This article is going to be a little bit different from our usual articles, as we shall discuss an object, as opposed to usually discussing our Self, the Subject.
We are going to talk about using a rosary, prayer beads, or what is also referred to as a mala. This is a great 'tool' to utilize in our everyday lives and in our spiritual practices.
For the readers who are still not sure what we are talking about - it is a string of beads, that is generally used in some religious or spiritual way, as displayed on the image.
So, we may have wondered why people wear this and what they do with it. Different religions and practices require different types of rosaries. They appear in various forms and colors, with a set number of beads, depending on the religion or intended practice.
The ones worn around the neck, for example, the Buddhist mala, have 108 beads. In the Roman Catholic tradition, the rosary has 59 beads, the Islamic 'Misbaha' has 99 beads, and so it goes for each tradition or practice. There are also smaller ones, fitting around a wrist, with sometimes 21 or 27 beads.
The number of the beads carries significance, as they are used to repeat a certain number of prayers, mantras, names of God, etc.
There are a number of ways to use this, so let's explore.
Common use and benefits
We can hang it around our neck or wrap it around our arms and look cool, but we can also use it when we are trying to quiet our monkey mind. In this case, a mala can be a very effective tool. We can get ourselves one, or our teacher may give us one, with some specific instructions.So, we can use a mantra or a prayer or whatever resonates with us, and with each bead that we count between our fingers, we say the mantra or the prayer once, and we repeat it as far as the beads go.
When we follow a specific tradition or religion, our practice may include repeating some prayers or mantras a certain number of times, and therefore we can use the beads as a counting mechanism. The beads are also used in a devotional way.
As we mentioned in a previous article, the mind is a creature of habit. Therefore, if we feel that the mind is causing us suffering or unhappiness, we can try to create different habits in the mind. Again, we can use the mala to repeat a phrase each morning, such as "I am Loving Awareness" or, "I am good enough, I am confident" and these repetitions in the morning can set a great foundation for the rest of our day. Really, it works!
Alternatively, we can use the mala in a way to calm the mind, instead of feeding the mind with more habits. Instead of creating more mental activity, we slow down the mental activity.
Calming down
Instead of repeating any word, any prayer, we can just focus on our breath. With each inhale, we move one bead, and we hold it until we exhale... and we take the next one and repeat. We synchronize the mind, body, and breath into a state of calmness, by focusing the mind on the breath, breathing slowly, and feeling each bead move between our fingers. Accordingly, we may discover the real silence, which we were not aware of before...At first, our mind may go in all directions, and this is perfectly okay, we shouldn't be discouraged.
We may only be able to remain present or silent for just three of four beads before our attention goes to our thoughts. With practice, we can remain present and silent for long periods and pay less attention to the thoughts arising, by simply observing without getting involved.
As the mind, body, and breath calm down, it creates the ideal circumstances to rest in the present moment, in the here and now. Accordingly, peace takes over.
In the stillness, we can simply rest and enjoy the peace and absence of lack which is inherently ours. We can let all of the mental activity dissolve into the same space it manifested from, and abide in this peaceful silence.
We shall soon realize that this peaceful silence within us, is always there. We can always return to 'it' through the use of our beads until we become so familiar with 'it' that we do not need to return. We realize we are it!
To conclude, we can see that regardless of our religion or beliefs, we can use prayer beads in a very skillful and practical way. It can also come in very handy (pun intended) in our everyday lives and activities. As soon as we start to feel stressed or anxious, we can take the beads between our fingers and count our breath or repeat a mantra. It is truly helpful.
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| Beads can be used to re-wire the habits of the mind, but also to calm the mind and experience peaceful silence. |
The monkey mind - 21 March, 2021
Carried away from the present moment - 28 February, 2021
Although I have never used prayer beads I can understand how they can help to quiet the mind.
ReplyDeleteHellos Ron,
DeleteThank you for your comment!
Yes, the beads are quite practical, they do not have to be associated with a religious or spiritual practice.
Thank you for reading, and for sharing your thoughts.