Mala

A mala is a string of prayer beads, usually containing 108 beads. A Buddhist can move from one bead to the next with each repetition of a mantra, using the beads to keep count.

A mala is a string of beads used to count mantras or breaths during meditation. A practitioner moves through the beads as repetitions are completed. This provides a physical way to keep count, allowing more attention to remain on the sound, meaning or breathing rather than on remembering a number.