Why the Bodhi Seed

We have had so many people ask us where Bodhi Seed Prayer Beads got its name. This is because the Bodhi Seed is one of the most popular materials for Tibetan Prayer Beads. Prayer Beads exist in almost every major religion, but in Buddhism the bodhi seed is so popular, because Shakyamuni found enlightenment underneath the Bodhi tree.

The story of Shakyamuni (aka Siddhartha) is that he was a prince, and although he had so much happiness in his own life, he looked around him and saw so much suffering. Shakyamuni wanted to find the cause of this suffering, and so he spent the next few years wandering around trying to find this cause. One day he was sitting underneath a Bodhi tree, meditating, and all of the sudden it hit him. He was then enlightened, and spent the rest of his life trying to help alleviate the causes of suffering. So now, Buddhists love to meditate using Bodhi seeds in honor of Shakyamuni. Here are some images of Bodhi seed prayer beads.

This turquoise and bodhi seed mala has 108 beads, plus one guru bead. There are also three turquoise divider beads to help you keep track during meditation.



This small bodhi seed mala is the most popular mala we sell.