THE SNOW LION NEWSLETTER

WHAT NOT TO DO WITH A MALA

Wearing a mala without knowing its significance is similar to when a woman adorns herself with a necklace, according to the Tibetan Bön sutra. The sutra specifies that one should hold the mala above the waist when praying, and that one should avoid:

• stepping on a mala
• passing one's mala to others while one is engaged in recitation
• mixing different types of beads together in one mala
• decorating one's mala to make it look more beautiful
• using a mala that might have been used by impious person
• using a mala that is not consecrated
• hanging one's mala from one's belt
• placing one's mala under contaminated things
• throwing one's mala in a playful way
• carrying one's mala while going to the toilet.

From information compiled by His Holiness Lungtok Tenpai Nyima, spiritual head of the Tibetan Bön Buddhist tradition.