Let’s say you’ve got a really awesome set of japa beads. Maybe initiation mala or, like me, some really nice and smooth beads. But, this being kali-yuga, the cord breaks. Yikes!

So let’s restring them!

Now, I’m sure that there are other methods, I’m sure that there is even a sastric method, complete with mantras and sacred knots. The way I’m about to describe isn’t that. It’s just how I restrung my beads. Here you go!

First, we’ll need a few things. Scissors, of course. Also some vice grips and regular pliers and a small drill bit (size is up to you). You’ll need a large-ish needle. Not as large as a garlanding needle, but bigger than a regular sewing needle. Also, your favorite cord. Could be the fishingline-like material or nylon. Don’t use hemp. Sure, it’s the strongest natural fiber, but it won’t hold up very long. You’ll be restringing them again within a month.

The large vice grips aren’t necessary. Any vice grips will do (though i prefer small, needle nose).

The first thing I did was experiment on the loose bead. When your japa beads break, one or two of the individual beads will be loose.

Enlarge the holes.
Take the drill bit or reem (or finishing nail), clamp it in the vice grips and enlarge the hole of the bead. Be really careful, especially on smaller beads.

The original bead holes are small. Too small for the needle and cord to go through without fear of splitting the bead. Reem it out until the needle you are using can go through the hole without too much effort. It should take just a little reeming, if it takes too long, get a smaller needle or a bigger reem.

Cutting the cord.
It may seem like over kill, but measure the length of your broken beads (meaning, not in a loop, but all stretched out in a line), let’s say they’re four feet. You’ll want seven times that length of cord. So, in this case, 28 feet. Yes, it’s a lot, but trust me, you don’t want too little.

Also, you don’t want just one cord. You’ll want enough to fill the bead. And to get that number, you’ll have to experiment. This all depends on how big the bead hole is and how thick the cord is. In my case, I used eight strands of 28′ cord.

While measuring the cord, it doesn’t have to be exact, but the closer each strand is to the others, the better. Stretch them out and try not to get them tangled. You don’t want to have to deal with that.

Once they’re all measured out, thread the needle and slide it to the middle of the cord. Bring the two loose ends together and tie them in a knot, leaving about a foot of extra cord at the end. In my case, this means that all 16 strands of cord were tied together.

Now you’re ready to string your first bead.

Let’s go!
You naturally want to start restring your beads at the bead on either side of the head bead. Cut your broken japa beads at that point and start restringing from there.

Slide the needle and cord through the bead hole. Everything should come to a snug stop at the end of the needle. To work the needle and cord through, you’ll need to hold the bead in one hand and the pliers gripping the needle in the other. Pull.

The needle should go through without too much effort. You shouldn’t be able to pull it through by hand (unless you’re Hulk Hogan.. er.. i mean Bhima), but with the pliers, it should be easy.

Slide the bead all the way to then end of the cord, to where it’s knotted. Make sure it’s snug and then tie it off by a simple knot. I’ve found that if you feed the beaded end (as opposed to the needle end) through the loop of the knot, it’s less likely to become tangled).

String the next one the same way.

Along the way, especially if you’re using the fishing line type of cord, you’ll notice that the pressure from the beads and needle is kinking the line. Because of this, I moved the needle slightly each time. It’ll do this naturally, on its own, but I made sure that the needle wasn’t wearing through the cord. You don’t want that.

Because of this kinking, the cord will appear to be tangled.

Take care not to actually tangle it.

After 108 beads, you’re done with the stringing (and you might want to count the beads to make sure you actually have all 108 – I’ve seen japa beads with 113 beads… and some with 106 – I guess they can’t count so well over there).

The dreaded head bead!
After all 108 beads are strung together, tie off the needle end. At this point, both ends will be tied off.

You’ll now want to cut the needle end. Make sure to leave about a foot of cord between the beads and the cut.

Take the two ends and tie them together using an “over/under” sort of knot (I don’t know what it’s actually called).

Cut the original cord from the head bead, noticing how it all ties together. You’ll want to mimic this. Place the tassel to the side.

The head bead’s hole should be much larger than the regular beads. You should be able to feed both strands of cord through the hole by hand. Do your best to keep them separate.

Once both strands are through, tie them off at the top of the head bead. Again, using a simple “over/under” knot.

The head bead is now basically secure.

The tassel?
The tassel is sort of a pain. Ideally, you’ll want to replace it. But I didn’t, so here’s how to reuse the old tassel.

The tassel, usually orange, will be tied together using a strand of the same thread which makes up the tassel itself. Cut that thread that ties the tassel and set it aside. Then take one more thread from the tassel and set it aside as well.

Over at the head bead, start to make another “over/under” knot, but inside the loop that it creates, slide the tassel.

Pull the two side tight and knot it again.

I used a vice and it was rather handy. I suggest using something like this, but I’m sure you could figure out another way.

Once it’s all tied off, cut the cord so that about an inch or so sticks out on each end.

You you used the softer nylon, lucky you, trim it up and you’re basically done. If you used the fishing line, you’ll have to figure out a way to get the loose strands to stick up, not out. I melted mine with a lighter. Be careful, as you don’t want to catch the tassel (or your fingers) on fire. Somehow or another make this work.

And now it’s time to tie off the tassel.

I put the tassel in the vice, but found that it didn’t quite work or me. It might for you.

However, you do it, bring all of the tassel together like so. Retrieve the two bits of thread that you set aside and tie them together, making a longer thread to tie off the tassel. I tried to use just one thread, but it didn’t work. So I used one thread from the tassel and the thread that was originally tying it off – tied them together and it worked fine.

Wrap the thread around the tassel twice and tie it off with a square knot.

And as unceremoniously as you began, you are finished! Your beads are restrung and your life is this close to being sublime.

Now, go chant!