A Brief Guide to Buddhist Mala Beads
The internet has made it easy to get Buddhist mala beads. Today, you can search and order your mala beads at the convenience of your own house. But before pressing that buy button, there are a few things that you should know.
Mala beads come in varying colors, shapes, and sizes to match users’ different tastes and preferences. Some are small and smooth; others are large and textured, and so on. You can also find them as necklaces or bracelets. Mala beads are made of different materials, too, with some materials being popular than others. So basically, it’s up to you to decide what works for you and what doesn’t.
Mala beads
A mala bead is a string of 108 beads used for chanting mantras and meditation. Buddhists use these beads to help enhance focus and concentration and keep track as they chant, recite, or mentally repeat a deity’s mantra or names. Buddhist mala beads serve as tools to track prayers or spiritual syllables repetitions. Before you get Buddhist mala beads, here are a few things that you should know.
Benefits and uses of Buddhist mala beads
Mala beads are usually used as jewelry, decorations, or meditation tools. The beads hold a particular significance for a wearer depending on where they got, why they chose it, and the resonance energy with the beads.
The Buddhist mala beads are mainly used for mantra meditation. Mantra is a sound, word, or phrase repeated during meditation to help with the focus. It can be a word like “peace” or a phrase like “om manu Padme hum,” and so on. Meditating with these beads helps slow down breathing and encourage well-being. The mantra repetition shifts the mind’s focus from external distractions and triggers new thought patterns. Meditation has positive effects on the mood and allows you to feel relaxed. It also heightens your self-awareness and focus. Mala beads are commonly used as:
A gift
You can buy a mala bead and gift it to a friend or family member. You can also give it to someone special. Mala beads are great gifts for occasions like birthdays, graduations, anniversaries, launching a new business, and so on. However, you could still gift a mala even under normal circumstances.
Appreciate yourself
You can buy a mala for someone or yourself. Mala beads are a great way to honor yourself, your intentions, desires, and even accomplishments.
A tool to help you focus
As we have mentioned above, mala beads can help you maintain focus during a meditation session. For the best results, find a nice and quiet place. Loosely hold the bead in one hand and touch the guru bead with the other hand. Then move your fingers from one bead to the next one while you breathe in and out. Only move to the next bead after inhaling and exhaling and do so until you make a complete circle back to the guru bead. You may choose to use words or phrases instead of breathing. In this case, you will say the word or words before moving to the next bead.
Where to buy mala beads
The internet has made it easy to buy mala beads. All you need to do is find a reliable dealer – preferably one with a wide selection of mala beads to pick from. You can then place your order and have your bead sent to your location. But you could also get these beads in bead stores or even in religious places.
How to activate your mala beads
Mala beads have different uses. So, once you buy yours, you want to infuse it with your intentions to reap its full potential. So once your bead arrives, you should activate it by finding the right setting (preferably a quiet place) where you feel comfortable and completely relaxed. Then start the bead by touch to transfer your energy and intention. You may move the beads through your fingers or hold it on your heart as you focus.
Other ways to activate mala beads include through:
- Utterances, where you speak to the beads and ask for guidance and support as you find your intentions
- Use of candles and incense by burning the incense specific to your intentions and letting the aroma float over the beads as you concentrate your desires
Once you are done with the activation, you can then seal your intentions using the traditional mantra.
Cleaning your mala
You should clean your mala from time to time. Do this by placing it in warm water. But you can add some soap if you please. Soak it for some hours and later on brush the beads, then leave to dry.
Conclusion
Buddhist mala beads are critical tools for meditation and focus. With this guide, you should be able to buy, activate, and clean your mala beads.
Author Bio –
Nancy is a freelance writer, with years of experience, creating content and own a blog. She has written on a diverse topic related to medical, health, fitness, travel and destination. Read her latest article about Buddhist mala beads.