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The
Mala is a rosary containing 108 beads. It is used
for keeping count while reciting, chanting, or
mentally repeating a mantra or name/s of a
particular deity, a practice known in Sanskrit as
japa.
Hindu
tradition holds that the correct way to use a mala
is with the right hand, with the thumb flicking one
bead to the next, and with the mala draped over the
middle finger. The index finger represents ego, the
greatest impediment to Self-Realization, so it
is considered best avoided (as with the ego) when
chanting on a mala.
To empower the mala and the mantra used,
japa (mantra meditation) should be practiced each
day for 40 continuous days. When the mala becomes
empowered it can be worn or lightly placed on
oneself or others to transmit the energy of the
mantra as well as the energetic qualities of the
mala. When you use a new mantra with a mala, this
energy becomes replaced, so it is recommended to use
a new mala with each mantra if possible.
When not in use,
store your mala in a special, clean and preferably
sacred space.
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