Prayer Box Religious Jewelry

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.

Phurba Dagger- The Tibetan Buddhist Ritual Instrument

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.