Beads

[Jiki22]

Re: Beads

hi all,

the mala I use/have is from wood (pine i guess), 108 version and an little one
almost never used them, It is wrapped around the Buddha statue

little question about the mala beads,
there is a preference in terms of materials?
such as wood or plastic, precious stones, minerals?
do they give an extra value or meaning?

I hear and read much about sandalwood incense and as material for beads
what is known about it? traditionally?

thank you.

[Hoyu]

Re: Beads

Moonstone is a different gem.

Thanks

[Taigu]

Re: Beads

every breath
every moment
one bead


T.



PS: whatever. stone, wood, this and that...a single breath can say so many things and speak to so many people.

[Kaishin]

Re: Beads

Wow, looks great Jen! Do you plan any particular use for it?

[Risho]

Re: Beads

That is really neat! Did you have some instructions you followed?

I wear a neck mala that I purchased. It's made of cedarwood and it has the characters that spell Kannon. I guess it could have some expletive, and I wouldn't know; I dont' read Kanji :mrgreen:

To echo Matt's question, do you use it for chanting?

I don't use mine for chanting; it's sort of a world acceptable Rakusu. I put my mala on the same way that Taigu Sensei instructs us on putting on the Rakusu. I put it to my forhead three times and say "Budda", "Dharma" and "Sangha". I kiss it then put it on.

I wish I could wear my Rakusu to work, so this is its replacement. It's just a gentle reminder of the Way, the Precepts, the Bodhisattva vows, my Sangha.
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Anyway, like the Rakusu, it is so much more meaningful when one makes one than buys one. So that's why I was curious if you followed any instructions or just figured it out.

Gassho,

Risho

[Nenka]

Re: Beads

Wow, looks great Jen! Do you plan any particular use for it?

Well, it'll probably just sit in a jewelry drawer most of the time with other stuff I forget I have. But I'll wear it when I feel like wearing it . . . or just look at it. I made it as a sort of commemoration of jukai and formalizing my commitment to the practice, finally.

[Nenka]

Re: Beads

That is really neat! Did you have some instructions you followed?

I looked at some instructions here and there on the internet (and a nice YouTube tutorial on tassel-making) but there were a lot of conflicting ideas about the number of beads (and a lot of new-agey stuff about the "meaning" of stones) so I winged it.

To echo Matt's question, do you use it for chanting?

Nah. Actually, I wouldn't know how or what to chant with it. I know there are things you can do with a 108 bead mala, but this, I don't know.

Gassho,

Jen

[AlanLa]

Re: Beads

I have a number of wrist malas that I wear one at a time for a few months at a time as a reminder of my Buddhism and then I'll switch to another for the simple sake of variety. My malas are quite simple beads, seeds, stones, etc. (currently cedar), as I really don't think of them as decoration or jewelry; however, I recently bought a turquoise mala and it is so pretty that I do not want to wear it because it seems too flashy to be a spiritual reminder. But that hindrance is in my head, not the mala itself.

[Kaishin]

Re: Beads

No clue about it's accuracy, but found this site that explains differences among the juzu used by different schools of Japanese Buddhism.
http://www.aetw.org/jsp_nenju_juzu.htm

Also found one described as "authentic japanese soto-shu" ... is that accurate? I thought Soto didn't really use them?

http://www.zenike.org/servlet/the-59/So ... ala/Detail

P.S. what do the characters on the front of the storage box say?

[Jinyo]

Re: Beads

I was given some Malla Beads as a Xmas present - 108 beads (polished wood).

There was quite a lot of writing on the box - wonder if anyone can validate.

It states a complete circuit of the malla means 'that the invisible thread which links the person to the divine and to their
higher self is awakened' ...... that doesn't sound quite right - more like a new age appropriation?

It also says the most common mantra is 'Om mani padme hum' which translated means 'Hail Jewel in the Lotus'. Is that correct?

I used the beads for chanting for a while - but it seemed to become more of a distraction than a help.

Perhaps I'll try again - making one's own feels a really nice thing to do.

