Buddhist prayer beads | Meaning and how to use them for mantras or mindfulness
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- čas přidán 26. 04. 2021
- Do you have Buddhist prayer beads (also called mala beads) but don’t know what they mean or how to use them? No problem! I’ll explain the types of Buddhist malas - long mala necklaces or shorter mala bracelets, what materials they’re made of - and how they’re used traditionally.
Want more about Buddhism for beginners? Get my free email course on the Four Noble Truths, with teachings and guided meditations: bit.ly/4NTsBuddh
Want to meditate with mantras? Here's a video with three you can try today: • Three Tibetan Buddhist...
Then, starting at 5:35, I’ll give you three different ideas for how to use your Buddhist prayer beads in daily life, even if you’re a total beginner. I’ll teach you a simple mantra, or you can use the beads to count your breaths for mindfulness meditation or even use them as “worry stones” when you find that you’re stressed and about to do something habitual but unhelpful. - Jak na to + styl
Thank you 😊 for this video
Thanks, @Powerful MK, I'm glad you enjoyed it. 😀🙏🏻
I have found that it's not the number of beads but the tactile experience of using the beads to help calm my mind. My set is just plain wood. I like the warm feel and quiet sound of them.
Yes, I agree. I find it helpful to have something tactile to keep my attention on the mantra I'm using or on counting breaths. :)
Also it doesn't matter what materials their made of, they used to be made of seeds and they only were made into a necklace in China 😉
When I was a kid, my Irish mother brought me up as a Catholic and I had rosary beads. I grew up and lost the faith. I'm now 75 and a granddad. I fell into Buddhism and I'm now looking at getting mala beads. Your video was extremely helpful and you have a great relaxed and free approach in the way that you teach. Please show my comment to your teacher's. They should be proud.
Thank you, Stan, I'm so happy to hear that you're connecting your new spiritual practice with the one you were raised in. And thank you, I'll share your comment with my teachers. 🥰🙏
@@ClaireVillarreal ❤️
Friend, you should really come back to Catholicism. It is the Church established by the Lord Christ who is the true God. Noone comes to the Father except through Him.
I also grew up Catholic. My grandmother is Irish. I found Buddhism years ago but have drifted around looking into other things and have now returned to Buddhism.
If you don’t have a mala you can use y fingers. Looking at the inside of your hand you’ll see your four fingers have three pads, separated by joints. Place your thumb on the bottom pad of the pinky finger of the same hand and say the mantra silently or out loud, then move up one and repeat. At the tip move to the next finger, then the next , down the pointer finger and spiral inward to the middle pad of the middle finger, then reverse and go back out. Each spiral is twelve repetitions. Do this nine times (tracking on the other hand) and you’ve got 108!
Thanks you share the information 🙏🏻
This was very helpful. Thank you
Great video, thanks for sharing it.
Thanks, Laura, I'm glad you enjoyed it. 💜🙏
Thank you that was very helpful to a Mala newbe
Wow I loved this video! everything I wanted to know about malas for today. I look forward to looking at more of your videos! I am shopping for a boddhi seed mala...
Thank you so much, Dr. Blaney! Since this reply is so slow (😜), how has your mantra practice been going?
I am just starting out learning about meditation and mala beads and this video was SO very helpful. Thank you.
Thank you Claire! This was a great presentation. I have malas but did not understand the background AND did not realize the variety of uses you shared. I particularly liked "I AM ENOUGH." Looking forward to your Dharma class at Jung Houston! Namaste.
Thank you, MM, I'm so glad this was helpful -- and I'm looking forward to "seeing" you at the Jung Center workshops! 🤩
We are perfectly imperfect❤️ I like to use Om Ma Ni Pad Me Hum. Love your energy and message!
