In Tibet I saw many people walking around having their Mala in their hand and praying. Praying all the time and everywhere.
Today I read the following
"Keep Your mala private."
"It is very important to protect your mala from contamination by non-virtuous persons. Even a special mala of bodhi seed or gold can cease to be of benefit to anyone.
If it contacts the hands of a person who has committed any of the five heinous crimes, you will fail in whatever you try to accomplish."
Generally it is best to keep one's personal practice, including yidam images, ritual implements associated with that practicel such as a mala sadhana texts, etc. hidden from public view. One's personal practice is meant for gathering "power" and when one keeps it this way secret and hidden from the eyes and ears of other sentient beings, whereas if one displays it, the "power" easily dissipates like evaporating mist or boiling water in a pot without top.
It slightly confuses me. I can understand one should not hand it around showing it to everybody "hey have a look at my Mala! its great isnt it?". But I didnt know that it should be hidden.
Is this considered a universal admonition, or specific to Tibetan Buddhism?
I use my mala everywhere I go as part of buddha-remembrance practice.
My impression was if someone sees your mala, it can be a seed for possible future good, similar to seeing someone who helps another and feeling motivated to do the same.
A mala is a Samaya implement of Vajrayana, like the Vajra/Bell, etc. and as such it is secret. It's not to be shown in public or to others who do not have received empowerment. As for when it's used by those who do not have empowerment, then it's just a rosary, and not at all the same thing as a mala.
This is also the case in Newar tantric ritual: You should cover the mālā when using it for mantras that require abhiṣeka.
If you're using it for mantras that aren't tantric, then as far as I understand, it's fine.
There's the other issue of wearing a mālā without ever using it. It's best not to treat it as a cosmetic item or as an advertisement of your spirituality—treat it with respect and honour it, it is more important than that, and should be used. If you're not going to use it, put it away in a drawer. If you're going to use it, use it with dignity—avoid using it while sitting on the toilet, and don't let it touch the floor (people often do this when sitting and chanting on the floor). After all, you're using it to keep track of awakened speech; similarly, you shouldn't place sūtras on the floor or take them to read on the loo.
I like to walk in the forest, its very calm. Often when I do this I have my Mala with me and recite Mantras (silently).
Sometimes it happens that another person walks buy.
So this counts as something not good?
Is there a way to make everything fine again?
HandsomeMonkeyking wrote:I like to walk in the forest, its very calm. Often when I do this I have my Mala with me and recite Mantras (silently).
Sometimes it happens that another person walks buy.
So this counts as something not good?
Is there a way to make everything fine again?
Yes.by dedicating the merit of your practice to this stranger and all other beings...
Regarding malas, one of my teachers told me that it is ok to use another mala in public but keep your mala which may contain blessings from practice private.
Yes.by dedicating the merit of your practice to this stranger and all other beings...
I often do this, when I meet someone along the way.
Regarding malas, one of my teachers told me that it is ok to use another mala in public but keep your mala which may contain blessings from practice private.
So far I have only one Mala. It has a blessing of my Guru, I would like to use it as my Mala because of this still.
Keeping your practice mala hidden only really applies to people practising tantra, and doing it seriously at that. One reason in some classes of tantra is because your mala is not merely a mala, but also generated as the deity. Generally speaking, there are many restrictions and observances to be kept if a person is practising seriously, but they're not common knowledge. Just a few examples:
Buddhist Fasting Practice: The Nyungne Method of Thousand-armed by Wangchen Rinpoche wrote:Traditionally the mala is placed in a little white mala pouch to make sure nobody sees it. This is done as a way to protect the blessing power of the mantra recitation. One then keeps the mala hidden in that pouch for the remainder of the practice [...] Although these practices are in the tradition of kriya tantra, in Tibet they are not generally done. The reason they are not done is because the influence of highest yoga tantra is so strong that they are not considered very important. Also the people who do Nyungne are not necessarily well informed about the tradition
Karma Chakme's Mountain Dharma, Volume 2 by Khenpo Karthar Rinpoche wrote:Strictly speaking, in kriya tantra you are not supposed to touch the mala with your bare skin, either you wear a glove or you hold the mala with your robe over your fingers, as was done in Tibet during the nyungne practice and during strict kriya tantra practices.
I can't pull up the quote right now, but Lama Tsongkhapa advised keeping a public set and private set of ritual implements to maintain the samaya of secrecy.
I think it's best to keep your mala discreetly in your pocket to recite mantras. Some people wear their malas around their necks or on their wrist, but it's a ritual object and best kept from others' view.