Gassho

Willow

[Ryumon]

Re: Beads

I got a 108-bead mala back in the day when I was following the Tibetans. I would use it to count mantras when meditating sometimes. I never wore it, because it wouldn't fit on my wrist; if it was looped three times, it was too tight; twice it was too loose.

I wouldn't mind getting a smaller one; I like the idea of having something physical like that as a sort of dharma reminder.

[Seiryu]

Re: Beads

P.S. what do the characters on the front of the storage box say?

I believe the front of the box says:
onenjyuu

Which pretty much seems like a more official sounding way to say : Jyuzu( prayer mala)

BTW: I find this video to be a very good explanation on exactly what a mala is. Although this is coming purely from a Tibetan Buddhist perspective, so there is a lot of 'mystical' sounding things here, aside from that, it is the best explanation of what these little beads can be used for and the significant they carry for some. Plus the teacher himself is very entertaining.
hope you will enjoy.

[youtube]

[/youtube]

[Jundo]

Re: Beads

Hi,

Well, that video by the Tibetan teacher is certainly fascinating. I don't know if a mala will help you stop the rain as that Tibetan teacher says, or if beads made of certain materials combined with the right mantra have "extra power" to "energize your mala", whether one should use the third finger for exorcisms and the second finger to improve clairvoyance, and most of the rest of that ...

In fact, I feel it is most unlikely, superstitious, even ridiculous. However, to each their own and it might be so. Such is not our practice here.

Most often, lay Zen folks in Japan will bring a rosary to a funeral. It is just done, and most lay folks do not know why. Perhaps they feel that it is comforting to hold during the ceremony (In other sects of Buddhism in Japan which are "chanting schools" such as the Pure Land or Nichiren Buddhists, the rosary are put to more actual use). Yes, each sect has its own style of Mala.

As I mentioned earlier in the thread, there are ceremonies in Soto Zen Buddhism where the priest will use a Juzu/Mala. And ... guess what ... over the centuries in Soto Zen too many of those ceremonies were to do such things as make or stop the rain and exorcise evil forces! That is what the people coming to the temples ... the farmers, the people with some physical illness or personal problem ... wanted and what people believed for thousands of years. For centuries, in Asia, Europe, America, Australia or Africa, if one had a bad headache ... and no medical understanding ... one might go to a priest to get the demon out of one's head ... and the priest might do something to try to help (This week, with our own child in the hospital, I certainly understood the feeling of wanting to call on anyone ... doctors, lamas, psychics or witch doctors ... to help). Below again is a video of a Soto priest performing an esoteric ceremony with a Mala. While there may be some psychological benefit from it all ... it also may be just superstitious, even ridiculous.

This is not how we practice here. I posted this to accompany the video ...

Below, a "picture paints 1000 words" example of the magical, sooth-saying, esoteric elements found ... much more than perhaps most Western practitioners realize ... within the routines of traditional [Zen Buddhist, including Soto Zen Buddhist, practice] ...

Now, to emphasize, I am not critical of esoteric elements for those who wish to practice in such way. More power to them (pun intended). When my own school of Soto Zen Buddhism seems too much to resemble the practices of Shingon or Tibetan Buddhism, I am a bit critical on my own behalf and for my own students ... but I still honor and respect the right of anyone to practice their own "Soto Zen Buddhism" as they wish. One man's hocus-pocus is another man's sacred dance. On the other hand, some of us might wish to criticize such elements of Zen practice as magic making, voodoo and spell casting from our perspective. ...

I can also take and embrace all the elements of Mikkyo (Esoteric) ritual for their beauty, tradition, or on a symbolic or psychological level, or as a lovely dance. However, I think that some awareness of the origins of these practices (e.g., the Vajra, the hidden Mudra, the Dharani incantation seen in the below video), and how they came into Zen practice, would show that the description "abracadabra" fits more than "lovely symbolic dance". Some folks might be surprised that these rituals are so central to Zen practice in China and Japan ... arguably more central, more widely practiced by numbers of priests and time, than Zazen.

[youtube]

[/youtube]

[Jundo]

Re: Beads

I was given some Malla Beads as a Xmas present - 108 beads (polished wood).

There was quite a lot of writing on the box - wonder if anyone can validate.

