#japamala

I love my tibetan dzi bead.

Helps a lot with impulsive thoughts. I also got a new mala. With a dorje knot.

Sandalwood beads. Let's repeat over and over.

I recently saw my mother and my grandfather in a meditation session. After a long time. The next day I received a very hard message from my job. I had to quit. But I was calm. However I lost my strength by crying for over an hour with my sister.

Waiting to get a new sight to the world as I saw the path I was taking, got broken.

Hello there!

Yes, there are right ways to use a mala, however the “right way” does depend on what tradition you follow, because there are many traditions within Buddhism. Therefore it’s hard to give you a definite answer. In my tradition, we hold it in the left hand (other traditions say you must hold it in the right hand). We also never count over the guru bead, as you said, we flip the mala and count the other way. We pull the beads towards us with our thumb, so that we are pulling in the siddhis (benefits) towards us.

Different materials are associated with different benefits, but always made from natural, durable materials which are evenly shaped and sized. You can have whatever kind you like, and as many as you like. You can dedicate them to different practices and deities, or use one mala for all of them. The number of mala beads is usually 108 but you can get them as small as 54 or 27 beads, though we always chant 108 recitations at a time. One mala = 108 recitations. In my tradition it’s fine to count on the index finger, and different fingers are also associated with different activities: pacifying, increasing, destroying obstacles, etc.

That said, there are very different expectations for laypeople compared to initiates and clergies/priests. So I think (assuming you are a layperson) you do not need to worry too much about the specifics, just practice with respect and sincerity until you find a teacher (you can do so online, there are many gurus/lamas who have an online presence). And once you find a teacher that speaks to you, you follow the traditions as laid out by them. This applies to most aspects of Asian traditions, everything is done according to your teacher/lineage.

As for how to practice respectfully, the essential thing is to always keep your mala clean: never place it on the floor, your feet, or anywhere dirty. Hide it (such as in a cloth bag) when you enter the restroom or when travelling so that it doesn’t get dirty. It’s best to avoid letting other people touch your mala as well, unless they are of the clergy (in which case they can bless your mala). There are people who just wear mala as jewellery, but if you’re dedicating yours to religious/spiritual/magical practice it should be treated as a sacred object. Also make sure your hands and mouth are clean prior to practice, including after sexual activity or touching/consuming meat. If your mala gets dirty, you can cleanse it by rinsing it with water and wiping with a clean cloth and/or passing it through incense.

It’s great to get your mala blessed by the clergy, but the mantras themselves also cleanse and bless. It’s also great to meditate before and after reciting, and make or visualise offerings to the deity. But really, the most important part – the part that truly matters – is just to recite the mantra.

The mantras are the deity in sonic form; they are a direct invocation of the deity and their power (which is why many mantras are initiation-locked, and practicing a closed mantra without initiation is a bad idea). You can chant as many malas in one session as you like and dedicate the merits all at the end. Don’t worry so much about messing up, just recite the open mantras and pray for what you need, the gods are there to help you!

Vera sinto muito, por favor, me perdoe, eu te amo, sou grato(a)”.

Qual o significado de cada uma das 4 frases?

“Sinto muito”: nesta frase assumimos responsabilidades sobre a nossa situação atual, reconhecemos que algo (físico, mental ou emocional) aconteceu no passado e se firmou na memória. Esse reconhecimento mostra que a pessoa está preparada para a mudança necessária e tão almejada.

“Me Perdoe”: quando pedimos perdão, pedimos perdão a nós mesmos e ao Criador para nos ajudar a nos perdoarmos por essas memórias que se repetem em nosso sistema. Desta forma, obtemos a libertação do meu problema.

“Eu te amo”: não há nada mais potente que magnetizarmos o amor para permiti-lo que retorne a nós. Quando dizemos “eu te amo”, dizemos que amamos nossas memórias e que somos gratos por podermos libertar a elas e a nós mesmos. O amor é a nossa melhor forma de reconexão com o Divino e de transformação de toda energia bloqueada.

“Sou grato”: a gratidão é sinônimo de fechamento de ciclos e de certeza e confiança na ação do Criador, independente de como você o identifique. Devemos ser gratos por nosso subconsciente dar oportunidades de limpar e curarmos memórias.

Divine Expression

We are different expressions of the Divine. Not just physically or emotionally, but Spiritually. All of us have different beliefs, views, and experiences that have shaped what we see as our Spiritual understanding. Though some may say that it all leads to the same place, the expressions and understandings are all vastly different. They’re all just as beautiful.

While different views and experiences are often compared and contrasted, we need to remind ourselves that our experience is our truth, and someone else’s experience is theirs. Our views also change and evolve as we do, and what worked for you back then may need to be shed in order to make room for what’s working for you now – you never stop growing as a Spirit.