Taoist Ritual Implement - Flow Beads & Cosmic Order

Taoist Ritual Implement - Flow Beads

Prayer beads (also called counting beads) are common ritual implements used in the practices of multiple religions. In Taoism, they were traditionally known as Liuzhu (Flow Beads), which not only boast a unique historical origin but also embody the profound Taoist wisdom of "harmony between heaven and humanity", with elaborate designs and functions that align with the core doctrines of Taoism.

The Taoist prayer beads were first named "Liuzhu", a name derived from Taoist classics and natural imagery. Taixuan Jinsuo Liuzhu Yin (The Secret Guide to the Golden Lock and Flow Beads of the Great Mystery)—a classic included in The Daozang—states: "The stars revolve day and night, circling the heavens endlessly like an unceasing flow of water; the stars are round like beads, hence the name Liuzhu." This description not only depicts the continuous movement of celestial bodies like flowing water but also echoes Taoism’s understanding of cosmic rhythms based on the interaction of five elements.

Taoist Ritual Implement - Flow Beads

The early classic Taishang Sanyuan Liuzhu Jing (Scripture of the Three Primes and Flow Beads of the Supreme Oneness) records: "When receiving these beads, one should use white true pearls, round, upright, bright and clear, 365 in number, each as large as a paulownia seed, corresponding to the degrees of the celestial constellations and the conjunction periods of the sun and moon." The earliest Liuzhu were made of 365 white pearls, corresponding to the degrees of the stars and the conjunction cycles of the sun and moon, which from the very beginning were closely linked to the Taoist thought of "correspondence between heaven and humanity".

Ancient ancestors had the tradition of knotting cords to record events. As a practice tool, Taoist prayer beads were first used by Ge Xian Gong of Taiji (Ge Hong, a renowned Taoist alchemist). True Immortal Bai Yuchan recorded in Shangqing Ji (Collection of the Supreme Purity) that Ge Xian Gong often held prayer beads while refining elixirs, reciting the full title of the Jade Emperor ten thousand times a day. This also initiated the Taoist practice of reciting sacred titles with prayer beads.

The uses of Taoist prayer beads go far beyond counting—they are the "trustworthy assistants" of practitioners:

In the early practices of the Shangqing Sect, they symbolized internal cultivation and served as credentials for Taoist lineage transmission;
During the Song and Yuan dynasties, Taoist priests practicing Thunder Magic and internal alchemy often used them to count breaths, refine Qi and cultivate concentration, helping to focus the mind and gather primordial Qi;
After being consecrated through rituals, the beads can also serve as a ritual implement for exorcising evil spirits and subduing demons, embodying the Taoist concept of "benefiting the world and helping all beings".

The number and structure of Taoist prayer beads are entirely designed in accordance with the Taoist cosmology, containing many interesting details:

Common bead counts:

108 beads correspond to the total number of celestial stars, Heavenly Generals and Earthly Fiends in the Zhou Tian (Celestial Sphere);
81 beads represent the Eighty-One Transformations of Supreme Lord Laozi and the pure yang energy of the nine nines;
There are also 12 beads (corresponding to the Twelve Thunder Gates), 24 beads (the Twenty-Four Solar Terms), 28 beads (the Twenty-Eight Mansions), each with its own symbolic meaning derived from Taoist astronomical and philosophical concepts.

Special structure:

The main bead (mother bead) represents the North Star; when counting, one must not pass over it but turn back, symbolizing the endless circulation of the heavens;
Above the main bead, there is a gourd-shaped bead with three tiers, representing the Three Terraces Stars;
Below the main bead, a Chinese knot is strung with 6 small beads (or 8 beads), corresponding to the Six Stars of the Southern Dipper (or the Nine Stars), which together with the main bead are collectively referred to as the Seven Stars of the Northern Dipper, condensing the profound astronomical wisdom of Taoism.

Taoist prayer beads are not only a practice tool but also an epitome of Taoist culture. These tiny beads contain the ancient people’s insights into the universe and the wisdom of spiritual cultivation, and have been cherished for thousands of years.