The most common prayer beads in Tibetan Buddhism are 100 to 108 beads, of which 100 beads symbolize perfection, and their main purpose is to count the number of times the sutras are chanted. Compared with ordinary Buddhist beads, Tibetan Buddhist beads are more complex and delicate, with additional accessories such as counters, clips, and back clouds. Specifically, the counter equipped with a bell is used to record the hundreds, while the one with a pestle records the thousands, and the clip is responsible for recording the ten thousand. The materials used to make prayer beads are rich and varied, covering bodhi seeds, wooden beads, glass crystals, bone and ivory products, corals, and beeswax.
Tibetan culture is vast and colorful. From ancient times to the present, various beautiful beads are interspersed in their lives. It is the accumulation of wealth from generation to generation and one of the best ways for them to please their hearts in a difficult environment. Buddhist beads accompany them all the time, and they have an indispensable and important position in both their lives and their beliefs. The "Tibetan Buddhism" style Buddhist beads are colorful and bright in color; in terms of style, they are more personalized and have different styles. There are almost no identical old Tibetan Buddhist beads.
1. Tibetan Buddhist beads often come with personalized small accessories
Tibetan Buddhist beads are generally composed of the Buddhist beads themselves, spacer beads, Buddha heads, counters, clips, Tibetan seals, hanging rings, etc.
[Counters] Generally, the counters are made very beautifully~ The hundreds and thousands counters on both sides are usually tied with a vajra on one side and a vajra bell on the other.
[Clips] After that, there is the ten thousand counter [clip], which is usually inlaid with beautiful gems~ turquoise~ coral, etc.~
[Hanging ring] The eight-character hanging ring is generally used at the bottom of the Buddha head of the Buddhist beads, so that the Buddhist beads can be hung on the body when not chanting mantras. The hanging ring can rotate to prevent the Buddhist beads from shaking back and forth and getting tangled.
[Tibetan seals] I guess everyone is tired of it. After talking about this, let’s talk about counters~ and then we will talk about the Gawu box~ In fact, this is less played.
2. How to use the spacer beads of Tibetan Buddhist beads
In folk culture, many people will choose some treasures that are more suitable for worshiping Buddha with significant characteristics to decorate their own Buddhist beads. Firstly, it makes the beloved Buddhist beads very beautiful, and secondly, it also symbolizes the supreme heart of offering and worshipping Buddha.
108 Buddhist beads are generally placed at the symmetrical 27, 54, and both sides of the Buddha's head, and 100 Buddhist beads are generally placed at the symmetrical 25, 50, and both sides of the Buddha's head.
Buddhist beads are instruments for worshiping Buddha. They are not fancy necklaces or simple decorations, so they cannot be strung randomly without rules.
The number and method of the spacer beads can be placed at will according to your own preferences, or according to the ethnic customs of the Tibetans. Under normal circumstances, the number of common spacer beads is 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 9, 11, etc.
3. How to count the Buddhist beads with spacer beads when chanting mantras?
Generally, the spacer beads used for decoration are not counted, but if the spacer beads have both decorative and filling functions, they are counted. It should be noted that when chanting sutras and mantras, the spacer beads are not counted for the rituals of representation.
In Tibetan Buddhism, the number of mantras chanted with rosary beads is counted in units of 100. That is to say, whether or not the spacer beads are added, the 108 Buddhist beads are counted only 100 times after chanting once. The extra 8 times are used to make up for the omissions in the process of chanting mantras, so as to prevent us from over-counting and causing counting errors. It is worth noting that disciples can chant more mantras when they vow to chant, but they cannot be missing.
4. The difference between 108 Buddhist beads and 100 Buddhist beads
The meaning of 108 Buddhist beads: to eliminate 108 kinds of troubles, so that the body and mind can reach a state of tranquility. There are many different opinions on the content of the 108 troubles. Generally speaking, the six roots each have three kinds of suffering, happiness, and detachment, which make up 18 kinds; and the six roots each have three kinds of good, evil, and neutral, which make up 18 kinds, totaling 36 kinds, and then combined with the past, present, and future three lives, make up 108 kinds of troubles.
5. Material of Tibetan Buddhist beads
Tibetan culture is vast and colorful. Various beautiful beads have been interspersed in their lives from ancient times to the present. It is the accumulation of wealth from generation to generation and one of the best ways for them to please their hearts in a difficult environment. Buddhist beads accompany them all the time, and they have an indispensable and important position in both their lives and beliefs.
So we will see so many beautiful Buddhist beads interspersed with precious red coral, beeswax, turquoise, southern red, glass, giant clam, pharmacist and other precious jewels used as Buddhist beads. The solemnity of the Buddhist beads makes those Buddhist beads exude a different kind of beauty and peace, dignified and elegant.
The material of the spacer beads will vary depending on the specific personal ability and personal preference. Tibetans advocate bright colors. They believe that these colors have magical representative meanings in nature. Blue symbolizes the blue sky, white symbolizes white clouds; red symbolizes fire; green symbolizes green water; yellow symbolizes loess or earth. The arrangement of the five colors is closely related to the three-dimensional arrangement of natural substances, closely connected and full of meaning!
Red, yellow, blue, green, white and other bright colors are most common in Buddhist beads. In the old days, the quality of Buddhist beads was directly related to the user's status. People with good economic strength, high social status, or who pay more attention to this aspect will choose some more precious materials to make spacer beads or Buddhist beads, such as red coral, beeswax, turquoise, high-quality agate, precious wood or other rare materials.
