Answered: Your Most Burning Questions About Buddha Chitta
Perhaps, you have heard of Buddha Chitta and wondered what makes Buddha Chitta special? Why do the Buddha Chitta seeds (beads) cost so much? What is their importance and relevance to our society? Read on to find answers.
The name Buddha Chitta comes from two Sanskrit words – “Bodhi” and “Chitta”. Bodhi means “to enlighten” and Chitta means “soul”. Buddha Chitta is called by different names in different places. Tibetans call it “Tenwa”, Chinese call it “Shuzhu” and Nepali Tamangs call it “Phrengba”. Some people call it - Bodhichitta. Buddhists use the seeds of Buddha Chitta as prayer beads. Buddha Chitta has been found at Bahra-Timal region in Kabhre district and because of this discovery the economic condition of people in these regions has improved.
The use of Buddha Chitta seeds as prayer beads can be traced back to Guru Rinpoche, whose real name was Padmasambhava. He was an Indian Buddhist master believed to have lived in the 8th century. There are various legends concerning his life. Wikipedia mentions a story about his birth, which tells us that Padmasambhava was born as an “eight year old child appearing in a lotus blossom floating in Lake Dhanakosha..” He was adopted by the childless King of Oddiyana, and was chosen as his heir to throne, but Padmasambhava left the Kingdom of Oddiyana and travelled through northern parts of India, Nepal and Tibet. Padmasambhava seems to have lived a colorful life. There are numerous accounts of his mystical deeds. He is credited to have introduced Vajrayana Buddhism to Tibet.
As the story goes, Padmasambhava used to meditate at a cave in Tongsum Tunda, which was located in the present day Kabhre. He felt that the lives of villagers nearby, were very hard and full of suffering. He decided to help these villagers materially. He found a quick solution – he introduced the Buddha-Chitta tree that produces seeds, suitable for praying. This is the story behind the Buddha Chitta trees found in and around Timal region of Kabhre district, in central Nepal.
The Buddha Chitta is used as a rosary by Buddhists to count the number of mantra recitations. Some Buddhists carry these rosaries as necklaces, some carry it in their hands while others wrap it round their waists. Most of the rosaries contain 108 beads. The head bead is called guru bead. The 108 beads in a rosary represent 108 mortal desires of mankind. However, you can find Buddhist rosaries that contain 18, 27 and 54 beads. Buddhists believe that each complete count of Buddha Chitta rosary, helps you keep your mind calmer.
It has been few years because of the demand of Buddha Chitta the value of the Buddha Chitta beads has increased. This rise of price and its significance led to Botanist Khem Raj Bhattrai to examine this particular Ziziphus species. He found that this particular species, found in Kabhre, was different than those found in China, India, Bhutan, Bangladesh and even other parts of Nepal. He published his findings in Indian Journal of Plant Sciences. This new species is now called
Ziziphus budhensis.
These days Buddha Chitta beads, grown in Nepal, are exported to China, and from there they are sent to other countries including Japan,Singapore and Malaysia.
Considering the importance of Buddha Chitta, We have included visits to Buddha Chitta farm as a part of our
Multi Activities Trip itinerary. For more information about these trips you can email Nepal River Runner at
info@nepalriverrunner.com or call us at
+977-1-4701456.
