Oiling Japa Beads.. - The last word.

Jai Sri Radhe!

Dear assembled Vaishnavas,

My dandavat pranams! I am just asking a question on a matter of practical concern, (though I'm not sure how many times this might have surfaced on the forum). If you have some japa beads you need to oil, what technique have you used, and which oil is best? I just had another devotee ask me about it and found myself bereft of an answer. Please help with advice. Thank you.

Radhe Radhe!

Sincerely
Sudevi dasi

Didn't Malati write a letter on this to you a good while ago, when you got beads from Baba?

Dear MAdhavji,

Dandavats. Jai Sri RAdhe!

Yes, Malati didi did write to me about it ages ago, but I misplaced the letter, and I wanted to know again.

It's actually for some japa beads that I am selling on behalf of PranGovinda dasji, here in Australia, so if there are any devotees who are interested, feel free to e-mail me.

Thanks for your concern and for writing!

Your servant
Sudevi dasi

I've found linseed oil to be the best option. After drying, it leaves a nice hard cover, unlike most oils which remain a bit oily for long periods of time. The longer you soak the beads, the deeper the oil is absorbed, and the smaller the chance of the beads' cracking in the future is. I usually keep beads in the oil for around two weeks if I need to oil them. That depends on the size of the beads and the quality and finishing of the wood, of course.

Dear Madhavji,

Dandavats. Jai SRi RAdhe!

Thank you so much for your advice. I was using linseed oil before and I found it had a strong residual smell, does that fade away? Some devotees previously advocated mustard oil, what are your thoughts on that?

Any other devotee had some experience oiling their japa beads? I knew one devotee in London who varnished hers, is that appropriate?

Thanks again!

Your servant
Sudevi dasi

In Baba's kutir we've seen his servant use ghee.

I guess there are different brands of linseed oil. The residual odor in mine left in no time at all, and it wasn't very strong to begin with.

Ghee tends to feel very oily for a long time.

I have no idea about mustard oil.

I'm curious: For what purpose do devotees oil their beads?

If you don't, they can easily crack in the course of time, due to changes of humidity and all of that, just like any other wood. And we wouldn't like that to happen, would we?

Interesting,... this is the first time I ever heard of such a thing happening.

You must have had experience with neckbeads cracking.

Now, you have beads right?

Does anyone know an English lady who asked Baba for neckbeads? I do not have a name. I have these in my care but have so far been unable to trace who she is!
Regarding oil for japa, linseed oil is used in England to treat cricket bats, it's well known for preserving wood, ghee protects but goes ransid very quickly so you have to put up with the smell for quite a while!

A most usable oil, which is highly recommended for all untreated wood is mineral oil. It is easily absorbed and leaves nearly no scent - thus allowing Srilati Tulasi-Devi's naturally transcendental odor remain.

You do not have to soak the beads to protect them. Simply coat them nicely, and leave them overnight. Then you can gently rub the string between your palms, in a soft clean towel, in a rolling motion, to remove any excess.

This will not leave a heavy residue - tho' there will be some slight oil for a little while. Mineral oil also does not seem to loosen the bark lift on most beads, thus exposing them further.

Mineral oil also doesn't go rancid as most vegitable and seed oils do over time - so Tulasi will always smell sweet and fresh with this oil.

This is my humble recommendation.

Thank you. Hare Krsna.
Krishna dasa Adhiakri

Haribol,

I brought a new Tulasi mala and was also told to let it bathe in oil. The only oil I have at home right now is...corn oil..... The mala is already bathing in this oil.
Are there some bad oils for mala? Does anyone have any tips on how to keep the mala for a long time?
I enjoy putting scented maha-flowers in my beadbag for the scent.

Radhe Radhe

Mukunda Gauranga das

QUOTE(gauraprema @ Mar 4 2004, 09:42 AM)

Jai Sri Radhe!

