#bodhi beads

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BODHI BEADS

Other names: Pu Ti Zi

From Seeds used for Bodhi beads in China (link below):

Bodhi beads are Buddhist prayer items that have been traditional tools for counting while reciting a mantra, as prayer beads have been used in other world religions. The Bodhi beads are called Pu Ti Zi in Chinese: Pu Ti means Bodhi tree (Ficus religiosa), and Zi means seed; but Bodhi beads are not made of the seeds of a Bodhi tree. ...In modern times, ‘Bodhi seeds’ do not refer to any particular plant but instead refer generally to seeds and the fruits of various plants used to make prayer beads.

Bodhi beads have an important position in Tibetan Buddhism and are very popular in Tibet (the Xizang Tibetan Autonomous Region). The culture of Bodhi beads spread throughout Tibet and other provinces of China, and there are dozens to hundreds of Bodhi beads with different meanings. Recently, people have begun to wear Bodhi beads as a kind of praying or blessing ornament, in addition to functioning as a prayer bead.

Bodhi seed prayer beads. From Wikimedia Commons by Аркадий Зарубин.

Most seeds of a particular species can produce only one type of Bodhi bead. However, different degrees of processing of Corypha umbraculifera, Daemonorops jenkinsiana, and Elaeis guineensis can be used to make different types of Bodhi bead. The seeds with 2-, 3- or 4-loculed drupes of Ziziphus abyssinica can be used to make ‘Phoenix eye’, ‘Dragon eye’, and ‘Kylin eye’, respectively. Chinese names of most Bodhi beads are according to the morphological characteristics of their respective seeds; for example, the beads called ‘Moon and Stars’ usually have an ivory surface with small holes (moons) and tiny black dots (stars). Seeds of Caesalpinia bonduc are grayish, shiny, ovoid to globose, and look like the moon; therefore, the name of the corresponding Bodhi bead is ‘Moon seed’.

The occurrence frequencies of four types of Bodhi beads reached at least 50%, including ‘King Kong’, ‘Moon and star’, ‘Bodhi root’, and ‘Phoenix eye’. These were the most popular Bodhi beads in the markets.

The most common Bodhi bead, ‘King Kong’, is made from the fruit of Elaeocarpus angustifolius. ‘Two-furrowed King Kong’ is made from the fruit of Elaeocarpus hainanensis. ‘King Kong’ may have been the earliest form of prayer bead in India, named ‘Rudraksha’ in the local language, meaning ‘eye of Shiva’.

Rudraksha mala at Pasupati region kathmandu, Nepal. From Wikimedia Commons by Janak Bhatta.

‘Moon and stars’ is a very popular and traditional Bodhi bead in Chinese Buddhism and is the hard and dense seed of Daemonorops jenkinsiana. The ‘Moon and stars’ name reflects the small holes (moon) and tiny black dots (stars) covering the seed’s surface.

Moon and stars bodhi beads. From Wikimedia Commons by pack372sd.

Seeds of Corypha umbraculifera are used to make ‘Bodhi root’ beads. In India, it is also called ‘vegetable ivory’ and is a traditional tool for carving Buddhist Sutras, such as the famous ‘tale palm’ or ‘tad-patri’ because the leaves are flexible and soft when dry.

‘Phoenix eye’ and ‘Small phoenix eye’ are made from the fruits of Ziziphus abyssinica and Ziziphus jujuba var. spinosa, respectively. The name ‘Phoenix eye’ refers to the eye-like shape that appears on the hard endocarp.

A "Phoenix Eye" mala. The beads are made from the polished seeds of the Ziziphus budhensis tree, known locally as Buddhacita, which are endemic to the Timal region of Kavreplanchok and at Namobuddha in Central Nepal. From Wikimedia Commons by Christopher J. Lynn.

🟤 Seeds used for Bodhi beads in China (ncbi.nml.nih.gov)

🟤 Rudraksha - Wikipedia

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