SAadmin Posted November 17, 2003 Report Share Posted November 17, 2003 I always wondered what kinda standard size of malla i should get??? There are different number ones... Is it also true if you do 200 sukhmani sahib ji a month that is equal to reading whole sri guroo granth sahib ji??? Can someone throw some light on this issue?? Old bibiya and sant mahapursh's do naam jaap by malla...i think there are certain times you do naam jaap on malla.... oh its confusing :cry: :cry: someone help Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nihal_Kaur Posted November 17, 2003 Report Share Posted November 17, 2003 okay from what i know when people say they have done 1 mala of naam simran they have said 1 vaheguru on each mala of a 108 bead mala. I do not know about why 108 is so important but apparently it is. However baba nand singh writes about a "pukee mala" which 4 times the 108 mala. Therefore to do one pukee mala you say vaheguru (or whatever simran u say) four times on each bead of a 108 mala. Okay the nanaksar gurdwara (of baba nand singh) says 50 sukhmani sahib paats are equal to one Guru Granth Sahib Jis paat, as is 250 japji sahib paats. how correct this is I don't know. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nihal_Kaur Posted November 17, 2003 Report Share Posted November 17, 2003 oh my god that reminds me... I still got to do them paats of when i went to see Baba Nand Singh Ji's place....you know at the bottom of the Gurdwara, where he used to live and that... It was very clean :mrgreen: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SAadmin Posted November 17, 2003 Author Report Share Posted November 17, 2003 I listened to one of my tape of baba ishar singh ji maharaj rara sahib. He also said the quite similiar thing.. i guess i ll take the word for him but i want to investigate the number of patta since i cant find that tape now :cry: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nihal_Kaur Posted November 17, 2003 Report Share Posted November 17, 2003 neo, I hope you don't mind...but personally speaking from experience I think in todays world where we are always on the go, it might be better to naam jap in our hirde (inside us) all the time, walking about, etc. That is a much easier path but also I think you get more done like that. Don't have to go to lengths to hide the mala etc and the concentration is more in the naam you are japping rather than the mala itself. Just a suggestion! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SAadmin Posted November 17, 2003 Author Report Share Posted November 17, 2003 Yes i agree.. concentration on naam while doing malla phering..thats just a traditional way... just wanted to how many those thingee in the malla.. you said 108 right..thats what i figured later on... now i wanted to know.. this is for my mother.. How many times gurmantar can equal to patt of whole guroo granth sahib ji per month... sant waryam singh ji ratwaraie walie used to do naam jaap of vaheguroo 70,000 times a day... thats amazing man... all these sant mahapursh i have seen them with mala... so i thought mala helps with the concentration... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mugermach Singh Posted November 17, 2003 Report Share Posted November 17, 2003 108 - means jaya reference: wise words of Lalesvari . lol i got my rasna as my mala, but other then that the cotton ones are good cos if you figit while paath, you can figit properly then... lol, it just helps at the beggining, i ved to have those finger mala's, the one with nin beads Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Javanmard Posted November 17, 2003 Report Share Posted November 17, 2003 Mala or Japamala is a traditional object of piety and meditation. In the SIkh tradition as in most Indian tradition the number of beads on the mala is 108. Why 108? Well it has to do with the fact that when you change the number 108 in Sanskrit letters of the Devanagari alphabet it gives you the word "jaya"= victory. The malas are normally made of natural materials such as wood, seeds, stones, precious stones or metals.Typical of the SIkh tradition is the use of woolen or cotton malas where the beads are replaced by knots. These natural elements are believed to be more suited for the purpose of meditation because they retain som eof the blessings of spiritual exercises. Plastic malas have become a trend amongst many people but are heavily critised by many sants: would you use an object made in the same material than toilet brushes! :evil: There are also small malas with 27 beads. These are mini versions of the 108 ones as 27 is a fourth of 108. Some people of the "modernist" brand of Sikhi say that you don't need malas and that