I recently acquired a set of Anglican prayer beads (beautiful peach quartz), and wondered if you use this kind of thing when praying. The old "fold your arms and bow your head" never did anything for me, maybe the beads will. I do like having something in my hands to concentrate my thoughts.

They are similar to meditation beads. I have several (inherited from my Mom's family). I have used them not to say the rosary, but to calm my nerves.

When I was a child, I was brought up Catholic, so I did use them occasionally. I think I got them from my grandmother.
What did you want to know about?

No, I don't.

possiblypagan Wrote:
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> I do like having something in my hands to
> concentrate my thoughts.

Beads of one kind or another have been used since ancient times as a practical aid for concentrating thoughts and integrating feelings and emotions...as in meditation, or times when someone wants to concentrate on one issue, integrating into a more-or-less unified "whole" the distractions that we all live with during most of our waking hours.

I was raised Hindu (Vedanta), so I've been using japa mala (or simply: "mala") beads since I was growing up.

Most everyone is familiar with the Catholic usage of rosaries, which are exactly the same thing as japa mala beads, but interpreted in a Catholic/Christian context.

I have several different kinds of japa mala, but in the last several years, I use them almost exclusively when I've been plunged into some kind of outer chaos, and I need the assist of "something to do with my hands" when I'm trying to work through a crisis-type situation...

...the mechanics of your fingers physically flipping through them, one by one, actually does seem to both calm and concentrate your mind and your emotions.

Japa mala beads are also good for people who are doing affirmations (whether these be psychological-type affirmations, or spiritual-type affirmations of various kinds) because they keep a count (and, thus, and in a sense, the period of time which has passed) of the number of affirmations or whatever---which is probably the main reason Catholics use them in the rosary: the rosary beads automatically keep count of the different prayers used (I think there are three different prayers used in the rosary, if I am remembering correctly) in the rosary so no one needs to keep a mental count going in their heads...until the end point (the last bead) of that particular series of specific prayers in the rosary has been reached.

If you Google "mala" or "japa mala," there will be many explanations, and many different kinds of suppliers, which will come up...as well as explanations of the various kinds of beads available and their traditional meanings.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/19/2015 03:11PM by Tevai.

"Like" :D

It helps to still and focus the mind, and to relax the body.

I've found (and this is measurable, not just my opinion) that when I am diligent in daily meditation practice, my blood pressure (stirred up by a congenital kidney condition) actually drops so much that I can take less medication for it.

I have to take my blood pressure every day, so I can be sure to adjust each of four different medications for it as needed.

A week or so of diligent meditation practice, and POOF! The medication level drops drastically.

I just don't always have the discipline to keep doing it daily, though. I sometimes feel lazy and would rather read. Meditation may sound easy, but the focus required takes a lot of self-discipline and concentration to keep your attention from wandering.

Yes, meditation is known to help calm and lower blood pressure. Prayer beads help in the meditation process.

In the Catholic tradition, the rosary grew out of the practise of the monks praying the Psalms (150 of them) every day. So instead of the lay people praying the psalms, many if not most who were illiterate, the rosay evolved. There are two main prayers said in the rosary, but it's not those prayers that are important. Those are the background prayers going on while one is meditating on what are called the "Mysteries" (various events in Jesus' life).

I have some Anglican beads, and I had a silver rosary my Catholic grandma gave, but it broke at some point. When my grandpa died, there was a rosary the evening before his funeral, and I just sat there politely since the only part I knew was the Lord's Prayer, or the O Father.

I only went to my grandma's funeral itself because I didn't want to be around a certain toxic uncle longer than necessary. The thing that made me laugh at her funeral was the priest saying something about the family saying the rosary, when most of my uncles and dad quit the church as soon as they moved out. They're basically wedding and funeral Catholics, only going to church for those occasions.

My wife is Catholic and has acquired a number of rosaries over the years. Never seen her use one (if that's the correct term). Never could understand their purpose.

RB

Prayer beads are a meditative device. Ever study with music in the background? They are like that. They are background prayers while meditating on whatever it is you want to focus on. Like music in the background while you study in the foreground.