Thanks so much, Jody! I'm still trying to learn from that t-shirt. 😜
And I'm so glad to hear that you're enjoying that mantra! It's a great go-to practice.
thank you for the teaching
You're most welcome. 🙏
Hi Claire! I'm going to start a mala practice using the mantra Namo Shakyamuni Buddha. I wanted to do it properly and came across your video in my search. Very helpful, I have the info I need to start my practice confidently. 🙂
Keith, I'm so glad to hear that! Good luck with your practice -- and please drop me another comment if you have questions going forward. :)
Thanks!
Thank you so much
You're most welcome, Clive. 🙏
very nice ....
Thank you 🙏💜
This is very helpful,two years ago I went on vacation , I had a mild stroke I finally returned home and my daughter and son-in-law surprised me with 2 Mala prayer beads however no instructions on how to use it I was told I can wear it . They know of my religious believes so I wore for awhile but they’re long and not practical for wearing and I felt people are looking at my beads , but mostly I’m not sure how to get the benefit of the Mala beads. So somehow I stumbled on your channel today thank you for the information I appreciate you and love your explanation on things I know nothing of , but I feel I can benefit from. Timing is everything and I guess it’s mine at this moment any suggestions would be helpful to learn and understand. Thank you for sharing your knowledge and wisdom. Continue the good work of enlightenment I appreciate you.
Hi, @charliepug3637, the decision to wear a mala or not is very personal. Some people like to have one on hand so it's easy to say some mantras anytime... but honestly, you can say mantras whether or not you're using beads! 😜
I hope you're getting benefit from your practice and feeling more confident about how to use your malas. 🙏💜
I've discovered Buddhism 12 years ago but am much older and really trying to follow this path. I love the mantra of compassion and the mantra to help take away pain and suffering from others.
My Mala are red wood. What sort of wood would that be?
If you could link me with a website that share a list of mantras I'd be very grateful.
Interesting I do own some mala beads but find that I tend to pray the rosary if I'm using prayer beads. I should look them out again and start using them. When I used them before as I have anxiety I would say 'I am peaceful, I am calm'.
The rosary is a great aid for contemplative practice, too! When you use beads with your saying ("I am peaceful, I am calm"), did you coordinate it with the breath? How did you put it together with the beads? (I'm curious about how different people use their beads.)
Actually I didn't think about incorporating my breath. That's a very good idea!
Theres a meditation named namo amitabha buddha where you used praying hand 👏
i wonder how am i gonna use mala beads while using prayer hand ?
Great question, @rin! If it's not important to count the mantras, you could just set the beads down while you've got your hands in that position. Or you can also just hold the mala with a couple of fingers of one hand and modify the prayer hands position a bit. The most important thing is what you're doing with your heart/mind, so see which option is least distracting for you. 🙏
Thank you very much for this wonderful video. I love "already enough" which is in english and I wanted some english options for mantras. I have a question: is htere any tradition for bodhi seed malas in terms of conditioning them? I know for rudraksha malas there is the theory you must wear it daily and it takes a week to pick up your energy, plus they protect your aura etc. -- So I got a bodhi seed mala thinking it might scratch my neck less, and am curious how to wash, and condition it, and what tradition is re. protection or not. Any info is welcome.
Hi, Dr. Blaney, that's a great question! I've never heard an answer to it specifically, but what I do know is that as you use a mala, the blessings of the practices you do "charge it up." No lama has said that exact thing, but there are special customs about how to treat the mala (e.g., don't put it on the ground, keep it clean, the same things you'd do to show respect to texts). And if you're doing intensive practices with a mala, ideally you'd keep it on your shrine and not wear it in public or let other people handle it. I hope you're off to a good start on your relationship with your new mala. :)
@@ClaireVillarreal yes, thanks so much for your kind and helpful reply. :D
4:19, that might be carnelian, beautiful.
