| Tibetan Buddhist prayer beads have a wide and | | | | beads with 111 beads. In Catholicism some prayer |
| varied history. Prayer beads are not unique to | | | | beads have 10 beads on the strand, and other beads |
| Buddhism, believers in Catholicism use prayer beads in | | | | have 50 beads on the strand. |
| the form of a rosary, and they say the rosary as | | | | In Chinese and Japanese Buddhism practitioners also |
| they move their hands over each bead. Prayer beads | | | | use malas with 27 beads. Malas with 27 beads, wrist |
| were first used in Hinduism, in Hinduism they are | | | | malas, are typically used for prostration. Prostration is |
| called japa mala. Prayer beads are also used by | | | | a means for a Buddhist practitioner to rid himself of |
| Muslims. Believers in the Bahai faith also use prayer | | | | evil such as anger, envy, and greed and fill himself |
| beads in their practices. Tibetan Buddhist prayer | | | | with compassion, peace, and love. |
| beads are also known as the Buddhist rosary or by | | | | Tibetan Buddhist prayer beads are made from many |
| the word mala. The word mala literally means a | | | | different materials including jade, wood, sandalwood, |
| garland or strand and represents the unity of all | | | | turquoise, etc. In Tibetan Buddhism and Hinduism |
| things in Tibetan Buddhism. | | | | Bodhi seeds are also used for prayer beads. |
| A typical strand of Tibetan Buddhist prayer beads | | | | To use prayer beads you pass your fingers over |
| contains 108 beads. This practice of putting 108 | | | | each bead as you say a mantra. You should say the |
| beads on a strand of Tibetan Buddhist prayer beads | | | | mantra as you count through each bead until you |
| came from Hinduism. Hindus began putting 108 beads | | | | reach where you started. Prayer beads have a larger |
| onto each strand of prayer beads because there are | | | | bead in the middle so you will know when you have |
| 108 Hindu deities. Krishna also danced with 108 | | | | reached the end. |
| cow-herd girls and he is rumored to have had 16,108 | | | | Once you begin using your prayer beads, they |
| wives. In Tibetan Buddhism, 108 prayer beads on a | | | | become sacred. You should not let other people |
| Tibetan Buddhist mala are important because there | | | | handle your prayer beads. Store your prayer beads in |
| are 108 sins. | | | | a special place and do not lie them on the ground. |
| Tibetan Buddhist prayer beads come in other | | | | There are special prayer bead bags to hold your |
| numbers besides 108. There are Tibetan prayer | | | | prayer beads so they will not be harmed. |