Prayer Beads -Secrets of Mala

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In the Nepalese and Tibetan Arts Blog I read very interesting post about malas. (I like this blog, there are many interesting information about Tibetan Buddhism there.)

So I remembered my interest to "special" uses of prayer beads. I heard about it about a year ago for the first time myself, asked different friends during my visit of buddhist communities in Moscow and than during the ritrit in October but nobody knew to explain me. Except one man that said some things.

What I heard:
There are special techniques to take and to use prayer mala (that have different names in different religions, so excuse me that I use the name I know better), special meanings and special uses.

What said the man I mentioned above:
How to take mala and how to count depends from the practice you want to do.
There are practices that are made to make other persons bad, so in this case the beads are on the 4th finger, for example.
Your mala is a holy thing, so it has to be treaten as such.
Bad persons can do something bad to you if you show your mala to everybody. So, take it hidden.

Why you need mala?

It helps to keep your mind focus in meditation practice. The Meru bead stores the energy created during the meditation or prayer and can be used for healing purposes.
...108 Nadis (Sanskrit for “channels”) connecting Hrit Padma (Sanskrit for “Hart Chakra”) to all parts of the spiritual body. By chanting the mantra 108 times, the energy of the mantra reaches all parts of the subtle body thru Nadis. (Source very complete article to read all)

Interesting is Tibetan explanation that you make 100 repetitions when you count mala beads. 8 are necessary to ad because you could lose the concentration during the repetition of mantras. So the full round counts 100, not 108.

If you do a practice where you want the god/ess enters into your heart, you have to take mala for your chest, count mala in the direction of it and imagine the god enters into you with this movement.

Now, what was interesting for me, that the colour of mala is bound to the colour of the God/ess whose practice you are doing. There are colours associated to this or that god. And there are special magic posibilities by every material.

Type of material being used to create the mala can enhance the experience of practice. The energy created during the meditation will have some affect on the mala material that is being used. Many times it will change its color and structure.

Different color of the same stone can change its vibration and will have more effect on the chakra that corresponds with that color.
(Source)

Green Tara practice turquoise is often used... Malachite, ...emeralds and jade
Chenrezi is depicted holding up a crystal mala,...sois any clear or pure white substance
Red is the most auspicious colour in many cultures, for ... Vajrayogini or Dorje Pamo.
golden and orange range ...amber, tiger's eye, topaz and hessonite are suitable for practices of Manjushri.
Lapis is associated with Sangye Menla, the Medicine Buddha.
Carnelian, amber, and lapis ...are also characteristic of Islamic amulets and ornaments. (Source)

For example, eBay Guides writes:

Azurite* stone of intuition, insight and vision; increases communication skills, creativity, inspiration and intuition; brings clear understanding and new perspectives; stimulates memory, intellect, nerve activity, inner vision, clairvoyance and development of psychic powers; aids in mental healing, detoxification and removing psychic blockages; powerful transformative energy that brings spiritual awareness and higher wisdom; opens third eye chakra.

Carnelian* brings energy, courage, confidence, passion; enhances physical energy and personal power; motivates for success in business; increases the sense of self worth, willingness to take risk and action to manifest goals and dreams; helps overcome fear and protects against envy, rage and resentment; assists in embracing change, transformation and making positive life choices; guards against poverty; stimulates creativity, fertility, sexuality, concentration, memory and organization abilities.

Jade is known to bring luck, prosperity, happiness and overall harmony.

Crystal quartz is a very powerful stone that brings the harmony to all chakras and can be easily programmed to focus energy into the specific area being prayed on.

Oh, I forgot about magic uses and predictions!

Divination on a rosary: The person doing the divination prays to the deity he is invoking for the correct answer and recites that deity's mantras. He then holds up the rosary horizontally in front of him, with the fingers of each hand grasping a randomly chosen bead, leaving half the beads of fewer between them. Then the fingers of each hand move towards each other counting three beads at a time. The outcome of the divination depends on the number of beads left. The procedure is repeated three times.

Continue reading this article in the bottom of this GREAT page: Khandro.net

Photo from Nepalese and Tibetan Arts Blog