Tibeten prayer box and jewels

Origins of Prayer Box Jewelry

There has been debate over whether the prayer box originated in the Buddhist or Hindu faith, but these prized religious objects are treasured today by many faiths, and even by nonreligious individuals.  Originally worn as a religious ritual object, prayer boxes are now used primarily as jewelry and worn for sentimental, not religious, purposes.

Prayer Box Variations

Prayer Box with Screw Off CapPrayer boxes come in many styles, shapes, sizes and materials, but they all share one thing in common – they are containers for a cherished item of religious or personal significance.  The opening to the compartment is most often secured with a latch, of which there are many types. Others open and close with a few turns, much like the lid on a glass jar.  The prayer box above and to the left has a screw-off lid, whereas the one to the right employs a traditional latch.

Religious Uses of Prayer Boxes

Prayer boxes are used by the followers of many faiths, including Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam, Christianity, and Judaism.  All faiths use prayer boxes to focus the mind on one prayerful thoughts or secret wishes, typically by writing down a prayer or wish on a small piece of paper and placing it into the box.   Doing so is believed by the faithful to make these prayers and wishes come true.  Just be careful, for as Oscar WIlde noted, “When the gods wish to punish us, they answer our prayers.”

It is also possible to place a small religious object inside the prayer box.  A follower of the Hindu faith, for instance, might place a sacred Rudraksha seed,  also known as “Shiva’s tear,” inside the prayer box.

Religious Motifs

Prayer boxes can incorporate images of deities or religious teachers, such as Ganesha, Lord Buddha (see image to the left), or Quan Yin.  Much more common, however, are prayer boxes that integrate  religious symbols into their designs, such as the star of David, the Christian cross, the Christian fish symbol (Ichthus), praying hands, the Om symbol, or the Tibetan prayer wheel.

Sentimental Uses of Prayer Boxes

Heart-Shaped Prayer BoxPrayer boxes also have sentimental uses.  For example, a spouse’s lock of hair, a small photo of mom, the first lost tooth of your child, and other cherished items can be placed in the box and worn throughout the day as a remembrance of a loved one, here or long departed.  An inspirational thought might also be written down and placed in one抯 prayer box, from which strength can be drawn throughout the day.  A heart-shaped prayer box, such as the one displayed to the right, is a popular choice when the piece is used for sentimental expressions.

Inspirational Message Prayer Boxes

In recent years, message prayer boxes have made their way onto the market.  These boxes are usually engraved with a word, such as Peace, Hope, Love or Faith.  These words can also be written onto the box using silver wiring or granulations (small silver dots), that are soldered into place to form each letter of the word.

Many individuals use prayer boxes as jewelry, and for no other purpose. A beautiful prayer box does make a splendid focal point or centerpiece on a necklace and adds class to any bracelet.  What is the difference between a prayer box pendant and a prayer box charm?  Size.  Smaller boxes are usually used as charms on a bracelet, whereas larger boxes are typically used as the centerpiece of a necklace.

Prayer Box with Amber StoneSome prayer boxes have embedded gemstones, such as the one shown to the right, which is adorned with an amber stone.  Does the gemstone incorporated into the design have any special significance?  Usually not.  In most cases a person will buy a prayer box with a particular gemstone out of personal preference or to satisfy a particular fashion need.

One exception, of course, is the selection of a prayer box with one’s birthstone.  The prayer box to the right has a garnet stone as a centerpiece, which is the birthstone for the month of January.

Other Secular Uses of Prayer Box Jewelry

When put to secular uses, prayer boxes are often called “wish boxes.”  Wish boxes are too small to be of much use as 損ortable storage.?  One exception is their use as a pill box for carrying medication on one抯 person. Wish boxes are also reported to be in use as containers for aromatherapy botanicals and medicinal herbs.

We have heard of one person who used his wish box for carrying a small piece of paper on which was written his important computer passwords. Of course, there are also stories of people using wish boxes to hide illicit drugs, a practice that can only be considered an act of profane sacrilege.

Materials and Finishes

Prayer boxes are commercially available in many materials, including sterling silver, plated silver, gold vermeil (right  image), pressed gold, brass, and pewter.  By far, the most popular material is sterling silver, typically silver that has been antiqued to give an appearance of age.

The popularity of silver is not difficult to understand.  Prayer boxes are sacred, and as such should be made of a precious material, not brass, pewter or any other base metal.  However, gold is so much more expensive than silver, making silver the metal of choice for most consumers.

