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54-523: The main body of a mala usually consists of 108 beads of roughly the same size and material as each other, although smaller versions, often factors of 108 such as 54 or 27, exist. A distinctive 109th "guru bead" or mother bead, which is not counted, is very common. Mala beads have traditionally been made of a variety of materials such as wood, stone, gems, seeds, bone and precious metals—with various religions often favouring certain materials—and strung with natural fibres such as cotton, silk, or animal hair. In

108-464: A committee and begun to distribute seedlings of these plant so as to uplift the economic status of the people living in this area. In Buddhism in Japan , Buddhist prayer beads are known as ojuzu ( 数珠 , counting beads) or onenju ( 念珠 , thought beads) , where the "o" is the honorific o- . Different Buddhist sects in Japan have different shaped prayer beads, and use them differently. For example,

162-593: A garland, with the beads typically made of fragrant wood like sandalwood, and series of brightly coloured strings at the end of the garland. It is commonly used in samatha meditation, to keep track of the number of mantras chanted during meditation. Mantra recitation with malas is also common in the various forms of Southern Esoteric Buddhism , a class of esoteric traditions within Southeast Asian Theravada Buddhism. There are numerous explanations why there are typically 108 beads, with

216-457: A manner similar to images of deities, through the use of mantras, dharani , or the application of some substance or pigment like saffron water. In Tibetan Buddhism, malas are often blessed by lamas . They are also often consecrated with a fragrant substance like sandalwood oil. Some lamas teach that before using a new mala, the practitioner should wash the mala (and his hands as well) and then scent it with oil. A practitioner can then consecrate

270-433: A particular number of repetitions of an activity as a foundational practice or to become eligible for initiation into an esoteric teaching, for example, one may need to complete 100,000 recitations of Vajrasattva mantra. To aid this, some Buddhist malas can be made with additional functional beads over and above the 108 main beads. These beads take two main forms serving two different purposes: three marker beads inline with

324-794: A purifying and reverential effect. A notable feature of Tendai school's prayer beads is the use of flat beads called "soroban beads" for the main beads (while most of the other sects use spherical beads). For the Shingon school, they use a red string as the main string for the 108 beads and white tassels for the counter beads. Nichiren schools generally use long 108 bead nenjus with five counter strands with ornamental tassels . The Japanese Zen schools use long 108 bead nenjus without counter / recorder bead strands. Meanwhile, in Jōdo Shinshū (True Pure Land), prayer beads are typically shorter and held draped over both hands and are not ground together, as this

378-525: A secondary larger or more ornate bead halfway through the mala, marking the halfway point. These are sometimes called middle beads (Japanese: nakadama ). In some Buddhist traditions, the guru bead represents The Buddha , Buddha Amitabha or Avalokitesvara . The Sūtra on the Rosary of the Vajraśekhara Yoga states that the mother bead is Amitabha, the string is Avalokiteshvara and the other beads are

432-408: A slip knot. When the tenth bell bead has been raised (10 800 or 11 100 recitations), the chanter moves the bhum counter to the next space between beads (and resets the beads on the bell cord). By consistently moving the bhum counter in the same direction about 1.2 million recitations can be counted. The main use of a mala is to repeat mantras or other important religious phrases and prayers (like

486-461: Is chimed 108 times in Buddhist temples to finish the old year and welcome the new one ( Joya no Kane ( 除夜の鐘 ) ). Each ring represents one of 108 earthly temptations ( Bonnō ) a person must overcome to achieve nirvana . In the neo- Gnostic teachings of Samael Aun Weor , an individual has 108 chances (lifetimes) to eliminate his egos and transcend the material world before "devolving" and having

540-408: Is forbidden. Jōdo-shū is somewhat unusual because of the use of a double-ringed prayer beads, called nikka juzu ( 日課数珠 ) , which are used for counting nenbutsu recitations (i.e. recitation of the name of Amitabha Buddha): one ring contains single beads used to count a single recitation while the other ring is used to count full revolutions of the first ring. Additionally, other beads hang from

594-519: Is not a statement concerning X." In a footnote, D.T. Suzuki explains that the Sanskrit word translated as "statement" is pada which can also mean "foot-step" or "a position". This confusion over the word "pada" explains why some have mistakenly held that the reference to 108 statements in the Lankavatara refer to the 108 steps that many temples have. In Japan , at the end of the year, a bell

