I have a friend who got a lapis mala from this place.....its very niceTsultrim T. wrote:Magnus and Rroman, the picture in the link you posted and the type of bead you described are exactly what is commonly known by Tibetan Lamas as the only authentic "Bodhi seed" mala. I have helped many 3 year retreatants shop for supplies pre-retreat and this as well as the aforementioned 6 face rudraksha bead malas were the only acceptable malas for the retreat. This was both for Dudjom Tersar and Palyul. So for all intents and purposes, the term "Bodhi seed" should refer to the one pictured and this is the main reason why all the other styles mentioned in the article are super cheap throughout Asia while the "Bodhi seed" version continues to increase in price. Also in my experience the smaller the better is preferred and considered superior, however especially for men it is harder to use to there is a point where too small actually hurts one hand in daily use.
Also WeiHan in general as stated coral is excellent for certain practices as are other stone malas, for example lapis, quartz crystal, carnelian, jade, amber, and other natural substances like sandalwood, aloes-wood, rosewood, and bone just to list a few. It really depends on the type of practice and one's Guru's instructions.
http://custommalashop.com/
Do you know a reliable good source for rudraksha or bone malas? The internet is a freaky place when it comes to bone items (especially when they are advertised as "lama skull worry beads"). besides how is one supposed to know that each bead came from a different skull.........might just be better easier to find a real Bodhi seed mala