Breakthrough - Ian
When your mala unexpectedly breaks, it can be a powerful symbol of a breakthrough or a shift in your spiritual journey. It serves as a gentle reminder that nothing in life is permanent, and even the most profound transformations often arise from moments of apparent disruption. Ask yourself what thoughts, emotions, or patterns you may need to release or let go of. The broken mala can be seen as a sign that you have outgrown certain limitations or attachments and now is the time to embrace new possibilities and experiences. One of our customers took a moment to reflect on the significance of this very event.
When the average person hears the word mala, most will almost instantly pair it with yoga and/or meditation. On tricycle.org, a Buddhist-related website, “According to a popular legend on the origins of Buddhist mala practice, King Vaidunya once said to the Buddha: “In recent years, disease and famine have swept my country. The people are distressed, and I worry about this night and day without interruption. Ours is a pitiful condition. The totality of the dharma is too profound and extensive for us to practice, given these circumstances. Please teach me just the main point of the dharma so that I may practice it and teach it to others.”
The Buddha replied: “King, if you want to eliminate earthly desires, make a circular string of 108 bodhi seeds and, holding them always to yourself, recite, ‘I take refuge in the Buddha. I take refuge in the dharma. I take refuge in the Sangha.’ Count one bead with each recitation of these three.”
Mala’s come in a variety of shapes, sizes, and types of beads/attachments. The first mala I ever purchased was the “Spiritual Armor” in conjunction with American Yogi. It served me well and still have it on my altar currently in its final resting place. Soon after came the “Duality,” again in conjunction with American Yogi. Both were relatively simplistic in design but had great meaning attached to them.
Recently the Duality mala broke. Typically for anyone in the know, when a mala breaks it’s a sign of a breakthrough. Something major has happened or will happen, and your mala has done its part to get you to this very point in time. I could have sent the mala back and had it repaired, but I felt as though something was pulling me, telling me, that it was time to move on – because something did end up coming along. It wasn’t earth-shattering or some sort of revelation, but it has been a defining shift in my business of teaching others how to protect themselves. Having the knowledge is a necessity, but finding venues that will help in the spread of said knowledge has been proven to be much more difficult this year compared to prior ones. Regardless the show must, and will, go on.
If the readers aren’t aware, if you’re ever in this situation and you’d like to move on to something else, MalaforVets will give you a discount code when you send your broken mala back to them. Your parts/pieces will be blessed by a Reiki practitioner and be recycled for future use. I decided to move onto something outside of my comfort zone, but also something a little more bomb-proof with my “{Oger-esque” way of handling things. I decided upon the “Mindful Meditator.” Strong cordage, bright, and has a requirement of mine – skulls. This is a reminder for me of impermanence. It’s an embodiment of the concept of “Memento Mori.”
At the end of the day, having a breakthrough in your life is an awakening to something larger than yourself. If your mala ends up breaking in this process, don’t fret because there’s something on the horizon. Your mala has served its purpose and now is the time to push yourself through the muck and mire that awaits you. Maybe a new mala is what you need to help you stay focused on your new and exciting journey.
