Mala Beads

Prayer beads are used to count the recitation of mantras or prayers within many religious traditions. The term “mala” is a Sanskrit language term meaning “garland.” In the Tibetan language it means “to be fastened, affixed or attached to” or “a sequence of anything that is connected together.” Conventionally, this could refer to a string of jewels, a sequence of stars, a string of flowers, and so on.

What are we trying to be affixed and fastened to?

In Buddhism, a mala is a material object used as a sacred support to continually fix or fasten the mind upon the dharma rather than having the mind fastened to cyclic existence -- aka our worldly life of ups and downs.

As one of my teachers has said, "A mala is not merely a material object. It is an object for the mind to follow. By depending upon the pure, material object of a mala, this very awareness of each ordinary mind is no longer fixated upon impure worldly things but fixed upon great liberation. It is necessary to fix or direct the mind to a skillful path."

So how did these malas come about?

The legends do tell.

During the life of the Buddha, he had renounced all worldly things including his authority as a prince in the royal court. In solitude, he was practicing meditation and renouncing his worldly life. As he slept, he noticed that for a few days in a row, his dreams contained worldly concerns such as dreaming about his royal ministers and the dealings of the court. Therefore, at sunrise he decided to make an aspiration prayer and create something in order to support the mind in sustaining a connection with the dharma rather than being attached to worldly things.

He spoke: “So that the mind will not be affixed to worldly things, and instead be affixed to the ultimate dharma, may there be a tree with fruit that ripens, a material substance of exceptionally good qualities for calculating a count.”

Because of the Buddha’s aspiration prayer, three days later a miraculous tree appeared. The branches grew in four directions and were each four distinct colors. The trunk was golden like a precious jewel. Above in the four directions, there were four colors: East was white, north was green, west was red, and the south was blue. The center was radiantly gold like a great, precious jewel. The fruits and flowers each ripened into colors of the associated direction.

From this tree and its five colors of fruits and seeds, the Buddha created the first mala. Preparing the seeds and materials, he placed them together on a string for counting. The number of beads can differ, but 108 strung beads is a very common grouping.

As for the meaning, each color, each type of bead, and each part of the mala, like the string, the head bead, the knot, etc. all hold spiritual symbolism. They represent the great Buddhas and Bodhisattvas and our great ancestor teachers. For those who hold the symbolism in mindfulness, they treat the mala with great respect, like they would treat the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas. Turning the mala from mere material into the path of practice itself -- sitting with the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas. 

Much, much more could be said, but I will keep this story short.

There is an old saying, “If you do not know the essence of the mala, then it is the same as an old lady’s necklace.”

It is important to remember the meaning and purpose of the mala and to treat it as an object of respect that supports the awareness and mindfulness practice of enlightenment. Being aware of the significance and meaning of the mala, and using it in the proper way, it becomes a sacred object that continually directs the focus of the mind to the spiritual path and to a way of virtue rather than allowing the mind to follow worldly and unvirtuous things.

Five Beaded Mala

Using a five beaded mala, below are some examples of reflections one could possibly do while their thumb and fingers move across each of the five beads.

Mindfulness of the Five Senses

Bead 1.  Look: Become aware of what you see: notice the richly varied and vivid impressions—shapes, colors, movement, dimensionality, the entire visible world.

Bead 2.  Listen: Become aware of what you hear: register the various sounds taken in by your ears—a diverse range of intensities, pitches, and tonal qualities, perhaps including the commonplace miracle of speech or the wonder of music.

Bead 3.  Feel: Become aware of what you touch: texture, weight, temperature, etc. Also note how your body feels right now and compare that to the many other ways it feels at other times, tired or energetic, stiff or limber, painful or pleasant, etc.

Bead 4.  Taste: Become aware of what it is like to taste: taste a food or beverage, or remember and vividly imagine one. Taste the inside of your mouth at rest.

Bead 5. Smell: Become aware of what you smell around you or vividly remember and imagine a smell you have encountered.

Mindfulness of the Five Elements

Bead 1.  Earth: Become aware of the solid support of the ground beneath you, the solidity of your body, or natural earth elements you can see and touch.

Bead 2.  Air: Become aware of the feeling of the wind on your skin, blowing your hair, or simply the sound of the wind. Become aware of your natural breathing. 

Bead 3.  Water: Become aware of any sources of water you may see, hear, taste, or feel - from the sound of the rain, to sipping a cup of tea.

Bead 4.  Fire: Become aware of the warmth from the sun, candle light, fire, or any other source of heat and light.

