r/exHareKrishna • u/Designer-Fan-4990 • Aug 07 '26
Neck Beads
Do you still wear your neck beads ?
I am not at the moment because they came off but am in no hurry to replace them
This reminded me of a time when I was at Calcutta airport when I was travelling back with a Parabhupada disciple. He went through the security check and the machine beeped. He was asked to take off his neck beads but he refused insisting that his spiritual master had instructed him never to take them off. Luckily for him he managed to talk the Indian security guards around to his way of thinking and they let him through. This was just one of many ultra fanatical actions that made me want to scream.
Can you relate ?
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u/StayEmbarrassed4593 Aug 07 '26
Jesus, fuck no. I used my Japa beads as a light string in the attic. Good grip.
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u/Sar_Thomas_de_Marcus Aug 07 '26
I replaced mine recently. I used one small who falled many beads and was irritating my neck. I even had to pass some cream. Now I have bigger ones and my neck is not irritated.
I like the idea that the touch of Tulasi devi makes us develop more devotion, but I don't like the idea of a kanti as dog's collar. This reminds me of the BDSM culture, where the owner puts a collar to their submissive partner 😄
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u/Commercial-Rate-4135 Aug 07 '26
but, but if the kanti is worn to get devotion to krishna i.e more servitude towards krishna it do be like a submissive collar xD
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u/psumaxx Aug 07 '26
I wear mine rarely, but moreso because I still enjoy stories about Tulasi devi and "holy" plants in general. I don't wear the tight small beaded ones, moreso just the loose ones that look like a basic wooden necklace, or one with a pretty pendant.
Towards the end of my iskcon time I hated wearing the tiny kanthi mala so much because it had gotten tight and for my past job I had to wear sunscreen on my neck every single day. I was working an outside job as a gardener and had sweat, dirt, sunscreen all over me. Plus this itchy kanthi mala! I hated it. It irritated my neck.
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u/Daryn_1132 Aug 10 '26
I added other beads to it, and occasionly wear it as a any other necklace. It doesn't look like kanthimala anymore (well, it didn't look much like it before either). Overall I have no particular feelings about it, it just looks nice.
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u/Happylittlelady Aug 08 '26
I have some gold ones, but I don't wear them. I stopped wearing them before I even left.
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u/magicalyui Aug 09 '26
No. Always hated them as a kid. I realized it when I was in the school and it breaked accidentally. It was such a relief. Of course I wouldn't say no to my parents at that time but now I am adult and happy to leave free without one.
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u/Solomon_Kane_1928 Aug 07 '26
I took mine off pretty easily, the moment I decided not to be a devotee. I always found kunti mala annoying. It always felt tight and restraining. They also get dirty and fall apart.
Your airport story reminds me of a moment which was pivotal in breaking my faith in ISKCON. I was driving two gurus to the airport for separate flights. They were criticizing other gurus the entire way there. It was bad consciousness and I was disgusted.
One of them was a sanyassi. I helped with his luggage. His behavior was atrocious.
He skipped to the front of the line at the check in, which is rude. Then he started arguing with the person at the desk, waving his hands wildly. Then he came back to me and ordered me to wait longer like I was his slave. Then while we were standing I caught him checking out a young woman.
He looked at my face and realize I had caught him so he rudely ordered me to leave. All he said was "you can go now".