Beads

[Jundo]

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.

Hi Andy,

These Korean practices came up on another thread this week too.

I just say this there and here :

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.

Are you still sitting Shikantaza Zazen each day in the flavor we teach around here? If so, no matter what one chants or bows. There is no obstacle at all if, together with one's Shikantaza practice, someone also chants Kwan Seum Bosal or prostrates daily if sometimes sitting with a group which does so.

Praying to Jesus, chanting Allahu al-Akbar or Kwan Seum Bosal ... All fine practices that may speak to different human hearts.

I do have some trouble with summoning rain or performing exorcisms with Mala beeds ... but that is not quite the same.

Gassho, Jundo

[Shokai]

Re: Beads

Here's a little one I picked up along the way through the Bahai world; in case anyone wants to use it.

Hal min muffrajin eloo allah.
Qul, subhan allah, huwa allah!
Qulloon y baddoon lahu
Wa Qulloon bey amrahey, kha ymoon.

Personally, I recommend Jundo's mountain path.

[Risho]

Re: Beads

.

I do have some trouble with summoning rain or performing exorcisms with Mala beeds ... but that is not quite the same.

Gassho, Jundo

I have a huge problem with that too. I'm not a pure materialist, but come on humans! Summoning rain with beads?!!! really?

I don't mean to offend anyone that believes in this sort of thing (I admit I have some irrational beliefs too; I mean I am human :mrgreen: ), but it irks me (I know, I know anger lol ) when people start rattling off conjecture about magic and all this other stuff that has no foundation in reality.

Now, this is obviously my subjective take on my life, but isn't Zen about getting to the core of things as they are, not adding onto things with fantasies?

Gassho,

Risho

[AlanLa]

Re: Beads

From Tricycle recently: Clark Strand traces the history of malas and how this ancient practice brings peace.

http://www.tricycle.com/-practice/worry-beads?page=0,0

Some interesting stuff in there.

[Kaishin]

Re: Beads

From Tricycle recently: Clark Strand traces the history of malas and how this ancient practice brings peace.

http://www.tricycle.com/-practice/worry-beads?page=0,0

Some interesting stuff in there.

Thanks for the tip!

[Ryumon]

Re: Beads

So, in part because of this thread, I was browsing the intertubes looking at malas. As I said above, I'd like to get a wrist mala. But the sheer number of malas available, in every color, stone, wood and every other material is astounding. Yet another way to grasp and be attached! They go from a couple of bucks to more than a hundred dollars!

I guess I shouldn't be surprised.

But I still might buy one; a cheap one. As a reminder.

[Hogen]

Re: Beads

I have a nice wrist mala which has a figure of Kannon and the chinese character for Buddha carved onto the beads.it serves no particular use, but sits on my wrist nonetheless.

[Kaishin]

Re: Beads

Taigu demonstrates another use for juzu: cut them up and toss them out!

http://youtu.be/GIORv3Kebd0?t=2m59s[/video]]

[Ryumon]

Re: Beads

Taigu demonstrates another use for juzu: cut them up and toss them out!

http://youtu.be/GIORv3Kebd0?t=2m59s[/video]]

Except he doesn't really cut them... :-)

[Kaishin]

Re: Beads

Taigu demonstrates another use for juzu: cut them up and toss them out!

http://youtu.be/GIORv3Kebd0?t=2m59s[/video]]

Except he doesn't really cut them... :-)

Oh yes he does!!!

[Jinyo]

Re: Beads

... thanks for all the info on Mala beads.

Al - I thought the Tricycle article was thoughtful.

Jundo - I found using the beads during sitting distracting - but I do occasionally use them for meditation on mantras at other times.
Before I joined Tree Leaf my understanding of Buddhism was a total mish-mash. I still like chanting the Nembutsu because
that's what I started with (minus the beads!) but I didn't know Pure Land from Soto Zen - and I'm still learning.

Guess I'll find my niche sometime along 'the way'

Gassho

Willow

[Jundo]

Re: Beads

Guess I'll find my niche sometime along 'the way'

Gassho

Willow

Our ultimate "Niche" is the whole universe, reality, right here. 8)

I couldn't resist to toss out that little Zen "fortune cookie"!

Gassho, J

[Jundo]

Re: Beads

From Tricycle recently: Clark Strand traces the history of malas and how this ancient practice brings peace.

http://www.tricycle.com/-practice/worry-beads?page=0,0

Some interesting stuff in there.

Thank you, Alan. The portion of that essay I would like to highlight is this, common ground for all these Practices ...

We are not called upon as Buddhists to deny the world, and certainly not to escape from it. We are called to live with it, and to make our peace with all that is. In Buddhist terms, that peace is called Tathagata. The Thus Come One is enlightened as he is, not as he would wish himself to be. There is no escaping this. The world of worries we wish to escape from in the beginning of Buddhist practice is found to be enlightenment itself in the end. We don't understand this, of course, and so we keep striving for a distant, idealized kind of Buddhahood, only to reach its threshold and be turned back the way we came. In this way, we receive the teaching of the Buddha with every mala we say.

If once combines this with Shikantaza's life of fully embracing, allowing, flowing with, being life as it is, just sitting, Still Sitting in movement or stillness, Wholly Holy Whole (even amid this life of many holes and tears) ... the most radical change of no longer wishing for change or needing change amid the every changing changeless ...

... then twisting twirling beeds which are each separate and One, thus come and thus go and the space too, is just Shikan-nenju!

Gassho, J

[Jiki22]

Re: Beads

a lots of information about something rather unknown
even everybody has them at home

nice article

thank you
:P

[Kaishin]

Re: Beads

One more thing I came across about the unique metal ring on the Soto-style juzu represents the ringing of the bell at new year, when it is struck 108 times--any truth to that?