WHAT IS MALA?
A mala necklace or mala beads is a rosary in Hindu and Buddhist traditions which is used in meditation, mantras and other spiritual practices. From Sanskrit, mala means ‘a garland’.
Typically, a mala is a string of 108 beads of either wood, seeds or semi-precious stones. Number 108 is a sacred number of many civilizations and philosophies and seemingly has a limitless meaning. Some of them are:
-The distance between Sun and Earth is the diameter of the Sun multiplied by 108
-Diameter of the Moon multiplied by 108 will be equal to distance between Earth and Moon
-The diameter of the Sun is 108 times the diameter of the Earth
-There are 12 houses and nine planets. Twelve multiplied by nine equals 108
-There are 54 letters in the Sanskrit alphabet. Each has masculine and feminine, Shiva and Shakti. So, 54 multiplied by 2 is 108.
-Sacred River Ganga spans a longitude of 12 degrees (79° to 91°), and a latitude of nine degrees (22° to 31°).Twelve multiplied by nine equals 108.
Mala has an additional 109th bead. It is called either the sumeru (‘very exalted’), bindu (‘dot’ or ‘point’), stupa (‘summit’), or guru bead. This bead indicates the starting and ending point of the prayer beads and often symbolizes the guru from whom the student received the mala or mantra.
The Guru bead sits at the centre of the mala, the area closest to your heart. Some believe that positive energy associated with your mala is stored here
