Buddhist Prayer Beads (Mala)

 
 

  • Buddhist Rosary
    "The Buddhist rosary described here is used by Tibetan Buddhists, the main Buddhist group living today within the political boundaries of India. Tibetan cultural influence and religion have always been strong among Indian groups who reside along the lengthy Indo-Tibetan Himalayan border area, especially […] "

    Rosaries of India » Traditional Jewelry of India
    Oppi Untracht (2008) Thames & Hudson, Inc.

  • Buddhist Malas
    "Mala beads and enlightenment through meditation might be seen as a single concept in Buddhism. Indeed, the very words 'bead' and 'Buddha' derive from the same source—the Sanskrit word buddh, meaning 'self-realization.' The ultimate goal of every practicing Buddhist is Buddhahood or nirvana […] "

    Beads of Faith: Pathways to Meditation and Spirituality Using Rosaries, Prayer Beads and Sacred Words
    Gray Henry and Susannah Marriott (2008) Fons Vitae Publishing

  • Buddhist Beads
    "Originating in India about 500 B.C., Buddhism reached China in the first century A.D., Korea about the beginning of the fourth century, Japan in the sixth, and Tibet in the eighth. As Buddhism became the established religion in these countries, it was influenced by the diverse cultures with which it came into contact. […] "

    History of Prayer Beads » The History of Beads: From 100,000 B.C. to the Present
    Lois Sherr Dubin (2009) Abrams Publishers, Inc.

  • Buddhism
    "Around 500 B.C., India saw the birth of Buddhism, which adopted the Hindu practice of using a mala for repeating mantras or counting breaths. As Buddhism spread to Tibet, China, and Japan, so did mala use. Like the Hindu mala, Buddhist malas are usually composed of 108 beads—or divisions of that number, 54 or 27 beads. […] "

    Religious Use of Beads » Prayer Bead Traditions » A String & A Prayer: How to Make & Use Prayer Beads
    Eleanor Wiley and Maggie Oman Shannon (2007) Red Wheel/Weiser, LLC

  • Hindu/Buddhist Mala
    Nearly two-thirds of the world's population meditates or prays with beads, and the Hindu or Buddhist mala is the great mother of rosaries. From India and the Himalayan kingdoms, it traveled east to China and Japan. It also traveled west to Africa and Europe, where it evolved into the Islamic subha, the Christian rosary, the Eastern […] "

    Dharma Beads: Making and Using Your Own Buddhist Malas
    Joanna Arettam (2000) Journey Editions; Tuttle Publishing