Mālā
(Redirected from Japamala)
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mālā (T. ’phreng ba; C. man; J. man; K. man 鬘).[1] Translated as “garland,” “rosary,” etc. This term is typically left untranslated when used to refer to a string of beads used for counting the recitations of prayers or mantras. In this context, a mālā is also called a japamālā (T. bzlas brjod kyi ’phreng ba; C. shuzhu/nianzhu; J. juzu/nenju; K. suju/yŏmju 數珠/念珠; lit. “garland for recitation”).[2]
The number of beads on the mālā varies by tradition. Tibetan mālās typically have 108 or 111 beads. Some mālās in Pure Land traditions have 27 beads.[1] And so on.
Notes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Buswell & Lopez 2014, s.v. mālā.
- ↑ Buswell & Lopez 2014, s.v. japamālā.
Sources
Buswell, Robert E.; Lopez, Donald S. (2014), The Princeton Dictionary of Buddhism, Princeton University
