What is the material of the beads worn by monks?

There are countless materials used to make beads. Whether it is minerals or plants, bamboo, wood, teeth and horns can be made into beads. However, the materials recorded in Buddhist scriptures that can be used to make beads are very limited, at most, there are more than a dozen, which is not comparable to many complicated categories today. In Buddhism, the beads made of "Seven Treasures" are the most noble. The names of the seven treasures are different in various scriptures. The Prajna Sutra says that there are seven kinds of gold, silver, glass, agate, amber and coral. In addition to the "seven treasures of Buddhism" mentioned above, the materials of beads can be divided into five categories:

Bodhi is probably the most widely known kind of bead.

In fact, Bodhi is not the fruit of Bodhi tree. There are more than 30 varieties of beads named after Bodhi. Some are named after the place of origin, such as Tiantai Bodhi and Tianzhu Bodhi. Some are named after the texture, such as Xingyue Bodhi and Cheng Yan Bodhi. Carrying a string of bodhi beads will increase people's happiness. "The Buddha Counts Beads and Merits" said: "If Bodhi counts beads, it can be recited once, or pinched, or held in his hand, and it is infinitely enjoyable.

Gemstones are rare and more valuable because of their bright color, crystal texture, brilliant luster, hardness and durability. Generally speaking, the common gem types are: crystal, olivine, wood stone, turquoise, malachite, hibiscus stone, Dongling stone, lapis lazuli, tourmaline, garnet, gold sand stone and so on. But these gems can only be regarded as second-class gems, far less than the four precious gems of diamonds, rubies, sapphires and emeralds. Because these gems are extremely precious, most of them are used by the royal family or rich gentry to make beads, which are not available to ordinary people.

Jade can be divided into broad sense and narrow sense. Broadly speaking, it includes many kinds of minerals and rocks used for handicraft carving. Such as marble, Shoushan stone, Qingtian stone, Chang fossil, Bahrain stone and Duanyan stone all belong to this category. In a narrow sense, jadeite only refers to jadeite (represented by high-quality jadeite in Myanmar) and nephrite (represented by high-quality Hetian jade). For thousands of years, jade symbolizes auspiciousness. It is said that it can ward off evil spirits and bring good luck. Influenced by "a gentleman is better than jade, with benevolence, wisdom, courtesy, loyalty and faith", those beads made of jade are more and more loved by people. Emerald beads are the most outstanding of these beads. Yuzhu symbolizes auspiciousness, peace, children and grandchildren, constant happiness and rolling financial resources. Jade bead necklaces and bracelets with different water colors have different meanings, but they all have happy, safe and auspicious meanings. The purpose of wearing jade beads is to hope that you can be safe and auspicious, and it is a blessing and hope for a better life.

Fruit (stone) pearls occupy a large proportion in the big family of pearls. People can list many kinds at will, such as peach stone carving, walnut carving, olive stone carving, peach stone carving, diamond seed, sun seed, lotus seed, coconut stalk, five eyes and six company, and so on. Among them, peach pit and olive pit are the representatives of fruit pit, while eucalyptus seed and coconut shell (stem) are the representatives of fruit.

Both bamboo and wood can be used to make beads. Bamboo is a perennial woody evergreen plant, which is soft and hollow and not easily damaged by wind and rain. After experiencing cold and summer, its branches and leaves are green and never wither, so the ancients often compared it to a gentleman who can't seize the festival. Bamboo includes bamboo, Zhu Qiong, asparagus, arrow bamboo, brown bamboo, peach branch bamboo and spotted bamboo. Bamboo, hard and white; Zhu Qiong, the high festival in reality; Arrow bamboo is better than an arrow. These are good materials for making beads.

Most people regard beads as decorations. In fact, beads can also be used for self-cultivation. Beads wearing jade must not wear heavy makeup, which is disrespect and contempt for the Buddha. Men generally don't, especially female friends wearing jade beads must pay attention. Make-up looks elegant and fresh, and you must not wear heavy makeup. When wearing jade beads, it is best not to wear them with other gold and silver jewelry or decorations, because the beads need to be clean. Don't wear beads in particularly noisy places, and don't wear beads of unknown origin casually.

Horn, ox bone, rhinoceros horn, ivory, etc. It has always been rejected by Han Buddhism because of the legal system, but it is deeply loved by Tibetan Buddhism. Tibetan Buddhism even makes beads from human skulls. Wearing or holding these beads will make people know the true meaning of life and death. At the same time, it will also make people feel some mysterious religious atmosphere.

In addition, there are beads made of ceramics, purple sand and carved lacquer. These beads with different shapes will also bring endless reverie to people.