Thanks, Zaiga, I'll check out carnelian. 🙏😊
Hello! I’m extremely new to buddhism and I already love it. I was doing research on how to “pray” because I felt like i needed it right now. And so i came across this video. You taught me about Mala and showed it to me. Before I didn’t know that buddhism also had some sort of prayer beads. I’m very happy about it! Also i had a question, about the mantras. I really like them, and I was wondering if there were some that are good for handling anger, so i tried to do some research and i came across on some that I liked those are “No energy can disturb the peacefulness of my body and Mind” or “Let it go, let it go” , and i especially loved “I breathe in the calm, and exhale the toxic.” But the only thing was that they are in english and i was wondering if there are some in.. I’m not sure how it’s called so I’m sorry if I say it wrong, but in those small words like “ Om Ma Ni Pad Me Hum “ but just to overcome anger. I also have some Chakra-Mudra-Cards for spiritual energy but I’m not sure how to use them and I was wondering if you knew. I hope to get a reply soon I also really loved and enjoyed your video you made, keep going and I wish you the best. 😊
Hi, Noahxig, I'm so glad that this video was helpful to you. Your question about mantras is a good one: what language are they in, and is there one specifically for overcoming anger?
The best reply to this question really would be a short video, so if I have a chance I'll create that, but the quick answer is: The mantras in this video are in Sanskrit (as are all the mantras in Tibetan Buddhism). They're pronounced Tibetan-style and written in Tibetan characters, but they're from Sanskrit. 😊
As for the second part of your question, compassion is traditionally considered an antidote to anger (feeling into the pain of the person or group you're angry with, recognizing your common humanity/being-ness, and wishing them well). And OM MANI PADME HUNG is the mantra of Avalokiteshvara, the buddha of compassion. 💜 So if you recite that mantra with the intent of tapping into universal compassion and your own innate ability to connect with sublime compassion, you might get a lot of benefit from that. Please let me know how it goes!
As for your question about chakra-mudra cards, I've never heard of them, lol, so I can't offer any advice about them! Good luck learning to use them in your spiritual practice, though. 🙏
m.czcams.com/video/02jPdwVgO4U/video.html (How to chant Nam Myoho Renge Kyo)
do you rose quartz a good material for amitabha practice? love this video :)
or for padma family practice in general? Or does is it always associated with deep coral red
@@jays2924 Thanks for your comment! At the end of the day, so much of mantra practice is evoking the feeling-tone or heart resonance you're going for in your practice, so my opinion as a non-expert on gemstones and malas is that if there's a type of bead that evokes the quality of heart/mind you're cultivating in a practice, you could try using it and see how it works for you.
I know clear quartz beads are often used for Vajrasattva practice, sometimes bone for protector practice, and lapis lazuli is associated with Medicine Buddha. My friend Shannon has a channel called Crystal Wisdom with Shannon Marie, and you could do a deeper dive on the qualities of various gemstones there. You could also check out sites like dharmacrafts.com that offer different materials of malas with an explanation of their properties. I hope that's helpful! 🙏
@@ClaireVillarreal thank you for your comment, wish me luck, i hope to receive the Amitabha empowerment soon
@@jays2924 good luck! Amitabha carries so many blessings. 💜
I'm trying to get more into Tibetan Buddhism, but there's not really a Buddhist community in my region at all. What would you recommend in that instance?
Hi, "Nunya," a lot of people are in your situation! A lot of sanghas (Buddhist communities) these days are offering teachings and practices online. The dharma center I'm a member of, Dawn Mountain, just started a teaching series that's entirely broadcast online and available on CZcams, plus they have a lot of other online offerings. You can check them out at dawnmountain.org.
I think that especially for Tibetan Buddhism, it's important eventually to connect with people, though that doesn't have to be in person. And lots of people want a teacher, but fewer realize how important it is to have sangha connection, too. So if you can find an organization that offers ways to connect online live with fellow students, like Dawn Mountain does, I personally think that's optimal.
Good luck with your search! Please feel free to continue this conversation by email (claire@clairevillarreal.com); I have friends and colleagues in addition to my Dawn Mountain family who teach in the Tibetan tradition that I can recommend.