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648-504: Is often interpreted as signifying the first 54 stages of the bodhisattva path (as understood in East Asian Buddhism). One source even mentions a mala with 1080 beads. Many malas will have a 109th bead which is variously called the guru bead, mother bead (Japanese: boju), parent bead, Buddha bead, Sumeru bead, or bindu bead. It is often larger, more elaborate, or of a distinctive material or colour. Some malas also have

702-539: Is reached by multiplying the senses smell, touch, taste, hearing, sight, and consciousness by whether they are painful, pleasant or neutral, and then again by whether these are internally generated or externally occurring, and yet again by past, present and future, finally we get 108 feelings. 6 × 3 × 2 × 3 = 108. Thus, the number 108 represents all the possible sensory states that one could experience. Tibetan Buddhist malas or rosaries (Tib. ཕྲེང་བ Wyl. phreng ba, "Trengwa" ) are usually 108 beads; sometimes 111 including

756-712: Is the Name (of the Lord); rare are those who, as Gurmukh , obtain it. (SGGS, Ang.1313) In the Varan Bhai Gurdas , an early explanation and interpretation of Sikh theology, Bhai Gurdas also associates the name "ਹਰਿ" (Hari) in the form of Hari Krishan in the Dwapur Yuga with the letter "ਹ" (h) in "ਵਾਹਿਗੁਰੂ" (Waheguru). However, in the context of the Sri Guru Granth Sahib , the name "Hari" refers to

810-460: Is very hard and dense, ivory-coloured (which gradually turns a deep golden brown with long use), and has small holes (moons) and tiny black dots (stars) covering its surface. Tibetan Buddhists also teach that certain types of malas can enhance specific practices or bring specific benefits. For example: One type of wooden mala bead has a shallow trench engraved around their equator into which tiny pieces of red coral and turquoise are affixed. Due to

864-475: The Devi-Bhagavata Purana (9th-14th century) which explains how to make a rudraksha garland, and in the late tantric Rudrakṣajābāla upaniṣad . The Rudrakṣajābāla upaniṣad states that the rudrakshas are tears of Shiva , and as such, they should always be worn by devotees of Shiva. It discusses various ways of wearing them, and which mantras to use with them. Regarding Vaishnava sources,

918-549: The Garuda Purana and the Padma Purana both teach the use and wear of a mala made from tulasi wood (tulasi kanthi mala). The Garuda Purana explains that by wearing this mala, Hari (Vishnu) will always be with the devotee. It also states that wearing a tulasi mala will multiply the benefit of doing good karmic deeds, as well as providing magical protection from harm. The Padma Purana says one should always wear

972-606: The Ming dynasty -era, malas increasingly began to be valued for their aesthetic qualities as much or more than their spiritual use and were often worn by royals and high officials. Malas of expensive or rare materials became common as gifts given among the wealthy, and the materials allowed to different grades of wives and concubines was regulated by sumptuary laws. Depictions of Qing dynasty court officials often include malas, intended to show their status and wealth rather than as an indication of spirituality. Common materials are wood from

1026-598: The Persian terms zar 'gold', Greek khloros 'green', Slavic zelen 'green' and zolto 'gold', as well as the English words yellow and gold . The same root occurs in other Sanskrit words like haridrā , ' turmeric ', named for its yellow color. In Hinduism, beginning with Adi Sankara 's commentary on the Vishnu sahasranama , hari became etymologized as derived from the verbal root hṛ "to grab, seize, steal", in

1080-523: The Pure Land Buddhist nianfo ). Mantras are typically repeated hundreds or even thousands of times. The mala is used so that those who are trying to achieve an exact number of repetitions can focus on the meaning or sound of the mantra rather than counting its repetitions. In addition to their practical use as an aide in recitation, malas have traditionally been ascribed to have additional spiritual qualities. Different materials may be ascribed

1134-472: The Shingon and Tendai generally use longer prayer beads (108 beads) with counter strands on both ends for recording multiple rounds of recitation (Tendai malas have 2 recorder bead strands, Shingon malas have four). These recorder strands usually end in decorative tassels. During devotional services, the beads may be rubbed together with both hands to create a soft grinding noise, which is considered to have

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1188-889: The golden ratio . This could be restated as saying that the " chord " of 108 degrees is ϕ {\displaystyle \phi } , the golden ratio . The number 108 is considered sacred by the Dharmic Religions , such as Hinduism , Buddhism , and Jainism . In Hindu tradition, the Mukhya Shivaganas (attendants of Shiva) are 108 in number and hence Shaiva religions, particularly Lingayats , use malas of 108 beads for prayer and meditation. Similarly, in Gaudiya Vaishnavism , Lord Krishna in Brindavan had 108 followers known as gopis . Recital of their names, often accompanied by

