaining in your meditation will be displayed in the "Remaining Time" field.

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How do I set a Reminder timer?

Within the "Reminder Timer" area at the lower left of the display, select the interval of your reminder sounds from the pulldown menu. For example, if you select an "Interval Time" of 5 minutes, the software will play the reminder sound every 5 minutes. If you select "Random", then the interval time will be selected at random from within a range from 1 to 30 minutes.

You can select which sound will be played by selecting from the "Sound:" menu. If you select "Random Soundfile", then the program will randomly select from any of the '.wav' soundfiles that are stored in the program directory. Several soundfiles are shipped with the product. Finally, press the "Start" button and the reminder timer will begin. The amount of time remaining before your next reminder sound will be displayed in the "Remaining Time" field.

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Why don't I hear any sound?

Press the "Test Sound" button to hear the selected soundfile. If you do not hear the expected sound then you may need to adjust your computer's Sound Settings (from the "Sounds and Multimedia" Control Panel) to make sure that the volume is up, and that the default sound card is selected. Finally, you must have your amplifier and/or speakers plugged in and turned on in order to hear the sound.

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How can I add my own sounds?

Using the file system (Windows Explorer), simply drag a copy of any WAVE sound file (e.g. 'MySound.wav') into the BuddhaBell directory. It is usually installed in the '/Program Files/BuddhaBell' folder. If you still have trouble, try double clicking on any .wav file and see if you can get that to play.

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How do I make BuddhaBell startup automatically?

Click on the "Options" button at the bottom of the BuddhaBell window. By checking the 'Automatically Start Reminder Timer When Program Begins' check box, BuddhaBell will immediately start the Reminder Timer at the current settings when the program is started.

If you want to automatically have the BuddhaBell program start up everytime you turn on your computer, you will need to add it to the scheduled program start times (see your operating system manual for tips on how to do this)."

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How can I customize the times used?

Click on the "Options" button at the bottom of the BuddhaBell window. By checking either of the boxes labeled "Custom Meditation Time" or "Custom Reminder Time", the program will add your customized times to the dropdown menus in the main dialog box. Edit the number displayed in the edit box to change your customized time. This value will appear as the last value in the dropdown menu list for the "Meditation Time" and "Interval Time", respectively.

What are 'Clock Bells'?

Click on the "Options" button at the bottom of the BuddhaBell window. Choose which sound files you want to hear. From the main program window check the "Use Clock Bells" check box and these sounds will be played on the hour, half-hour, and quarter-hour, respectively.

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What are 'Daily Bells'?

Click on the "Options" button at the bottom of the BuddhaBell window. You can use the "Daily Bells" feature to tell BuddhaBell to play a certain soundfile at a certain time of day. The lists on the right will display which sound file will be heard at what time of day.

Click on the "Add Daily Bell" button to create a new daily bell entry.

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