Claire Happy to tell that the mantra " Oh Mani Padme Hum" have the same spirit and interests with "Seek first the Kingdom of God and his righteousness and the rest will be given unto you" since i cant use the rosary, other mantra im careful it could wrack my nerves so i don't try it.
😅😅🙂🙂
Hi, Anthony, I know there are some very powerful Christian prayers that are similar to mantras, and the rosary is pretty similar to a mala (Buddhist prayer beads)! So I hope you find a spiritual practice that helps you tune into that universal energy of awakened compassion. 🙏💜
I personally use peace love grace
As I m a Christian (peace the prince of peace. Jesus To fill my heart.).( Love The most important thing because if I can do everything But don't love what's the point).( Grace to forgive myself and others For their failures and shortcomings), That I will pray with a guru bead as my heart. I hope if anyone reads this comment that needs it there will be less than weekly and the name of Jesus The most shy I pray if your path is laid in your jam or If he's leading you on this path be encouraged if you're not on this path The best hopes and wishes to you Truly be blessed
A very good day to you,I've enjoyed the video on the usage of the Mala.What I would like to know is,do I need to activate the Mala through a ritual or can I just start using it for meditation and chanting the Sacred Mantras that you have shared with us? Thank you very much for your kind attention. Richard D CRUZ,Malaysia.
Hi, Richard, that's a great question! The mala gets "charged up," as I understand it, through being used for practice. Of course, if you have someone who can bless it for you, that's great, too -- but if you're saying, for instance, Tara mantras on it, then Tara will bless it. 💚🙏
@@ClaireVillarreal Dear Claire,thank you very much for answering my question,it's greatly appreciated. Namo Buddhaya.
Blessed be the name of the Lord the creator of the universe
Can I make my own beads
What are the spacer beads for?
Well, there are some practices where you'd only want to do 21 repetitions of a mantra, for instance. So you'd use a spacer bead to know where to start counting a smaller number. There might be other reasons I'm not aware of, too. ;)
Hi, Since the death of Tina Turner I have become extremely curious about Buddhism and want to learn all I can. So the different Buddhas are associated with different attributes? When you chant are you praying to Buddha or is more like you are summoning from the universe the attribute that you are chanting about?
Mam Green Tara Ma Mantra chant 108 times Which garland will I use? please ans me
Hi, @Rita Biswas, here's my personal answer: Because the Green Tara mantra is pretty short, I like using my sandalwood mala with small-ish beads because it's easy to click through them quickly. 😜 That's not an "official" answer, but I think the best mala for a practice is the one that's comfortable for you to use.
I've never heard of a particular type of stone or wood being associated with Green Tara practice (the way quartz crystals are associated with Vajrasattva).
I hope that's helpful. 🙏
Hello Claire,
Thankyou so much for the video loved it - how can i talk to you i have several questions which i need to ask you. how can i connect you??
Hi, Garooda OP, thanks for your feedback. :) You're welcome to ask questions here in chat, since they might help someone else, too. Or you can write me at claire@clairevillarreal.com.
@@ClaireVillarreal Well ok my name is siddharth. My birthdate is 16-5-1992. As my life path number is 33. Anyways i dont know are you aware of life path number 33 or not but i was born on buddha pornima in india, thats why my name is siddharth.
my questions are recently i have been following to tibetian buddhishm like going through the chants like "OM muni muni maha muni shakyamuni soha" as shakyamuni is my god. and chanting this over mala's . are there any specific ways of prayers which needs to be done by me like i offer water and flower in morning. and what are the prayers that needs to be done in morning and before night. thankyou :)
@@NumerlogyMaster Hi, Siddharth (auspicious name). 🙏 It's a great question, and the short answer is: It's wonderful to make a water (and flower) offering every morning. Tibetans use different kinds of offering bowls, usually seven of them, to offer water each morning as a way to cultivate generosity. You'd then collect the water and toss it out each night, preferably onto plants or outdoors so the blessings in the water can be shared with living beings.