Bead 5. Space: Become aware of the spaciousness all around you, in which all other elements and stuff arise within.

Mindfulness of the Body (During Meditation)

Bead 1. Legs: Become aware of your body sitting in the cross-legged position.

Bead 2. Hands: Become aware of your placing the two hands below the navel resting on top your lap.

Bead 3. Spine: Become aware of straightening up the vertebrae of your spinal column like stone stacked on top of each other simply resting.

Bead 4. Shoulders: Become aware of your holding the upper arms and shoulders high and back but relaxed.

Bead 5. Eyes: Become aware of your eyes which are slightly open and looking down to the tip of the nose.

Mindfulness of the Mind

Bead 1. Thoughts: Become aware of your thoughts. What have you been thinking while doing this exercise? What are you thinking right now? How real do thoughts seem?

Bead 2. Emotions: Become aware of your feelings. Is there anger or joy, serenity or excitement? Are there a mix of emotions? Are there ones you cannot name? How real do emotions feel?

Bead 3. Perceptions: Become aware of your perceptions. Not just the objects you see,  but the lens of perception that the objects are being seen through. No matter what we are looking at there is an object, subject, and the lens of perception filtering the whole experience.

Bead 4. “I, Me, Mine”: Become aware that your experience always includes you, the experiencer of experience. “You” are who is aware, always at the center of your private universe of experience, but you are not always consciously aware of yourself. Briefly repeat the exercise, but this time, as you attend to each aspect of experience, be aware of the “I” that is noticing these things (“I am smelling rain”, “I feel soft fabric”)

Bead 5. Awareness of awareness: Finally, become aware of your awareness. Normally, awareness focuses on objects outside ourselves, but it can itself be an object of awareness... Here, experience cannot be adequately expressed by language.

Mindfulness of the Five Mindfulness Trainings

Bead 1. Reverence For Life: Aware of the suffering caused by the destruction of life, I am committed to cultivating the insight of interbeing and compassion and learning ways to protect the lives of people, animals, plants, and minerals. I am determined not to kill, not to let others kill, and not to support any act of killing in the world, in my thinking, or in my way of life. Seeing that harmful actions arise from anger, fear, greed, and intolerance, which in turn come from dualistic and discriminative thinking, I will cultivate openness, non-discrimination, and non-attachment to views in order to transform violence, fanaticism, and dogmatism in myself and in the world.

Bead 2. True Happiness: Aware of the suffering caused by exploitation, social injustice, stealing, and oppression, I am committed to practicing generosity in my thinking, speaking, and acting. I am determined not to steal and not to possess anything that should belong to others; and I will share my time, energy, and material resources with those who are in need. I will practice looking deeply to see that the happiness and suffering of others are not separate from my own happiness and suffering; that true happiness is not possible without understanding and compassion; and that running after wealth, fame, power and sensual pleasures can bring much suffering and despair. I am aware that happiness depends on my mental attitude and not on external conditions, and that I can live happily in the present moment simply by remembering that I already have more than enough conditions to be happy. I am committed to practicing Right Livelihood so that I can help reduce the suffering of living beings on Earth and stop contributing to climate change.

Bead 3. True Love: Aware of the suffering caused by sexual misconduct, I am committed to cultivating responsibility and learning ways to protect the safety and integrity of individuals, couples, families, and society. Knowing that sexual desire is not love, and that sexual activity motivated by craving always harms myself as well as others, I am determined not to engage in sexual relations without mutual consent, true love, and a deep, long-term commitment. I resolve to find spiritual support for the integrity of my relationship from family members, friends, and sangha with whom there is support and trust. I will do everything in my power to protect children from sexual abuse and to prevent couples and families from being broken by sexual misconduct. Seeing that body and mind are interrelated, I am committed to learn appropriate ways to take care of my sexual energy and to cultivate the four basic elements of true love – loving kindness, compassion, joy, and inclusiveness – for the greater happiness of myself and others. Recognizing the diversity of human experience, I am committed not to discriminate against any form of gender identity or sexual orientation. Practicing true love, we know that we will continue beautifully into the future.

