Dzi Beads of Tibet - Myths and Legends

Myths and Legends of Dzi Beads

The history of the mysterious Dzi Beads is filled with mythological
and legendary stories. The following is a list of commonly believed
Tibetan Dzi bead legends:

(1) Dzi beads are the weapons of the Asura: An Asura belongs to one of
the six classes of living beings. They are opponents to Sakyamuni
Buddha and do not listen to the Buddha's words. Therefore they are
considered to be non-godlike, non-divine and non-human entities. They
use Dzi beads as their weapons.

(2) Plankton from the ancient seas: In the original form, the Dzi
beads were like mollusks and conches with a fleshy body protected by a
shell. They could move about freely. After the Himalayan Mountains
arose from the shifting of tectonic plates, no more seas existed in
the region. The plankton died and their shells subsequently become Dzi
beads.

(3) Dzi Bead are precious jewels of the demi-gods: Tibetans say that
Dzi beads are the precious jewels of the demi-gods who discard the
blemished ones upon the human world. This explains why no one ever
finds a perfect dzi bead.

(4) Painted stones from nearby India: A couple who lived in the
Himalayan Mountains painted designs onto a unique kind of Indian
stone. Since the skill required to paint the stone was very difficult
to imitate and kept within the family, the skill was lost after they
passed away.

(5) Dzi beads originated from the Dzi stream: Legend has it that there
were Dzi beads flowing continuously like a stream from a mountain near
Rutog in Ngari. One day, a wicked woman with the "evil eye" conjured
towards the stream, from that day onwards, no Dzi beads were ever
discovered from the stream.

(6) Meteorites from outer space: Meteorites fell from outer space onto
the fields. These were picked up and used by yogis in their practices.
After the yogic practitioners' refinement, they became Dzi beads.

(7) Dzi beads are the magic beads cast by Vajravahari Buddha (Tibetan:
Dorje Phamo): During those early years when Tibet was overwhelmed by
severe epidemic, Tibetans were plunged into an abyss of misery and
they led a very hard life. Fortunately, the compassionate Vajravahari
Buddha came to relieve them by dropping magical Dzi beads from the
sky. Anyone predestined to obtain them would be relieved from disease,
calamities and bad luck.

(8) Snake-like living things: Dzi beads are living things that can
move about like snakes. When they are found and touched by human
hands, they stop moving and turn into a string of Dzi beads.

(9) Celestial flowers sprinkled by Manjusri Buddha: It is said that a
severe epidemic spread across the Himalayan region around three
thousand years ago. Many people died and great losses were incurred.
Manjusri Buddha, the former incarnation of Manjusri Bodhisattva,
happened to pass the sky above the Himalayas. When he saw that the
Tibetans were living in great turmoil, a great feeling of compassion
arose from his heart. He then spinkled Dzi beads down to the human
world. Whoever found them and picked them up would be cured of their
diseases.

(10) Appearance in fields: Dzi beads were buried deep underground,
after long-term geological movements, Dzi beads were created, and then
discovered and picked up by farmers during fieldwork.

(11) Dzi beads are the precious stones in the treasury of the Tagzig
kingdom: After King Gesar of the Ling Kingdom had defeated the Tagzig
kingdom, he found many precious items, including Dzi beads, in the
treasury of Tagzig. King Gesar rewarded his victorious soldiers with
Dzi beads who then carried them back to Tibet. After that, Dzi beads
spread all over the Himalayan region.

(12) Dzi beads are insects that can crawl, run and fly: Tibetans
believe that Dzi beads used to be insects which live in nests. When
the insects have been unearthed, they continue to move around and then
solidify into various types of Dzi beads. The insects may become
petrified after they have been covered by a Lama's long robe, or
touched by human hands, people with good karma or covered by a woman's
skirt. The crawling ones, become solid when human beings sprinkle sand
upon them, if not, they will disappear.

(13) Dzi beads are hidden treasures of Guru Rinpoche: After Guru
Rinpoche ( Padmasambhava ) built the first temple ( Samye Monastery )
in Tibet, he was blessed with dzi beads by the heavenly beings. Guru
Rinpoche then buried the dzi beads all over Tibet each with a specific
prayer blessing or spiritual insight. This reinforces the Tibetan
belief that only people with good karma are destined to own dzi beads.

(14) Dzi can be discovered in the Dzi meadows: People with good
fortune can see Dzi beads flying above the Tibetan meadows. They
become Dzi beads after capture by humans.