Dear assembled Vaishnavas,

My dandavat pranams! I am just asking a question on a matter of practical concern, (though I'm not sure how many times this might have surfaced on the forum). If you have some japa beads you need to oil, what technique have you used, and which oil is best? I just had another devotee ask me about it and found myself bereft of an answer. Please help with advice. Thank you.

Radhe Radhe!

Sincerely
Sudevi dasi

QUOTE(Sadhupriya @ Dec 14 2004, 08:20 AM)

Haribol,

I brought a new Tulasi mala and was also told to let it bathe in oil. The only oil I have at home right now is...corn oil..... The mala is already bathing in this oil.
Are there some bad oils for mala? Does anyone have any tips on how to keep the mala for a long time?
I enjoy putting scented maha-flowers in my beadbag for the scent.

Radhe Radhe

Mukunda Gauranga das

Corn oil is a very heavy oil that will keep the mala feeling very slimy... see any place that cooks heavily with corn oil and you will find a residue that never loses its 'oily-ness'... and I don't think it has any properties that would make it stand out in preserving wood.

You could look online & see what carpenters use for preserving wood, but I think linseed oil would probably be best (as recommended above). When treating wood you can heat the linseed slightly with a hotplate to aid absorbtion into the wood (often done when applying to hardwoods such as maple & oak). Tulasi is soft, so maybe heating the oil would be more dangerous than beneficial.

Linseed oil is the only thing we use. It has worked perfectly thus far. Leaves a beautiful, smooth and hard surface when you dry it properly. Depending on the quality of your mala, you may want to leave them absorbing the oil from anywhere from a week up to several weeks. The longer they stay in, the deeper and more thorougly the oil gets absorbed, within reasonable limits of course. A major reason for the oiling is avoiding cracks, and the deeper the oil goes, the slimmer the chances of the beads' cracking are.

So, you need to oil Japa-mAlA! Doesn't it become smooth and oily as you keep chanting the same japamAlA over the years? You do soak japabead in paJca-gavya while doing zodhana before you are given the japamAlA. That way, it should be oily enough to start with. And then as you do japa it will keep oiling. But now I can see that's not enough!

I was given a japa mala that has rounded barrel shaped beads that come to a nice point on each end. It came from Vrindavan and had never been chanted on yet. The beads were very dark and had obviously been soaked in oil. But the treatment made the string very stiff. So I re-threaded them, keeping them in the wonderfull order of large to small. They are so very sublime to chant on, and I cherrish them.

I want to know if what I heard is true, that you can tell if the bead is Tulsi by looking where a branch/knot point is, and there should be another on the opposite side. (My beads do have this characturistic)....

Is Linseed what they use in Vrindavan? also, I paint and have linseed oil for mixing with the oil paints, is this kind ok to use? (providing I buy a bottle specifically for that use, of course)

About Linseed Oil

QUOTE(http://www.naturalhandyman.com/iip/infxtra/inflin.shtm)

Is linseed oil a "green" alternative to typical wood preservative products?

I have received many inquiries from people who are interested in using "environmentally friendly" products to seal their decks, and want to use linseed oil instead of branded products. Let me quote the warning label from a can of Ace Hardware brand boiled linseed oil...

"Use of this product will expose you to arsenic, beryllium, chromium, cadmium and nickel, which are known to cause cancer; and lead which is known to cause birth defects and other reproductive harm."

OK, so that doesn't scare you. What about spontaneous combustion? You know, like in the Sci-Fi movies when people suddenly burst into flames. When linseed oil dries, it releases heat. The more linseed oil, the greater the heat. A pile of rags or paper towels soaked with linseed oil can actually start burning without warning, leading to the manufacturer's warning that all oil-soaked rags should be stored under water in a covered, metal container.

By the time you add a mildewcide... well, you get the picture. So much for linseed oil being environmentally friendly. Face it... sometimes the most environmentally unfriendly person around is Mother Nature.

