Big Buddha Beads

[wiz cool c]

The very thick beads worn around the neck of the orange clothed older monks, anyone know what purpose they serve?

[boxerbilly]

[QUOTE=wiz cool c;1280853]The very thick beads worn around the neck of the orange clothed older monks, anyone know what purpose they serve?[/QUOTE

Fashion.

[wiz cool c]

[QUOTE=boxerbilly;1280862]

The very thick beads worn around the neck of the orange clothed older monks, anyone know what purpose they serve?[/QUOTE

Fashion.

really is that it? i got a pair recently, and was thinking they are too big to use as prayer beads,but they must have some purpose other than just fashion. I noticed they are heavy and if worn long enough give your neck a work out. Gene maybe you have some idea?

[boxerbilly]

[QUOTE=wiz cool c;1280863]

really is that it? i got a pair recently, and was thinking they are too big to use as prayer beads,but they must have some purpose other than just fashion. I noticed they are heavy and if worn long enough give your neck a work out. Gene maybe you have some idea?

I really do not know. I was actually thinking they may be used for counting as some use prayer beads. But if they are heavy and the cord is strong enough than maybe they could be a weapon?

[GeneChing]

You mean the over-sized beads, like what MartialArtsMart.com offers here, right? (I know, I know, currently out of stock we ship through Port of Oakland which is just a few miles north of us, and that's been an issue lately as I'm sure you know if you follow the news)

To the best of my knowledge, over-sized beads were used primarily as altar offerings. They were not really meant to be worn by humans. They were used to adorn statues or to be sacred objects in their own right. Keep in mind that the foundation of the Buddhist robe is one of sacrificial poverty. Buddhist robes were sewn together by monks from discarded scraps of funeral shrouds. Originally, Buddhism wasn't into the bling. It opposes the tenets of non-materialism. Of course, Buddhism has come a long way since then and has many different interpretations. Once Imperial patronage entered the scene, jewel-adorned attire became part of the offerings, so nowadays, some Buddhist abbots have some pretty fine rags. But back to the over-sized beads, I imagine that they became attire through the popular representations in media like traditional opera and movies, the caricature of the big monk needed big beads. Someone like Friar Sand of Journey to the West needs big fat beads.

The big beads don't really work that well as a weapon. I suppose you could make anything into a weapon - Jackie-Chan it, if you will - but having the beads be bigger doesn't really help that much. I have a steel set of Buddhist beads that I got at Shaolin many years ago. Now that's a weapon.

[wiz cool c]

Thanks Gene. So let me get this straight. Originally was created to be alter deities beads,then later when Buddhism started to become more trendy in society the monks started wearing them? Something like that?

[LFJ]

The big beads don't really work that well as a weapon. I suppose you could make anything into a weapon - Jackie-Chan it, if you will - but having the beads be bigger doesn't really help that much.

I disagree. They are one of the most practical "weapons" from Shaolin (the only one I continue to practice with), particularly because they aren't a weapon per se and can be worn anywhere and are easy to turn into a instant, non-cumbersome, fast-wielding weapon. Having the beads bigger certainly doesn't help the one getting clocked with them that much!