A classic rudraksha prayer strand of 108 seeds finished with a warm red tassel – one of the oldest companions of Hindu and Buddhist practice.
The rudraksha seed
Rudraksha is the hard, ridged seed of the Southeast Asian tree Elaeocarpus ganitrus; natural grooves (mukhi) divide the surface of each seed into faces, and this mala uses five-faced (5 mukhi) seeds. Its name means "the tears of Rudra" in Sanskrit, and Hindu tradition links it to the god Shiva. Strands have been made from it for thousands of years, and the seed is regarded as a sacred aid to practice and devotion. The red tassel is the traditional finish that closes the circle and settles into the hand. These are traditional and cultural ideas, not medical claims.
The 108-bead prayer strand
A mala is the prayer strand of the Hindu and Buddhist traditions, originally used to count mantras in meditation. A larger meru or guru bead closes the 108 beads, standing for wisdom and the completeness of the circle. The beads pass one by one between the fingers while attention rests on the meaning and vibration of the words. This slow, repeating motion has helped practitioners gather their attention to a single point for centuries.
How to use it
Hold the mala in your hand during meditation or mantra recitation, and move from bead to bead between the index finger and the thumb; on reaching the guru bead you turn the circle back rather than crossing it. Through the day it can be worn wrapped around the wrist as a quiet reminder.
Material and care
A strand of 108 natural five-faced rudraksha seeds, about 56 cm long, with a red tassel. As the seeds are natural, their colour, size and shape may vary slightly from one to the next – a mark of genuine rudraksha. Keep it dry; the surface can occasionally be wiped with a little natural oil to care for it.