1242-665: The guru bead(s), reflecting the words of the Buddha called in Tibetan the Kangyur (Wylie: Bka'-'gyur) in 108 volumes. Zen priests wear juzu (a ring of prayer beads) around their wrists, which consists of 108 beads. The Lankavatara Sutra has a section where the Bodhisattva Mahamati asks Buddha 108 questions and another section where Buddha lists 108 statements of negation in the form of "A statement concerning X

1296-432: The sandalwood tree, along with the seeds of various trees, and precious or semiprecious stones. Strings may be made from practically any fibre, traditionally silk or wool or cotton though synthetic monofilaments or cords such as nylon can now be found and are favoured for their low cost and good wear resistance. Elastic cords, such as milliner 's elastic, may be used and have the advantage that they can stretch to fit over

1350-406: The 108 beads; two short cords of ten beads each hanging from the main loop which are used as counters. Japanese malas may also contain tassels (房, fusa) with counter beads, also known as recorder beads (記子珠, kishi- or kisu-dama). They are seen as symbolizing the ten pāramitās . In some more complex malas, three distinctive, often smaller, beads are placed so that, with the guru bead, they divide

1404-454: The 6th century, but an independent translation in the 8th century suggests an origin as a Sanskrit text transmitted from Central Asia, rather than a Chinese composition. According to this text, a king asks the Buddha for "an essential method that will allow me during the day or night to engage easily in a practice for freeing us from all sufferings in the world in the future." The Buddha instructs

1458-454: The 7th century CE and the mala seems to have been regarded as a common piece of monastic equipment by around this era. While there are relatively few pre-Song dynasty depictions or references to the mala, this may be due to its use in private religious practice rather than public ceremony. Chinese authors criticized monks who recited mantras on their malas in public, as monks were generally expected to remain silent while on public alms rounds. By

1512-507: The Rudraksha Japa Mala epitomizes ancient wisdom and mystical energies, offering seekers a conduit to inner peace and spiritual harmony. Beads made from the wood of the tulsi plant are used and revered by Vaishnavas , followers of Vishnu. A very popular type of mala among Mahayana Buddhists are those made of bodhi seeds , which are actually made from various species belonging to Arecaceae and Fabaceae rather than of

1566-400: The bell cord is raised representing 1080 (or 1110) recitations and the dorje beads are all reset to their low position. To keep track of more recitations, the chanter may use a small metal charm called a bhum counter. ( Bhum , approximately pronounced "boom", is Tibetan for "one hundred thousand".) The bhum counter starts next to the guru bead and is attached to the main string by a clip or

1620-558: The context of Vaishnavism interpreted as "to take away or remove evil or sin", and the name of Vishnu rendered as "he who destroys samsara ", which is the entanglement in the cycle of birth and death, along with ignorance, its cause; compare hara as a name of Shiva , translated as "seizer" or "destroyer". The name "ਹਰਿ" (Hari) is frequently used as a name for Waheguru in the Sri Guru Granth Sahib : ਹਰਿ ਹਰਿ ਹਰਿ ਹਰਿ ਨਾਮੁ ਹੈ ਗੁਰਮੁਖਿ ਪਾਵੈ ਕੋਇ ॥ Hari, Hari, Hari, Hari

1674-530: The cost of already harvested or fossilized red coral and its conservation status , as well as the cost of turquoise, plastic or glass may be used instead. In Nepal , mala beads are made from the natural seeds of Ziziphus budhensis , a plant in the family Rhamnaceae endemic to the Temal region of Kavrepalanchok in Bagmati Province . The Government of Nepal's Ministry of Forestry has established

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1728-473: The counting of a 108-beaded mala , is often done during religious ceremonies. The Sri Vaishnavite Tradition has 108 Divya Desams (temples of Vishnu ) that are revered by the 12 Alvars in the Divya Prabandha , a collection of 4,000 Tamil verses. There are also 108 Shakta pithas (sacred places). The Sudarshana Chakra is a spinning, discus weapon with 108 serrated edges, generally portrayed on

