| Prayer beads, known as japa mala by the Hindus and | | | | and some others use 27. These shorter rosaries are |
| by yoga practitioners around the world, are used to | | | | also called 'prostration rosaries', because they are |
| keep count of the repetitions of prayers or mantras. | | | | prefered by those doing prostration chanting. In Tibet, |
| The mala consists of a certain number of beads | | | | Buddhists chant on a 111 bead mala. The prayer ends |
| depending on the religion. The material with which it is | | | | on the 100th bead and the 11 that are left compensate |
| made also varies. While chanting, one moves from one | | | | for mistakes or offenses while chanting. |
| bead to another and in this way keeps track of the | | | | In Islam, the prayer bead is known as Misbha. It |
| number of prayers said. The beads allow one to focus | | | | contains 99 beads corresponding to the 99 names of |
| the mind on the chanting. If it were without beads then | | | | Allah. Some consist of 33 beads and the chanters |
| the attention would be partly diverted on counting. The | | | | circles it 3 times to make one full round. The use of the |
| following paragraphs describe the different types of | | | | misbha is an innovation. The prophet Mohamed used |
| beads and their roles in meditations in different religions. | | | | his fingers to keep track. Some Muslim sects condemn |
| The mala is traditionally held in the right hand and used | | | | the idea of the misbha for they say it is a deviation |
| in two ways: In one method, the mala is hanging | | | | from the original practice of the prophet. |
| between the thumb and the ring (third) finger. The | | | | The string of prayer beads of the Roman Catholics |
| middle (second) finger is used to rotate the mala by | | | | and Anglicans is called the Rosary. It is a traditional act |
| one bead towards oneself at each repetition of the | | | | of devotion, combining prayer and meditation in |
| mantra. | | | | sequences called decades unto different divinities like |
| The use of japa beads originated in Hinduism, more | | | | The Father, The Virgin Mary, The Apostles, etc. |
| precisely in the Vedic culture. Worshippers of the | | | | Eastern Christians use loops of knotted wool (or |
| different forms of God and demigods use a japa mala | | | | occasionally of beads), called chotki or komboschinia to |
| to chant mantras as part of their daily rituals, known as | | | | pray the Jesus Prayer. Among Russian Old Believers, |
| sadhana. Worshippers of Shiva use Rudraksha beads | | | | a prayer rope made of leather, called lestovka, is more |
| and Vaishnavas, worshippers of Vishnu, use Tulsi | | | | common, although this type is no longer commonly |
| beads. | | | | used by the Russian Orthodox Church. |
| In Buddhism, several of the sects use 108 bead mala | | | | |