OUTSTANDING LARGE OLD BUDDHIST MALA WITH SHELL PRAYER BEADS AND OM MANI PADME HUM MANTRA ON EACH BEAD – TIBET – MID 20^thC.

This old shell mala originates from Tibet.

In Tibetan Buddhism mala are used when praying to mark the repetitions of prayers, mantras or prostrations. The malas have usually 108 beads, one mala counts as 100 mantras, and the eight extra are meant to be dedicated to all sentient beings or to do extra repetitions to amend any mistakes in pronunciation or other faults of recitation. But often they have a lesser number of beads (usually a divisor of 108), for instance 27-bead malas are common. These shorter malas are sometimes called "prostration rosaries" because they are easier to hold when enumerating repeated prostrations. Various type of materials are used to make mala beads such as metal, animal or human bone, shells, sandalwood, seeds of the rudraksha, beads made of the wood of the tulsi plant, wood or seeds from the Bodhi Tree (a particularly sacred tree of the species Ficus religiosa) or of Nelumbo nucifera (the lotus plant). Semi-precious stones like carnelian, rock crystal and amethyst are also used. It is not necessary that a mala can only be used for meditation. It can also be worn as a necklace to attract positive vibes and bring medical benefits (in some cases like agate, turmeric or haldi mala).

The prayer beads of this exceptional mala are made of shell. The shell is sacred in Tibet, which is why the conch is one of the eight auspicious symbols. The OM MANI PADME HUM mantra is engraved by hand on each bead, a real tedious drudgery. As usually, this mala has 108 beads and an end guru bead. The beads have been re-strung.

The six-syllabled sanskrit mantra OM MANI PADME HUM is particularly associated with the four-armed Shadakshari form of Avalokiteshvara, the bodhisattva of compassion. MANI PADME means “jewel in the lotus”. MANI PADME is preceded by the OM syllable and followed by the HUM syllable. Both syllables are interjections without linguistic meaning, but they are widely known as divine sounds.

Age: mid 20th C.

Size: mala about 140 cm long, diameter bead 1.8 cm, height bead 1.3 cm.

Weight: 701 gr.

Condition: This mala is in good condition taking into account its age. Good signs of age and use. Look carefully to the pictures, which are an integral part of the description. Consequently any damage or repair to the object not mentioned in the text, but visible in the photos, are considered to be described.

The description and explanation of the item have been made in good faith and to the best of my knowledge. The dimensions are measured manually and are therefore approximate. This is a private sale as I am not a professional seller; I am a collector who liquidates his collection. Therefore, I do not accept returns unless in very exceptional cases. In any case, the return costs are to be paid by the buyer. I hope you will understand this. Please don’t hesitate to request before purchasing all information you need. Your satisfaction and positive feedback is very important to me. If you have any problems with the item or services, please feel free to contact me first before you leave negative feedback. I will do my best to solve any problems.

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