HAVE TROUBLE MEDITATING? TRY JAPA MALA

HAVE TROUBLE MEDITATING? TRY JAPA MALA
5 min read
20 September 2022

ETYMOLOGY

Japa Mala is the Sanskrit word which is derived from the root jap-, which means  "to utter in a low voice, repeat internally, mutter."

Japa is a spiritual discipline comprising the meditative repetition of a mantra (or name) of God.

ORIGIN OF JAPA MALA

A Japa Mala, or simply Mala is a loop of prayer beads generally used in Indian religions such as Hinduism, Jainism, Sikhism, Buddhism for counting recitations when performing japa (mantra or other sacred sound) or for counting some other sadhana (spiritual practice) like prostrating before a holy icon.

Japa Mala are similar to other forms of prayer beads which are used in various world religions & are sometimes known as ‘rosary’ in Christianity.

The origin of Japa Mala is still unknown. They have been used for centuries by a range of religions from Hinduism, Buddhism to Catholicism. Today, these prayer beads are sometimes used as a mindfulness aid without any religious affiliation.

WHAT ARE THE JAPA MALA MADE UP OF?  

The main body of Japa Mala consists of 108 beads (which reflects a sacred number in both Hinduism & Buddhism) in addition to a guru bead, which is larger than the rest of the beads and often has a tassel.

Japa Mala come in various styles, sizes  and colours. You can also find Malas with 54 or 27 beads, these can help you keep track of your repetitions while giving you the option of doing a shorter meditation.

A wide variety of materials are used to make Japa Mala beads, such as, in Hinduism, Vaishnavas often use the Japa Mala of tulsi beads. Whereas the Shaivites use Japa Mala of Rudraksha beads, and Aghori practitioners generally use fragments of human skull for their Japa Malas.

Also beads can be made up of seeds (of lotus plant), precious or semiprecious stones (such as carnelian and amethyst), wood (Bodhi tree), or other materials (such as sandalwood).

In Hindu Tantra, as well as Buddhist Tantra or Vajrayana, materials and colours of the beads can relate to a particular practice.

WHY ARE JAPA MALA HELPFUL ?

Many people find it difficult to keep their mind from wandering off. Here Japa Mala is an ideal choice. These prayer beads “have the aim of keeping you focused during meditation”.

The prayer beads, Japa Mala, can help you with different aspects of meditation, which is linked to an array of health benefits.

There are 2 ways of using Japa Mala which can help make meditation easier:

  1. The repetitive movement of your fingers across the beads helps ground you.
  2. Touching each bead as you say a mantra helps you keep track of how many times you’ve repeated the mantra.

USEFULNESS OF JAPA MALA

Japa Mala beads might be pretty to look at and soothing to touch, however these simple necklaces are more than just trendy jewellery. They are dynamic tools that can help guide and promote mindfulness practices along with numerous benefits.

Here we are providing you a general list of benefits of Japa Mala:

  • Reduce stress
  • Calms the mind
  • Reduce blood pressure & heart rate
  • Reduce the risk of various illness (such as heart disease, stroke)
  • Creates new positive patterns in mind
  • Improves concentration and focus
  • Reduce negative thoughts
  • Strengthens your mind
  • Cultivates positive emotions
  • Cultivates a deep inner- strength & inner- power
  • Increase grit & resilience
  • Activate Shakti energy
  • Assist you in connecting with your spiritual energy
  • Energises the central system
  • Aids in attaining god- consciousness
  • Enhance self- awareness
  • Help in slow respiration
  • Encourage well being

The importance of the number of beads in a Japa Mala is associated with the goal of practicing a specific japa. Like, A Japa Mala with 27 beads is used for spiritual progress whereas a Japa Mala with 108 beads is used for attaining fulfilment.

BOTTOM LINE

The prayer beads, Japa Mala, are very popular in India and Buddhist countries, which are generally used for keeping count while reciting, chanting, or mentally repeating a mantra or the name/s of a particular deity. The recitation of mantras is a very popular practice in both India & Asia. As sacred utterances, mantras can be repeated silently or chanted for several reasons or purposes.

They are used predominantly by the Hindus, Buddhists, Sikhs as aids to meditation and devotion.

The sound vibrations produced by mantras instil concentration in the devotee and facilitate spiritual growth.

While there are a wide range of traditions and styles of meditation you can practice, japa meditation is the easiest and most powerful way to meditate.

 

If you’re keen to learn more about it, you can visit our website!

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