COME WITH ME TO NEPAL ...

Meiun Caroline MABY
Sep 16
4 min read

Updated: Sep 17

Click on the image to view the project on Helloasso. : )

As part of the ELOVUTION association, I will travel to Nepal in April 2026 to launch the first stage of the new Art Therapy program designed for TSOKNYI GECHAK SCHOOL (Kathmandu).

To support this program, I am beginning the creation of a mala — a string of beads, traditionally used as a support for meditation, often worn as a necklace or around the wrist.

You are warmly invited to take part in the making of this mala by linking your name to one or more beads, thereby encouraging our mission.

I will carry the mala with me during the mission in Nepal. It will stand as the symbol of the Circle of Donors, allowing me to bring a little piece of each of you along on this journey. : )

♡ With heartfelt gratitude,

Caroline

DEDICATE A BEAD

WHAT IS MALA PRATICE ?

An elderly woman practices Japamālā in Tibet. Holding the mala in her left hand, she draws one bead (towards the direction of the heart in most rituals) with each chanted mantra.

2,500 years ago, it was customary for laypeople to support the monks by offering them food and clothing. Each morning, the Buddha Shakyamuni guided his disciples in the practice of the daily alms round. Every offering, regardless of its nature or size, was received with gratitude.

In this way, the Buddha taught simplicity, generosity both in giving and receiving, and the art of appreciation without distinction.

Today, I follow this spirit of alms-giving by raising funds for ELOVUTION upcoming mission through the creation of a mala.

Each bead will represent a person who supports my work and the vision carried by ELOVUTION.

The mala as a whole will become the living circle of patrons accompanying this project.

It is both a work of peace and a spiritual practice of giving and reciprocity.

By seeking the support of my family, friends, and community, I acknowledge that on our own, our actions remain limited. It is thanks to the generosity of others that we can expand the circle of PEACEMAKERS — those aspiring to Peace — and give rise to new programs inspired by compassion.

Thus, once again, we bear witness to the profound interdependence that connects all forms of life.

A MALA WITH ITS 108* + 1 BEADS IS A SACRED CIRCLE

The strands of rose quartz crystal brought back from different journeys are waiting to be used for our mala. | © Maby

These beads, which can be made from a variety of materials — semi-precious stones, seeds, wood, bone… — each carry their own energetic properties and symbolic meaning. For this mala, I chose rose quartz, a symbol of love and compassion.

The mantra that accompanies it is: Om Mani Padme Hum.

Each bead is an illusion to overcome, a light to be revealed. With every mantra recited, the mind is purified, the heart opens. Unity (1), Emptiness (0), Infinity (8) — joined together in the number 108* — remind us that each breath is already a step toward awakening.

The very creation of a mala is a sacred ritual, just as moving through it while chanting a mantra is. It is a way of connecting to the entire cosmos and allowing the quality of presence to transform ignorance into wisdom and compassion.

I love making malas and then offering them to my friends. It is a joyful practice of mindfulness… and along my travels, I gather sets of 108 + 1 beads wherever I go.

One of my favorite shops in the world is BEADS OF PARADISE … near Union Square, in NYC. I can spend hours there. (I also found beautiful labradorite beads in Majnu Ka Tilla — the Tibetan quarter of New Delhi; they too are waiting, eager to be strung into a mala.)

DEDICATE A BEAD

The mala is made up of 108 beads of equal size, plus one larger central bead, called the Buddha bead, which completes the circle.

By sponsoring one of these 109 beads (€10 for one of the 108 rose quartz crystal beads, €108 for the unique Buddha bead), you link your name to it. Each bead is attributed to one person only.

By wearing this unique mala, assembled by my own hands, I will carry with me the symbol of all your support to Nepal, at the heart of TSOKNYI GECHAK SCHOOL — et donc aussi une part de chacun de vous.

Upon my return, a draw will be held: the mala will be offered to one of the donors who contributed to its creation.

Each bead corresponds to one entry in the draw; of course, it is possible to reserve several beads, and therefore have several chances to receive this mala.

YOU CAN SPONSOR A BEAD HERE :

DEDICATE A BEAD

* 108: The number 108 is one of the most sacred in Buddhism and carries many layers of meaning:

- In Buddhist psychology: the 108 kleshas (or defilements).

- Astronomical: the distance between the Earth and the Sun is approximately 108 times the diameter of the Sun, and the distance between the Earth and the Moon is approximately 108 times the diameter of the Moon.

- In cosmology and numerology: 1 = unity, ultimate truth, enlightenment; 0 = emptiness (śūnyatā), the infinite circle of life; 8 = infinity, eternity, cosmic order. Together, 108 embodies the wholeness of existence.

- In tantric ritual practices: 108 volumes of the Kangyur (texts attributed to the Buddha’s words); 108 energy channels (nadis) in the subtle body converging at the heart chakra; in some monasteries, the temple bell is struck 108 times to mark important events.