Buddhists traditionally recite the refuge prayer three times each morning. You can use a simple version like, "I take refuge in the Buddha; I take refuge in the Dharma; I take refuge in the Sangha" or, from the Sanskrit, "namo buddhaya, namo dharmaya, namo sanghaya."
In my tradition (the Longchen Nyingthig lineage of the Nyingma school), there's also a prayer we sing before practice and which would be wonderful to do each morning. It's called "Great Blazing Bliss" ("Dechen Barwa"), and you can find it on p. 4 of this booklet from Dawn Mountain, my sangha:
bit.ly/3ro3NJY
If you're looking for a sangha with a lot of online offerings, I recommend them. (Though, obviously, I'm biased. 😜)
I hope that's helpful! Please let me know if you have other questions.
Hi, Siddharth, I replied earlier, but I just realized that comment isn't showing up. 🤔
So I apologize for what's now a very slow reply! But your name and story are so auspicious! And in Tibetan Buddhism, offering water in the morning (usually in seven bowls, poured as you cultivate generosity) is very traditional and a great way to start the day.
Something else that's common to Buddhists of all traditions is reciting the refuge prayer three times in the morning: "Namo buddhaya, namo dharmaya, namo sanghaya" or any of the many (many) translations or variations on that prayer.
Also, something the Dalai Lama has recommended doing at night is reviewing your day and noticing what you did that was helpful and what was harmful. You can dedicate the merit of your helpful acts (of body, speech, or mind) to your enlightenment in order to benefit all beings and resolve not to do the harmful acts again.
I hope that's helpful! 💜
@@ClaireVillarreal First of all im sorry for late reply as i was out of town - Thankyou for your time and giving your inputs on this. Are you aware of tibetian astrology as astrology in tibet is very important.
Hi, today was my very first time researching about Buddhism! I have some few questions:
1) I know the rosary has 59 beds. Can I use that, or you suggest to make my own mala?
2) Can I do it any time anywhere or you suggest any particular time?
3) I was looking for an app for it, with no good luck. Can you suggest some one that you use?
online
Hi, @luzseverson, sorry for the slow reply! Most malas actually have 108 or 111 beads -- but if you're not going to use it to count mantras (some folks will say a million or more mantras), then you can really use any number you'd like. I really enjoy making my own malas and using beautiful beads, so yes, for sure, you can make your own.
I have two thoughts about when to use mantras: It's helpful to set aside some regular time to say your chosen mantra(s) and focus just on that. First thing in the morning is one recommended time, as is last thing at night or even as you're lying in bed. It's a great way to fall asleep. :)
Once you've used a mantra enough, you can say it any time you're feeling stressed out, anxious, angry, etc. It's a wonderful technique to transform negative mental states and call on the energy of a buddha or other sacred being, which is ultimately the luminosity of your own mind, to help get a bigger perspective.
The app I'd recommend is Insight Timer. They have thousands of free tracks featuring different mantras, some with music, some just voices, etc. I recommend bookmarking the tracks you like so you can easily come back to them.
I hope that's helpful! Please let me know how your experiments with mantras and mala-making go. 🙏💜
Maam Can You send the Buddhist mantras to be recited for 108 times in ENGLISH as PDF or in any other forms?
Is there any different mantras to be followed for the 7 days of the week?
Hi, @ancienttimes2474, here's a link to a nice PDF with OM MANI PADME HUM and a short explanation:
www.chenrezigproject.org/wordpress1/dharmanotes/ommanipadmehum.pdf
Here's a blog post about the Amitabha mantra:
www.wildmind.org/mantras/figures/amitabha
And Tara's mantra:
www.yowangdu.com/tibetan-buddhism/green-tara-mantra.html
I hope those are helpful!
