Mala translates to “garland” in sanskrit, one of the oldest languages spoken in India. The use of gemstones as beads comes from the Hindu tradition, representing deities and planetary energies that are embodied in corresponding minerals based on the Hindu Astrology called Jyotish. Traditional Buddhist Malas are made with more natural materials such as wood, seeds, and clay. The Mala serves as a tool to count and recite prayers or Mantras during meditation leading the individual towards a profound state of connection to a higher power, the divine, god, and one’s true Buddha nature. The size of our beads and the length of the string varies to accommodate different practitioners. Full malas have 108 beads; wrist malas have 21 beads.
“In many traditions, strings of prayer beads reputedly have Miraculous origins. Catholics tell of the Virgin Mary revealing the rosary to Saint Dominic, bidding him teach it to the faithful… In Tibet ,ancient dzi, Or a Buddha-eye, beads have been found in tilt fields, their origins obscure but considered sanctified. Tiny seed beads used in Native American beadwork are thought to be gifts sent by the great spirit, all the same auspicious materials – Crystal’s, Amber, Rose Wood, all olive pits – are revered and incorporated in rosaries universally.”
– Beads of Faith