JAPA MALA 108 PALO SANTO BEADS

Japa Mala sacred, in our Wanchako workshop located in Las Lomas de Huanchaco community of Trujillo-La Libetad we make, with love, respect and dedication.
Our japamalas are made with different materials: sacred wood from the Palo Santo tree. Below the Guru bead, hangs a beautiful tassel with colorful handcrafted fringes, made with top quality natural yarns and wool.

A japamala is a set of 108 round beads with knots between beads, made from selected 7/8mm Palo Santo (Bursera Graveolens) wood. in diameter, 65cm. long.
That is used while repeating a mantra (sacred sound) and that serves to cultivate concentration and the quality associated with that mantra that is being repeated. It can also be used to count breaths in meditation.

Japa mala means “repeating prayers.” Like other types of prayer beads, the japa mala allows concentration on the meaning or sound of the mantra. Its use is a powerful meditative technique where two senses are involved: hearing while the mantra is chanted and touch while the beads are passed between the fingers.

The japa mala has a bead number 109 -larger than the others- from which a plume of threads hangs and which represents the sacred mount Meru, the abode of the gods in this tradition. The purpose of this bead, also called the Guru bead or the mountain bead, is to be a place of rest and contemplation while meditating or reciting the mantra.

Each part of japa mala has a meaning:
1- The tassel: also known as tassel, symbolizes the energy that is born as a result of meditation. It represents the mobility of the individual that flows in constant change, represented by each of the threads that make up the tassel. It is the constant change within the immutable, the illusion of separation and the reminder of non-attachment to the impermanent.

The threads that make up the tassel also represent the thousand petals of Sahasrara, the crown chakra, which means spiritual enlightenment achieved.

2- The beads: The traditional Japa Malas are composed of 108 beads, which can be made of rudraksha, Palo Santo wood, sandalwood, semi-precious stones, seeds and other woods. They have an additional larger bead, at the end of the Mala and before the tassel, called the guru. This is usually the same material that the beads are made of.

3- The guru: We have already commented that there is an additional account, called the guru. This represents the teacher who is connected with his student through the “thread of life”. Out of respect for the figure it represents, at the end of the singing of all the Japa Mala, one should never go over the teacher, but turn around or go around and do another cycle of mantras or breaths, if is desired. The guru is also a symbol of the union of our inner being with the elements of the universe.

4- The knot: Traditionally the beads are joined with a satin thread and a knot is made between each one of them, which gives them strength and security. This symbolizes the forces of the universe which support and sustain everything. The knot creates a space between each ball. That knot represents the divine bond between all created things.

5- The thread: it keeps all the beads together. It is like our link with the universe, uniting us all with the whole. The interconnection with divine energy.

How Japamalas are used
The way to use it is to repeat aloud (it can also be whispering or mentally) a mantra or sound along the circle of beads that form it.
In the Vedic or Hindu tradition, the japa mala is held in the right hand and the beads are passed between the thumb and middle finger. The thumb represents universal consciousness and the middle finger purity or sattva guna.
The collar should rest on the right knee (even for a left-handed person) and the left hand should relax on the left knee. It is generally performed with eyes closed for greater concentration.
The Japa Mala has a separate account, also known as the abode of the Gods. Since you don’t touch it, to go around again, you must turn and go back.
Once you begin to pass account by account, you should not stop doing it until you complete the circle, as an act of respect and union in whoever believes each one. It is a devotional object, so it must be used and treated with respect.
Meditating with a bad Japa is a way of directing attention towards a physical object -the necklace or bracelet-, and a mental object -the mantra to achieve the spiritual connection with God-.

How would you like your japamala to be?

Have a nice day!