Prayer Beads
Known as chyem in Dzongkha, rosaries or prayer beads are an integral part of Bhutanese culture and a common religious artifact in the country.
Bhutanese spend large amounts of money to acquire good rosaries while some are passed down as family heirloom. Rosaries used by religious and spiritual masters are cherished as important religious relics and are often referred to as thugdam or heart practice.
Rosaries in Bhutan are made of a wide range of materials including crystals, shells, pearls, precious stones, gold, silver, copper, various types of wood, seeds, ivory, and the bones of animals.
Different materials are said to be good for different purposes. Shells and crystal are good for health and longevity prayers while gold and silver are considered powerful for mantras and prayers to attain magnetizing power.
The tantric sources discussing the types and uses of rosaries often recommend different materials for the four types of pacifying, intensifying, subjugating and terrifying activities. Materials such as crystal, pearl, white beryl, seeds of Bodhi and other light and soft materials are said to be good for pacifying activities.
For intensifying activities, rosaries made from yellow materials such gold, silver, copper, lotus seeds and fruits and wood are recommended while red colored raw materials such as red sandal, ruby, copper are recommended for subjugating activities.
Rosaries from dark colored raw materials such as rudrārakṣa and dark wood, and from bones and teeth of various animals are recommended for terrifying activities. Some materials such as Bodhi seeds, gold, ivory, jade and zee stones are said to be good for rosaries of all purposes.
According to the text entitled “Padma’s Explanation of Rosaries”, the rosaries made from earth are said to be good for pacifying activities, from stones for intensifying activities, from medicinal plants for subjugating activities and from bones for terrifying activities.
Depending on the raw materials and the purpose of using the rosary, the beads on a rosary come in different sizes. While most are the original size of the seeds, shells, etc. the size of beads in some are made according to the use they are put to.