Japa Malas in Tibetan Buddhism

Of the world's religions, many use prayer beads forperfect or complete number.
prayer and/or meditation. Muslim prayer beads haveWhen you hold a mala, hold it loosely in one hand, with
99 beads to correspond to the 99 days of Allah.the strand over the ring finger. When you start to
Catholicism uses the rosary in order to keep track ofrecite the mantra, take hold of the first bead behind the
in which order the prayers are said. Hinduism andguru bead. The guru bead is the large bead on the
Buddhism use the Japa Mala, aka the mala to keepcenter of the mala. As you say the mantra each time,
track of the repetitions in meditation. There are alsouse your thumb and bring the next bead towards you.
nondenominational prayer beads.You pass away from the guru bead.
Although many religions use prayer beads duringPrayer beads are made from bodhi seeds,
prayer, this tradition is very strong in Tibetan Buddhism.sandalwood, or other types of wood. Prayer beads
In Tibetan Buddhism, the mala is used with a particularcan also be made from different types of gemstones.
mantra that is repeated during meditation. When aMantras can be recited for one of four different
mala is used during meditation, the mind is free topurposes. There are mantras to appease, to increase,
focus on the meaning of the mantra itself, rather thanto overcome and to tame by forceful means. An
focusing on the number of repetitions said.appeasing mantra can serve to purify the mind and to
In today's modern world, most of us are accustomedclear away obstacles such as illness. An increasing
to keeping track of and doing a variety of differentmantra serves to increase ones lifespan, knowledge or
things at once. This thinking is not helpful to us in termsother such pursuits. An overcoming mantra serves to
of meditation. The mind needs to be focused duringbenefit someone other than oneself. And a mantra to
meditation, but often our minds wander. The prayertame by forceful means serves to tame malicious
beads help us connect our minds to the mantra, andspirits.
eliminate thinking about other things. The mind is able toYour mala should always be treated with care. Do not
focus on the mantra, and become more relaxed.allow your mala to fall onto the floor, and store it in a
Japa malas normally contain 108 beads, or a numbermala bag when it's not in use. Mala beads are meant
of beads divisible by 9. Many Buddhists believe thatfor the user only, they should not be handled by others.
there are 108 possible sins, while Hindus often believeUsing a mala in meditation is very useful for those
that 108 is the number of names assigned to Hindubeginning to practice meditation, and for those who are
gods, or that the number 108 represents the nineproficient as well.
planets in the 12 zodiac houses. 108 is called the