Bhutan
ca. 1800
Bhutan
ca. 1800
This Bhutanese strand of prayer beads is made of complex hexagonal beads of bronze alloy inlaid with gold, turquoise, and coral. According to the symbolic significance of these materials, the precious metals such as gold would be suitable for practices of increase and expansion, the bronze and coral would be conducive for activities of power, and the turquoise could be used for wrathful practices. Overall it appears that the beads were used for all of the above, as is often the case with Tibetan Buddhist prayer beads.
In Buddhism merit is accumulated through engaging in positive actions that lead to positive results, such as better rebirths. Buddhists gain merit by making offerings, donating to those in need, reciting mantras, and other good deeds.
A kind of energy that can be used, individually and collectively, to effect change.
A contemplative practice in which a person uses concentration and visualization to achieve aims such as transforming the mind and generating feelings of compassion. Techniques include focusing on breathing or visualizing oneself as a deity.
Bhutan’s earliest Buddhist temples were built in the 7th century, around the same time Buddhism was introduced in Tibet. In the 17th century, Mongol-backed Geluk authorities drove many Kagyu teachers from Tibet to Bhutanese areas. The Drukpa Kagyu teacher Zhabdrung Ngawang Namgyel (1594–1651) unified these regions and established a system of government.
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