A new acquaintance at my meditation center handed me this rudraksha bead. Anu divided up a necklace that had been her grandmother’s, and she gave individual beads to members of a group of 20s-30s folks who meet in a sadhana circle once a month. She opened her purse to pull out a bag holding a set of beads, and this one fell out and rolled across the floor towards where I was sitting. It feels good around my neck.
A rudraksha bead is the seed from a plant that grows in the Himalayan foothills. By legend, the tree sprung up from the tears of Shiva, shed in compassion for the welfare of all. The seeds bring material and spiritual well-being. Rudraksha beads are typically used as prayer beads, in japa malas used in the repetition of a mantra.
I’ll wear this rudraksha pendant to remind me of my intention to be grateful. What better to remind me than an unexpected gift.
