Good source for practice items?

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yagmort
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Re: Good source for practice items?

Post by yagmort »

Malcolm wrote: Fri Sep 17, 2021 1:08 pm ...Bodhiseed mālas are the ones for all activities and general use...
bodhiseeds are very "niche" items made from a local variety of plants which seem only grow in and around karve district of nepal. curious how such a substance made its way to tibetan buddhism? i once been told that for example Pema Karpo mala was made from a very simple wooden rough beads.
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Knotty Veneer
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Re: Good source for practice items?

Post by Knotty Veneer »

yagmort wrote: Fri Sep 17, 2021 1:42 pm
Malcolm wrote: Fri Sep 17, 2021 1:08 pm ...Bodhiseed mālas are the ones for all activities and general use...
bodhiseeds are very "niche" items made from a local variety of plants which seem only grow in and around karve district of nepal. curious how such a substance made its way to tibetan buddhism? i once been told that for example Pema Karpo mala was made from a very simple wooden rough beads.
I am inclined to think that what a mala is made of is much less important than the motivation and quality of the meditation they are used for. The one exception I would say for this is malas made from human bone. I bought some bone items early in my practice career and I regret doing so now. I would not use it now. Whatever the tantras may say I'm not convinced that the materials a mala is made from adds much if the proper devotion, motivation, awareness and correct understanding are not there.
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yagmort
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Re: Good source for practice items?

Post by yagmort »

i am on the same page.
if i recall there is a terma mala of Saraha discovered by Dudjom Lingpa which is made from barely worked pieces of wood.
i am not saying there is anything wrong with bodhiseeds malas, but it is interesting to know when did bodhi seeds become widespread as mala beads material and why did they get their status.
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Re: Good source for practice items?

Post by heart »

yagmort wrote: Fri Sep 17, 2021 1:42 pm
Malcolm wrote: Fri Sep 17, 2021 1:08 pm ...Bodhiseed mālas are the ones for all activities and general use...
bodhiseeds are very "niche" items made from a local variety of plants which seem only grow in and around karve district of nepal. curious how such a substance made its way to tibetan buddhism? i once been told that for example Pema Karpo mala was made from a very simple wooden rough beads.
Bodhi seed malas are high quality seed malas and thats how they made their way in to Tibetan Buddhism. Tibetans like high quality items. In a similar fashion coral become very popular in Tibet. There are no sea anywhere in Tibet.

/magnus
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nightbloom
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Re: Good source for practice items?

Post by nightbloom »

yagmort wrote: Fri Sep 17, 2021 3:17 pm i am on the same page.
if i recall there is a terma mala of Saraha discovered by Dudjom Lingpa which is made from barely worked pieces of wood.
i am not saying there is anything wrong with bodhiseeds malas, but it is interesting to know when did bodhi seeds become widespread as mala beads material and why did they get their status.
Think Malcolm already mentioned it, but Bodhiseeds are recommended in the tantras. Point being that they were already highly regarded in Indian practice by the 10th century or so. My guess is that Tibetans just inherited this attitude.
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Re: Good source for practice items?

Post by Malcolm »

yagmort wrote: Fri Sep 17, 2021 3:17 pm ...when did bodhi seeds become widespread as mala beads material and why did they get their status.
In the Kriya tantras, 7-8th century.
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Lingpupa
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Re: Good source for practice items?

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Knotty Veneer wrote: Fri Sep 17, 2021 9:55 am I used to use Garuda Trading but it has gone out of business...
Nooool! World turns backwards!
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DewachenVagabond
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Re: Good source for practice items?

Post by DewachenVagabond »

PeterC wrote: Fri Sep 17, 2021 3:34 am
nightbloom wrote: Thu Sep 16, 2021 8:13 pm My practice text does not specify a bead count, but I have read that malas for use with Lotus family activities should have 25. Beer says this in his encyclopedia of Tibetan symbols (and gives numbers for the other activities as well), but I believe I've seen it elsewhere as well. Thoughts? Also, material: red sandalwood is specified for my practice, but this tree is endangered, and I would prefer to substitute it with something else.
Nobody really uses malas with numbers other than 108

Bodhi seed is acceptable for all practices, and at a practical level, having fewer things is always better than more things. I would only get a mala of different material if a lama told me that I should
Some use 111 bead malas. In fact, that's what my sangha does.

For the OP, I would just ask your teacher what you need. It is more than likely that they will say 108 beads. But there is also a chance that they will give you a mala, which will save you some money. Also, they may tell you to get a mala made of a certain material, such as bodhi seeds, so before you go and buy malas of different materials, save your money and just ask your teacher what you need. If you don't have a teacher, then just wait until you have one, or get a 108 seed bodhi seed mala, which can be used for just about anything.
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pemachophel
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Re: Good source for practice items?

Post by pemachophel »

In our sangha, we also use 111-bead malas.
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PadmaVonSamba
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Re: Good source for practice items?

Post by PadmaVonSamba »

When I don’t have time to use a 108-bead mala, I use a 1-bead mala and flip it through my fingers 108 times.

:jumping:

Anyway, I’d like to see suggestions where to obtain dharma materials (practice materials but also general items) specifically from sources that support dharma centers.

Here’s a good place to get cards.
If you are practicing dharma, you need thank-you cards.

http://www.supportktc.org
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lelopa
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Re: Good source for practice items?

Post by lelopa »

The most 111-beads Malas I saw are those with extra bigger beads to quarter the Mala.
Some teachers say something like: "Get a Mala with 108 beads only -
all in the same size, so you wont become distracted."
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saraswati
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Re: Good source for practice items?

Post by saraswati »

What are good ways of disposing of good quality dharma 'bling'? I too have some things I won't use but don't want to keep them as collector's items...
Knotty Veneer wrote: Fri Sep 17, 2021 11:22 am
PeterC wrote: Fri Sep 17, 2021 10:55 amAnyway life is a lot simpler if you have one set of implements you use for everything. Otherwise you start to get into collecting dharma bling.
Have to agree with you here, Peter. It's very easy to caught up in all the stuff you are told you need to do Tibetan Buddhism properly. I know I have shelves full of stuff I bought that I don't use or rarely use anymore. I think I thought if I had all the gear then the practice would somehow be easier. It wasn't. And as the years progressed my practice has become more focussed and simpler. If only I had learned that lesson sooner. I'd saved myself a small fortune.
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PadmaVonSamba
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Re: Good source for practice items?

Post by PadmaVonSamba »

saraswati wrote: Tue Sep 21, 2021 4:42 pm What are good ways of disposing of good quality dharma 'bling'? I too have some things I won't use but don't want to keep them as collector's items...
donate them to a dharma center. They can sell them to fundraise
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Knotty Veneer
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Re: Good source for practice items?

Post by Knotty Veneer »

Give to a Dharma center as PadmaVonSambhava suggests. If you know anyone entering retreat or taking robes they might be grateful for them. You could also just sell them in Ebay or whatever and donate the money to charity.
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