What is the meaning of the beads used when chanting in Nichiren Buddhism?
What so the 4 little beads signify?
What about the tassels?
Why do some people rub their beads?
Do I have to have beads?
- Comments (18)
Leave a comment
-
#1 | Written by Engyo about 10 years ago.All -
The beads have different significances depending on which Nichiren school you wish to examine. The beads overall are intended to symbolize the 108 desires.
The two large beads represent Shakyamuni Buddha and Taho Buddha.
The four little beads are generally considered to represent the Four Bodhisattvas (leaders of the Bodhisattvas from Underground from the Lotus Sutra). They sit closer to the Shakyamuni bead, as they are his disciples.
The tassels can have different meanings between schools as well.
Rubbing of the beads originated as a signaling method between those officiating services. People have mimiced that behavior until it has become habit for some folks in some groups.
Beads (in my understanding anyway) are another skillful means. They are not in any way a requirement for practice, but you will find that almost all Nichiren believers will have beads and use them during services.
These answers are from my experience, and will contradict that of others, I am fairly sure.
Namaste, Engyo Mike Barrett
-
#2 | Written by Nancy about 10 years ago.This question came up at a meeting. The answers were all over the place. Someone called them a weapon - I didn’t get the reference. Then they started holding them up and explaining that the 3 tassels are the head and arms and the two tassels are the legs - it’s a human. My favorite was the number of beads - 108 - is the number of bones in the human body. Oh, wait there are 206 bones in the human body. So that is why I asked this question.
What have you heard about the beads?
-
#3 | Written by clown hidden about 10 years ago.The Nichiren Buddhist Association of America has a page with a detailed description of the juzu. http://www.nbaa.tv/LearnBuddhism/MeditationBeads.html
When I first joined NSA I saw that some people rubbed their beads vigorously and picked up the bad habit myself. I don’t think it means anything.
-
#4 | Written by Aubrey Owens about 10 years ago.
The very act of chanting is a significant ritual. During the chanting meditation you strengthen and elevate your life condition. Access to one’s life condition is by means of your senses. Using the beads engages an important one, the sense of touch. That’s their primary purpose and using them actually helps many people focus better while chanting.
These four beads represent the four leaders of the bodhisattvas of the earth. These bodhisattvas represent characteristics that you acquire as a result of chanting and teaching Namu-Myoho-Renge-Kyo. The four bodhisattva leaders signify the Buddha conditions or virtues of (1) true self, (2) eternity, (3) purity, and (4) happiness.
They were used for counting by early Buddhists, but the current predominant and enduring use is as a tactile sensory focus and stimulus while chanting.
They have much symbolism and are an important tool to use while meditating. Notice that I said “important” not absolutely necessary. How important, though? Well, let me put it this way, anything that enhances the effectiveness of chanting Namu-Myoho-Renge-Kyo is extremely important.
Nancy, Aside from the human body the tassel strands represent:
Five Components: form, sensation, idea, choice, and cognition.
Five Impurities: Impurity of the age, Impurity of desire, Impurity of living beings, Impurity of thought/view, & Impurity of life span
Five False Views: see link below
& Fivefold Comparison: see link belowMore info HERE:
http://www.buddhistequipment.com/Meaning_of_Meditation_Beads.html -
#5 | Written by Engyo about 10 years ago.
All -
The answers differ somewhat between the different schools, but here is what is common. The beads as a whole represent the 108 Desires; we symbolically take control of these desires when we hold the beads during service.
The four small beads represent the 4 leaders of the Bodhisattvas from Underground (Lotus Sutra, Ch. 11-22). The two large beads represent Shakyamuni Buddha and Taho Buddha. The four small beads are closer to the Shakyamuni bead, as they are his disciples.
The tassels have various meanings among different Nichiren schools. Length and color can mean various things.
Rubbing the beads originated as a signalling method between clergy officiating at services. I believe that lay members began to mimic this, and eventually rubbing the beads during chanting became habitual with some Nichiren groups.
Beads are another skillful means, in my understanding. There is no requirement for them, but I find most Nichiren Buddhists do use them regularly.
Namaste, Engyo
-
#6 | Written by nt about 10 years ago.
Clown - there was a woman at the last meeting we attended together that loudly rubbed her beads. She was right next to me and I found myself getting irritated because it was so distracting. I can’t imagine what it was like when everyone made that much noise.
-
-
#8 | Written by ryuei about 10 years ago.The main beads represent the 108 human desires. This is arrived at through some Abhidharmic formula I can’t remember at the moment.
The two large beads represent Shakyamuni Buddha and Many Treasures Tathagata.
I have been told differing things about the four smaller beads among the 108 - some say they represent the four leaders of the Bodhisattvas of the Earth from chapter 15 of the Lotus Sutra. Others have said that the four beads represent major Mahayana bodhisattvas like Avalokitesvara (aka Kuan Yin), Manjushri, Samantabhadra, and Bhaisajyaraja (Medicine King). This makes sense as the juzu are derived from Tendai juzu and that is probably what they represent in Tendai; but for us I think it is better to think of them as the four leaders from chapter 15.
As for the tassels and what they represent - I have yet to hear anything about that. Perhaps that site clown hidden posted has something on it. I’ll read it later and see.
As for rubbing the beads - that is a no no in Nichiren Shu. It is considered disrespectful and disruptive. It is also destructive of the beads - and good juzu actually cost a lot of money - up to the hundreds of dollars or more actually. So you don’t want to do that to the beads, and even restringing can be pretty expensive. There’s even something in the Hoyo Shikki (the official liturgical manual of Nichiren Shu) that specifically says not to do this.
