Description
A japa mala or mala, literally "garland," is a prayer bead in Hinduism, serving a function similar to the rosary in Christianity. The japa mala usually consists of 108 beads, although other numbers divisible by 9 are also used. Malas are used to avoid losing count while reciting, chanting, or mentally repeating a mantra or the name of a deity. A Buddhist prayer bead (mālā, japamālā) is a prayer bead used in Buddhism. It serves a function similar to the rosary in Christianity. Prayer beads are used to avoid losing count while reciting or chanting. A Buddhist prayer bead consists of 108 beads, each representing a mantra, and 4 beads or 1 bead representing the four heavenly kings. A Buddhist prayer bead is called a juzu in Japanese, fozhu or shuzhu in Standard Mandarin, and a badi in Burmese. A prayer bead is a string of beads used for reciting prayers. Well-known examples of such religious objects are the rosary in the Roman Catholic Church, the chotki/komboschkini in the Orthodox Church, the tasbih in Islam, and the japa mala in Hinduism. A mala is a prayer bead primarily used by people with a Buddhist background. Nowadays, more and more people in the West are buying a mala and using it as a prayer bead or wearing it as a necklace or bracelet.
Tibetans use this string to recite their most well-known mantras (short prayers, sacred verses, or magical formulas). Who isn't familiar with the mantra: AUM MANI PADME HUM, or as the Tibetans say: OM MANI PÈME HUNG or OM MANI BÈH MEH HUNG. ("Greetings to the pearl in the lotus of my heart"). Many other short mantras are prayed for various purposes. Considering that the Catholic faith includes a rosary, it essentially serves the same function: it's a prayer string with a number of prayers (Our Father, Hail Marys) recited aloud or silently, to oneself, in church, or sometimes before going to sleep. A Mala usually consists of 108 prayer beads, but can also consist of 54 (half) or 27 (a quarter) beads. The 109th bead (or the 55th or 28th) is called the Sumeru or Mera, which symbolizes the crown chakra. This Sumeru should not be used as a prayer bead but serves as a turning point, the beginning or end point of the mala. Therefore, the first bead is always the one to the left of the Sumeru, and the last bead is the one to the right of the Sumeru.
The mala is held clockwise in the right hand, ensuring that the little finger and index finger do not touch the bead or string in any way. Only the middle and ring fingers are moved over the bead, with the thumb resting on the underside. If one comes to the Sumeru and wishes to recite a series of 108, 54, or 27 mantras for a second time, the mala is rotated half a turn so that one continues clockwise again and does not return counterclockwise. The last bead then becomes the first bead. If one plans to pray the mala multiple times (JAPA = litany, repetition of prayers, incantations, and divine names), one can use loose minerals or something similar to place the required number on the table in front of oneself and move one aside each time, so that one's thoughts are not distracted by keeping count. There are other similar tools to focus one's attention entirely on the mala and not on keeping count.
You'll see many malas (108 beads) or sumirdi (27 or 54 beads) made with different types of beads. Well-known malas are made from seeds of the Rudraksha tree and the Lotus flower. You'll also see malas made of rose, sandalwood, or tulsi wood, as well as conch shells. The more expensive malas are made of crystals, silver beads, or pearls.
How to use a Mala