For more detailed information on Tibetan Dzi Beads, please check out
my Dzi beads website at http://dzidzi888.googlepages.com

Regards,

Dzidzi888

Myths and legends are all very well - but even on your site, there's little
verifiable information about these beads you're trying to sell. "14 elements
from Mars"? Are you claiming that these beads are actaully from Mars, or
just that some of the elements they contain (silica, iron, oxygen...) also
happen to be present on that planet? Here's another deceptive quote: The
hardness of Dzi is 7 to 8.5 on the Moh's hardness index, slightly below the
African diamond, which has an index of 10. Crystal's magnetic wave is 4
volts whereas Tibetan's Dzi Bead gives off 13 volts, 3 times more than
crystal."

While the number 8.5 seems close to 10, the Mohs scale is not a linear
scale, but a practical way of distinguishing various minerals by
scratch-testing. A diamond at 10 is several times harder than a corundum at
9. Since these beads are evidently dyed agates, 7 is a much more likely
hardness number anyway. And if they really "gave off" 13 volts, we could use
them instead of batteries...

Obviously, you're trying to trade on the supposedly "mysterious" qualities
of these beads, but to most of us this seems rather silly. There's some much
more solid information about them he
http://www.thebeadsite.com/bmms-etq.htm . The permanent coloring of agate
was something of a technological feat in the year 2000 BC, the earliest date
attributed to them, and certainly finding antique patterned beads would
excite some wonder in their finders, particularly if the secret of their
production had been lost in the interim. But this is hardly the case today,
and lacking a practical way of dating them, we can only assume that the vast
majority of these decorated beads were produced fairly recently, most likely
in China. Telling people that your beads are a remedy for "heart diseases,
high blood pressure and diabetes as well as ... poor blood circulation,
blocked nose, sprains, insomnia and aching bones" seems to cross the line
from legitimate self-promotion ("mere puffery" in the words of the US
Supreme Court) into medical fraud. At least put a note on your site telling
your customers not to give up their doctor-prescribed medications in favor
of your magic amulets...

Andrew Werby
www.unitedartworks.com








"dzidzi888" wrote in message
...
Myths and Legends of Dzi Beads

The history of the mysterious Dzi Beads is filled with mythological
and legendary stories. The following is a list of commonly believed
Tibetan Dzi bead legends:

(1) Dzi beads are the weapons of the Asura: An Asura belongs to one of
the six classes of living beings. They are opponents to Sakyamuni
Buddha and do not listen to the Buddha's words. Therefore they are
considered to be non-godlike, non-divine and non-human entities. They
use Dzi beads as their weapons.

(2) Plankton from the ancient seas: In the original form, the Dzi
beads were like mollusks and conches with a fleshy body protected by a
shell. They could move about freely. After the Himalayan Mountains
arose from the shifting of tectonic plates, no more seas existed in
the region. The plankton died and their shells subsequently become Dzi
beads.

(3) Dzi Bead are precious jewels of the demi-gods: Tibetans say that
Dzi beads are the precious jewels of the demi-gods who discard the
blemished ones upon the human world. This explains why no one ever
finds a perfect dzi bead.

(4) Painted stones from nearby India: A couple who lived in the
Himalayan Mountains painted designs onto a unique kind of Indian
stone. Since the skill required to paint the stone was very difficult
to imitate and kept within the family, the skill was lost after they
passed away.

(5) Dzi beads originated from the Dzi stream: Legend has it that there
were Dzi beads flowing continuously like a stream from a mountain near
Rutog in Ngari. One day, a wicked woman with the "evil eye" conjured
towards the stream, from that day onwards, no Dzi beads were ever
discovered from the stream.

(6) Meteorites from outer space: Meteorites fell from outer space onto
the fields. These were picked up and used by yogis in their practices.
After the yogic practitioners' refinement, they became Dzi beads.

(7) Dzi beads are the magic beads cast by Vajravahari Buddha (Tibetan:
Dorje Phamo): During those early years when Tibet was overwhelmed by
severe epidemic, Tibetans were plunged into an abyss of misery and
they led a very hard life. Fortunately, the compassionate Vajravahari
Buddha came to relieve them by dropping magical Dzi beads from the
sky. Anyone predestined to obtain them would be relieved from disease,
calamities and bad luck.

(8) Snake-like living things: Dzi beads are living things that can
move about like snakes. When they are found and touched by human
hands, they stop moving and turn into a string of Dzi beads.

(9) Celestial flowers sprinkled by Manjusri Buddha: It is said that a
severe epidemic spread across the Himalayan region around three
thousand years ago. Many people died and great losses were incurred.
Manjusri Buddha, the former incarnation of Manjusri Bodhisattva,
happened to pass the sky above the Himalayas. When he saw that the
Tibetans were living in great turmoil, a great feeling of compassion
arose from his heart. He then spinkled Dzi beads down to the human
world. Whoever found them and picked them up would be cured of their
diseases.

