Thoughts on threads and beads

[JaiMaaDurga]

Namaste,

Today, I am contemplating the mala, and one of its meanings- not from a
literal standpoint, but from what its physical form can tell one about focus,
and where one's priorities truly rest.

What does one think about or picture first, when a mala is imagined?
I do not mean in a lofty or abstract sense, but a physical one; most
would answer, "The beads". How many could honestly say their answer
would be "The thread"? The thread runs through the center, hidden by
the beads; yet without it, there is no mala.

Some may pride themselves on having not a fascination with pearls on
a necklace, only having their japa mala instead: "See, I do not focus
on the smoothest or biggest pearl, these beads are all of equal value-
which lies not in their physical substance, but in their function."

All well and good- yet, still the focus is still on the beads, and not
a thought is given toward the thread.

Consider- what if the thread breaks? There is no longer a mala; and
yet, unlike a broken bead, a thread broken in half may provide two
54-bead malas.

A japa mala is an external aid for an essentially internal process, and
its very structure reflects this; for a bead to threaded, the hole must
run all the way through it, and for a thread to hold beads, it must
be tied- unbroken and continuous.

So, whether the beads are rudraksha or tulsi wood, whether the thread is
cotton or grass, whether a mala is being physically held and used to
count or held only as an image in the mind, there is much that threads, as
well as beads, have to offer- what is gained depends on one's perception.

JAI MATA DI

[Necromancer]

Namaste.

I am going to say 'the Mantra' is the most important thing - just so I could get over my initial weirdness about chanting the Maha Mantra on Rudraksha for the first and only time years ago.

That was my ultimate answer when I asked the same question (and did that).

First, I make sure I am sitting in a comfortable environment and then I start chanting 'Aum Tatpurushaya Vidmahe.......' yeah, I am going to do 9 rounds of this...

'What? OMG - 4 hours have passed already? How many rounds did I do? Wait, what rounds? where are my beads? oops, I am sitting on them....

Why does it feel like I have just been abducted by aliens? I swear iI've only been chanting for 30 minutes - the clocks must be wrong....they lie!!!'

I make sure I am not doing anything I 'shouldn't' - like not using my pointer finger, not placing the mala in my lap or allowing it to touch the floor (I feel God forgives me if I go into meditation).

The beads and the string are one and the same. The whole universe is made up of strings, you know?

They even have a Theory about it...

All planets, constellations, universes are like beads threaded upon it - or as my meditation teacher once said - Vrittis/thoughts are like beads threaded upon the sruti of Chitta/mind.

So, what do I think about? Mt. Meru - Sumeru - the Summit of Knowledge.

We can never cross that ridge and reach the other side (except by God's Grace).

We can climb the peak, but are forever turned back to start the cycle of Karma all over again.

Aum Namah Shivaya

[smaranam]

Namaste JaiMaaDurga,

Bhagavad GitA 7.7 mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat
kiñcid asti dhanañ-jaya
mayi sarvam idaṁ protaṁ
sūtre maṇi-gaṇā iva
O conqueror of wealth, there is no truth superior to Me. Everything rests upon Me, as pearls are strung on a thread.

---------
Namaste Necromancer (---> the Yogi )

'What? OMG - 4 hours have passed already? How many rounds did I do? Wait, what rounds?

That can happen

where are my beads? oops, I am sitting on them....

That need not happen, if you have a bead bag (I am sure you do, and that, this was just to make us laugh )
When I slip into ... whatever...
unfortunately the mAlA (string of beads used for nAma japa) has dropped from the hand as if it had motor problems -
but fortunately it fell into the bead-bag whose sling was smartly tied to my wrist before hand, knowing this can happen. (So even the bag cannot be 'discovered on the floor')

It seems that - when you are doing japa for/by yourself, the mAlA may drop, and japa was just a tool in that case. However, if you are doing japa as an assignment for the Lord, the Guru, the sarvasva, prANanAtha on His order, the mAlA may not drop because you are on a mission. (because in that case, the consciousness knows that it does not want to be the itsy bitsy spider that went up the water spout).

It can be very peaceful and deep in the latter case also, as the japa can be silent (my preference). If silent japa causes too much space navigation, then the sound can be switched back on

_/\_

om namo bhagavate vAsudevAya ~

[Necromancer]

Namaste JaiMaaDurga,

Bhagavad GitA 7.7 mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat
kiñcid asti dhanañ-jaya
mayi sarvam idaṁ protaṁ
sūtre maṇi-gaṇā iva
O conqueror of wealth, there is no truth superior to Me. Everything rests upon Me, as pearls are strung on a thread.

---------
Namaste Necromancer

That can happen


That need not happen, if you have a bead bag (I am sure you do, and that, this was just to make us laugh )
When I slip into ... whatever...
unfortunately the mAlA has dropped from the hand as if it had motor problems (no nerve messages betN hand and brain) -
but fortunately it fell into the bead-bag whose sling was smartly tied to my wrist before hand, knowing this can happen
or you wake up with a 'thud' or a 'jump' or a 'lift' to find the mAlA is safe in the bag, and the bag is not on the floor but tied to the wrist.

It seems that - when you are doing japa for/by yourself, the mAlA may drop, and japa was just a tool in that case. However, if you are doing japa as an assignment for the Lord, the Guru, the sarvasva, prANanAtha on His order, the mAlA may not drop because you are on a mission. (because in that case, the consciousness knows that it does not want to be the itsy bitsy spider that went up the water spout).

It can be very peaceful and deep in the latter case also, as the japa can be silent (my preference). If silent japa causes too much space navigation, then the sound can be switched back on

_/\_

om namo bhagavate vAsudevAya ~

Namaste - yeah, I was sitting on the corner of the mala-bag and by this stage, chanting is no longer an 'assignment' for me...just a 'tool'.

I still find it very relaxing, but much prefer the emotional fever of open sankirtan.

I had to laugh at your last sentence though. Silent Japa just happens by itself after a while for me - but mostly, I have a mantra I am trying to learn playing on repeat and I just sing along...over....and over...

Aum Namah Shivaya