Bead Bracelets in Religious Practices

Despite the rapidly growing popularity of interchangeable bead bracelets, it should be noted that bead bracelets aren\’t always just for decoration. If you have any Hindu or Buddhist acquaintances, you may have noticed them wearing special beads or bead bracelets. They are called mala beads, and they can be used by Hindus and Buddhists alike. They are fairly long and can appear to be bead bracelets when looped around the wrist although smaller malas also exist. These beads have a particular use during meditation practices.

Mala beads, very simply, are prayer counters. The prayers, known as mantras, are recited many times during meditation. As many Buddhists and Hindus spend hours a day in deep meditation, they get quite a bit of use of these beads. Buddhist and Hindu prayer malas each include 108 beads. Each time a mantra is repeated, the user goes to the next bead. The beads themselves are turned clockwise during manta recitation.

Mala beads can be made from many materials. There are ones that are made from bodhi seeds, which hold especially deep meaning for Buddhists as it was the Buddha was sitting under a bodhi tree when he experienced the great enlightenment. There is one bead which is larger than all the rest, known as a Guru bead. The Guru bead for Hindus means that its time to switch directions when progressing along the mala. The Guru bead for Buddhists is simply counted as another mantra and the progress is then continued.

As an additional way of keeping track of where one is during the mantra recitation, there are special counter beads on some malas. These beads are made of different components, so that the user knows without looking how many beads away they are from the Guru bead and the progression of their meditation. The whole purpose of mala beads is to assist the person who is meditating count their repetitions in the quickest and least intrusive way possible. Special metal counters are also obtainable which can be attached to the malas.

Beads, aside from being pretty and holding value as jewelry, can also be used for more esoteric reasons. Hindus and Buddhists use numerous beads in their malas, or prayer counters. These malas can be worn on the wrist when not in use and look like several bead bracelets at once. These beads, aside from being useful when meditating, are ornamental as well. They are commonly worn by non-religious people as well, as fashion pieces.

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