Materials: Cinnabar, Copper, Mixed Embellishes.

Size: 12 mm

Description:

Nature's most yang mineral, it represents fire in the Five Elements.

A treasure of Traditional Chinese Medicine, it calms the mind and soothes the heart;

It wards off evil spirits and is a sacred item in Taoism.

It is also used in Tantric Buddhism to decorate Buddhist statues.

It is particularly suitable for those with frail constitutions, fear, easily frightened individuals, heart problems, insomnia, and anxiety. It can also be worn by children who cry or wake up easily at night or placed by their bedside.

Of course, it is more suitable for those with strong yin energy who are easily affected by negative magnetic fields.

Cinnabar is known as the "Stone of Luck." Cinnabar is a sacred item that can ward off evil spirits, calm the mind and drive away evil spirits. Since ancient times, it has been used to protect the body, ensure safety, and ward off evil spirits.

Cinnabar jewelry is a lucky charm used to protect the home, ward off evil spirits, bring good fortune, and bring blessings and wealth.

The Shennong Bencao Jing lists it as a top-grade medicinal herb. Its medicinal preparation can calm the mind and soothe nerves, detoxify, and treat epilepsy, convulsions, palpitations, insomnia, dreaminess, blurred vision, and invasion of external pathogens. It can also be applied externally to treat sores and ulcers. It is known as the "soft ruby."

Businessmen wearing it can achieve their dreams and achieve success. Children wearing it can ensure a healthy and lively life, allowing them to grow up safely. Couples wearing it can enhance their relationship and foster a happy family. Drivers wearing it on the front of their vehicles can focus their attention and ensure smooth and safe journeys. It can also be used to protect the home, attracting good fortune, warding off evil, and bringing prosperity and wealth.

Cinnabar (also known as cinnabar or cinnabar) is a naturally occurring mineral, considered a precious treasure in traditional Chinese culture. Its vibrant red color symbolizes auspiciousness, protection from evil, and spiritual power. In Buddhism, cinnabar is often used as a ritual object, particularly in "cinnabar offerings" or "cinnabar Buddhist beads," with 108 beads being the most common form of rosary. The 108-bead cinnabar prayer beads are not only a tool for practitioners to chant mantras daily, but also play a crucial role in various Buddhist rituals, blending elements of Han and Tibetan Buddhism. Below, I will detail their role in Buddhist rituals, their origins, and the stories and legends surrounding them.

1. Role in Buddhist Ritual

In Buddhist rituals, the 108-bead cinnabar prayer beads are primarily used as a ritual implement, helping practitioners focus their minds and chant mantras and Buddha's name. They also possess the spiritual power to ward off evil and protect the body. Their red color not only symbolizes the auspiciousness and wisdom of the Dharma but is also believed to balance the body and mind and dispel negative energy. Specific uses include:

1. **A tool for chanting mantras**: During daily practice or large-scale rituals (such as salvation and blessing ceremonies), practitioners hold the cinnabar prayer beads, moving them while silently chanting the Buddha's name (such as "Namo Amitabha" or the six-syllable mantra "Om Mani Padme Hum"). 108 beads correspond to one complete "circle of chanting," symbolizing the elimination of 108 worldly afflictions (including greed, anger, and ignorance), helping participants enter a meditative state, achieving a calm mind and tranquility. In Tibetan Buddhism, these beads are often used during Tantric initiations and fire pujas to enhance the effectiveness of mantras.

2. **Evil-Repelling and Protective Functions**: Cinnabar is known as the "king of evil spirits," its masculine energy said to dispel the evil spirit of Tai Sui and block negative energy. In Buddhist consecration ceremonies or prayers for national peace, cinnabar beads are often used as amulets, worn on the body or placed at the altar, symbolizing the protection of the 108 bodhisattvas, bringing auspiciousness to all encounters. Cinnabar is considered one of the "Seven Treasures" in Buddhism (along with gold, silver, glass, cinnabar, agate, coral, and amber). It is used to affix to the eyebrows of Buddha statues (for consecration) or to decorate Buddhist scriptures, enhancing the ritual's efficacy.

3. **Symbolism and Educational Significance**: During Dharma lectures or lay training sessions, teachers often use cinnabar prayer beads to explain Buddhist teachings. The 108 beads represent the "108 Defilements," and the process of turning the beads symbolizes the gradual elimination of attachment and the attainment of inner peace. The rosy red color of these prayer beads also symbolizes the Buddhist principle of "giving charity with rosary," reminding participants to practice generosity with compassion.

Overall, the cinnabar 108 prayer beads are not only a practical tool but also a "spiritual anchor" in rituals, helping believers return to purity from chaos. In particular, during Tibetan Buddhist thangka offerings or Chinese Buddhist monastic ceremonies, they serve as a bridge connecting ordinary beings with the Buddha's realm.

II. Origin

The origins of the cinnabar 108 prayer beads combine the common origins of prayer beads with the evolution of cinnabar's unique craftsmanship, tracing back to ancient Indian Buddhism and then through the integration of Han Chinese and Tibetan Buddhism.

