#mala beads

[hollyhocking]

I made this to hold my mala 📿 and it turned out so much better than I thought it would

[bubblegumchaos]

Prayer Beads

My twin sister made me a 27 bead mala-style prayer bead set for Xmas!

I'm currently doing a mantra for confidence (singing one of the "Bender is great" songs, but substituting my own name.) My understanding is that 27 bead malas are for spiritual growth rather than meditation, so I'm going to get a lot of use outta this.

I say "mala-style" cause 1) I'm not buddhist, and 2) there's no guru bead.

Plus, the beads are Futurama blue! And the tassels look like Leela's eye!

[keanuquotes]

Photog Lynn Davis

[priestessofthepoeticprophesy]

My Hermes/ Mercury pendant has been cleaned, repaired, and had a whole new necklace built around it. Inspired by mala and prayer beads, I used natural aquamarine and black cord to make this beauty which ties in the back. 🩵💙🩵💙

[tmiachelson]

Mala beads hold great spiritual significance in several eastern religions, where they are used as a tool for counting mantras, focusing the mind during meditation, and enhancing spiritual awareness. These strings of beads are believed to possess unique vibrations, and their use can help the mind relinquish attachment to the ego, leading to a state of heightened spiritual consciousness. The process of cultivating a relationship with these beads can be a transformative experience, allowing individuals to shed limiting beliefs and connect with the divine.

[indgem]

Excited to share the latest addition to my #etsy shop: Rudraksha with Green Jade beads Mala Necklace, Good Luck Mala and strong mental health Beads Necklace https://etsy.me/3rBtqLQ

[arinewman7]

Mala Beads

Danielle Mckinney

Acrylic on canvas, 2021

[unmaskthemagic]

Thoughts on meditation with mala beads

We were gifted some beautiful mala beads for our wedding from our dear friend. They make these and sell them in their Etsy shop called Sang Mala. Go support them!

Anyway, we kept the beads safe in their bags and tucked away for a few months, because we have never had any experience with prayer beads and didn't know what to do with them.

When I started this exploration of magick a couple weeks ago, I pulled out the ones that spoke to me and did some research. I love the beads we were given, because they had a little list of all the stones used for the beads and what kind of energies might be found in the necklace. I've been trying to meditate with them on most days, to set a little intention to my day. A good source that I found had a lot of info about mala beads is a website called Japa Mala Beads.

Now I've tried meditating many, many times. I've never had very much success with it and I now realize it might be because of ADHD. It was too boring for me. Mala beads, however, provided something for me to do with my hands, which was very helpful.

I also found that repeating the same mantra 108 times, started to make the words meaningless to me. So instead of saying the exact same words, I would change out one word every 5-8 beads, if that word was getting stale. For example, you might switch out "path" for "direction" or "strong" for " powerful." It helped keep my attention and actually helped my mantra feel deeper and more profound. The mantra still had the same intentions, but had more descriptors attached to it.

I won't write my mantra or show my beads here, because they're supposed to be kept private. But I thought this might be helpful for any other neurodivergents who struggle with meditation.

Please do your research on mala beads and how to use them. They are used in a lot of different religions and are considered sacred to many.

[mogulbohochic]

Zen is a peaceful and grounded way of life, an intensely personal decor style that reverberates in the simplicity of handmade art form

[river-in-the-woods]

I had some questions for you: when it comes to chanting with the 108 mala beads what has your experience been like with them? Does it matter what type of material is used and what kind has benefited you most? Is there a certain way you hold your mala when you count? The last question is because I'm looking up if there's a "right" way to hold and count from the mala and in Hinduism they hold it between the thumb and the middle finger because the fingers represent the elements: thumb = earth, index = fire and middle = the sky. So the index finger is excluded since it would be like burning the earth. When you count to the last bead you flip it so that it becomes the starter bead instead of crossing over the Guru bead. Does Buddhism follow the same thing or is it more open ended? Also when you dedicate the blessings to the ancestors is it after each cycle is done (ex. 1 cycle you pause say "I dedicate this cycle of blessings to xxx" resume another cycle) or after a complete session (ex. 7 cycles done so you would ask all that you accumulated goes to them). P.S. in the process of sorting ancestor stuff so I really don't wanna mess up to ensure they get the blessings. Thanks in advance 🙏

Hello there!

Yes, there are right ways to use a mala, however the “right way” does depend on what tradition you follow, because there are many traditions within Buddhism. Therefore it’s hard to give you a definite answer. In my tradition, we hold it in the left hand (other traditions say you must hold it in the right hand). We also never count over the guru bead, as you said, we flip the mala and count the other way. We pull the beads towards us with our thumb, so that we are pulling in the siddhis (benefits) towards us.

Different materials are associated with different benefits, but always made from natural, durable materials which are evenly shaped and sized. You can have whatever kind you like, and as many as you like. You can dedicate them to different practices and deities, or use one mala for all of them. The number of mala beads is usually 108 but you can get them as small as 54 or 27 beads, though we always chant 108 recitations at a time. One mala = 108 recitations. In my tradition it’s fine to count on the index finger, and different fingers are also associated with different activities: pacifying, increasing, destroying obstacles, etc.

That said, there are very different expectations for laypeople compared to initiates and clergies/priests. So I think (assuming you are a layperson) you do not need to worry too much about the specifics, just practice with respect and sincerity until you find a teacher (you can do so online, there are many gurus/lamas who have an online presence). And once you find a teacher that speaks to you, you follow the traditions as laid out by them. This applies to most aspects of Asian traditions, everything is done according to your teacher/lineage.

As for how to practice respectfully, the essential thing is to always keep your mala clean: never place it on the floor, your feet, or anywhere dirty. Hide it (such as in a cloth bag) when you enter the restroom or when travelling so that it doesn’t get dirty. It’s best to avoid letting other people touch your mala as well, unless they are of the clergy (in which case they can bless your mala). There are people who just wear mala as jewellery, but if you’re dedicating yours to religious/spiritual/magical practice it should be treated as a sacred object. Also make sure your hands and mouth are clean prior to practice, including after sexual activity or touching/consuming meat. If your mala gets dirty, you can cleanse it by rinsing it with water and wiping with a clean cloth and/or passing it through incense.

It’s great to get your mala blessed by the clergy, but the mantras themselves also cleanse and bless. It’s also great to meditate before and after reciting, and make or visualise offerings to the deity. But really, the most important part – the part that truly matters – is just to recite the mantra.

The mantras are the deity in sonic form; they are a direct invocation of the deity and their power (which is why many mantras are initiation-locked, and practicing a closed mantra without initiation is a bad idea). You can chant as many malas in one session as you like and dedicate the merits all at the end. Don’t worry so much about messing up, just recite the open mantras and pray for what you need, the gods are there to help you!

Best wishes to you and your ancestors 💚

[zjbeads]

Faceted round natural labradorite gemstone beads.

[zenthropology]

Mala bead collection

[arktosart]

[raining-tulips]

My new goal is to use affirmations to rid myself of motion sickness.

[priestessofthepoeticprophesy]

[bead8]

4mm faceted round natural yellow tiger eye gemstone beads. bead8.com

Item: CTE2231