It states a complete circuit of the malla means 'that the invisible thread which links the person to the divine and to their
higher self is awakened' ...... that doesn't sound quite right - more like a new age appropriation?

It also says the most common mantra is 'Om mani padme hum' which translated means 'Hail Jewel in the Lotus'. Is that correct?

Hi Willow,

"Om mani padme hum" (Om! Hail the Jewel in the Lotus!) is a common mantra in Tibetan Buddhism, although not in Zen Buddhism. If you would like to read a bit more about Mantra, please see this link ...

Well, I would say that this all depends how one defines a Mantra in one's heart. In much of Buddhism and related religions of India (although something very similar can be found in about all religions really ... e.g., like "God Is Great/Allahu al-Akbar" in Islam, an orthodox Jew's reciting the sacred letters of Torah, or "Praise Jesus" in some corners of Christianity), it is a sound, word or words that create transformation in some way.

...

Nichiren Buddhism (my wife's family are Nichiren Buddhists) is a school of Buddhism which developed in Japan hundreds of years ago centered on the power of the Lotus Sutra ... on the power of faith and recital even in just the name of the Lotus Sutra. Thus, they recite "Nam-myoho-renge-kyo" (Hail the Wonderful Law of the Lotus Flower Sutra). Many Tibetans chant "Om mani padme hum" (Om! Hail the Jewel in the Lotus!). Another school of Buddhism in Asia is the Jodo (Pure Land) school(s), who worship or rely upon Amida Buddha, and thus chant "Namu Amida Butsu" (or its equivalent in Chinese etc., Homage to Amida, Buddha of Infinite Light).

...

In my opinion, of course, seated Zazen is "complete, whole, the only thing needed to do" in that moment of sitting. When we sit, it is very very vital to sit with the attitude sunk deep in one's bones that " there is no other place to be, nothing lacking, not one more thing to do" than this. (We do so because in daily life, running here and there and always feeling some lacks or discontents in life, we rarely if ever undertake one action with total heart and completeness in such way! Thus we call this "non-doing".)

However, rising from the cushion ... one must come to express Zazen all through daily life. All of daily life is also "Zazen" in its wider meaning. So, if a particular person wished to also chant "Nam-myoho-renge-kyo" or "Namu Amida Butsu" or "Allahu al-Akbar" or "Kwan Seum Bosal" or the Torah or "Praise Jesus" (or "Praise Richard Dawkins" for our atheist members 8) ) ... that is fine. Up to each person in their heart. All Zazen in its wider meaning, as is everything from changing the baby to cooking dinner to sewing a Kesa.

viewtopic.php?p=63283#p63283

You might also find this interesting, some of the many mystical meanings of "108" in Indian culture, not just throughout traditional Buddhism, but in Hinduism and other religious circles too. For just some of the many meanings of '108'. have a gander at this. It is wonderful:

http://www.salagram.net/108meaning.html

Gassho, Jundo

PS -

http://www.zenike.org/servlet/the-59/So ... ala/Detail

P.S. what do the characters on the front of the storage box say?

"Go-Nenju", another name for "Juzu/Mala" ... "juzu" is ?? "counting beads" and "nenju" is ?? "thought beads" or perhaps "mindfulness beads".

[andyZ]

Re: Beads

Hi all,

I also know that in Korean Zen they use mala to count prostrations. They do quite a lot of them every day. In this manual from Kwan Um http://www.kwanumzen.org/wp-content/upl ... dition.pdf it says that each morning service they do 108 full prostrations. I also heard from a monk in S. Korea that before he could take precepts he had to do 3000 prostrations.

Also it's very interesting how they use mantras in their tradition:

Kwan Seum Bosal
This is the Korean name of the Bodhisattva of Compassion, Avalokitesvara. This mantra is commonly
suggested for people whose minds cannot be quiet one minute or who cannot concentrate
for very long. Because it is short it can be repeated over and over (usually with a set of beads for
counting). The usual recommendation is for 3000 to 10000 a day for someone who really wants
to clear their mind of a particular problem. It is also used on a daily basis by many people as part
of their sitting meditation technique.