1. **General Origin of Rosary Beads**: Rosary beads (Sanskrit: mālā, meaning "garland") originated in ancient India and were used for counting flower offerings or chanting mantras. After Buddhism was introduced to China, they evolved into a standard size of 108 beads, inspired by the Buddhist concept of the "108 kinds of defilements" (six sense organs x three dusts x two delusions x two obstacles x three realms = 108). In Chinese Buddhism, rosary beads are often made of wood, bone, or gemstones; Tibetan Buddhism developed the practice of "offering," where bodhi seeds (such as the star-moon bodhi tree) are dipped in cinnabar to create a distinctive red patina.

2. **Specific Origin of Cinnabar**: Cinnabar, as a material, originates from ancient Chinese alchemy and Taoist culture, where it was considered an "elixir of life" and a "sacred object to ward off evil." As early as the Shang and Zhou dynasties, cinnabar was used in tombs and talismans, symbolizing imperial power (such as imperial edicts in red). After the introduction of Buddhism into Tibet during the Tang Dynasty (roughly the 7th-9th centuries), Han Chinese monks brought alchemy techniques to Tibet. These techniques were refined by Tantric lamas, resulting in the "Cinnabar Offering" technique. Cinnabar is a traditional Buddhist practice that uses star-shaped bodhi seeds (bodhi tree seeds, symbolizing enlightenment) and is then soaked in over 20 Tibetan medicinal herbs (such as cinnabar and realgar) for several months at low temperatures, allowing the beads to naturally color to an imperial vermilion brilliance. This red color is not only durable but also believed to embody the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, enhancing the wearer's wisdom and concentration.

Another folklore claims that Tibetan lamas often wear prayer beads over their red robes. Rain, humidity, and sunlight gradually stain the beads, creating a natural patina. While this theory is romantic, the prevailing view remains that this is a Tang Dynasty alchemy tradition. Cinnabar was officially included in the "Seven Treasures" of Buddhism. Around the Tang and Song dynasties, it was used to paint Buddhist statues and embellish Buddhist scriptures. It was gradually incorporated into prayer beads, becoming a common ritual implement by the Ming and Qing dynasties.

3. Related Stories and Legends

The stories surrounding the 108-color cinnabar rosary are primarily divided into legends about its origin and anecdotes about its efficacy, reflecting Buddhist teachings on compassion and karma.

1. **Story of the Origin of the Rosary: ​​"King Jingjin and the Origin of the Rosary"** (from the "Buddha's Speech on the Agarwood Sutra" and the "Vajra Peak Yoga Rosary Sutra")

According to legend, when Shakyamuni Buddha was preaching on Vulture Peak, a small and weak kingdom existed nearby. The king, named King Jingjin, suffered from rampant plague and invasions from neighboring kingdoms, leaving his people in dire straits. The king prostrated himself before the Buddha, who instructed him to chant the Buddha's name 108 times daily to accumulate merit and ward off disasters. However, the king worried, "How can I count my subjects, since most of them are illiterate?" The Buddha compassionately instructed him to draw lines on the ground with tree branches, chanting the Buddha's name once for each line. The king followed his instructions and gradually saw results, but drawing lines was time-consuming. Later, he switched to stringing animal bones together, chanting one number for each bone he moved. This evolved into shells or wooden beads. Finally, the Buddha manifested as a "perfect garland" with 108 beads, instructing: "Chant the mantra with these beads, and offer them to the Buddha as many petals as you can, to eliminate afflictions and attain enlightenment." The king saved his country and brought peace to his people, and the rosary spread throughout the world. This story emphasizes the rosary's practicality and compassionate nature, with the 108 beads symbolizing the perfect journey of liberation from affliction.

2. **A Miraculous Story of Cinnabar: Tang Monk Xuanzang and the Cinnabar Protector** (Folk Buddhist legend, incorporating elements from "Journey to the West")

During his journey to the West to obtain Buddhist scriptures, the eminent Tang Dynasty monk Xuanzang encountered demonic obstacles. One day, while crossing the desert, he encountered the "Red Sand Demon King," who caused chaos and infected many of his disciples with an epidemic. Recalling his master's teachings, Xuanzang applied cinnabar to his forehead and onto a scroll, silently reciting the "Great Compassion Mantra of Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva." Suddenly, a brilliant red light emanated, the demon king retreated, and the epidemic was eradicated. After returning to China, Xuanzang incorporated cinnabar into Buddhist beads, teaching his disciples: "Cinnabar is like the red lotus of a bodhisattva, warding off evil and protecting the path. Holding it is like having the Buddha by your side." Cinnabar prayer beads subsequently became a ritual implement of Tangmi, symbolizing "red powder and good karma." Within Tibetan Buddhism, they evolved into "cinnabar offerings," used in rituals to protect the nation. Another Tibetan legend tells of a lama in seclusion in the snowy mountains who was haunted by evil spirits. He then dyed bodhi seeds with cinnabar to create beads. After chanting a mantra, a red light shot up into the sky, and the evil spirits dissipated. From then on, the beads became known as the "Emperor's Offering," promising increased wisdom and protection from disasters.

These stories not only explain the practical value of the 108-bead cinnabar prayer beads but also deepen their spiritual meaning: from a counting tool to a sacred object to a symbol of enlightenment. They remind practitioners that sincerity, regardless of the ostentatiousness of the ritual, is the key to success. Today, cinnabar prayer beads remain popular among believers, serving as a daily protective tool and spiritual practice. If you wish to personally craft them, it's best to have them consecrated by a revered monk to enhance their merits.