Japanese Buddhist rosary

The origin of the Japanese Buddhist rosary

This jewel became popular in Japan from the 7th century, but in reality its creation dates back to the 2nd century. The Japanese Buddhist rosary is therefore a very ancient piece of jewelry which has become increasingly important for practitioners of Buddhism over the centuries.

Japanese rosary, Nenju or even Juzu all designate the same jewel composed of 108 pearls whose initial use was to help with meditation and the recitation of mantras. Nenju and Juzu translate as “mindfulness beads” and “counting beads” respectively. On this Japanese rosary, the importance of the 108 beads is therefore essential.

The meaning of the Japanese rosary

The number 108 can symbolize many things: the 108 names of Buddha, the 108 positions of yoga or even the 108 Buddhist deities. It is therefore a sacred number and very popular in Buddhism.

But according to Japanese tradition, the 108 beads making up the Japanese Buddhist rosary are broken down as follows:

Six inputs (five senses + the mind) multiplied by three phases (present, past, future) multiplied by two characteristics of the heart (pure or impure) multiplied by three sensations (pleasant, unpleasant, neutral). If we do the math, this gives us 6 x 3 x 2 x 3 = 108. All of this symbolizes karma.