Meanings
Traditionally, a mala is a meditation tool used to keep count of repetitions of sacred words dedicated to God, Source, Brahma, or the Universal Truth. Historically, malas have been used for at least 7,000 years in the East, predominantly in the Hindu and then followed by the Buddhist tradition. The recitation of prayers of holy names is thought to bring the mind to a quiet space and an empty heart, where the mind can witness the presence of Divinity or Source. The mala is the oldest form of prayer bead in the world. The mala finds its origins in ancient India and was referenced as early as 800 BCE in the Upanishads. In addition, mala beads were depicted in the earliest Hindu artwork. The word ‘mala’ in Sanskrit means ‘garland from God’, and linguistics’ have noted that the etymology of the word bead itself finds its roots in buddh, the Sanskirt word for self –realisation, the Buddha representing the supreme enlightened one. Historians note, that as cultures encountered each other in ancient history, the mala evolved into other prayer beads and was adapted by other religions such as the Catholic and Muslim faiths. The Catholic and Christian rosary was an adaptation of the Hindu mala that came to the West after the spread of the Roman Empire. By the 12th century, prayer on the rosary was established in Catholicism. While all prayer beads find their origin in the Eastern mala, the distinguishing feature of Hindu and Buddhist mala beads is in their architecture, which is culturally and religiously specific with meaningful numbers and symbols in those traditions.
Today, there are many beautiful malas that are both a testament to these Eastern religions that also act a sacred piece of jewelry connecting the wearer to the traditions of the East. In Western culture, the mala has become a statement of adornment to express one’s devotion to yoga or mediation. Cultural anthropologists have found, that for many today, the ownership of a mala acts as an artefact connecting them to the spiritual teachings of the East. In fact, we find in the last 20 years that in Lhasa, traditional mala vendors no longer make malas for Tibetan monks, and that the majority of malas for sale in Tibet are now catered to the demands of tourists from the West. This is an excellent example of how the popularization of mala beads in the West is changing mala beads in the East. For many in the West, mala beads are considered of the most sacred pieces of jewelry you could ever own for its architecture is layered in spiritual symbolism and meaning. While the materials, metals, and uses of the mala have changed in the last 100 years, there are some aspects that remain decidedly traditional and ancient, including the shape of the beads, the structure of the mala, the symbolism of the guru bead , and the presence of a tassel or sacred amulet.
Meanings in Round Beads and A Continuous Circle
All traditional and modern malas are made from round beads. From a practical perspective this provides easy gliding and holding when counting and repeating matnras or breaths. The round structure of the bead in a mala allows for a stable grip for the practitioner. From a spiritual perspective the meaning in the round shape of the beads used in a mala has its origins in the significance of a circle. The continuous circle of each bead, and the strand of beads on a mala in one continuous circle with no clasp or opening, represents the never-ending circle of life. Symbolically, the continuous circle in Hinduism acts as a reminder of the universe’s endless fluidity, continuation, and order. In Buddhism, the continuous circle represents the wheel of Dharma and reincarnation, symbolizing the continual flow of life from birth, life, death and rebirth.
The Sacred Number 108
Specific to the mala is the count of beads used to keep track of recitations and repetitions. The number 108 is the most common count found on a mala. It’s meaning is found in various contexts and interpretations in both Hinduism and Buddhism.
First and foremost, the number 108 holds meaning in Hinduism. The number 108 appears in sacred Sanskrit Vedas. The Vedic sages developed our modern number system. It is a Harshad Number, which means it is an integer divisible the sum of its digits. Due its mathematical rarity this number was deemed to represent the whole of existence. We see the appearance of 108 in ancient Sanskrit texts where there are 108 names for Hindu Gods, 108 nadis or energy lines that meet in the center of the heart, and 108 points that express the human body. There are 54 masculine qualities in Shiva, the Divine Masuline, and 54 feminine qualities in Shakti, the Divine Feminine, that combine to sum 108. The ancient texts mention 108 forms of meditation and 108 paths to God. There are 108 original doctrines in the Upanishads.
In the Buddhist tradition, the number 108 is also significant. It is believed that to achieve enlightenment and break the cycle of attachment and suffering one must chant on a mala 100,0000 times. In order to accomplish this, daily repetition is necessary, and it is recommended to complete 100 repetitions morning, day, and night. The 8 on a mala accounts for the wandering nature of the mind, and in doing 108 repetitions the meditator is assured that 100 repetitions are completed in each cycle. Nichiren, who was a Buddhist Monk in the 1st century, was devoted to teaching the Lotus Sutras of the Buddha and made note that the teachings speak of 108 earthly desires, 108 human delusions, 108 forms of ignorance, and108 feelings of the past, present and future.
Shorter malas have 54 beads, which is half of 108, or 27 beads, which is a quarter of 108. All of these counts still represent 108. The presence of 21 beads on a mala is rooted in the Tibetan tradition. Rare, is the count of 111, which is only found in Tibet on the sub-Himalayan plateau.
In the Western adaptation this depth of meaning in 108 has been simplified to interpretations where 1 represents the individual, 0 represents nothingness, and 8 represents infinity. As such, 108 in this newer interpretation espouses that 108 is a universal number.
Guru Beads, Meru Beads, or Summit Beads
At the bottom of the mala there is always an additional bead or symbol, which represents the peak of the meditative state. This serves the function of letting the meditator know when they have completed a full 108 count on a mala. Often called the guru bead to remind the meditator of the importance of having a spiritual teacher on the path to enlightenment. Others call this bead the meru bead, and consider it a representation of Mount Meru. Meru is a sacred five-peaked mountain, located at the centre of the physical, metaphysical and spiritual universe in Hindu and Buddhist lore. Finally, others call this final bead the summit bead which holds meaning as height or peak of awareness that follows from meditation practice.
Tassels hold Meaning Too
Hindu malas always have a tassel. While today this is considered a fashionable addition to a necklace in the West, the tassel actually serves as another layer of meaning and symbolism in the mala. The tassel represents a petal of a lotus.
For Hindus the lotus is a symbol of beauty, prosperity, and fertility. It represents eternity and divinity. In the Bhagavad Gita, the human spirit is ordered to be like the lotus flower, untouched by sin like the lotus flower that is untouched by mud and water. The lotus also is the position of meditation in hatha yoga, and this posture the practitioner can achieve the highest form of consciousness or the opening of the thousand petal lots at the crown of the head.
For Buddhists the lotus flower represents the human experience. As a flower the blooms from muddy water, it teaches that even in muddy waters beautiful flowers emerge. As such, the lotus petal serves as a reminder that suffering and difficulty are part of life, and that beauty can emerge even from the depths of difficulty.
Amulets
Finally, some malas have amulets rather then tassels that act as the guru bead to mark the end of the 108 bead count. This is a distinctive style of finds its roots in Tibet. On the sub-Himalayan plateau, amulets, prayer boxes or gaus have been used for centuries to protect the wearer from harm or to serve to carry a prayer close to the heart. The proximity of Northern India to Western Tibet has resulted in a cultural exchange where elements from India like the 108 mala are seen combined with Buddhist adornments such as a mini-shrine amulet devoted it a distinctly Buddhist Bodhisattva such as Tara or Kwan Yin (Guanyin). Likewise, the movement of culture across this region has seen malas with amulets depicting Hindu deities such as Ganesha, Saraswati, or Shiva in Northern India. This is what in the West is often sold as a mala necklace without a tassel, but its style comes from the centuries old exchange between the peoples of the Himalayas who practice Buddhism or Hinduism.