Malas are used for keeping count while reciting, chanting, or mentally repeating a mantra or the name or names of a deity. Malas are typically made with 18, 27, 54 or 108 beads. In Tibetan Buddhism, malas of 108 beads are used. In Tibetan Buddhism, malas are mainly used to count mantras. These mantras can be recited for different purposes linked to working with mind. The material used to make the beads can vary according to the purpose of the mantras used. Mantras for magnetizing should be recited using malas made of saffron, lotus seed, sandalwood, or other forms of wood including elm, peach, and rosewood.
