Prayer beads, while not meant to be worn ornamentally like secular jewelry, can still be very rewarding to construct as a means of exploring one's spiritual heritage. Most of us here in the west probably think of Catholicism and the Catholic rosary when we hear the term "prayer beads." However, the concept of prayer beads is found in many of the world's religions, including Buddhism, Hinduism, Sikhism, and Islam. The photo, courtesy of Wikipedia and released into the public domain, shows a type of Buddhist prayer beads.(COPYRIGHT: I'm so sorry to have to put this here, but I've had trouble with online content theft. Readers are welcome to print my articles for their personal use, but I do not allow my text or photos to be copied to anyone's online site. No one may use my content without written permission from me.)
I've seen versions of prayer beads used in the pagan and Wiccan communities. Recently, I've heard a group within the Episcopalian/Anglican faith that unofficially developed a set of prayer beads numbering 33 beads to correspond with the number of years in the lifetime of Jesus. [1]
The prayer ropes in the Eastern Orthodox Christian tradition (Russian and Greek) consist of knots rather than beads, though sometimes beads are interspersed among the knots. The knots in the prayer rope are a specific type that incorporate a cross design. Tradition has it that Saint Anthony of the Desert Fathers invented the prayer rope, using this type of knot, to prevent the devil from untying the knots and subsequently causing the faithful to lose count of their prayers. [2]
Purpose. Prayer beads are a very practical aid to meditation and prayer. They help you to count the repetitions of each prayer that corresponds with a bead (or knot). This keeps you focused on your prayers, freeing up that part of your mind that would otherwise have to remember the count. In Christian traditions, the prayers recited per bead could be the Lord's Prayer ("Our Father who art in Heaven …), the Hail Mary ("Hail Mary, full of grace …") or the Jesus Prayer ("Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner").
Prayer beads can serve as an anchor to keep you from daydreaming or even falling asleep while drifting into a trance state. Repetition of prayer is designed to relax one's mind, opening it to the possibility of mystical insights. The yogic breathing of Buddhism and Hinduism is intended for the same purpose. Without a set of prayer beads to touch while repeating prayers or breathing exercises, it can be hard to control one's mind and stay awake.
Symbolism. Prayer beads vary according to different spiritual traditions. Everything holds significance from the number of beads or knots to the items such as tassels, crosses, crucifixes, and medallions. Some meanings are clear to me such as the 99 beads on the Islamic rosary that correspond to the 99 names of Allah. Others, such as the significance of the 108 beads to Buddhists, I'm still unclear on. I hope to research these traditions further in a series of articles on the construction of each type of prayer beads.
I'm currently learning more about the Catholic rosary. I recently bought an antique crucifix and center medallion on eBay, and the supplier send me a "free gift" that mystified me since I don't know much about the Catholic traditions. The gift consisted of several intricate, filigreed brass semi-circles that were obviously meant for beading. With some research, I learned that they were "Pater bead caps" that a rosary maker is supposed to fasten around each "Our Father" bead that introduces a "decade" of ten smaller beads on the rosary.
Design. Here is a quick summary of the types of design found in prayer beads from different traditions.
- Catholic rosary. According to Wikipedia, it features 54 beads + 5, and the word "rosary" comes from a Latin term meaning "rose garden". [3] The Catholic rosary starts with a crucifix and proceeds to a row of beads consisting of a large bead, three smaller beads, another large bead, and then a center medallion, which marks where the loop of 54 beads begins. I usually see the beads made of gemstones such as black onyx, turquoise, amber, pearl, or carnelian. Many Catholic rosaries are made of utilitarian plastic beads to hold up under much praying and carrying in purse or pocket, and others are made of wooden beads. Some even have beads made of dried rose petals.
- Buddhist prayer beads. Also known as mala, these number 108 and are often made of sandalwood (mine is). Some, such as in the Tibetan tradition, are made from bone beads carved in the shape of human skulls to signify transcendence over death. The beads are fashioned in a circle with the last bead (often slightly larger and known as the "guru bead" on the outside of the loop. Sometimes a small tassel is added to the guru bead.
- Islamic prayer beads. These number 99 for the 99 names of Allah (or the prayer beads could number 33, to be cycled through three times), and are known as misbaha. [4] The beads are usually made of wood or ivory, sometimes plastic, and sometimes gemstones such as carnelian. The photos I've seen show a separator bead or disk between each grouping of 33 beads, and a tassel at the end. [5]
Wearing Prayer Beads. Celebrities such as Madonna and David Beckham have been known to wear rosaries, but in general it defeats the meditative purpose of prayer beads to wear them like secular jewelry. Spiritual teachers from all traditions recommend the keeping of a special corner or even a room in one's house dedicated only for prayer or meditation to enable a separation in one's mind between the secular and the sacred. This enables one to leave behind mundane worries and open up to the mystical and the divine. The same principles holds for one's prayer beads, and many traditions see it as ostentatious and boastful to openly wear one's prayer beads – as if advertising how devout one is. An exception is to wear them discreetly on your wrist as many Buddhists and Eastern Orthodox Christians do to remind them of their faith.
References:
[1] The Anglican Rosary. http://www.franciscan.org.au/anglican-rosary/ Retrieved 10/23/10
[2] Prayer Rope. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prayer_rope Retrieved 10/23/10
[3] Prayer Beads http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prayer_beads Retrieved 10/23/10
[4] Misbaha http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Misbaha Retrieved 10/23/10
[5] Tasbih http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tasbih Retrieved 10/23/10
