Comments on: A Buddhist Podcast – Life Span Chapter – Part 2

By: Rob Cook

Rob Cook — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 13:47:57 +0000

Hi Jason and Karen
I was taught about the significance of the Juzu beads that we use in our practice when I first chanted. This was from the heart of a wonderful man , Rasmus Sexton, who taught me everything he knew and answered all my questions to the best of his ability. I was not an easy person to teach, skeptical about organised religion and full of demanding questions. I deeply appreciated everything he shared with me.
In the UK Express that came out in June 1989, just after Sensei came to visit us at Taplow Court, there is a Q & A section on the significance of the prayer beads.
Nichikan Shonin, the great High Priest who inscribed our SGI Gohonzon, says simply that the prayer beads are an aid to practice. Our traditions may change over time. It is the heart that is important.
Having said that, I have always loved that when I pick up my Juzu beads I immediately see in them such significance. When I twist them once into a figure of eight I already begin to feel I have taken my eternal life into my own hands. As I place the three tassels over my right middle finger I feel I am holding the three treasures of the Buddha, Dharma and Sangha and as I place my hands together I am forming a fusion of my life with the universe.
There are other symbols in our beads. The four beads in the shape of jars collect our benefits for us. The two large beads are ‘parent’ beads, the one on the three tassel end that we hold on our right middle finger represents myo and the other represents ho. The single small bead above the two tassels is the true entity of our life.
I can quite happily practice without my Juzu but I do find them a beautiful aid to my practice. I hold them in my hands and I gaze at my Gohonzon and I chant Daimoku as if I could leap into the Gohonzon. Sometimes I struggle and when I do you can hear me gently rub my beads. With love and faith Rob

By: Jason

Jason — Wed, 27 May 2009 18:49:17 +0000

Hi Rob,
This is an interesting explanation of the beads, thank you for sharing it here. It would be great if you could provide some references so that people could follow it up if they wanted to.
The 108 beads are also referred to as the number of teachings. In fact there is an infinite meaning probably in all aspects. I have found it difficult to find a factual article about the beads, and I am still looking for one. There is a lot of ‘knowledge’ that is passed down but trying to find the source is quite difficult.
For myself, I think the beads originally existed as a means to count daimoku. I think people rub them for all sorts of reasons, but I think most start rubbing them because they see other people doing it.
Best wishes
Jason

By: Rob Cook

Rob Cook — Wed, 27 May 2009 15:40:59 +0000

Hi Jason and Karen.
Ok, so at the risk of being annoying, the thing about rubbing beads deserves a bit more explanation. The beads represent our 108 earthly desires (just a number that means a great many) including 4 smaller beads representing the 4 Bodhisattva of the earth, our true self, our true happiness, our purity and the eternity of our life. The tassels represent the Buddha, the Dharma and the one extra tassel the priest (Nikko?) or disciple who inherits the true teaching (master disciple relationship). The beads are in the shape of a human figure and when we hold them we are taking our life in our hands. By twisting them once we form a figure of eight that is the symbol for the eternity of life. Our hands symbolise the coming together of subjective experience with objective reality and of course because we possess 10 fingers (inc 2 thumbs) the ten worlds revealing Buddha nature.
The reason why some people rub their beads is to bring our attention back to the Gohonzon and it represents the stimulation of the life we have taken into our hands. The fighting spirit that we will win our human revolution and overcome all obstacles.
Of course this is a tradition from centuries of Buddhist practice in another culture far away in both space and time. Whether we wish to use these meanings in our life or develop a new tradition perhaps without beads at all is entirely up to us but it helps if we have some reasonable understanding of what that culture says before we make such a decision.
It is annoying if we rub our beads continually and rather than stimulating us is probably actually a distraction from our focus on the Gohonzon and our challenge. So once again it comes down to us taking responsibility for our life.
I hope that is ok and clear rather than bossy. I love your podcasts and admire your courage. Please keep up your challenges and know you are in my heart> Rob Cook, Newark, Nottinghamshire.