it is empty ritualism. If it really is so.. how come our Gurus used them then? At the end of the day it is not the mala that is going to give you mukti bu the mala is very helpful with simran. When you start with simran your mind tends to wander and you forget your simran but your hand keeps on using the mala and thus reminds you of the fact that you should concentrate on your simran. Malas exist in most religious traditions. In India and the rest of Asia the 108, 50 and 27 bead malas are used by Buddhists, Jains, Vaishnavas, Shaivas, Shaktas, Smarta and other groups. In Islam 33 or 99 bead tasbih (mala) are used. They represent the 99 most beautiful names of God. The Orthodox Christians use 100 or 50 knot woolen prayer ropes wit a cross at the end. They are used in the Orthodox simran technique called hesychia where the person sits in the ambtyonic position and repeats with each breath concentrating on the navel: O Jesus have pity of me, the poor creature that I am. Catholic Christians have 51 bead rosaries with small and big beads symbolising prayers such as the Pater Noster and the Ave Maria. The aim is to visualise the life of the Holy Virgin and the way she loved her son Jesus and through that exercise create the same love on one's heart. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nihal_Kaur Posted November 17, 2003 Report Share Posted November 17, 2003 to be honest Lallesh I don't think use of a mala is very practical. If you are meditating in one place and not counting the mala (thus using it as a concentration tool) then that is fine. But I feel if you use it to tally how much paat is done then the concentration goes to the tally and doesn't stay on the jaap. Then you can rush it so in the end you have done mala but not really done paat with piaar and shanti and contemplation. In the case of where I want to do a minimum of some amount of paat, I find it easier to use my fingers to count..ie the 3 spaces for each finger. left hand = 15. then 1 on right hand. 7 on right = 105. +3 = 108. This way no one knows when paat is being done and you can do it at any time!!! It could just be me I suppose Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Javanmard Posted November 17, 2003 Report Share Posted November 17, 2003 Malas are necessary at the initial stage in spirituality after that they becone the saints' toys really. I sue my mala when I walk or when I am otherwise busy but when I doing meditation then I don't use it. Everyone has his/her own ways of using mala. Sure is: it's a wonderful object... I actually make my own malas :wink: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mugermach Singh Posted November 17, 2003 Report Share Posted November 17, 2003 Everyone has his/her own ways of using mala. good old metal ones across the head of you dhost. I actually make my own malas ditto. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted November 17, 2003 Report Share Posted November 17, 2003 neo, I hope you don't mind...but personally speaking from experience I think in todays world where we are always on the go, it might be better to naam jap in our hirde (inside us) all the time, walking about, etc. That is a much easier path but also I think you get more done like that. Don't have to go to lengths to hide the mala etc and the concentration is more in the naam you are japping rather than the mala itself. Just a suggestion! I swear i do sooo much of dis. Jus tinking bout Waheguru makes it seem like am doing Naam Simran, i jus tink bout Waheguru, talk 2 Waheguru in my thaughts and i feel Waheguru listens, even in my thaughts i feel Waheguru replys bak 2 me 2. Now i feel dat, jus tinking of Waheguru wen ever, Wahegurus der 4 me all da time, and now i luv Waheguru 2 bits :cry: . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest kaur1699 Posted November 17, 2003 Report Share Posted November 17, 2003 I swear i do sooo much of dis. Jus tinking bout Waheguru makes it seem like am doing Naam Simran, i jus tink bout Waheguru, talk 2 Waheguru in my thaughts and i feel Waheguru listens, even in my thaughts and i feel Waheguru replys bak 2 me 2. Now i feel dat, jus tinking of Waheguru wen ever, Wahegurus der 4 me all da time, and now i luv Waheguru 2 bits :cry: . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nihal_Kaur Posted November 18, 2003 Report Share Posted November 18, 2003 awww rupz. :bow: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Javanmard Posted November 18, 2003 Report Share Posted November 18, 2003 It's all nice but still... our Gurus used mala and there is no reason why we should not use ourselves! Those who don't find it practical shouldn't use but what is good for them is not necesseraly good for others! