“Religion is like this; a prayer, a song, a flower, a white sugar ball, a chime of the brass bell, the rendering of mantra, closing one's eyes; Meditation.”

“In Narnia a girl might ring a bell in a deserted temple and feel the chime in her eyes, pure as the freeze that forces tears. Then when the sound dies out, the White Witch wakes. It was like, I want to touch you, and I can touch you, now what next, a dagger?”

“Safe?” Her voice was small, timid and delicate. But beautiful. The one word chimed like little bells. Her first word spoken to me.”

“The strident chimes of prayer bells from the distant temple resonated in the night air with ritual insistence, and nudged Kamala from her repose. What had once sounded to her like a sharp and persistent call to prayer now, with ceaseless repetition, mellowed to become plaintive and wistful, like one's favourite recording playing in the background to the syncopated percussion of lovemaking. (From the novel Blood & Nemesis by Ben Antao).”

“Gratitude is the greatest prayer. Thank you is the greatest mantra.”

“Came the visions of icy beauty,from the land of death where they dwell.Pursuing their prize and grisly duty,came the thieves of the charm and spell.The bells chimed thrice, and death came a-calling. Alluring of shape though seldom seen,they traveled the breeze on a spark.some fed twigs to their newborn queen,while others invaded the dark.the bells chimed thrice, and death came a-calling.some they called and others they kissedas they traveled on river and wave.with resolve they came and did insist:every one touched to a grave.the bells chimed thrice, and death came a-calling.roving to hunt and gathering to dance,they practiced their dark desiresby casting a hex and a beautiful trance,before feeding the queen's new fires.the bells chimed thrice, and death came a-calling.till he parted the fallsand the bells chimed thrice,till he issued the callsand demanded the price.the bells chimed thrice and death met the mountain.they charmed and embracedand they tried to extollbut he bade them in graceand demanded a soul.the bells fell silent and the mountain slew them all.and the mountain entombed them all.”