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What Do You Know About Tibetan dZi Beads ?

The Jewels Of Tibet

In Tibet, a distinct line was always drawn between the sacred and the secular. For the monks and spiritual masters, jewels were those which adorned the deities they mediated on, those they mentally offered to the merit field, reflecting the light of spiritual accomplishment. In solid form, they were

offered to statues and the symbols of the world prestige and status. Monks and lay people lived their own lives in their separate settings with a certain amount of interchange. The laity sent their sons to the monasteries, made offerings and sought the advice of lamas and monks when in difficulty. Monks educated novices and sometimes performed rituals for the sick or the dead. Though the Buddhist system outlines a basic moral conduct, the avoidance of the ten non-virtues: killing, stealing, sexual misconduct, lying, slander, harsh speech, idle gossip, covetousness, malice and wrong view, and most lay people tried not to observe it, the clergy did not meddle in the affairs of the laity, and it was considered unsuitable for monks to take part or officiate in purely secular matters such as weddings. It was felt that ultimate aims such as securing the welfare of all sentient beings should not be marred by concerns of this life, and thus it was morally improper to give moew consideration to worldly matters than to spiritual ones. Consequently selling religious objects for a living and attending a religious discourse covered with jewellery in order to show off was considered to be in bad taste. However, on certain occasions a procession of women would come to religious teachings heavily adorned, as part of an offering ceremony. On the other hand, bartering objects of a secular nature, such as jewellery and silverware, and dressing yourself up for a secular event were totally acceptance.

The Secular World

Jewels were used in meditation, in offering, in curing, all the activities aimed at bringing about a change in our mental or physical condition. As in other societies, jewellery was also widely used in Tibet for purely worldly purposes; indicating economic and social status, ranks in government and as an odject of exchange in trade. Each region had its own particular way of using jewelry to embellish their costumes and while most of it has now disappeared, it was as varied as it was elaborate.

In pre-1959 Tibet, it was not unusual for women to keep a substantial portion of the family wealth in their jewellery box. Jewelry represented financial security, the gems neither depreciating in value, nor losing their lustre. This kind of investment could be pushed to such an extreme that in her book 'House of the Turquoise Roof' Mrs. Yuthok describes how very upset some of Lhasa women were when the Thirteenth Dalai Lama passed a decree stating that they were not to keep or to wear so many kinds of precious and expensive ornaments, as he realised that families were investing great sums of money in jewelry. Jewelry was generally passed down from generation to generation, rarely being sold on the open market, unless the family encountered financial problems.

History of dZi beads

The unique dZi bead, a black-and-white (or dark brown) bead of etched or treated agate, is revered in Tibetans and other Himalayans people, the dZi is a 'precious jewel of supernatural orign' with great power to protect its wearer from disaster.

There is little precise information available on dZi beads. They are found primarily in Tibet, but also in neighbouring Bhutan, Ladakh, and Sikkim. Shepherds and farmers pick them up in the grasslands or while cultivating fields. Because dZi are found in the earth, Tibetans cannot conceive of them as man-made. Since knowledge of the bead is derived from oral traditions, few beads have provoked more controversy concerning their source, method of manufacture and even precise definition.

Mythical stories are usually told to explain the origin of dZi. In ancient times, it is said dZi adorned the gods, who discarded them when they became blemished, thus explaining why they are seldom found in perfect condition. Another story in the dZi were originally insects that moved around like worms and became petrified. One Tibetan gave the following version: ' There is a legend of a main on a horse who saw the bead move. If you do not cover it with dust, it will disappear. The man threw dust over the bead and caught it, and it petrified. But dZi beads do not remain with unlucky people. The same man traded the bead for so many yak. The point is, the bead was not meant to be with him - the animals were.' Other Tibetans tales concern unfortunates who sell a valuable dZi, only to become ill or die soon after. Tibetans are loath to sell prized dZi even for the highest prices.

In some ways, dZi resemble etched carnelian beads traded between Mesopotania, Afghanistan, and the Indus Valley during the third millennium B.C. Indian and Iranian craftmen continued making dZi beads into the first millennium A.D. Although the techniques for making dZi beads may derived from ancient Indian craftmen, the beads themselves are never found there. Because dZi are found only in the Himalayas, it appears certain that they were made locally.

The actual etching of the dZi agate is accomplished by several methods, and scholars have classified all etched beads, including dZi, into several major types and subdivisions based upon their technique of manufacture.

The exact origins and dates of dZi remain elusive. Because Tibetan religious beliefs have long prevented archaeological excavations, no beads have been recovered in Tibet under controlled research circumstances. Chinese texts, however, mention dZi beads as early as the seventh century A.D. Legend suggests the beads (or the technical knowledge for making them) came to Tibet in very ancient times from Iran or the 'Empire of the Arabs,' where the Bon faith, Tibet's pre-Buddhist religion, possibly originated as well. The antiquity of dZi beads has been suggested as a major reason for their great value throughout the Himalayan region.

'Pure' dZi beads (in the traditional Tibetan system for evaluating dZi) are regarded as the most valuable and desirable variety. To qualify as pure, a bead must be genuine etched agate and lie with a certain range of styles. It should also have a sharply delineated pattern, symmetrical shape, strong colour, glossy surface and no flaws. The nine-eyed dZi is a pure dZi with the most highly desired pattern. Etched agate beads not considered pure are called chung dZi, or 'less important dZi.'

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Further reading below:
What is in a dZi?

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May all sentient beings have happiness and its causes.
May all sentient beings be free from suffering and its causes.
May all sentient beings never be separated from sorrowless bliss.
May all sentient beings abide in equanimity free of bias, attachment and anger.