Turquoise and Amber Tibetan Mala.

The Japa Mala is the Buddhist rosary. It is made up of 108 beads.

It also includes a guru bead, a hollow bead also called a stupa. It is usually finished with a plume or tassel.

Its symbolism also allows it to be used as a ritual object and mental training tool.

The Mala allows the meditator to count mantras with their hand while reciting them.

All these elements help the practitioner get closer to their spiritual ideals in a very accessible and powerful way.

The origins of the term Japa Mala.

Japamālā in Sanskrit comes from japa (whisper) and mālā (garland).

Its full meaning would therefore be a garland that allows the one who prays to whisper prayers.

Why does a Mala necklace have 108 beads?

In Hindu, Jain, and Buddhist tradition, Malas usually have 108 beads. This number 108 is considered a sacred or “perfect” number.

The main reason comes from Hindu astronomers. These are very ancient calculations and relate to relative measurements between the earth, sun, moon, and their diameters.

Hindu astronomers, noticing this pattern in the measurements of the main stars, deduced that it takes 108 steps to reach the deity or 108 steps to reach our true enlightened essence.

There are many explanations for this sacred number, but they all have more or less the same foundations.

Note on this Mala necklace:

• This Buddhist Mala is made of handcrafted materials. Thanks to its manufacturing process, each Mala is unique. The one you receive may have slight differences.