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Set of Japa mala, made from Tulasi wood, with head bead in foreground.

A Japa mala or mala (Sanskrit:माला; mālā, meaning garland^[1]) is a set of beads commonly used by Hindus and Buddhists, usually made from 108 beads, though other numbers, usually divisible by 9, are also used. Malas are used for keeping count while reciting, chanting, or mentally repeating a mantra or the name or names of a deity. This practice is known in Sanskrit as japa.

Usage[link]

Mantras are typically repeated hundreds or even thousands of times. The mala is used so that one can focus on the meaning or sound of the mantra rather than counting its repetitions. One repetition is usually said for each bead while turning the thumb clockwise around each bead, though some traditions or practices may call for counterclockwise motion or specific finger usage. When arriving at the head bead, one turns the mala around and then goes back in the opposing direction. There are typically knots between each bead. This makes using the mala easier as the beads will not be so tight on the string when you use them.

If more than 108 repetitions are to be done, then sometimes in Tibetan traditions grains of rice are counted out before the chanting begins and one grain is placed in a bowl for each 108 repetitions. Each time a full mala of repetitions has been completed, one grain of rice is removed from the bowl. Often, practitioners add extra counters to their malas, usually in strings of ten. These may be positioned differently depending on the tradition; for example some traditions place these strings after every 10th bead. This is an alternative way to keep track of large numbers, sometimes going into the hundreds of thousands, and even millions.

The 109th bead on a mala is called the sumeru, bindu, stupa, or guru bead. Counting should always begin with a bead next to the sumeru. In the Hindu, Vedic tradition, if more than one mala of repetitions is to be done, one changes directions when reaching the sumeru rather than crossing it.

There are numerous explanations why there are 108 beads, with the number 108 bearing special religious significance in a number of Hindu and Buddhist traditions.

In Hinduism[link]

Hindu tradition holds that the correct way to use a mala is with the right hand, with the thumb flicking one bead to the next, and with the mala draped over the middle finger. The index finger represents ego, the greatest impediment to self-realization, so it is considered best avoided when chanting on a mala.

Regional variations[link]

In Northeast India, particularly those in the Shakta traditions in West Bengal and Assam, the mala is often draped on the ring finger of the right hand, with beads moved by the middle finger with aid of the thumb and avoiding the use of the index finger. However, draping the mala over the middle finger and using the thumb to move the beads is also acceptable in these regions.

Materials[link]

Prayer beads made of rudraksha.

A wide variety of materials are used to make mala beads, though there are common standards. Beads made from the seeds of the rudraksha tree are considered sacred by Saivas, devotees of Siva, while beads made from the wood of the tulsi plant are used and revered by Vaishnavas, followers of Vishnu. Some Tibetan Buddhist traditions call for the use of animal bone (most commonly yak), but sometimes human bone is used, those of past Lamas being the most valuable. Others use wood or seeds from the Bodhi tree or seeds of the Lotus plant. Semiprecious stones such as carnelian and amethyst may be used, as well. The most common and least expensive material is sandalwood. In Hindu Tantra, as well as Buddhist Tantra (or Vajrayana), materials and colors of the beads can relate to a specific practice.

Exact usage[link]

The off head of the mala is usually called the Meru. Bring the tips of your ring-finger and thumb-finger together, and let the mala be hung at the junction. Start saying the mantra, at each repetition turn one bead with the middle finger, always allowing the index-finger to stand apart.

Traditionally, you should never cross the meru or "guru" bead. The mala should be turned in such a way that the 109th mantra is counted on the bead in which the 107th mantra was registered .^[2]

Notes[link]

1. ^ Apte 1965, p. 758.
2. ^ Kindle Life by H H Swami Chinmayanananda 1970, p. 109.

See also[link]

• Aum Namah Shivaya mantra
• Buddhist prayer beads
• Hare Krishna mantra
• Kora (pilgrimage)
• Mahayana Buddhism
• Japa (spiritual discipline)
• Kombolói
• Prayer beads
• Tasbeeh

References[link]

• Apte, V.S. (1965), The Practical Sanskrit Dictionary (Fourth revised and enlarged ed.), Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass Publishers, ISBN 81-208-0567-4 
• Dubin, L.S. (2009). Prayer Beads. In C. Kenney (Ed.), The History of Beads: From 100,000 B.C. to the Present (Revised and Expanded Edition) (pp. 79–92). New York: Abrams Publishing.
• Henry, G., & Marriott, S. (2008). Beads of Faith: Pathways to Meditation and Spirituality Using Rosaries, Prayer Beads and Sacred Words. Fons Vitae Publishing.
• Untracht, O. (2008). Rosaries of India. In H. Whelchel (Ed.), Traditional Jewelry of India (pp. 69–73). New York: Thames & Hudson, Inc.
• Wiley, E., & Shannon, M.O. (2002). A String and a Prayer: How to Make and Use Prayer Beads. Red Wheel/Weiser, LLC.

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Hindu prayer beads

• Hindu Prayer Beads (Mala)
• History of Prayer Beads: Hindu Mala
• More on Japa - Ramana Maharshi
• Rosaries of India: Hindu Mala

Richard Noble (left)

Richard Noble, OBE (born 6 March 1946) is a British entrepreneur who was holder of the land speed record between 1983 and 1997. He was also the project director of ThrustSSC, the vehicle which holds the current land speed record, set at Black Rock Desert, Nevada in 1997.

Thrust2, the record-breaking car driven by Noble, travelled at 633.468 mph (1019 km/h). The accomplishment won Noble the 1983 Segrave Trophy. ThrustSSC, the supersonic car driven by Andy Green, broke the record at 763.035 mph (1221 km/h) or Mach 1.02. Noble is planning another land speed record attempt to take place in 2013 or 2014: Bloodhound SSC aims to pass the 1,000mph mark.^[1]

Noble was born in Edinburgh, Scotland and educated at Winchester College and became a qualified pilot. In 1984 he exploited a production hiatus at Cessna aircraft to create a new all-British light aircraft, the ARV Super2. Only some 35 ARVs were made before the Isle of Wight factory closed; but production is planned to resume at Opus Aircraft ^[2] in North Carolina.

Noble's next project was to develop a "Farnborough Air Taxi",^[3] a six-passenger single-engined turboprop low-wing aircraft (a sort of cut-down Pilatus PC-12) that could operate out of small airstrips. The intended market was to provide transport for businessmen who found the existing air, rail and road networks too inflexible and expensive. Noble started Farnborough Aircraft in 1998, but after failing to find backing from any major financial institution, sold shares to small investors. A bitter dispute followed, and development stopped while new investment was found. The rights to the design were sold and design and development continues. A prototype has been flying since 2006 but certification and production remain uncertain.

In 2010 he was awarded an honorary Doctor of Technology by the University of the West of England.^[4]

Noble's autobiography is entitled "Thrust".

References[link]

External links[link]

• Official Page
• Farnborough Aircraft website archives on Archive.org

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