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by Georg Feuerstein
Mantra recitation, which is called japa ("muttering") in Sanskrit, has been an important aspect of Yoga practice since ancient Vedic times. It is a powerful technique for focusing the mind.
For countless generations, mantra-japa has been done with the aid of rosaries of various kinds. These are known as mâlâs, meaning literally "garlands." Such devices have been employed in Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, Sikhism, and also in spiritual traditions outside India, notably Christianity and Islam.
Hindu rosaries can be composed of a variety of materials-wood, seeds, pearls, semiprecious stones, bone, and ivory. The most widely used materials are sandalwood, rudrâksha seeds, tulsi seeds (basil), lotus seeds, bodhi tree seeds, rosewood, and crystal. Usually a mâlâ consists of 108 beads, but rosaries of 26, and 54 beads are also used by Hindu and Buddhist Yoga practitioners. Sometimes small spacer beads of semiprecious stones are used to separate the larger beads from each other for easier handling. In addition, every rosary has what is called meru, sumeru, or guru bead, which is larger than the other beads. Often a tussle is attached to this master bead.
Ideally, a mâlâ should be blessed by one's teacher before using it for the first time. Subsequently, practitioners should bless and empower the mâlâ themselves prior to each use. In general, a mâlâ should be treated with respect, that is, as a sacred implement. In the case of mâlâs with 108 beads, it is best to always wear them around the neck, with the guru bead behind the neck. In this way, they can be charged with one's personal energy. In any case, mâlâs should never be placed on the floor or on seating surfaces. Before use, it is recommended that practitioners cup their mâlâ with both hands and blow on it in order to infuse it with prâna. Some practitioners also briefly rub the beads in their cupped hands, and do so for the same purpose. In some schools, a mantra is spoken over the rosary empowering it further. According to the Devî-Rahasya, for instance, one should recite: om mâle mâle mahâ-mâle sarva-tattva-svarûpinî catur-vargas tvayi nyasta tasmân me siddhi-da bhava svâhâ (" Om, O rosary, rosary, great rosary, true form of all things, place in me the four goals [of human life]. Thus give me success! Svâhâ").
For most purposes, the rosary is held in one's right hand, with the beads draped either over the middle finger or the ring finger, and the counting is done with the thumb. The index finger is never used in mâlâ-japa. The rosary is best held at heart level, so that the beads do not drag on the ground. Alternatively, one can rest the beads in the left hand while counting with the right.
Counting or telling of beads starts with the bead right next to the guru bead and proceeds forward. When the guru bead is reached again, it should not be counted and crossed over, but instead practitioners should turn the mâlâ around and begin the new round with the same bead that ended the preceding round, again moving forward along the mâlâ.
After each mantra, one moves to the next bead. In the case of mâlâs consisting of 108 beads, however, only 100 beads are allowed in the final count, so as to take into account any slips or moments of inattention during japa practice. In other words, ten rounds on a 108-bead mâlâ are reckoned as only 1,000 mantras. Recitation is ideally done in sets of 7, 21, 27, 54, and 108 mantras.
After much use, the string is bound to break, and in that case one should take great care to preserve all the beads and then restring them. The new mâlâ ought to be reconsecrated properly.
Traditionally, a mantra is a mantra only when given in the context of an initiation. In the West, this is not always possible, which should not discourage anyone from using mantra-japa. In Yoga, it is always the intent that matters. Thus, we can adopt any of the widely used mantras and gain benefit from practicing japa with it. It is advised, however, to stick with one mantra rather than jump from one mantra to another.
Copyright ©2003, 2007 by Georg Feuerstein. All rights reserved.
Reproduction in any form requires prior permission from Traditional Yoga Studies.