Dharma Beads: Making and Using Your Own Buddhist Malas
Joanna Arettam (2000) Journey Editions; Tuttle Publishing
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The practice of meditating with Buddhist malas has been a tradition for thousands of years. With so many people searching for spiritual expression and Buddhism being so popular, its no wonder that a rosary from a 2500 year-old religion has become the hottest trend in contemporary culture. Dharma Beads looks beyond just the hip aspect of wearing Buddhist malas and presents a thoughtful presentation of authentic Tibetan mala traditions and customs. Whatever your spiritual tradition, you can use malas to help you create and maintain a state of quiet reflection: a cloister of the mind.
In this book you'll find fully illustrated easy-to-follow instructions to make three 27-bead malas, a brief history of the use of beads for meditation and prayer around the world, the story of the development of malas in Buddhist tradition, simple suggestions for beginning a spiritual practice using your malas, and color photographs from around the world.