I'm not sure if you can get 'pure' linseed oil, but I would urge people to look for it. If you manage to get raw linseed, you will need to boil it over a hotplate to bring out its protective qualities. Given the above, I'm not sure I would want to have repeated exposure to beads coated with protective grade linseed oil.

QUOTE(DharmaChakra @ Dec 15 2004, 01:12 AM)

"Use of this product will expose you to arsenic, beryllium, chromium, cadmium and nickel, which are known to cause cancer; and lead which is known to cause birth defects and other reproductive harm."

Linseed and linseed oil is used for centuries in herbal/aurvedic medicine.
Flaxseed/linseed
If you're looking for pure linseed oil, try your local pharmacy...

It turns out that the linseed oil bought to finish wood has additives designed to help it dry fast:

QUOTE

Oil Finishes

These types of finishes have been used for centuries to treat and preserve wood. Oils are different from most other finishes on the market because they seep into the wood and penetrate the wood’s fibers. Because of this, oil finishes cannot be built up to a thick coat like polyurethane or varnish can. They offer less protection but are also easier to apply which is their primary advantage. Another advantage is that simply simply wiping on more oil can often repair minor scratches.

There are two types of oils, those that cure and those that don’t cure. Oils that don’t cure should generally be avoided because that can continue to seep into the wood leaving the surface unprotected. They can also leave a sticky surface on the wood. Linseed oil and Tung Oil are both oils that cure and work well as finishes.

Linseed Oil

This oil is made from the seeds of the flax plant. Look for “Boiled” linseed oil. This product has an added metallic drying agent that helps the finish dry in a day. Linseed oil without this additive can take over a week to dry.

Tung Oil

Pure Tung oil is pressed from the nuts of the Tung tree. Unlike Linseed Oil, this finish does not require drying additives and cures in several days.
Applying Oil Finishes

Of course this advice is for surfaces, not beads, but it's obvious that the added ingredient is what has the metals listed above.

Curious about Tung oil, I found this:

http://www.realmilkpaint.com/oil.html

Linseed oil should be the unadulterated variety, and I agree the pharmacy or health food store might be a good source.

I got this from a friend today:

QUOTE

Please accept my obeisances, all glories to Prabhupada! Soak your japa beads
in a tupperware full of Mustard oil for one month for best results

My Japa beads came with a little thread between the 8th and 9th beads... I think I heard once that this is supposed to remind you of the 8 principal Gopis? I am wondering if someone could clarify this for me.

Bolo! Radhara mana Hari bol!

Ive seen that too in my mala distrabutions..Neem right? I think its just how they make them.

Yes, that's correct. One sees that often, and the explanation of eight gopis is given. However, my Baba never made a note of that to me in giving the beads to me, and they happened to be without the knot, so I never thought of it as too important. I do not find it convenient in terms of meditation that all eight come in at once at the end of each mala. What are they doing there?

QUOTE(Madhava @ Jan 14 2005, 12:15 PM)

Yes, that's correct. One sees that often, and the explanation of eight gopis is given. However, my Baba never made a note of that to me in giving the beads to me, and they happened to be without the knot, so I never thought of it as too important. I do not find it convenient in terms of meditation that all eight come in at once at the end of each mala. What are they doing there?

well, actually, I transferred the string from a mala that I got sent to me from somewhere in India (and I think they are neem) onto my mala which came from Vrndavan, and is Tulasi, as it did not have one. What I heard was that it goes between the 8th & 9th of the larger end, I guess indicating that it is at the beginning. Sometimes I hardly notice it as I pass... I just don't know if/or what I should/could think when I do pass it. hmmm.

It doesn't seem to be on the Tulasi malas I have seen at the temple, either.... oh well...

When I lived in the K-B Mandir the general consensus, for whatever it was worth, was to use ghee on japa-malas. Idea taken from the whole Vedic pure/impure deal that ghee was pure and oil wasn't. The downside was my roomate had a mouse come and eat through the ghee-soaked string of his fancy mala one night

.