My Mala

My husband and I used to work for wonderfully eccentric (and I mean, ECCENTRIC like no other) Gerard M. He gave us many, many lessons in life and patience and tolerance and...I could go on and on with such colorful anecdotes - so many unforgettable moments with him. He gave us a beautiful boxer named Oscar, which is an epic story in itself. He gave me a very special charm - a centuries-old Buddha encased in glass and gold. This, together with 108 baroque pearls became my very special mala. Now, some may argue that the components which I've chosen to become my meditation beads directly contrast with the essence of Buddhist philosophy. Does it really matter? All I see are gifts from the earth - beauty manifested. And they serve the purpose of enhancing the glorious experience of my meditations. It is a personal choice, a freedom which we all have.

I had journeyed through 40-day meditation programs with this mala, and it has helped me focus on the challenges at hand. The mantras which I've used when meditating with my mala are mantras I discovered through research. Thomas Ashley-Farrand is, in my opinion, the world's foremost authority on Vedic and Buddhist Sanskrit mantras. He has over 8,000 transliterated mantras, the most comprehensive body of these sacred sound syllables in the English language. Ashley-Farrand maintains that mantras are highly-evolved sound formulas which can influence the subtle energies around us and within us. He recommends to practice for 40 days, which is the traditional amount of time required to achieve the desired effects. It is also the recommended amount of time to establish a habit.