How to do japa with a mala.

A mala exists so that your mind can leave the counting to your fingers. Everything about how it is held follows from that, and from one more idea: that the hand itself can say something about the practice.

The grip, and what each finger means

The Hindu tradition describes more than one way to hold a mala. Two are common, and both use the right hand.

Over the index finger. The loop hangs over the index finger and the thumb holds the first bead beside the sumeru. With each repetition, the thumb moves the loop on by one bead. Some people keep all four fingers inside the loop; others keep only the index finger inside, apart from the other three.

Over the middle finger. The loop hangs over the middle finger, with the ring and little fingers inside it, and the index finger draws each bead towards the thumb. This grip carries a meaning: the index finger is the atma, the individual self, and the thumb is Paramatma, the supreme self. The beads are the mantra that carries one to the other, past the three remaining fingers, which stand for the pull of the material world.

You may have been taught that the index finger must never touch the beads. That is a teaching of some lineages, not of all, and it sits beside the second grip above, in which the index finger does the moving. If your guru or family taught you a grip, keep it. If no one did, the middle-finger grip is a good one to learn, because its meaning is easy to hold in mind as you chant.

One round, and the turn

1. Start on the first bead beside the sumeru, the larger bead where the two ends of the mala meet.
2. Say the mantra once, then move one bead. That is one count.
3. After 108 beads you arrive back at the sumeru. One mala is complete.
4. Do not cross it. Turn the mala in your hand, so that the bead you finished on becomes bead 1, and chant the next round back the way you came.

Not crossing the sumeru is one of the most widely kept customs of the mala. The sumeru is the guru bead: it is never counted, and the round turns at it rather than passing over it. The sumeru guide explains the parts of the mala in more detail.

Aloud, whispered or silent

The tradition names three ways to say japa: vaikhari, aloud; upamshu, whispered with the lips barely moving; and manasika, silently in the mind. They are not three separate methods but steps, each quieter and traditionally held to be deeper than the last. Most people begin aloud. There is more on each, and on likhita japa and ajapa japa, in the three voices of japa.

Without a mala: the finger joints

If your mala is not with you, your hand has its own beads. Each of the four fingers has three segments, which gives twelve. Touch them in turn with the thumb, one per repetition, and nine rounds of twelve make 108. Many people keep the nine rounds on the other hand, one finger or joint for each twelve.

The order varies between families; what matters is that you use the same order every time, so the thumb finds its way without thought.

Choosing a mala

Rudraksha is sacred to Shaivas and tulsi to Vaishnavas, and there are good reasons for crystal, sandalwood and lotus seed too. A mala is usually kept for japa alone and carried in a cloth bag. What a mala is made of goes through the materials and what each one carries.

Frequently asked questions

Which hand should I hold the mala in?

In Hindu practice, the right hand. Some Buddhist traditions use the left. Follow your own tradition.

Is it wrong to touch the beads with the index finger?

Some lineages teach that the index finger should stay off the beads. Others hold the mala over the middle finger and move each bead with the index finger, as the self moving towards the divine. Both are traditional; keep the grip you were taught.

Can I do japa without a mala?

Yes, on the finger joints as shown above, with a counter, or simply for a fixed time. The free online japa counter works in any browser.

How long does one mala take?

Usually 2 to 10 minutes, depending on the length of the mantra and your pace. ISKCON's 16 rounds of the Hare Krishna mantra take about an hour and a half, a little under 6 minutes a round.