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amrikingh Posted November 18, 2003 Report Share Posted November 18, 2003 awww rupz. :bow: Stop praying towards me :stupid: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nihal_Kaur Posted November 18, 2003 Report Share Posted November 18, 2003 i agree with you lallesh. no one said it shouldn't be used. :roll: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted November 18, 2003 Report Share Posted November 18, 2003 I tell u sumting, i still feel am a bad person. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr §ingh Posted November 18, 2003 Report Share Posted November 18, 2003 It's all nice but still... our Gurus used mala and there is no reason why we should not use ourselves! Those who don't find it practical shouldn't use but what is good for them is not necesseraly good for others! PROVIDE REFERANCE and not ur assumations altho SGGS says: MAATE TILAK HAATH MALA BAANDA LOGAN RAAM KILONA JAANA :roll: SGGS JI PANNA 1158 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
samosasingh Posted November 18, 2003 Report Share Posted November 18, 2003 Just coming back to the original question. I have had the great fortune of reading the life stories of Baba Gurbachan Singh of the taksal, Baba Isher of Rara Sahib and Baba Nand Singh of Nanaksar, and they all say the say thing, the following is equivalent of doing one full sehaj paat in a month: Complete recitation of the whole of Sri Guru Granth Sahib in a month. Complete 50 paths of Sri Sukhmani Sahib in a month; recite 2 paths of Sri Sukhmani Sahib daily. Complete 250 paths of Jap Ji Sahib in a month; recite 10 paths of Jap Ji Sahib daily. Complete 180 Malas (Rosary Mala of 108 beads) of Mool Mantra (from Ekonkar to Nanak Hosi Bhi Such) in a month; do six malas daily. Complete 80 Malas daily of Gur Mantar 'Waheguru'; 20 Malas of Waheguru if the Nam is recited four times on each bead. Complete 160 Malas daily of Ram (Nam); 40 Malas if Ram is recited four times on each bead A Mohammedan was advised to practice and recite the name of Allah on each bead as above. All of the above sants do recommend this if you want to progress on the path to God. I was also reading some old rehatnaame where I came across someone saying that every gursikh should do one paat a month. The reason there are "equivalencies" ie other paats that have the same reward, is that not everybody can read gurbani some people are blind etc, etc so this is an easy way to complete this montlhy. Believe me all sants do this, and all agree that the above numbers equal a full paat. Sant Isher singh (rara sahib) said that when you start doing these paats in about a year or two your mind will become pure enough to pass into the next stages of bhagtee. We only use a mala to tye down our minds. And say look do this much, then slowly the mind changes because bani is cleaning it. All sants from all deras etc etc use malas. There is nothing wrong in it. It is these modern day people who don't do bhagtee themselves that think it is just a show piece. So hey you use the mala good and if not thats good too!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Javanmard Posted November 18, 2003 Report Share Posted November 18, 2003 So hey you use the mala good and if not thats good too!!!! sachi gal :wink: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mugermach Singh Posted November 18, 2003 Report Share Posted November 18, 2003 it nice to make ur own mala's. How do you guys make ur own? or are you a Blue Peter kinda person and get a ready made one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Javanmard Posted November 18, 2003 Report Share Posted November 18, 2003 I make my own and I collect them from all over the world and from all religions! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nihal_Kaur Posted November 18, 2003 Report Share Posted November 18, 2003 THE old ladies make their own mala from unn (wool) by kind of twisting the wool somehow and having fat bits and thin bits.....and..well i dont have a clue how they make it really Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tSingh Posted November 19, 2003 Report Share Posted November 19, 2003 The reason Greek Orthodox monks use rope/wool is because it makes no sound when in use, unlike rattly beaded things (according to Bishop Kallistos). Although I've seen some big chunky Sufi malas, the don of all malas has to be the one I saw held by a Kaar Sewa wale Sant in a photo. The mala, sprawled all over his legs, was made (could be wrong) from iron cogs, as in left-over-from-my-tractor sized cogs, and cans. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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