In Sanskrit it is called the kilaya or the kila, and in Tibetan it is called the phurba, phurpa. The phurba is also called ‘the magic dagger’. ‘Phur’ is translated from the Sanskrit ‘kila’ and it means peg or nail. Padmasambhava is widely assumed to have invented the phurba. Padmasambhava used the phurpa to consecrate the ground when he established the Samye monastery in the 8th century. The phurba is a three-sided stake that is used in Buddhist rituals. Because Tibet has always been a nomadic culture, the tent is an important part of Tibetan lives, and placing the tent pegs into the ground is always seen as sacrificing the ground. The shape of the phurpa may have come from the stake used to hold down tents.

The three-sided style of the phurba comes from an ancient vedic tool used to pin down sacrifices. The phurba has three segments on its blade. The three segments represent the power of the phurba to transform negative energies. These energies are known as the ‘three poisons,’ and are attachment, ignorance, and aversion. The three sides of the phurba also represent the three spirit worlds, and the phurba itself represents the axis of the three spirit worlds. The phurba brings the three spirit worlds together. The handle of the phurba represents ‘wisdom’, while the blade represents ‘method’.

The phurba is often stabbed down into a bowl of rice or other grains in Tibetan rituals. Phurbas can be made from wood, bone, or metals such as copper and brass. If more than one metal is used to make a phurba, it is done in a combination of three or nine metals, which are both meaningful combinations numerically.

There are always carvings at the top of phurpas. Some popular images are skull heads or Buddha heads. Sometimes the Buddha heads come in threes to mirror the blade, so that each way the blade is turned, there is always a Buddha’s head facing you.

The phurba symbolizes stability, and it is often used during ceremonies. The phurba is often used by Tantric practitioners. The phurba can also hold demons in place. Only those who are empowered to use the phurpa may use it in these rituals. The phurba can be used to tether negative energies during ceremonies, or as a stabilizer. The blade on a phurba is never sharp, it is only used as a ritual dagger, not an actual weapon.

The phurpa is also used by Dorje Phurba a.k.a. Vajrakilaya, who is the wrathful form of Vajrapani (who is one of the wrathful deities). Vajrakilaya is often seen holding the phurba on Buddhist statues and thangkas (Buddhist paintings). Vajrakilaya is a wrathful deity who removes obstacles. Vajrakilaya’s consort is Khorlo Gyedunma, and she is a manifestation of the Green Tara.

Phurpas are only to be used ritualistically by Shamans or those who have been taught how to properly do so. To use the phurba, practitioners first meditate, then they recite the sadhana of the phurba, and invite the deity to enter the phurba. They then stab the phurba into the ground, or into a bowl of rice or grain, and imagine that the evil spirits or negative energies are underneath the blade. Phurpas can also be used as decoration in homes and temples, and many use phurbas as part of their meditation rooms. To see our selection of phurbas, please check out our bells, dorjes, and phurbas section.

Tibetan Silver Bracelet

Jewelry has traditionally been an important part of Tibetan daily dress. Himalayan jewelry is often oversized and heavy, with elaborate surface design and an exuberance of color. The value of jewelry was historically determined by the intensity of color and size of the components, rather than the value in gems or precious metals. Our jewelry collection offers a diverse group of jewelry, ranging from Tibetan silver items to sterling silver. We have the larger more traditional Tibetan pieces, and also smaller delicate items. From bracelets and rings to earrings, there is a beautiful piece of jewelry that’s perfect for everyone.

Tibetan Shop

Our mission is to bring our customers quality items from Nepal, Tibet, and China, at reasonable prices, with fast and efficient service. If you have a question about any of our products, please give us a call and ask. We are always happy to help. Some featured items are Singing Bowls, Prayer Beads Malas, and Tibetan Buddhist Thangkas. Tibetan singing bowls are wonderful to use for relaxation, meditation, or just for fun. They also look cool just sitting around! Prayer Beads are what we in the West think of as rosaries, but Buddhist Malas have certain distinguishing factors. Many Prayer Beads have 108 beads, and this number is important in both Buddhism and Hinduism. Thangkas are beautiful paintings, mounted on brocade, which generally feature Buddhas, but also can feature Tibetan Buddhist symbols, such as the dharma wheel. Thangkas make beautiful decoration, and they can also be added to your personal meditation area or shrine.

Tibetan Jewelry is one of our most popular product lines, and we love to bring new and interesting pieces of jewelry to you! Our Tibetan pendants section and our Prayer Boxes sections both have been recently updated with new products, and our Tibetan Silver Bracelets section is the most popular of our Tibetan jewelry sections. We have recently added Jewelry Accessories, including chains and jewelry bags, to enhance our Tibetan Jewelry offerings.

We ship worldwide, and we accept payment through credit card, money order, checks, and now Paypal. We are happy to do custom orders of larger quantities, and if you are interested in wholesale from us, please contact us with your credentials. We will email a wholesale price list to you along with information on how to place a wholesale order with us.