(10) Appearance in fields: Dzi beads were buried deep underground,
after long-term geological movements, Dzi beads were created, and then
discovered and picked up by farmers during fieldwork.

(11) Dzi beads are the precious stones in the treasury of the Tagzig
kingdom: After King Gesar of the Ling Kingdom had defeated the Tagzig
kingdom, he found many precious items, including Dzi beads, in the
treasury of Tagzig. King Gesar rewarded his victorious soldiers with
Dzi beads who then carried them back to Tibet. After that, Dzi beads
spread all over the Himalayan region.

(12) Dzi beads are insects that can crawl, run and fly: Tibetans
believe that Dzi beads used to be insects which live in nests. When
the insects have been unearthed, they continue to move around and then
solidify into various types of Dzi beads. The insects may become
petrified after they have been covered by a Lama's long robe, or
touched by human hands, people with good karma or covered by a woman's
skirt. The crawling ones, become solid when human beings sprinkle sand
upon them, if not, they will disappear.

(13) Dzi beads are hidden treasures of Guru Rinpoche: After Guru
Rinpoche ( Padmasambhava ) built the first temple ( Samye Monastery )
in Tibet, he was blessed with dzi beads by the heavenly beings. Guru
Rinpoche then buried the dzi beads all over Tibet each with a specific
prayer blessing or spiritual insight. This reinforces the Tibetan
belief that only people with good karma are destined to own dzi beads.

(14) Dzi can be discovered in the Dzi meadows: People with good
fortune can see Dzi beads flying above the Tibetan meadows. They
become Dzi beads after capture by humans.

For more detailed information on Tibetan Dzi Beads, please check out
my Dzi beads website at http://dzidzi888.googlepages.com

Regards,

Dzidzi888

Hey Andrew, thanks for your very measured reply to a very silly post... I
dozed off before I got thru half of the "legends". What gripes my soul is so
many people believe this nonsense and do forego needed medical treatment and
chose "magic amulets" for a cure. As for voltage, couldn't you get a better
"zing" if you just licked a 9 volt battery? LOL (just kidding peeps, don't
try this at home!)

--
Karleen Page
Member International Jewelry Designers Guild (IJDG)
Vibrant Jewels web sto http://www.vibrantjewels.com/jewelry/welcome.htm
Vibrant Jewels JustBeads Auctions:
http://www.justbeads.com/search/ql.cfm?s=21770
CLICK HERE to join myYahoo Group:
"Andrew Werby" wrote in message
...
Myths and legends are all very well - but even on your site, there's
little
verifiable information about these beads you're trying to sell. "14
elements
from Mars"? Are you claiming that these beads are actaully from Mars, or
just that some of the elements they contain (silica, iron, oxygen...) also
happen to be present on that planet? Here's another deceptive quote: The
hardness of Dzi is 7 to 8.5 on the Moh's hardness index, slightly below
the
African diamond, which has an index of 10. Crystal's magnetic wave is 4
volts whereas Tibetan's Dzi Bead gives off 13 volts, 3 times more than
crystal."

While the number 8.5 seems close to 10, the Mohs scale is not a linear
scale, but a practical way of distinguishing various minerals by
scratch-testing. A diamond at 10 is several times harder than a corundum
at
9. Since these beads are evidently dyed agates, 7 is a much more likely
hardness number anyway. And if they really "gave off" 13 volts, we could
use
them instead of batteries...

Obviously, you're trying to trade on the supposedly "mysterious" qualities
of these beads, but to most of us this seems rather silly. There's some
much
more solid information about them he
http://www.thebeadsite.com/bmms-etq.htm . The permanent coloring of agate
was something of a technological feat in the year 2000 BC, the earliest
date
attributed to them, and certainly finding antique patterned beads would
excite some wonder in their finders, particularly if the secret of their
production had been lost in the interim. But this is hardly the case
today,
and lacking a practical way of dating them, we can only assume that the
vast
majority of these decorated beads were produced fairly recently, most
likely
in China. Telling people that your beads are a remedy for "heart diseases,
high blood pressure and diabetes as well as ... poor blood circulation,
blocked nose, sprains, insomnia and aching bones" seems to cross the line
from legitimate self-promotion ("mere puffery" in the words of the US
Supreme Court) into medical fraud. At least put a note on your site
telling
your customers not to give up their doctor-prescribed medications in favor
of your magic amulets...

