Mala Tibetan turquoise and Amber.

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

It also features a guru bead, a hollowed-out bead also called a stupa. It is usually finished with a plume or pompom.

Its symbolism allows it to be used as an object of ritual and mental training.

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

All of these elements allow the practitioner to come 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 complete meaning would be, a garland that allows the one who prays to whisper prayers.

Why does a Mala necklace have 108 beads?

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

The main reason for this comes from Hindu astronomers. These are very old calculations and they would be relative measurements between the earth, the sun, the 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 basis.

Note on this Mala necklace:

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