FRESNO, CALIFORNIA, OCTOBER 24, 2008: Hindus use special prayer beads called mala. They help Hindus to focus their minds as they meditate, pray and chant mantras twice daily — usually in the morning and at night, just before going to bed. “Mala usually is something Hindus do in private,” says Ann Berliner, professor of philosophy and religion at California State University, Fresno. “It is a way to discipline the mind to go inward. This is to help you bring your mind to focus — to bring your mind inward.”
But few hindus know that the use of prayer beads is common among various religious traditions, often as a means to keep count while reciting specific prayers. Buddhists use juzu beads, Muslims pray with misbaha beads and Roman Catholics recite prayers with rosary beads.