Andrew Werby
www.unitedartworks.com








"dzidzi888" wrote in message
...
Myths and Legends of Dzi Beads

The history of the mysterious Dzi Beads is filled with mythological
and legendary stories. The following is a list of commonly believed
Tibetan Dzi bead legends:

(1) Dzi beads are the weapons of the Asura: An Asura belongs to one of
the six classes of living beings. They are opponents to Sakyamuni
Buddha and do not listen to the Buddha's words. Therefore they are
considered to be non-godlike, non-divine and non-human entities. They
use Dzi beads as their weapons.

(2) Plankton from the ancient seas: In the original form, the Dzi
beads were like mollusks and conches with a fleshy body protected by a
shell. They could move about freely. After the Himalayan Mountains
arose from the shifting of tectonic plates, no more seas existed in
the region. The plankton died and their shells subsequently become Dzi
beads.

(3) Dzi Bead are precious jewels of the demi-gods: Tibetans say that
Dzi beads are the precious jewels of the demi-gods who discard the
blemished ones upon the human world. This explains why no one ever
finds a perfect dzi bead.

(4) Painted stones from nearby India: A couple who lived in the
Himalayan Mountains painted designs onto a unique kind of Indian
stone. Since the skill required to paint the stone was very difficult
to imitate and kept within the family, the skill was lost after they
passed away.

(5) Dzi beads originated from the Dzi stream: Legend has it that there
were Dzi beads flowing continuously like a stream from a mountain near
Rutog in Ngari. One day, a wicked woman with the "evil eye" conjured
towards the stream, from that day onwards, no Dzi beads were ever
discovered from the stream.

(6) Meteorites from outer space: Meteorites fell from outer space onto
the fields. These were picked up and used by yogis in their practices.
After the yogic practitioners' refinement, they became Dzi beads.

(7) Dzi beads are the magic beads cast by Vajravahari Buddha (Tibetan:
Dorje Phamo): During those early years when Tibet was overwhelmed by
severe epidemic, Tibetans were plunged into an abyss of misery and
they led a very hard life. Fortunately, the compassionate Vajravahari
Buddha came to relieve them by dropping magical Dzi beads from the
sky. Anyone predestined to obtain them would be relieved from disease,
calamities and bad luck.

(8) Snake-like living things: Dzi beads are living things that can
move about like snakes. When they are found and touched by human
hands, they stop moving and turn into a string of Dzi beads.

(9) Celestial flowers sprinkled by Manjusri Buddha: It is said that a
severe epidemic spread across the Himalayan region around three
thousand years ago. Many people died and great losses were incurred.
Manjusri Buddha, the former incarnation of Manjusri Bodhisattva,
happened to pass the sky above the Himalayas. When he saw that the
Tibetans were living in great turmoil, a great feeling of compassion
arose from his heart. He then spinkled Dzi beads down to the human
world. Whoever found them and picked them up would be cured of their
diseases.

(10) Appearance in fields: Dzi beads were buried deep underground,
after long-term geological movements, Dzi beads were created, and then
discovered and picked up by farmers during fieldwork.

(11) Dzi beads are the precious stones in the treasury of the Tagzig
kingdom: After King Gesar of the Ling Kingdom had defeated the Tagzig
kingdom, he found many precious items, including Dzi beads, in the
treasury of Tagzig. King Gesar rewarded his victorious soldiers with
Dzi beads who then carried them back to Tibet. After that, Dzi beads
spread all over the Himalayan region.

(12) Dzi beads are insects that can crawl, run and fly: Tibetans
believe that Dzi beads used to be insects which live in nests. When
the insects have been unearthed, they continue to move around and then
solidify into various types of Dzi beads. The insects may become
petrified after they have been covered by a Lama's long robe, or
touched by human hands, people with good karma or covered by a woman's
skirt. The crawling ones, become solid when human beings sprinkle sand
upon them, if not, they will disappear.

(13) Dzi beads are hidden treasures of Guru Rinpoche: After Guru
Rinpoche ( Padmasambhava ) built the first temple ( Samye Monastery )
in Tibet, he was blessed with dzi beads by the heavenly beings. Guru
Rinpoche then buried the dzi beads all over Tibet each with a specific
prayer blessing or spiritual insight. This reinforces the Tibetan
belief that only people with good karma are destined to own dzi beads.

(14) Dzi can be discovered in the Dzi meadows: People with good
fortune can see Dzi beads flying above the Tibetan meadows. They
become Dzi beads after capture by humans.

For more detailed information on Tibetan Dzi Beads, please check out
my Dzi beads website at http://dzidzi888.googlepages.com

Regards,

Dzidzi888