Bead 4. Loving Speech and Deep Listening: Aware of the suffering caused by unmindful speech and the inability to listen to others, I am committed to cultivating loving speech and compassionate listening in order to relieve suffering and to promote reconciliation and peace in myself and among other people, ethnic and religious groups, and nations. Knowing that words can create happiness or suffering, I am committed to speaking truthfully using words that inspire confidence, joy, and hope. When anger is manifesting in me, I am determined not to speak. I will practice mindful breathing and walking in order to recognize and to look deeply into my anger. I know that the roots of anger can be found in my wrong perceptions and lack of understanding of the suffering in myself and in the other person. I will speak and listen in a way that can help myself and the other person to transform suffering and see the way out of difficult situations. I am determined not to spread news that I do not know to be certain and not to utter words that can cause division or discord. I will practice Right Diligence to nourish my capacity for understanding, love, joy, and inclusiveness, and gradually transform anger, violence, and fear that lie deep in my consciousness.

Bead 5. Nourishment and Healing: Aware of the suffering caused by unmindful consumption, I am committed to cultivating good health, both physical and mental, for myself, my family, and my society by practicing mindful eating, drinking, and consuming. I will practice looking deeply into how I consume the Four Kinds of Nutriments, namely edible foods, sense impressions, volition, and consciousness. I am determined not to gamble, or to use alcohol, drugs, or any other products which contain toxins, such as certain websites, electronic games, TV programs, films, magazines, books, and conversations. I will practice coming back to the present moment to be in touch with the refreshing, healing and nourishing elements in me and around me, not letting regrets and sorrow drag me back into the past nor letting anxieties, fear, or craving pull me out of the present moment. I am determined not to try to cover up loneliness, anxiety, or other suffering by losing myself in consumption. I will contemplate interbeing and consume in a way that preserves peace, joy, and well-being in my body and consciousness, and in the collective body and consciousness of my family, my society and the Earth.

Mindfulness of Five Wholesome Emotions

Bead 1.  Yellow: Become aware of Groundedness, Connectedness, Strong & Steady Focus present within you.

Bead 2.  Green: Become aware of Flexibility, Movement, Liveliness, Lightness & Freshness present within you.

Bead 3.  Blue: Become aware of Comfort, Fluidity, Being at Ease, and Peaceful present within you.

Bead 4.  Red: Become aware of Joy, Inspiration, Creativity and Energy present within you.

Bead 5. White: Become aware of Openness, Accommodation, and Vast Acceptance present within you.

Mindfulness of the Lack of the Five Wholesome Emotions

Bead 1.  Yellow: Become aware of feeling ungrounded, unstable, dissatisfied, disconnected, spacey, agitated, and restless that might be present within you.

Bead 2.  Green: Become aware of feeling stuck, lack of flow, not progressing or expanding that might be present within you.

Bead 3.  Blue: Become aware of feeling a lack of well-being, feeling out of tune, and feel like something is "off" that might be present within you.

Bead 4.  Red: Become aware of feeling a lack of energy, vitality, enjoyment/enthusiasm, uninspired, difficulty starting or completing projects that might be present within you.

Bead 5. White: Become aware of feeling blocked, lost, lacking openness, challenges feeling solid and impenetrable that might be present within you.

The Japanese Mala of Rissho Kosei-Kai

In Japanese, Juzu (or Ojuzu) means "counting beads" and Nenju (or Onenju) means "beads of thought" or "mindfulness beads." The Nenju design of Rissho Kosei-kai contains deep symbolic meanings representing core Buddhist concepts:

• 108 Main Loop Beads: Symbolize the 108 worldly desires/sufferings (kleshas) -- the many kinds of delusions or defilements in our hearts and minds.They remind us that we must convert those continually arising delusions into the aspiration to buddhahood for others’ happiness.

• 4 Smaller Four-Corner Beads: Represent the Four Great Bodhisattvas (Superior Practice, Boundless Practice, Pure Practice, and Steadfast Practice).

• 2 Large Parent Beads: The father bead represents Shakyamuni Buddha and the mother bead Buddha Abundant Treasures.

• 30 Tassel Beads: Represent the 30 Sravakas (disciples of the Buddha).

• 4 Teardrop Ends: Represent the merits emerging from spiritual practice -- like jars holding merit.

• 10 Counter Beads: Added specifically for keeping track of full loop revolutions.

When we use prayer beads while paying homage to the Buddha, we place the side with three tassels over our right middle finger, twist the strand, and then place the side with two tassels over our left middle finger; then we put our palms together.

Before and after chanting the o-daimoku, we rub our hands together with the prayer beads between them. During sutra recitation, we loop the prayer beads into two circles and wear them on the left hand.