In Tibetan culture, there are certain practices that are more powerful on certain days of the month, but I've never heard of recommendations for specific days of the week. If you find info on that, please share it here!
💜🙏
Mala or Mantra bracelets , counts 16 or 21 beads depend from size - for chanting
I made Christian bracelets 🙏 counts of 12 pcs of beads only by size 12 + with 4 pcs of size 8 😇
Can I ask what type of buddhism you follow
Hi, Aine, I started with practicing in the Thai forest tradition and studying Tibetan Buddhism. These days my practice is focused in Tibetan Buddhism, too: the Longchen Nyingthig lineage of the Nyingma school, to be precise. 😜
I have heard it pronounced "om mani padme hume" is this incorrect? Or simply a different version/language?
Hi, Ellen, to geek out a little bit: the "HUM/HUNG" of the final syllable can be said either way. It's the transliteration of a sound they have in Sanskrit but that Tibetan and English both don't really have. Different lamas say it different ways, and the tradition is to say it however you received it when you got teachings on it.
Short answer: both ways are right. 😁🙏
@@ClaireVillarreal awesome thanks for geeking!
As a Tibetan Buddhist you should know that the name for a mala is a Threngwa meaning a garland. Just saying
another good mantra google - Nam Myoho Renge Kyo
Yes, that one is wonderful, too. 🙏💜
Is it mandatory to complete 108 mantras or breaths using a 108 bead mala? Thank you.
Hi, Gilbert, if you're just using the mantra as a way to focus your mind, then there's no requirement for how many you complete. You could spend a certain amount of time (e.g., 15 minutes) or just recite mantras until you feel settled. Same if you're using the mala to count breaths.
The most important thing is to practice in the way that's best for you. Happy meditating! 💜🙏
@@ClaireVillarreal Thank you 🙏
What are their origins?
Hi, Marc, I'm actually not sure -- but I'm sure they're older than Buddhism! There are similar beads used in similar ways found all over the world, so I wouldn't be surprised if the use of mala-type beads predates writing and history.
@@ClaireVillarreal Yes ,that's what they are called ,mala beads . It's cool to learn new things still at 53,HalleluYAH !
@@marcdemell5976 yay for lifelong learning! 😜🎉
@@ClaireVillarreal HalleluYAH ,Indeed.
there's a problem for me using the mala for a mantra even if i cant pray the rosary because it's like The Guru is from the underworld who deals with monsters and demons and the Holy Father is from the heavens or highest and Maria has the title of Holy Mother God like female god/goddess in hindu/Buddhist diety.
The On Mani Padme Hum is always popping in my mind to calm it.
The mala also existed even before the rosary since im in phobia and paranoia in going to shrine just light💡 candles and travel that i used to.
😑😑😑😐
Anthony, it's important to recognize the responses you have to these different practices and respect your limits. Of course, OM MANI PADME HUM is wonderful and soothing, and according to a Buddhist understanding, there are no real demons. Just our own emotions running out of control. If the guru can help with that, then wonderful! If it freaks out your ordinary mind to practice with the guru, then maybe the Blessed Virgin Mary will be more helpful to you. They're not different, at the end of the day. 💜
Can i eat non vegetarian while wearing these?
Reply pls.
Great question -- and the answer is definitely yes! There are plenty of non-veg Buddhists around the world and in traditionally Buddhist cultures (like Tibet and Thailand), so you're in good company. You can cultivate compassion and wisdom no matter what you eat. 💜
Buddha was born in nepal
Yes, in Lumbini. I apologize if I misspoke in the video.
I'm at one with the Force...The Force is with me...
Ooh, great mantra. 💜
108 texts of Buddhist … what about 18 beads?
Huh, that's an interesting question. If anything, short malas tend to have 21 or 27 beads, in my experience -- which is limited when it comes to mala numbers! 😜
In my opinion the english mantra Im already enough is going against Buddhist practice. To me, this mantra implies a self, however in Buddhism, there is no self.
lol mantra