Guest guest Posted July 28, 2003 Report Share Posted July 28, 2003 Namaste to all, I purchased a rudraksha bead mala while in Chicago for the program there. I have a couple of questions regarding the same. 1. My mala has 40 beads on it. I didn't think that this was a normal amount of beads. Is it ok? 2. The rudraksha beads are turning my skin yellow if I wear the mala on my wrist. Anyone know the reason for this? Thank you in advance. With love, At Amma's feet, Erica Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 28, 2003 Report Share Posted July 28, 2003 > 1. My mala has 40 beads on it. I didn't think that this was a normal > amount of beads. Is it ok? Dear Erika, This is unusual but not prohibited, so should be OK. > > 2. The rudraksha beads are turning my skin yellow if I wear the mala > on my wrist. Anyone know the reason for this? What happens is that most of the time rudraksha beads are dyed when they are first dried(i forget the reason); so you should see some yellowish-brownish liquid come off it if you wet it(this should not last for more than a few days) As always disclaimer: check with your medical pra...:-) Aum Namasivaya yogaman > > Thank you in advance. > > With love, > At Amma's feet, > Erica Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 30, 2003 Report Share Posted July 30, 2003 In a message dated 7/29/03 8:33:21 AM Eastern Daylight Time, Ammachi writes: << Message: 4 Mon, 28 Jul 2003 19:30:20 -0000 "Erica" <sugarandbrine Rudraksha bead mala Namaste to all, I purchased a rudraksha bead mala while in Chicago for the program there. I have a couple of questions regarding the same. 1. My mala has 40 beads on it. I didn't think that this was a normal amount of beads. Is it ok? 2. The rudraksha beads are turning my skin yellow if I wear the mala on my wrist. Anyone know the reason for this? Thank you in advance. With love, At Amma's feet, Erica >> Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 30, 2003 Report Share Posted July 30, 2003 Oops! I'm trigger happy with the "send now" button! Maybe the 40 bead strand is a necklace not a mala? I learned japa meditation from ISKON friends, so according to them it should be a variable of 108 to be a mala. As I bought my first strand of rudraksha from the temple shop I was re-directed from a section that was necklaces to the malas with the explanation of the qualifications & significance of a mala and the procedure of chanting from the shopkeeper. I don't believe there is a definitive on anything though. Maybe some hardcore dhyana yogis on the list know better if there is a significance of a 40 bead mala? My personal preference (sure, nobody asked ) for japa is a 108 strand with 16 rounds. Jai MA! In a message dated 7/29/03 8:33:21 AM Eastern Daylight Time, Ammachi writes: << Message: 4 Mon, 28 Jul 2003 19:30:20 -0000 "Erica" <sugarandbrine Rudraksha bead mala Namaste to all, I purchased a rudraksha bead mala while in Chicago for the program there. I have a couple of questions regarding the same. 1. My mala has 40 beads on it. I didn't think that this was a normal amount of beads. Is it ok? 2. The rudraksha beads are turning my skin yellow if I wear the mala on my wrist. Anyone know the reason for this? Thank you in advance. With love, At Amma's feet, Erica >> Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 30, 2003 Report Share Posted July 30, 2003 40 beads is very unusual. Normally they have some mutliple of 9 plus one extra (meru/guru bead). Not telling you what to do, but I'd have it modified unless you plan on only wearing it rather than chanting with it. The yellow might be from the mustard oil (very yellow) often used to oil the beads. It's good to keep them oiled if they seem dry. In India I think the use of mustard oil is mostly to deter insects from eating the seeds. It's also this oil that might irritate some people's skin if it's not allowed to drain off and/or blotted enough. tom Ammachi, "Erica" <sugarandbrine> wrote: > Namaste to all, > > I purchased a rudraksha bead mala while in Chicago for the program > there. I have a couple of questions regarding the same. > > 1. My mala has 40 beads on it. I didn't think that this was a normal > amount of beads. Is it ok? > > 2. The rudraksha beads are turning my skin yellow if I wear the mala > on my wrist. Anyone know the reason for this? > > Thank you in advance. > > With love, > At Amma's feet, > Erica Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 30, 2003 Report Share Posted July 30, 2003 On Wed, 30 Jul 2003 21:12:02 EDT, <Dianadevi wrote: > My personal preference (sure, nobody asked ) for japa is a 108 strand > with 16 rounds. Does "16 rounds" mean you do japa 16 x 108? Pranams, Ramlal -- Aum Amriteshvaryai Namah Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 31, 2003 Report Share Posted July 31, 2003 Yes, 16 x 108, there's different advice from different teachers on japa and I've accrued info. from Swami Prabupadha, Swami Sivananda, and the Ramakrishna Order. I think one idea is that 16x108=1,728 is the number of breaths one takes in a day? What I do to open the 1st round of the day (public seva here folks) is hold my beads and bag to my forehead and chant an Om Sri Ganapatayai Namaha (Ganesha - removes obstacles), then Om Amriteshwaryai Namaha (Amma the guru), then Om Sri Krishnayaa Namah (Krsna) and Om Sri Durgayai Namah (Durga) my personal ishtadevatas, then i reach in the bag and count on the beads the mantra Mother gave me (thumb and middle finger). I used Om Sri Lalitambikayai Namaha as my mantra before I had one from Ammachi. After