Le Mala & Symboles

Le mala (tengwa en tibétain, Look-Pakam en Thaï) est le chapelet Bouddhiste, fidèle compagnon du pratiquant
qui le tient souvent à la main, enroulé autour du poignet ou autour de son cou comme un collier.
Le mot mala signifie en sanskrit « collier de fleurs » ou « guirlande de perles ».Il s'agit d'un chapelet regroupant 108 perles pouvant symboliser selon les pays...

Ces 108 grains du chapelet Bouddhiste proviendraient de la somme des 12 mois, des 24 arrangements dans lesquels le calendrier solaire a été divisé, et les 72 divisions de l'année chinoise en périodes de 5 jours: 12 + 24 + 72 = 108.
Selon une autre tradition fort ancienne en Orient, l'importance du chiffre 108 dériverait de 10800 qui multiplie le nombre de moments dans l'année et le nombre de versets dans le Rig-Veda.
- Les 108 épreuves qu'a subi le Bouddha pour atteindre l'illumination et les 108 noms du Bouddha
Les différentes parties d'un mala Tibétain ont chacune une signification symbolique précise :
The Mala & Symbols
The mala (tengwa in Tibetan, Look-Pakam in Thai) is the Buddhist rosary, a faithful companion of the practitioner
who often holds it in the hand, wrapped around the wrist or around the neck like a necklace.
The word mala means in Sanskrit “necklace of flowers” or “garland of beads”. It is a rosary made up of 108 beads which, depending on the country, can symbolize...
These 108 beads of the Buddhist rosary are said to come from the sum of the 12 months, the 24 segments into which the solar calendar is divided, and the 72 divisions of the Chinese year into periods of 5 days: 12 + 24 + 72 = 108.
According to another very ancient tradition in the East, the importance of the number 108 is derived from 10,800, which multiplies the number of moments in the year and the number of verses in the Rig Veda.
- The 108 trials that the Buddha underwent to attain enlightenment and the 108 names of the Buddha
- The 108 passions that the devotee must overcome in order to draw closer to the ideal of meditation and asceticism.
- The 108 mudras (ritual gestures) in Tantra.
- The 108 bodily positions in Yoga.
- The 108 fires lit in Japan during ceremonies for the worship of the dead.
- The 108 outer tombs on Mount Hiei near Kyoto in Japan.
- In the East, there are 108 weaknesses, such as illusion, desires, hatred, attachment, pride, etc., which correspond to the 108 beads of the Buddhist rosary. These 108 weaknesses are called the 108 karmic bonds.
- After the death of the Buddha, Padma-Sambhava, the great Tibetan guru who restored esotericism in Tibet, is said to have hidden and preserved the 108 most sacred writings that were revealed to him in the celestial worlds – the Akashic records – in the world of humans and in the Kingdom of the Nagas – or adepts. He hid them on the border of Nepal, north of Tibet.
- In Hinduism, there are 108 representations of poses – sacred dances – in the Nâtya Shastra, 108 Upanishads, 108 names of Vishnu in the Mahabharata and 108 names for Shiva.
“The beads are counted by pulling them toward oneself, symbolizing the act of drawing beings out of suffering and accumulating positive karma during the practice.
The different parts of a Tibetan mala each have a precise symbolic meaning:
1. The largest bead or “head bead” (often made of ivory or bone) represents the knowledge of emptiness.
2. The small cone that tops it is the symbol of emptiness itself.
3. The cord on which the beads are strung should, in theory, be made of a braid of several threads: three threads symbolizing the “three Bodies” of a Buddha (Absolute Body, Body of Glory, and Emanation Body), five colored threads symbolizing the “five wisdoms” or the “five families” of Buddhas, and finally nine threads symbolizing the primordial Buddha Vajradhara and the eight great Bodhisattvas. In practice, there is often only one or two threads…
4. The counter ending with a dorje represents skillful means and compassion.
5. The counter ending with a bell represents knowledge and emptiness.
The mala is always held in the left hand, sliding the beads over the index finger with the help of the thumb.