Mala Divination

Here is a simple divination technique using a mala from the Yungdrung Bon tradition. This form of divination is called Ma sang Del mo (an abridged version of the Zhang Zhyng Ju thig), and it originated from the snowy regions of Mount Kailash from semi-divine beings called Ma sang. You can use forty-two natural pebbles from Mount Kailash, called snow relics. However since these are rare to come by, we can use our own mala too.

You visualize the Buddha, Bodhisattva, or Yidam and recite their mantra one round of the mala. Typically 108 times. You then hold the mala stretched out in both hands, and with each hand grasp a bead at random. Then bring the mala to your forehead as a sign of respect. You then count off in fours, moving the right hand toward the left hand, until one, two, three, or four beads remain. You do this three times, or nine times if using a grid like the one shown below laid out on a white cloth or white felt mat – approximately twelve to fifteen centimeters square. If using the mat, count for each of the nine squares starting in the top left, then top middle, and top right. Then do the middle row, and the lower row in the same manner. Each square of the nine should have 1 through 4 beads assigned to it. You can keep track of this by writing the number down, if not using physical counters, or by placing counters in each of the squares.

One remaining bead is called Falcon. If you have a Falcon on your first round, it indicates support from protectors, luck in new endeavors, and success in lawsuits. If you have a Falcon on the second round, this indicates general good luck, with small risk of misfortune. If you have a Falcon on the third round indicates expected guests will arrive imminently, or you will have news of them.

Two beads remaining is called Raven. A Raven on the first round means little support from the protectors, nothing can be accomplished, lawsuits will be unsuccessful, and enemies have the upper hand. A Raven on the second round indicates serious illness and a decline in force. Things will be lost or stolen. A Raven on the third round indicates bad luck for travelers, and sicknesses will not be cured.

Three beads remaining is called Snow Lion. A Snow Lion on the first round indicates middling support from the protectors, slow accomplishment, and weak enemies. This is generally a neutral result. A Snow Lion on the second round indicates dangers to health that could nevertheless be resolved. Things lost or stolen can be found. A Snow Lion on the third round indicates late arrival for travellers, and some difficulty finding the right treatment for illness.

Four beads remaining is called Tiger. A Tiger on the first round indicates strong, ferocious protection from wrathful deities and protectors. Enemies or severe obstacles will be actively repelled, but it requires direct action rather than passive waiting. A Tiger on the second round indicates sudden or intense physical energy. Sickness may be acute or severe, but it can be overcome through immediate, forceful remedies (such as protective rituals or strong medical intervention). A Tiger on the third round indicates rapid, abrupt change or dynamic movement. Expected guests or travelers will arrive quickly, though their arrival may bring intense news, conflict, or unexpected disruption.

It is expected that the diviner cultivates a relationship with a number of different deities, each of whom is invoked during the divinatory rite and asked to guarantee the divination’s veracity. The most important of these is Sidpa Gyalmo, one of the primary protectoresses of the Bon tradition. Lhachen Phuwer Karpo, is considered the Deity of Divination.

The Origin Story in the Sutra

At that time, Shenrab, the lord of omniscience, in the great holy place of Olmo Lungring, delineated the Chashen Thegpa. In the land of fortune known as Nangwa Yutsi, he delineated the three hundred and sixty modes of divination. These were entrusted to Legyal Thangpo.

In the land of Zhang Zhung, Sidpa Masang Trulgyi Gyalpo systematized rope divination. In the land of China he systematized hydromancy. In the land of Masang he systematized pebble divination. In the land of Ye-nyak he systematized scapulomancy. Of all of these, this is the text, which is refined from the tradition of the Chashen, the first of the vehicles. This is the origin of the sharp-sighted divination.

The great Chalegyal Tangpo requested from Khyenpa Mawa’i Senge’ the entirety of the teachings which constitute this stage of the clairvoyant omens from the causal vehicle, the gshen of the phya. As an emanation of the divine Thugkar lineage, Mawai’ Senge’ transmitted to Sidpa Yekhyen Trulgyal the empowerment for the blessings which clarify the sharp-sighted, clairvoyant, secret divination techniques. In this manner the teachings were codified in the land of Masang Nyen and they were given to Nyenbon Tangtang Trolwa. He was then asked for the instructions by the great Dranpa Namkhai, who spread the teachings in the land of Tibet. When the flourishing teachings were in decline in Tibet, the master himself hid them as terma in Dome Tagna. Then the great Jedrug exhumed the terma from a cliff-side in Tagna and it was given to both Adalhase and the Indian, Tempa. The teachings were transmitted by Adalhase to Lhagyal and thus they gradually spread.