I have a prayer rope. Love it. They help me focus and thus become less distracted

My Buddhist friend turned me on to these places on line where

you can get fabulous inscense, prayer flags and beads. I went

crazy and got stuff because it was good quality and good prices.

I got some gorgeous amythest prayer beads and some delicious

insense. I don't use them for prayer beads since I'm an athiest

I just like them because they're pretty .

saucie Wrote:
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> My Buddhist friend turned me on to these places on
> line where
>
> you can get fabulous inscense, prayer flags and
> beads. I went
>
> crazy and got stuff because it was good quality
> and good prices.
>
> I got some gorgeous amythest prayer beads and some
> delicious
>
> insense. I don't use them for prayer beads since
> I'm an athiest
>
> I just like them because they're pretty .


Can you provide links, if it is allowed here?

Thanks!

Yeah its been awhile but I'll see if I can find the place I used andhttp://www.tibetanspirit.com/product-category/malas/ I'll link it here. There's one... I'll see if I can find the one I used to us

http://www.buddhistmala.com/se.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 11/19/2015 07:23PM by saucie.

A close Catholic friend gave me a rosary.

First you get down on your knees
Fiddle with your rosaries
Bow your head with great respect
And genuflect, genuflect, genuflect!
--Tom Lehrer

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pvhYqeGp_Do

couldn't resist

Trollbeads are good for helping you de-stress. They all have individual meanings that are personal to the individual and just deciding which ones to wear each day can be very therapeutic.

I have one of my grandmother's rosaries, and I find that when I'm feeling particularly upset or un-tethered, just holding them, quietly flipping through them, I feel a bit calmer and grounded. More likely because they were hers, and she used them to pray the rosary (she was a devout Polish Catholic).

My Pagan faith doesn't have any tradition with prayer beads, but I made my own set to reflect the elements, which I use on sabbats as part of ritual.

I used to make rosaries. I have a book with all the different prayers that go with them, including Anglican. If you want the text, shoot me an email.

I have an hour commute to work each day; so, like many Catholics, I pray the rosary while driving. I learned by praying along with rosary mp3 files that I downloaded from the internet. There are many sites which offer not only free downloads but free rosary beads as well.

Actual, physical beads??? Isn't there an app for that?

I do not need any sort of prop or device when I decide to talk to my invisible imaginary friend that no one else can see.

If you hold them up while invoking spirits, doesn't make you a ghost bead raiser? Ghost bead raiser, go...

I don't know about Christianity/Catholicism, but so far as psychology (affirmations), Hinduism, and Buddhism (I think!!!), is concerned, the beads are physical objects that have no animate or supernatural powers at all---they are a physical aid...

...like a cane, for example. Someone who uses a cane as an aid to walk does NOT confer the power of "walking" (or any other physical power) on that inanimate object. Any "movement" or "process" that occurs is the result of the human being who is physically walking, not the cane itself...

The human walks the cane...the cane does not walk the human.

Same thing with japa mala, etc.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/21/2015 04:40PM by Tevai.

I was speaking as Racer X

donbagley Wrote:
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> I was speaking as Racer X


Oh...okay!!!

[?????????]

:)

"I will never reveal my true identity."
--Racer X

donbagley Wrote:
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> "I will never reveal my true identity."
> --Racer X


Ah......Thank you!!!

*

Are there atheist beads? If so, I'd like to know...

rationalist01 Wrote:
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> Are there atheist beads? If so, I'd like to
> know...

Of course there are...

...either use japa mala beads (108 beads for the full size...and usually 18, 21, or 27 beads for the "wrist" type)...

...or go to a gift store (especially Greek) in the Middle Eastern-ish part of your town and get some "worry beads." (If you have taxi drivers from Greece or the Middle East where you live, there are often "worry beads" dangling from the driver's rear view mirror.) If you want to buy some Middle Eastern "worry beads" online, Google: worry beads.

...and you can also just buy a costume jewelery bead, or "big pearl" necklace and use that (if the bead count is what you are looking for).

All of these work just fine!!!



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/21/2015 06:26PM by Tevai.