What religion uses mala beads?

Scholars believe that the use of meditation beads originated in ancient India as sandstone representations dating from 185 B.C. show people holding and using mala beads for meditation.

Buddhists and Yogis use meditation beads called “Mala” or “Japamala”. Many types of materials can be used to make mala beads such as seeds of the rudraksha tree, various sacred woods, and beads are carved from the talk of the Tulsi plant. Buddhist beads are made from a variety of materials, most commonly wood like sandalwood or sacred wood from the bodhi tree. More expensive rosaries are made of precious and semi-precious stones, including pearls, rubies, crystal, amber, coral, or jade, or precious metals such as gold.

In Tibet, you may find malas of inlaid bone to remind their users to live lives worthy of the next level of enlightenment. These bone malas are made of yak bone, which is often inlaid with gemstones and coral. Buddhists also used their prayer beads as divination tools as well as for chanting mantras during meditation.

Malas are also used in esoteric Japanese and Tibetan Buddhism. Certain beads can represent the attributes of specific deities, most reputably Avalokiteshvara, the bodhisattva of compassion.

Generally, there are 18, 27, 54 or 108 beads in a mala. At the end you will find a guru (teacher) or meru (mountain) bead proceeded by a tassel to finish off the mala string. You can purchase Hindu and Buddhist prayer beads in the form of yoga bracelets or mala necklaces.

Very large mala beads are often used in annual rituals dedicated to the deities popular in the culture. For example, a ceremony is held in Kyoto where children sit in a circle and pass around a large mala to invoke the protection and strength of the Kshitigarbha, a guardian of children in Japan.