Strings of
Enlightenment: The Beauty of Buddhist Prayer Beads
Meher McArthur
Buddhistdoor Global | 2017-02-17 |
Prayer beads are an
important part of Buddhist practice and ritual throughout Asia and
beyond. Although they are generally regarded primarily as tools to
aid practitioners in counting their prayers, mantras, incantations,
and repetitions of the names of deities, these strings of beads can
be some of the most exquisitely crafted objects in the Buddhist
artistic realm. Made of materials as diverse as wood, crystal, and
precious gems, and strung together in varying sizes and quantities,
Buddhist prayer beads, or rosaries, can be as beautiful as they are
powerful. Symbolizing important Buddhist concepts, these beads not
only serve a role in rituals, but also feature prominently in
paintings and sculptures of Buddhist teachers and
deities.
Prayer beads, or mala in Sanskrit, were likely
introduced into Buddhism early in its history from other
proto-Hindu religious practices in South Asia. Some Buddhist
rosaries are small, made to be worn around the wrist or held in the
hand. Others, however, are long enough to be worn as necklaces by
priests, typically in the esoteric traditions of Tibet and Japan.
For priest and lay Buddhist alike, the beads are symbolic of the
teachings of Buddhism in structure, the number of beads, and the
material used. Before being knotted, the string is passed through a
large central bead and two smaller beads. These three additional
beads keep the others in place and indicate the completion of a
cycle of telling. They are also said to symbolize the three jewels
of Buddhism—the Buddha, the Dharma (his teachings), and the Sangha
(the monastic order). The hidden string that passes through the
beads symbolizes the penetrating power of all of the
Buddhas.
Traditionally, Buddhist rosaries have 108
beads, representing the number of earthly passions and desires that
blind and delude us, entrapping us in the cycle of suffering and
reincarnation, or samsara. The number also represents the 108 forms
that the bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara is able to assume in order to
help devotees. It is also said that this number was chosen to
enable worshippers to repeat the sacred name of the Buddha 100
times, the extra beads allowing for any omissions made through
absent-mindedness in counting or for the loss or breakage of
beads.
In the smaller rosaries, the number of beads
is generally divisible by three, for example 21, 42, or 54 beads.
Many Chinese rosaries, or shu zhu, have only 18 beads, one for each
of the 18 Buddhist holy men, known as arhat in Sanskrit and luohan
in Chinese. Sometimes very long rosaries are used in special
rituals held in honor of particular deities. For example, every
summer in Kyoto (and in some other areas of Japan), children
participate in a ceremony to honor the bodhisattva Jizo (Sanskrit:
Kshitigarbha), a guardian of children in Japanese Buddhist belief.
The children sit in a circle and pass round a long string of prayer
beads, known in Japanese as juzu, while priests chant prayers to
the deity. By touching and passing along the beads (Japanese:
juzu-kuri), the children symbolically receive the blessing and
protection of Jizo.
The beads are often made of wood, such as
sandalwood or sacred wood from the Bodhi tree (Ficus religiosa),
under which the Buddha attained enlightenment. Precious or
semi-precious stones can also be used, including pearls, rubies,
amber, coral, or jade, as well as gold and other precious metals.
In Tibetan Buddhist practice, although malas made of wood or seeds
from the Bodhi tree can be used for any type of mantra, certain
mantras require specific beads related to their purpose. For
pacifying mantras, clear beads such as shell or crystal are used
since they are believed to help purify the mind and clear away
obstacles such as illness, bad karma, and mental disturbances.
However, very powerful mantras used for taming by forceful means
and for subduing harmful energies, require great skill, compassion,
and call for a string of 108 beads made from rudraksha seeds from
Elaeocarpus trees (mainly Elaeocarpus ganitrus), or even human
bones.
As key implements in Buddhist rituals and
practice, beads are often represented in devotional images of
deities and priests or Buddhist patriarchs.
Rosaries are also attributes of certain
deities. The compassionate Buddha Amitabha is sometimes depicted
holding a rosary, but it is the bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara who
most often holds prayer beads. In many paintings and sculptures, he
is shown holding a lotus, a water sprinkler, and a rosary of 108
beads, representing his vow to help believers conquer the 108
passions and attain enlightenment, and the 108 forms he can assume
to this end. In one of his esoteric forms, Cintamanichakra
Avalokiteshvara (Avalokiteshvara of the Jewel and the Wheel), the
deity has six arms, each representing a vow to save beings in one
of the six realms of rebirth and holding a symbolic attribute; the
hand holding a string of prayer beads represents the realm of
beasts.
As with the prayer beads of many spiritual
traditions worldwide, mala are among the most beautifully crafted
objects used by Buddhist practitioners. They are also among the
most intimate tools used in the spiritual practice of millions of
Buddhists. Held in the hand and fondled with love and devotion by
priest and lay practitioner alike, these strings of beads assist in
one of the most challenging aspects of Buddhist practice—focusing
the mind and reining it in during the chanting of prayers, mantras,
and names of deities. By grasping the beads and accepting their
guidance, the practitioner edges forward during every prayer and
every practice on the long journey toward enlightenment.