1782-581: The egos forcefully removed in the infradimensions . Many East Asian martial arts trace their roots back to Buddhism, specifically, to the Buddhist Shaolin Temple. Because of their ties to Buddhism, 108 has become an important symbolic number in a number of martial arts styles. Hari Hari ( Sanskrit : हरि ) is among the primary epithets of the Hindu preserver deity Vishnu , meaning 'the one who takes away' (sins). It refers to

1836-454: The fruits of the bodhisattva path . Tibetan Buddhist malas may have three extra beads as the guru beads, instead of just one. These symbolize the three vajras (the Buddha's body, speech and mind). It is common to find prayer beads in Japan that contain a small image inside the guru bead, usually something associated with the particular temple or sect. When held up to the light the image is clearly visible. Mala may have extra beads hanging from

1890-531: The garb of deities or worshippers, but are difficult to distinguish from decorative necklaces or garlands. The earliest clear depiction of a mala being used as a tool for recitation, rather than as a (possible) decorative necklace, comes from a bodhisattva image created during the Northern Wei dynasty (4th - 6th century) in China; the mala is held in the hand, rather than worn. The first literary reference to

1944-485: The guru/mother bead or middle bead. These may be decorative elements, especially when unable to move along the cord because knots hold them in place. They may or may not have religious symbolism (for example, three beads representing the Buddhist Triple Gem of Buddha , Dharma and Sangha ) but are not used for counting recitations in any way. Vajrayana Buddhism can require that a practitioner complete

1998-603: The introduction of Buddhism during the Han dynasty , suggesting that the practice may have originated in India, and then spread to China. No mention of a mala occurs in the Buddhist Agamas or Pali Nikayas , generally regarded as the oldest Buddhist literature, and it is unclear if their use originated with Buddhists or with Brahmins, Jains, or some other Indian religious community. Malas may appear in early Hindu art as part of

2052-464: The king to make a mala from the seeds of a soapberry tree (likely the aristaka , the Indian soapberry tree) and recite an homage to the three jewels while passing the mala through his fingers. The text also states the mala should be worn at all times, and that if a million recitations were completed, the king would end the one hundred and eight passions. Another Mahayana Buddhist source which teaches

2106-506: The main loop or they may be joined at their common top. The cords end in small charms, usually a different charm on each, with a dorje and a bell shape being common. Their cord is thicker than normal so that the beads on them will not slide under their own weight but can be moved by the chanter. After a single round of chanting, the user will slide up one bead on the cord with the dorje which represents 108 (or 111) recitations. After ten rounds all ten dorje beads have been moved up, one bead on

2160-563: The mala by holding it and practicing a tantric visualization and reciting a mantra. This is believed to empower the mala and multiply one's mantra recitations. 108 (number)#Buddhism 108 ( one hundred [and] eight ) is the natural number following 107 and preceding 109 . 108 is: There are 108 free polyominoes of order 7. The equation 2 sin ⁡ ( 108 ∘ 2 ) = ϕ {\displaystyle 2\sin \left({\frac {108^{\circ }}{2}}\right)=\phi } results in

2214-607: The modern era, synthetic materials can also be used, such as plastic or glass beads, and nylon cords. Malas are similar to other forms of prayer beads used in various world religions, such as the misbaha in Islam and the rosary in Christianity . The specific origin of the mala is unknown, with the use of beads for counting being a widespread practice in ancient cultures. No references to malas occur in Chinese literature before

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2268-494: The number 108 bearing special religious significance in a number of Hindu , Buddhist , and Jain traditions. For example, in traditional Buddhist thought, people are said to have 108 afflictions or kleshas . In another reckoning, 108 is the number of possible dharmas or phenomena. In East Asian Buddhism, 108 can also represent 108 meditations, or the Buddhist 108 deities in the Diamond Realm Mandala. Despite

2322-687: The one who removes darkness and illusion, the one who removes all obstacles to spiritual progress. The name Hari also appears as the 650th name of Vishnu in the Vishnu Sahasranama of the Mahabharata and is considered to be of great significance in Vaishnavism . The Sanskrit word " हरि " (Hari) is derived from the Proto-Indo-European root "* ǵʰel- to shine; to flourish; green; yellow" which also gave rise to

2376-535: The power to help with different practical or spiritual problems, and the mala itself may be ascribed talismanic , magical , and apotropaic characteristics. Buddhist sources such as the Sutra of Mañjuśrï’s Fundamental Ritual state that wearing a mala can purify bad karma and ward off evil spirits. In East Asian Buddhism, some malas are made specifically to be worn for warding off evil and for attracting good fortune. In some traditions, malas are consecrated before use in