Singing Bowl

Singing bowls are very useful in meditation, healing, and as instruments.  Singing bowls can be played alone at home, in yoga classes, or in concerts.  Like anything, learning how to play a singing bowl takes a bit of practice, but once you learn how to play one singing bowl you will be able to play other singing bowls as well.

Singing Bowl Playing Environment

Find a calm environment where you can be alone and make your body comfortable.  You might find it comfortable to sit in the floor on a pillow or to sit in a chair.  Close your eyes for a moment just before playing your singing bowl so that you bring your body and mind to a calm, quiet space.

Holding The Singing Bowl

Please make sure you put the singing bowl on the front of your palm.

A common mistake in learning how to play singing bowls is to place the singing bowl in your fingers.

Striking the Singing Bowl

You can strike the singing bowl with a singing bowl mallet before you begin playing the bowl if you would like to, it is not required to do so for the singing bowl to play.  Strike the singing bowl near the rim or the side of the bowl and the sound will make the singing bowl resonate for a while after.

Playing the Singing Bowl

Singing bowls make their sound, or sing, by rubbing the striker around the rim of the singing bowl.  Wooden singing bowl strikers give the singing bowl a low tone.  Leather wrapped singing bowl mallets give the singing bowl a lower tone.  But different singing bowls make different sounds based on the shape of the bowl.  Singing bowls can be curved inward, outward, or straight up and down.  Each of these different shapes makes a different sound.  We have included recordings of each singing bowl listed on our site so that when you shop for a singing bowl you can choose the sound you would like to purchase, as well as the color, size, and style.

Be sure to press the wooden singing bowl striker firmly against the rim of the singing bowl.  The striker must remain in constant contact with your singing bowl.  Move the striker slowly around the outside rim of the singing bowl and you will soon hear the singing bowl hum, or sing.   Slowly run the mallet around the bowl with constant even pressure.  If the hum of the singing bowl sounds inconstant, or choppy, slow down and continue to move the striker slowly along the outside of the singing bowl.

If you let the striker stray away from the side of the bowl, the singing may stop, in which case you start over, slowly increasing the speed without ever going too fast.  Some bowls come to full volume in a couple of seconds, others take ten or more seconds.  If you have trouble making your singing bowl sing, see the ‘tips to remember’ section below.

By adjusting the speed and angle of the mallet, the sound will change accordingly. Practice to find the speed and pressure that allows you to make the singing bowl hum, or sing.  Find the proper balance of angle, speed, and pressure in order to make your singing bowl sing continuously for as long as you would like to play.

The Magic of Shopping in Tibet !

Tibet, without a doubt is full of scenic fantasies and historical wonders, but still, a trip to Tibet is never complete without a long shopping spree here, even if you have explored all the destinations inch by inch. Shopping in Tibet, over the time has generated great interest in travelers and now people often travel to Tibet for its shopping bonanza. That’s how fascinating and unique the experience of shopping in Tibet is. You can start your stint from Lhasa where you will get everything, from a pin to a palace, and then move onto places that are special for their specialties.

Where to Shop From !

For small and big shopping flits one has to just hang around in the city. Lhasa Department Store, is located on the west end of Yuthok Lu, one of the largest and best-known market hub in Lhasa. It sells all the items one can ask for on urgency basis, or a tourist cannot do without like cotton clothing, mugs, canned food, towels, and toothpaste, plus local handicrafts. Barkhor is another most famous shopping market in Lhasa, where you will find more traditional Tibetan artifacts in small roadside shops. Buddha figures, prayer flags copper teapots, horse bells and jewelry inlaid with turquoise and other gem makes that allure any visitor. Though be aware of the quality of the material that you are buying, because few of them might be fake. But still, unique designs and cheap rates make them great souvenirs that you can take back home.

What are the Famous Shopping Items !

Tibet is actually famous for its handicrafts and paintings like the Thangka which is a kind of a Tibetan scroll painting that generally have their base in Buddhist religion where as Tibetan crafts are often made from different metals like gold, silver, copper and stones like turquoise. These beautiful items with the most exceptional carvings on them have become the most shopped for item in Tibet. Apart from crafts, you should check out some of the most scintillating jewelry that you would have ever seen. There are numerous varieties of jewelry like pearls, agate, gold and silver ornaments.

What Else on Shopping Streets !

Just Wander down the Barkhor street and you will see not only handicrafts, paintings and carpets, but also precious gems, stones, exotic masks, dazzling knives and much more, that will make your head turn and your hands move towards your pocket. The one thing that you must remember is that if you buy a knife, make sure that you send it through mail to your home town, as you are not allowed to take knives with you on flight. You will also come across bookstores from where you can get books related to Tibetan history, culture and even travel like maps and postcards, so don’t forget to take a look inside these useful stores.

