Japamala
“When you travel to a distant place, you pass many milestones along the way. Even if they were not there, you would still reach your destination. But the milestones give you confirmation and show you that you are going in the right direction. When you do japa, the beads are the milestones and the mala is the road. The road and the stones are essential to ensure that you reach your psychic destination. The beads keep your awareness active and the psychic system in check.”Swami Sivananda Saraswati
The Japamala is a garland composed of 108 stones or beads, closed by a larger bead, called Meru or Sumeru. Their name derives from Sanskrit, whereJapanmeans "to murmur" andBad“garland”: ''the garland used to whisper prayers''.
Their origin is very ancient, so much so that Japamalas are present in Buddhist and Hindu religions that date back approximately 6000 years of history, while the recitation of the mantra comes from the Vedic tradition preceding Buddha.
Even the wordmantraIt derives from Sanskrit and is composed ofman,which means “mind, thought, act of thinking, intellect, breath, living soul” and the syllableBetween,which means “that liberates, that accomplishes, that acts, that protects”. The mantra therefore represents a formula that liberates the mind, a tool that liberates thought.
On a practical level, mantras are represented by a series of words that, when pronounced repeatedly, correctly and with the right mental intention, have the power to benefit our mind and our life.
On a practical level, the parallel with Christian culture is easy to draw: the recitation of the rosary. In a study published on December 22, 2001 in the British Medical Journal (conducted by Luciano Bernardi, associate professor of internal medicine at the University of Pavia, colleagues at the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford and the Hospital of Santa Maria Nuova in Florence) it was demonstrated that the effects of reciting mantras during meditation and the Ave Maria during the rosary are equivalent: the breathing rhythm is reduced and regulated up to six cycles per minute, inducing a beneficial effect on the heart rate. The scientists involved in this study even hypothesize that the birth and use of mantras and prayers did not only have a spiritual purpose, but were also introduced into everyday life as valid exercises to slow down breathing, increase concentration, synchronize the body's rhythms and induce a state of calm and general well-being.
According to tradition, the Japamala is worn around the neck and/or left wrist. In meditation, it is used in the right hand, passing the beads between the thumb and middle finger while reciting or whispering the mantra chosen for your meditation. You should not use the index finger, symbol of the ego, nor the little finger, symbol of inertia and laziness.
With the right hand, move the Japamala clockwise and when you reach the Meru, if you want to continue chanting, start again with the last stone, the 108, and go back counterclockwise. The Meru should never be passed and when we reach it, the mind is invited to return to its full presence and complete awareness. With each single repetition, the action of the fingers that slide the beads helps not to get lost in unawareness, in automatism, and the Japamala thus becomes a precious tool for the mind.
What is Japamala?
The Japamala is anecklaceused for therepetition of mantras and prayersIt is normally composed of 108 grains, often with the addition of a larger grain,“mer”, which is not counted but signals to the practitioner the end of a repetition. It is in fact used by sliding the beads clockwise with the thumb and middle finger of the right hand, without touching them with the index finger.
The beads used can be made of wood, stones, seeds or other materials that generate different vibrations. The composite Malas are considered amulets withEnergy properties, mystical and healing.
The number of beads, 108, is not random. There are infinite interpretations and considerations on its meaning and the reason for its recurrence in Yoga. It is a number connected to religion, science, astrology and more.
To give some examples, the diameter of the Sun is about 108 times the diameter of the Earth, and the distance between the Earth and the Sun is 108 times the diameter of the Sun. The average distance of the Earth from the Moon is also about 108 times the diameter of the Moon.
There are 108 Hindu deities, just as 108 is the number of Nadis, the energy channels that converge at the heart chakra.
The oldest language in the world and the same one used since the beginning in Yoga, Sanskrit, is composed of 54 letters or sounds that have both a feminine and a masculine aspect. Multiplying 54 by 2 we get the number 108.
Finally, guess the number of elements that make up the Universe? 108 exactly!
How to wear and use the Japamala.
According to tradition, the Japamala is worn around the neck and/or left wrist. In meditation, it is used in the right hand, passing the beads between the thumb and middle finger while reciting or whispering the mantra chosen for your meditation. You should not use the index finger, symbol of the ego, nor the little finger, symbol of inertia and laziness.
With the right hand, move the Japamala clockwise and when you reach the Meru, if you want to continue chanting, start again with the last stone, the 108, and go back counterclockwise. The Meru should never be passed and when we reach it, the mind is invited to return to its full presence and complete awareness. With each single repetition, the action of the fingers that slide the beads helps not to get lost in unawareness, in automatism, and the Japamala thus becomes a precious tool for the mind.
Material: Turquoise Stone
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