2430-436: The regular beads into four sections of 27 beads each. They allow quick estimation of the fraction of a round completed. Their presence raises the number of beads (not counting the guru bead) to 111. Japanese malas may also contain a set of four inline marker beads which often differ in size, color, or material. These are called four points beads (shiten 四天) or “Four Heavenly Kings” (四天王, shitennō). These are usually located after

2484-488: The right rear hand of the four hands of Vishnu . The total number of Upanishads is 108 as per Muktikā canon. In Jainism , the total number of ways of Karma influx (Aasrav). 4 Kashays (anger, pride, conceit, greed) x 3 karanas (mind, speech, bodily action) x 3 stages of planning (planning, procurement, commencement) x 3 ways of execution (own action, getting it done, supporting or approval of action). In Theravada Buddhism , according to Bhante Gunaratana this number

2538-916: The seeds of the bodhi tree . The most common bead types in China and Tibet are: Various types of malas (Tibetan: trengwa) are used in Tibetan Buddhism, including "Bodhi seed" (commonly made from seeds of a Ziziphus tree), wood (such as sandalwood ), bone and precious stones . Tibetan Buddhists generally consider malas made from precious stones as the best kind. Some popular stones are agate , sapphire or lapis lazuli . Semiprecious stones such as carnelian and amethyst may be used, as well. Some common general-purpose malas in Tibetan Buddhism are made from rattan seeds (especially Calamus jenkinsianus ). These beads are called "moon and stars" by Tibetans, and variously called "lotus root", "lotus seed" and "linden nut" by various retailers (though it does not come from any Nelumbo plants). The bead itself

2592-433: The seventh and the twenty-first beads on either side of the mother bead. In the Shingon school, these four symbolize four bodhisattvas: Fugen (Skt. Samantabhadra ), Kannon , Monju (Skt. Mañjuśrī ), and Miroku (Skt. Maitreya ) . The short cords may either be permanently attached to the mala or they may be obtained separately; they do not need to match the main beads. These short cords may either be attached individually to

2646-482: The strings, which can count full revolutions of the second ring (flat beads), or full revolutions of the first string of beads. In all, it is possible to count up to 120,000 recitations using these beads. The design is credited to a follower of Hōnen named Awanosuke. Theravada Buddhists in Myanmar use prayer beads called seik badi ( စိပ်ပုတီး [seɪʔ bədí] ), shortened to badi . 108 beads are strung on

2700-477: The tulasi mala, whether one is pure or impure, even while bathing, eating or going to the toilet. While the earliest Buddhist story about the mala is associated with lay practice, in China it was initially primarily associated with monastic practice. The first Chinese Buddhist author to promote the use of malas was the Pure Land patriarch Daochuo (562–645). Images of monks with malas began to appear in China in

2754-524: The use of a mala for the recitation of mantras comes from the Mu Huanzi Jing ( 木槵子經 or 佛說木槵子經 , "Aristaka/ Soap-Berry Seed Scripture/Classic", Taishō Tripiṭaka volume 17, number 786), a Mahayana Buddhist text purported to have been translated into Chinese during the Eastern Jin era, sometime in the 4th - 5th century CE. No mention of this text occurs in standard bibliographies before

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2808-599: The use of a mala is found in the Chinese canon in The Sutra on the Yoga Rosaries of the Diamond Peak (金剛頂瑜伽念珠経, Ch.: Chin-kang-ting yü-ch’ieh nien-chu ch’ing , Taisho 789) which was translated by the Buddhist vajracarya Amoghavajra (705–774). The text states that the mala should be worn around the neck and that this purifies bad karma. Rudraksha japamalas are discussed in some Hindu sources, such as in

2862-404: The varying explanations for the use of this number, the number itself has been kept consistent over centuries of practice. Smaller malas are also known, most commonly with a factor of 108 beads (such as 54, 42, 27, 21, 18 and 14), and may be worn on the wrist or used to more conveniently keep count of prostrations . The 54, whether in a 54 bead mala or the first 54 beads in a full 108 bead mala,

2916-483: The wearer's hand if worn on the wrist whereas other material may not wrap a sufficient number of times to prevent the mala from slipping off. Beads may also be joined by metal chains. Beads made from the fruitstones of the rudraksha tree ( Elaeocarpus ganitrus ) are considered sacred by Saivas , devotees of Siva , and its use is taught in the Rudrakshajabala Upanishad . It is believed that

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