With many thanks to the patience of all Dharma friends, these are the notes of our kind teacher Geshe Lama Konchok’s teachings on 31st July 2023 on the above topic.
The notes in respect of the other part of the lesson for 31st July 2023 on the tantric ritual Lanchak Torma will follow in due course, and we are grateful for everyone’s continued patience.
On Malas & Mantras, Geshe la started by mentioning that malas are important ritual accessories Vajrayana practices which invariably involve the chanting of mantras. He explained that simple as it may sound, this topic is actually a very wide and deep one. There is a lot to learn about the significance of mala bead materials and their colours, how they are consecrated, the number of beads on each mala and the significance of the number of beads on each mala etc. Due to constraints of time, however, and the fact that we are but beginners on the path, he would keep to the bare basics.
With the above in mind, Geshe la gave the teaching on the following broad topics.
(A) Use of Malas Generally
Geshe la explained that many of us are familiar with chanting of mantras and counting such mantras with the aid of mala beads. But serious practitioners usually have more than one string of malas and it is common for any such practitioner to have 4-5 malas.
Geshe la revealed that serious practitioners would generally have a common purpose mala (that can be revealed/ seen by the public), and those that are used to accumulate mantra counts when they practise during retreats associated with a particular tantric deity(ies) – these are usually kept away from the public eye and kept safe in mala bags. These malas contain powerful blessings and are kept secret to avoid the risk of them waning in power, a common theme in tantric practices. If certain aspects of the tantric teachings are not kept secret, it may potentially create obstacles to the practitioner’s path. Finally, there are other malas that are used by practitioners for accumulating sufficient merit for worldly wishes to come true etc.
(B) The Mala Itself – Beads & Strings
The beads on a mala for mantra recitation should be round. These days, mala beads come in many shapes, but a proper mala for mantra recitation should have only round beads. Each bead is meant to represent an arhat.
As regards the string that holds the mala together, malas used by practitioners in our tradition should ideally have a string with 9 different strings intertwined together. The reason for this was explained by our lineage founder Lama Tsongkhapa (Je Rinpoche) who stated, when teaching the Guhyasamaja Tantra, that the 9 strings represent the 9 meditational deities mentioned in the Guyhasamaja Root Tantra, namely Vajradhara (Shakyamuni Buddha manifesting in his tantric aspect) and the 8 Great Bodhisattvas.
The tantras suggest that the 9 strings should be threaded by a young unmarried girl who is of a kind disposition, conveying the blessings the dakinis/ sky dancers (Chi:空行母，Tib: Khandro).
There is usually a head bead, or the guru bead, has two parts placed together, a stupa shape placed atop a sphere shape. Together they represent the dharmadhatu – the purified mind in its natural state, free of obscurations.
Geshe la also explained that there is some science behind the number of beads on each mala: –
- For Peaceful purification of obstacles: at least 100 beads or more on the mala.
- For Increasing activities: 108 beads
- For Wrathful practices: 60 beads
- For Success in Worldly aspects: 50 beads
- For Powerful activities: 25 beads
The Guhyasamaja Tantra states that for advanced practitioners practising the Completion Stage, they practise the Yidam (meditational deity) mantras with malas having at least 111 beads. The rationale behind the number 111 is this.
For mantras of very important tantric deities, one makes an allowance for error or lack of concentration in recitation – for every 10 mantras, one may well lack concentration for 1. To cater to such errors in concentration or mispronunciation etc, one adopts this system: –
100 recitations —> 10 errors = One has to recite 10 times over and above the 100 times.
For the 10 further recitations beyond 100, one may make another error during that 10, so one has to recite 1 more mantra over and above that 10.
This explains why the malas used by these advanced tantric practices will have at least 100+10+1 = 111 beads.
(C) Which Hand to Use When Chanting?
In strict tantric retreats, the mala is usually held with the right hand, close to one’s chest in the region of the solar plexus. This is where the heart chakra resides. It is also the place where the consciousness in this lifetime reside – originating from our fathers’ red drop and our mothers’ white one, the two halves part at the moment of death to release the very subtle consciousness.
The idea behind this mode of recitation is allow the blessings of the Guru Yidam Dakini to be internalised into us as to chant the mantras.
There is some suggestion that the left hand is also appropriate for the holding of the beads, again close to the chest – that is also not wrong, but the above narrative is what is recommended by Lama Tsongkhapa, for those practising in our tradition.
As an aside, Geshe la observed that there is some logic to the right hand narrative. In ancient India (and even modern India!), the right hand was and remains the hand that one uses to do major important activities, including eating. When one enters a house, the right hand opens the door, the right leg goes in first, so on and so forth. Using the left hand would on the other hand was regarded as a gesture of disrespect unless one was playing the fool.
(D) Conclusion – Malas & the Secret Mantras
It can be seen, therefore, that malas are very important to us practising in this tradition. Some people wear malas as a necklace or jewellery. That is fine, but for those ornaments, they are not suitable for use as tools of our spiritual practices. Geshe la observed that our Muslim and Catholic brothers and sisters have very similar practices involving rosaries, and those that we use for spiritual practice should be treated with respect and some level of decorum.
Geshe la took the chance to also say a few words about the Secret Mantra practices, and emphasised that if we are to engage in any retreats involving mantra accumulation, many people may experience some auspicious signs but it is important not to get all excited and tell friends about it. Instead, the practitioner should speak only to his or her teacher (guru/lama), and consult on what it means. It is important not to get all excited about these experiences thinking they are some realisations, as doing so if the prime example of attachment (one of the three poisons) which can only hinder one from moving on to the next stage of one’s practices. He cautioned that those entering the path of the Vajrayana must learn to keep these secret, because if not, more and more obstacles would manifest and stand in the way of one’s progress. On this note, Geshe la shared a true (light hearted) story from the days of his youth.
Back when Geshe la was a young monk, there were 3 students who learnt together under a master. They were about the same age, with Geshe la being the one in the middle, neither the oldest nor the youngest. The trio would sometimes awake early before the morning prayers started, and the youngest of them would often break out into a narration of what would happen that day. He would lecture the group to a high level of detail on what would happen that day, and boy, he was always right! It was down to the detail of who would come to visit the monastery that day, and certain events that would happen to the 3 of them.
One morning, the little monk told Geshe la that on that day, Geshe la would make a careless mistake while making offerings to reliquaries in a Gawu, and would be punished by the master for it etc. Geshe la didn’t believe him and laughed it off and forgot about it as the day went on, but the event as prophesised by the little monk, actually happened to Geshe la!
Geshe la wondered if the little monk had some gifts, and on another occasion, they were preparing to go collect water from the hills, and the little monk prophesised that a dog will come to play with the children there and that child’s slipper would fall into the river. And true enough – this exact thing happened!
Geshe la decided to interrogate the little monk, who revealed that when he slept, someone would whisper into his ears, and Geshe la rationalised that it was likely a deva or asura that may have been behind these whispers.
Convinced and goaded on by Geshe la, they all decided to go to their Master to consult the elder on this phenomenon. Their Master analysed that this was not a good gift to have. Their Master concluded that someone with these gifts many potentially abuse them to cheat/scam the innocent, and made certain prayers that eventually led to his gift being removed.
Till this day, that little monk who has since disrobed, blames Geshe la for taking the issue to their Master, and laments that had Geshe la not initiated the trip to their Master, he would now have a good livelihood with these gifts!
The moral of the story is that if one has certain experiences in the course of one’s practices or even if one has certain attainments or gifts, one should just keep one’s mouth shut!
We hope you enjoyed the lesson and the story, and may all of you be well and happy!
The Maha Tare Team