Are You Ready For Shopping Thrill !

A single page cannot in any way, hold everything that you can shop here, but still a lot of main things that are sure to capture your attention have been mentioned here. Tibet is full of shopping treasures that are absolutely unique and spectacular, other thing for sure is that every one will get everything that one is looking for, just bring your pocket full ….not to repent later.

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Where bronze ware was first unearthed from the Shang-dynasty tomb of Fuhao in Henan Province, scholars conducted studies and discovered that ores used to produce part of the bronze ware were not from the Central Plains of China but from Yunnan.

The Yunnan bronzes are unique because the ancient Yunnan people did not have any written language then. Therefor, they used sculpture and carved patterns to show their life and religious beliefs. In some ways, the bronze objects, including these articles daily use, can be considered a “history book” of Yunnan.

The ancient kingdom of Dian had a territory centred around the Dianchi Lake and stretching out to the central and eastern parts of today’s Yunnan. It existed from the 5th century B.C. to early 1st century.

In 1955 and 1960, scholars from the Yunnan provincial Museum made excavations on four occasions at Shizhaishan near Jinning. From 50 ancient tombs, they obtained more than 4,800 cultural relics, the overwhelming majority of which were bronzes. In 1972 and 1991, the Yunnan provincial Museum and the Yunnan provincial Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology twice made excavations at Lijiashan in Jiangchuan County. Here, 85 ancient tombs were found and 4,000 bronze objects unearthed. Over 1,000 pieces of bronze ware have been discovered from over 20 burial grounds of the Dian State. The people had mastered such complicated bronze processing techniques as gilding and inlay with gold or silver.For instance, the Escorting Captives Gilded Decorative Buckle depicts two armed soldiers escorting two captives and three animals.In the Bronze Board of Bull and Tiger, the blood vessels on the bull’s head are clearly portrayed to produce a sence of strength, while the tiger, biting at its tail, is also shown in great detail.

On the lid of the Battle Scene Shell Utensil used for storing shell money, unearthed at Shizhaishan, is cast a scene of battle with 13 human figures, each vividly depicted. On each side of the Cavelryman Herding Oxen Shell Utensil is a tiger-shaped handle. On the lid is a gilded barefoot cavalryman armed with a sword to protect the four oxen. Another masterpiece is the Umbrella-holding Bronze Figurine whose facial expression, haiestyle and costumes are all clearly portrayed.

Jewelry making in Nepal is an art. Items of jewelry have a cultural, historical and traditional meaning, and the style of jewelry can help identify the different ethnic groups of Nepal. While some of the jewelry worn by the Nepalese women has been passed down through the generations and are cherished family heirlooms, there are still jewelry makers in Nepal who specialize in the custom making of traditional jewelry.

Tourists will find a great selection of jewelry on sale in Nepal and will also see many woman wearing large and often bulky pieces of jewelry. Understanding Nepalese jewelry can help visitors make an informed decision when choosing a piece to purchase. Gold and precious stones have always been the preferred materials used in Nepalese jewelry, and the size and weight of some pieces are astounding.

Originally the jewelry makers of Nepal would get their gold, of which they prefer 24 karat gold or pure gold, from India. Today the Asian markets fulfill those requirements and within the forgotten villages of the Kathmandu Valley, traditional artists of gold and stone can be found making the pieces that have been popular for centuries. In some stores and shops, a combination of ethnic styles can be found, with some pieces becoming more refined to appeal to the international visitors. Unique items, which are more intricate than the usual pieces, are generally used in festivals and marriages, and it is custom for the groom to present his bride with a gift of jewelry that consists of an anklet, a headpiece and a ring, which weighs approximately a 100 grams in gold.

Terai women are known for wearing a plain gold nose pin and big round pure gold earrings, referred to as Tuki. They also wear a studded ring in the top of their ear, and a vast number of different necklaces. Gurung women also like wearing earrings, but theirs are shaped in the form of a flower and cover most of the ear. The outer ridge of the ear is often adorned with up to ten piercings, complimented by a granite stone necklace and studded bracelets. Tibetan and Sherpa woman are easily recognized through their affection for turquoise stones and coral. Features like these distinguish between tribes. Some pieces, such as multi-stranded necklaces of red or green beads, are worn by all tribal woman.

Kathmandu is the ideal location for jewelry shopping, as it is famous for its magnificent variety of traditional and modern items. Often handcrafted, unique and striking pieces of jewelry found in Nepal make perfect gifts and valuable souvenirs of a country that is rich in history and in beauty.

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