I also learned that if you are using the beads to count off Odaimoku as you chant, don’t cross over the large beads. Stop at the large bead and start counting back down the other way. I also remember being told that you don’t have to count off the small beads, just the regular 108 beads as you chant.
Namu Myoho Renge Kyo,
Ryuei -
-
#10 | Written by Patrick about 10 years ago.the 108 beads represent our desires, the five balls/tassles represent our body, and the totality represents our life, the four smaller beads represent the four leaders of the BofE.
Overall the beads represents the fusion of reality and wisdom.
Do we need beads? Individual choice, I believe.
Patrick
-
#11 | Written by David about 10 years ago.I don’t use beads…I tend to rattle them to distraction. They have NO doctrinal significance and are not an essential part of the practice…I don’t need them.
David
-
#12 | Written by Mark Rogow about 10 years ago.For a complete explanation of our Juzu beads:
http://www.nichirenbuddhist.org/LearnBuddhism/MeditationBeads.html
-
#13 | Written by Janai about 9 years ago.I was told that you do not need your beads. I like them because it gives my hands something to do. I do not rub my beads loud so that people can hear. I’ve made 2 sets for myself. It’s really hard finding the large beads with the 3 holes.
-
#14 | Written by zen about 9 years ago.
The beads are just a means to enhance the recitation of the gonggyo ceremony, just as the teaching of buddhism are like the raft (means to enhance) to get us across the river of samsara.
Of course, the raft is not the ONLY means to cross the river, but it is one good means to do it. But it doesn’t mean you have to put it on a pedestal. At the end of the day, you respect it for what it is, no more, no less.
http://www.sunlotus.com/symbolism.html <= this is not bad
To me, the juzu represents our life (108=earthy desire, 4=propetive forces, etc). It is just an act of symbolism, a way of enhancing the practice.
Everytime I chant, I am reminded that my life is literally in my own hand. When I join my palm together (mudra of offering and devotion) I am reminded of the purpose of the chant "to devote our life to the law of cause and effect".
Many people rubs the juzu for a different reason. Personally, I rub it off when I find myself doing what I'm not supposed to be doing.
During chanting, our mind can easily wander and we go into what I refer to as "autopilot chanting". When I find that I don't mean what I say, when I am not focused on the ceremony and when I'm doing what I'm not supposed to be doing, I rub my juzu to "shake off" the disturbance and returns to the center.
Again it comes down to one's attitude when chanting. It's the same with any act, say, singing.
Do you sing to impress, or do you sing to express? every gestures, tools, and kits involved in the act is just a manifestation of this original intent.
Note: the chinese letter for chanting is pronounced Chang-Ti. (sing-problem) so chanting is a form of singing. Kinda make sense, isn't it?
Regards,
Z -
#15 | Written by Doug Sample about 9 years ago.I think the best explanation I’ve heard for the use of beads is “to keep us from picking our noses when we chant”. It’s a ritual thing. Humans like ritual.
-
#16 | Written by Ujimushi about 9 years ago.In addition to all the fine information above, I’d like to add that simply and practically the beads are used to engage the third door, physical action, whether by touch or by counting (this can also be achieved by holding your hands in prayer). The other two doors are: speech, which is engaged in chanting; and, mind, which is engaged in the Gohonzon with intent. Thus the three doors of mind, speech, and body (thought, projection, and action) are engaged in Dharma. Dharma is one of the cause-effect factors that we need to take under consideration according to the Abhidhamma [--thank you Ryuei for your talk on the topic of "Karma and Rebirth" at youtube.]
-
#17 | Written by Flyer about 8 years ago.Tibetan-buddhist prayer beads, precursors to Japanese-style and Nichiren-style beads, have also 108 main beads (or some other multiple of 9 generally), and have just one large bead-the Guru bead-which represented their guru, who had introduced them to the path and who represented God the Teacher to them (more properly, Brahman). The Japanese added a second Guru bead (or perhaps this happened in China, etc.), and we are told that these now represent two Gurus: Shakyamuni (the large bead at the end with 3 dangles or baubles), and Taho Buddha (who, I believe, is meant essentially to represent all other buddhas of the past, present and future). But the Japanese beads have only the four tassels, two on each end; whereas Nichiren-buddhists have added the fifth tassles or dangle (the “head” in the body analogy).
There is a single, almost un-noticeable little bead which is next to the Taho-Buddha bead and off to the side a bit from the 10-worlds beads (that is, the pair of 5-bead strings just below the Taho bead); this one bead, small, almost hidden…this, I think, represents the buddha-seed in every being, although there are many ways of interpreting, of course.
I wish I knew the original intent of these changes, and at what point someone possibly said, “Let’s add a fifth dangle, and that will then make the whole thing represent a human” (because obviously the precursors-with one guru bead and two dangles, or two guru beads with four dangles-neither represents a human in any obvious way); or who decided to add this “buddha-seed” bead? Or for that matter, I have not yet seen where or when exactly the four boddhisattva beads were added, on whose idea or authority. Anyway, interesting, and various lessons which can be taken from the symbolism.
-
#18 | Written by Nat Kat about 7 years ago.
Some beads are / were made of sandalwood. Rubbing sandalwood beads produces a pleasant scent similar to incense. Rubbing plastic or regular wood beads is simply a habit some people develop with no understanding of its true use with sandal beads.