natural Māla stringing material

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dakini_boi
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natural Māla stringing material

Post by dakini_boi »

Does anyone know a good natural material for stringing a māla? Something that will not break or stretch easily (would undoubtedly require pre-stretching, which is expected). What were malas typically strung with before we had nylon? Thanks.
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Re: natural Māla stringing material

Post by Grigoris »

dakini_boi wrote:Does anyone know a good natural material for stringing a māla? Something that will not break or stretch easily (would undoubtedly require pre-stretching, which is expected). What were malas typically strung with before we had nylon? Thanks.
Silk thread. Silk is REALLY strong. I know: it's not vegetarian, blah... blah... blah...
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dakini_boi
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Re: natural Māla stringing material

Post by dakini_boi »

But doesn't it wear down pretty easily with the friction from the beads?
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Re: natural Māla stringing material

Post by Konchog1 »

Sherab Dorje wrote:
dakini_boi wrote:Does anyone know a good natural material for stringing a māla? Something that will not break or stretch easily (would undoubtedly require pre-stretching, which is expected). What were malas typically strung with before we had nylon? Thanks.
Silk thread. Silk is REALLY strong. I know: it's not vegetarian, blah... blah... blah...
There is ways to produce silk without killing the worms
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Without attachment, self-liberating, like a snake in a knot.
Through the qualities of meditating in that way,
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practitioner
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Re: natural Māla stringing material

Post by practitioner »

Konchog1 wrote:
Sherab Dorje wrote:
dakini_boi wrote:Does anyone know a good natural material for stringing a māla? Something that will not break or stretch easily (would undoubtedly require pre-stretching, which is expected). What were malas typically strung with before we had nylon? Thanks.
Silk thread. Silk is REALLY strong. I know: it's not vegetarian, blah... blah... blah...
There is ways to produce silk without killing the worms
Are there any silk producers that use such a method?
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Konchog1
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Re: natural Māla stringing material

Post by Konchog1 »

practitioner wrote:Are there any silk producers that use such a method?
I believe so, but its likely to be hard to find and expensive.
Equanimity is the ground. Love is the moisture. Compassion is the seed. Bodhicitta is the result.

-Paraphrase of Khensur Rinpoche Lobsang Tsephel citing the Guhyasamaja Tantra

"All memories and thoughts are the union of emptiness and knowing, the Mind.
Without attachment, self-liberating, like a snake in a knot.
Through the qualities of meditating in that way,
Mental obscurations are purified and the dharmakaya is attained."

-Ra Lotsawa, All-pervading Melodious Drumbeats
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Grigoris
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Re: natural Māla stringing material

Post by Grigoris »

dakini_boi wrote:But doesn't it wear down pretty easily with the friction from the beads?
Not really. My only problem with silk was one time the ants discovered my mala and they ate the silk thread!!! Apart from that it has a much better tolerance to friction than cotton thread does. Waxed cotton is also a good/strong natural material. For heavier (ie stone bead) mala, or those with small holed beads (higher friction) I tend to tie knots between each bead. Malas threaded in this fashion NEVER break.
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dakini_boi
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Re: natural Māla stringing material

Post by dakini_boi »

Thank you, I am looking into death-free silk cord.
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Re: natural Māla stringing material

Post by KonchokZoepa »

i think the insects the silk came from would benefit hugely if you would use normal silk. becoming part of deitys speech.
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Simon E.
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Re: natural Māla stringing material

Post by Simon E. »

' Ahimsa silk ' is made from the empty cocoons of the silk moth caterpillar AFTER they have pupated and become adult moths. Unlike ordinary silk which is made by boiling the cocoons with the caterpillars inside.
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Re: natural Māla stringing material

Post by Grigoris »

Simon E. wrote:' Ahimsa silk ' is made from the empty cocoons of the silk moth caterpillar AFTER they have pupated and become adult moths.
Cool! I wasn't aware of this technique.
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"Butchers, prostitutes, those guilty of the five most heinous crimes, outcasts, the underprivileged: all are utterly the substance of existence and nothing other than total bliss."
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Simon E.
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Re: natural Māla stringing material

Post by Simon E. »

I didn't either until recently. If you google 'Ahima Silk ' a couple of outlets come up.

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Re: natural Māla stringing material

Post by disjointed »

Thin strips of leather used to be used typically..
Also different animal fur yarns or strings.

I imagine they used guts also in Tibet(I forget the technical term for gut string), but that is just my speculation. Guts that have been stretched out and waxed are an ideal natural mala string so I can't imagine Tibetans not making use of it.
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Re: natural Māla stringing material

Post by futerko »

catgut
dimeo
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Re: natural Māla stringing material

Post by dimeo »

We happened to have a nice roll of black hemp string at my house. Wonderful stuff!
It doesn't stretch and is really strong.
dakini_boi
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Re: natural Māla stringing material

Post by dakini_boi »

dimeo wrote:We happened to have a nice roll of black hemp string at my house. Wonderful stuff!
It doesn't stretch and is really strong.
Do you know what brand it is? The hemp string I used stretched a lot rather quickly.
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ClearblueSky
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Re: natural Māla stringing material

Post by ClearblueSky »

I don't know what you're considering natural or not, but I made mine with steel string, and it has yet to break with years of use.
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Re: natural Māla stringing material

Post by disjointed »

ClearblueSky wrote:I don't know what you're considering natural or not, but I made mine with steel string, and it has yet to break with years of use.
Wow, I never considered that. What is this steel string exactly though? Do you have to use really big beads?
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ClearblueSky
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Re: natural Māla stringing material

Post by ClearblueSky »

disjointed wrote:
ClearblueSky wrote:I don't know what you're considering natural or not, but I made mine with steel string, and it has yet to break with years of use.
Wow, I never considered that. What is this steel string exactly though? Do you have to use really big beads?
It's a bodhi seed mala, so the holes aren't huge, but I would say they're bigger than some other types of bead. If there's a store with it near you, you could maybe bring in your beads and see what will fit.
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