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Once you have acquired your MALA it is customary to ask your spiritual teacher to bless it. If this is not possible, you can bless the MALA yourself. One way to do so is to take your MALA to your home altar or shrine (or even a quiet, clean space, free from interruption), light a candle and a stick of incense. Hold your MALA over the burning incense and offer a mindful prayer that the MALA’S inclusion in your meditations will benefit all beings. It is believed that a MALA actually “holds”, or becomes infused with blessings and thereby becomes a scared dharma object. It is important that you take care of your MALA in a respectful manner. |
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Find an appropriate way to store your MALA. Mountains Snows offers silk bags for this purpose, but any sturdy pouch or fabric lined box will suffice. At home your MALA can rest with your other altar items when not in use. If you take your MALA on trips, again, be sure and protect it by keeping it in its bag until needed. As a way of respect, never leave your MALA lying about, or on the floor. |
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If you wear your MALA on the wrist for extended periods of time, this can stress the beading wire and cause your MALA to break. MALAS made with gem stones can fracture or crack if dropped or roughly handled, so be gentle. |
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Cleaning your MALA is a simple, pleasant task. A damp cloth works well for gem stone MALAS, while a gentle rub with extra virgin olive oil or lemon oil makes a fine treatment for Bodhi Seed and Wood MALAS. You can wet, then comb, and if necessary, trim the tassel when it exhibits wear. |
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There may come a time when your MALA needs to be retired if, for example, damaged beads cannot be repaired. It is important that the MALA is disposed of properly, as it is the repository of accumulated blessings. When that time comes, take your MALA to a Holy Place, such as a shrine at a Buddhist center, where it can be offered and/or properly buried. |
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May all sentient beings be reborn in fortunate circumstances, where they may experience the perfect practice of dharma, where all their actions are virtuous, and that they quickly attain enlightenment for the benefit of others. |
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