The Rosary
The Rosary is used in the Roman Catholic faith. Rosary means "crown of roses" and is used to symbolize both the prayer beads and the prayer itself. There are 59 beads in a Rosary. Fifty of these beads are set apart in 5 groups of 10 called decades. Each decade represents a key event or "mystery" of the life of Jesus. There are 20 mysteries in total, broken into 4 groups. There are 5 Joyful Mysteries, 5 Sorrowful Mysteries, 5 Glorious Mysteries, and 5 Luminous Mysteries. The whole Rosary is made up of 20 mysteries, with a decade for each mystery. This equals 200 beads. However, there are 59 beads in a Rosary. How does this add up? Usually only one set of Mysteries, or five decades, is said at a time. One set of the Mysteries accounts for 50 beads. The other 9 beads are used for introductory prayers and for announcing the next mystery for meditation.
The purpose of the Rosary is to reflect on the life of Jesus as written in the Bible. In doing so, we withdraw from the love of the world and Earthly desires and focus on the love of a higher being---the love of God. By praying the entire Rosary, one reflects on the entire life of Jesus. The Rosary is a combination of vocal prayer and mental prayer. It is not a repetitive, mindless counting of beads, but a symbol used for meditation on scriptural events believed by Christians.
The history of the Rosary is somewhat contested. Originally, the Rosary consisted of 5 Joyful, 5 Sorrowful, and 5 Glorious Mysteries. For these 15 mysteries a decade of Hail Marys was recited, equaling 150 Hail Marys. This is the same number of Psalms in the Bible. During the 3rd century, Christians were being persecuted by the Romans and sought shelter by living as hermits in Egypt. In 313 Christianity was made legal in Egypt, but some Christians wished to remain living in solitude and follow God in their own spiritual path. These Christian monks and hermits were called the Desert Fathers. The Desert Fathers would pray the 150 Psalms daily. However, some could not read, and replaced the 150 Psalms with 150 Hail Marys. They counted the prayers by using knotted ropes. In 2002, Pope John Paul II announced 5 optional Luminous Mysteries, bringing the total number of mysteries to 200.
The spread of the Rosary is attributed to St. Dominic. In the year 1214, St. Dominic was using prayer to try to convert the Albigensians. But prayer was not enough, so he withdrew into a forest, prayed for 3 days and 3 nights, and used harsh forms of penance on his body before falling into a coma. In this state, the Virgin Mary appeared to him and presented him with the Rosary. He woke up comforted and inspired by the Holy Spirit, and preached the Rosary for the rest of his life.
Anglican Rosary
The Anglican Rosary or Christian Prayer Beads are non-denominational prayer beads. Christian Prayer Beads are made up of 33 beads: one introductory bead, 4 groups of 7 beads called weeks, and 4 single "Cruciform" beads. Each of the 4 weeks is prayed while reflecting on a different Bible verse. The number 33 symbolizes the years of Jesus' life on earth. The 7 beads per week symbolize the 7 days of creation, spiritual completion, and seasons of the Church year.
The purpose of the Anglican Rosary is to use the mind, body, and spirit to focus on prayer. The Anglican Rosary is used for Biblical reflection and meditation. A variety of Bible verses and prayer are used in these Christian Prayer Beads.
The history of the Anglican Rosary is recent. The set of 33 prayer beads were introduced in the mid-1980's by Episcopalians studying forms of prayer.
Misbaha or Tasbih
Prayer beads in Islam are called Misbaha (or Tasbih). A Misbaha consists of 99 beads in accordance with the 99 names of God in the Qur'an. Sometimes they are made of 33 beads, which are cycled through 3 times. The Misbaha is used to perform dhikr, which is a devotion to the glory of God. A popular recitation is the tasbih.
Islams believe they remain at the age of 33 in heaven.
The purpose of a Misbaha is to count devotions to God. However, their religious has diminished and are now mostly used as worry beads. Muhammad used only the fingers of his right hand to count and some followers believe this is how all Muslims should pray.
The use of the Misbaha is attributed to Fatimah, a daughter of the prophet Muhammad. After the Battle of Uhud she would visit the Martyrs' Graveyard every two or three days, where she used soil to construct a Misbaha.
Japa Mala
The Japa Mala is an Indian rosary used in Buddhism and Hinduism. A Japa Mala is made of 108 beads or a divisor of 108, usually being 27. In China these prayer beads are called shu zhu and in Japan they are called juzu. 108 is a sacred number in Hinduism and Buddhism. Buddhists believe there are 108 human afflictions, or klesas, which are earthly temptations that must be overcome. This number originates from the 6 senses (sight, smell, taste, touch, and consciousness) multiplied by 3 possible reactions (positive, negative, or indifferent), which equals 18 feelings. Each feeling can be attached or separated from pleasure, which equals 36, and these can occur in the past, present, or future, equaling 108 afflictions. Also, there are 108 names for the Hindu dieties, 108 steps in most Buddhist temples, and 108 bell chimes to welcome the New Year in Japan.
The purpose of the Japa Mala is to divert the mind from instinctual and materialistic desires and focus on the spirit. The recitations said with the Japa Mala vary slightly in different Buddhist sects. In the Japanese Jodo Shu sect, the Japa Mala is used when reciting the nembutsu or name of Buddha. However, in the Japanese Shingon sect the Japa Mala is used to count repetitions of mantras. Japa Malas are used in Hinduism for the same reason. The Hindu Japa Mala also has 108 beads. Japa means repeating the name of a diety or mantra and mala means "garland" or "wreath". The mantras originated in the Vedas, which are Hindu scriptures. With the Japa Mala, one can reach pure focus on the mantra and its meaning.
The history of the number 108 is probably astronomy. The average distance from the sun to earth is 108 times the diameter of the sun, and the average distance from the moon to earth is 108 times the diameter of the moon. The Japa Mala may be the earliest form of prayer beads. The word rosary is said to originate with the Japa Mala. When Roman explores entered India they may have heard Jap Mala. "Jap" means "rose", and so the Japa Mala became "rosarium" to the Roman empire or "rosary" in English.