the first prayer, I just chant the rest of the day without opener to Gods/Guru. I am strictly unorthodox and I personally suggest strict unorthodoxy to everyone! When I was in the hospital an IV forced me to use my (dirty) left hand!! I do it My Way a lot like Frank Sinatra ) because I just can't remember to right way maybe? The ideal I try (like heck) to maintain is that I chant on the quadrants of the day. In the morning I chant 4 rounds for 3am and 6am, then when I get to work I do 2 rounds for 9am, lunchtime: 2r for noon, coffee break: 2r @ 3pm, 2 @ 6pm, 2 @ 9pm, 2 @ midnight. It's good for me, the frequent re-mindfulness. Many Krsna devotees I know do the whole thing early in the morning, some do 1/2 sunrise & 1/2 twilight. If anyone is interested, check the links below, and do a search for yourself on < www.google.com > I just searched "numerological significance of 108" and got blown away by so much info. covering a multitude of religious/spiritual paths, Magi, the Bible, Jain & Buddhism. Swami Yukteshwar's book The Holy Science (available thru SRF) gets into the mathematical/spiritual significance of the 108 (variable of 9, as TomGull put it, I knew you'd jump in Tom-ji). Everybody on the list of all dogmas would do good to catch some 'Holy Science" from Swami Paramahansa Yogananda's wise Guru Sri Yukteshwar! www.sivanandadlshq.org/teachings/japayoga.htm http://www.sriramakrishnakalady.org/meditation.htm http://mailerindia.com/slokas/mantras/index.php?signify108 Jai iloveyou Ma! In a message dated 7/31/03 8:45:05 AM Eastern Daylight Time, Ammachi writes: << Message: 5 Wed, 30 Jul 2003 20:22:56 -0500 Ramlal <conte Re: Re:Rudraksha bead mala On Wed, 30 Jul 2003 21:12:02 EDT, <Dianadevi wrote: > My personal preference (sure, nobody asked ) for japa is a 108 strand > with 16 rounds. Does "16 rounds" mean you do japa 16 x 108? Pranams, Ramlal >> Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 31, 2003 Report Share Posted July 31, 2003 > Yes, 16 x 108, there's different advice from different teachers on japa and > I've accrued info. from Swami Prabupadha, Swami Sivananda, and the Ramakrishna > Order. I think one idea is that 16x108=1,728 is the number of breaths one hey diana-ji, 16 is a very ISKCON thing(the number had no particular significance, in the early days P. required everybody to do 64 rounds, which subsequently on mass consternation was brought down to 16) . Swami Sivananda is one of my heroes:-), he likes to go for multiples of 1k). WOW if you breath only that that much, you must indeed be a great yogini(the normal person is supposed to breath 21,600 times). I myself am pretty unorthodox- but in my opinion one of the few things that must be practiced is to keepthe mala from being seen by others(should always be in a bag); the moment it is seen by someone, the energy on the mala goes off to him/her; i can feel a distinct difference when japa is done in a bag(called gaumukhi) and not shown to others- who knows maybe it is my imagination:-) AND i have always noticed that japa when done in amma's presence is a 100 fold effective regardless of whatever proscribed things i do(sit on the floor, hold mala out for all to see..etc.) aum namasivaya yogaman Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted August 1, 2003 Report Share Posted August 1, 2003 Hey Yogaman-ji, Wow, that diana devi, what a fruit loop, eh? Now everybody knows who the math flunky on the list is!!!! I did learn first from ISKCON and they are still my only local temple. Everybody should do what works for them, I'm still backsliding with Sri Lalitha Sahasramana though.. praying for Sankalpa to wake up early enough. Does anyone out there have advice form Amma on japa? Jai Ma! Message: 21 Fri, 01 Aug 2003 02:41:12 -0000 "childofdevi" <childofdevi Re:Rudraksha bead mala > Yes, 16 x 108, there's different advice from different teachers on japa and > I've accrued info. from Swami Prabupadha, Swami Sivananda, and the Ramakrishna > Order. I think one idea is that 16x108=1,728 is the number of breaths one hey diana-ji, 16 is a very ISKCON thing(the number had no particular significance, in the early days P. required everybody to do 64 rounds, which subsequently on mass consternation was brought down to 16) . Swami Sivananda is one of my heroes:-), he likes to go for multiples of 1k). WOW if you breath only that that much, you must indeed be a great yogini(the normal person is supposed to breath 21,600 times). I myself am pretty unorthodox- but in my opinion one of the few things that must be practiced is to keepthe mala from being seen by others(should always be in a bag); the moment it is seen by someone, the energy on the mala goes off to him/her; i can feel a distinct difference when japa is done in a bag(called gaumukhi) and not shown to others- who knows maybe it is my imagination:-) AND i have always noticed that japa when done in amma's presence is a 100 fold effective regardless of whatever proscribed things i do(sit on the floor, hold mala out for all to see..etc.) aum namasivaya yogaman Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted August 1, 2003 Report Share Posted August 1, 2003 > Ammachi, "childofdevi" <childofdevi> > wrote: > > > > > Swami Sivananda is one of my heroes:-), he likes to go for > multiples > > of 1k). > > > aum namasivaya > > yogaman > > Hi all, Here is the link to Swami Sivananda's japa yoga site. Enjoy. http://www.sivanandadlshq.org/teachings/japayoga.htm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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