Rudraksha, Seeds of Faith

In the West, common somatic and psychological ailments such as anxiety disorder, attention deficit, or stress are usually treated with medication.  While this type of solution is not without its dangers, in the late '80s a much different and non-invasive method to treat such multi-symptom ailments was demonstrated as having tantamount results to psychoactive chemicals, but without side-effects.  This testing was conducted by Dr. Subas Roy, Ph.D., at the Institute of Technology, Benares University in India (in coordination with the departments of biochemistry, electrical engineering, psychiatry, general medicine, and psychology), proving beyond statistical significance that a small seed from a tree known as Elaeocarpus ganitrus roxb  (found in Malaysia, India, Nepal, and Indonesia) has a substantial curative impact on test subjects, when compared to double-blind control groups, and with reproducible results.

Otherwise known as Rudraksha, seeds from this tree have had a presence in the Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Indonesian and Indian cultures for a great number of years. They are widely used in a number of belief systems, including Zen, Buddhism, Taoism, and, of course, Sanatana Dharma, "The Eternal Religion" commonly referred to as Hinduism.  

Rudraksha is a seed fruit, covered with pulp and green skin which turns a blue black in time after plucked from the tree. The seeds are generally round in shape, up to one inch in diameter, and can have from one to twenty-one mouths (mukhis) or faces, like facets of a cut gem. The mukhis, or faces, are easily counted and occur in the form of lines from the top to bottom of the seed as natural divisions.  The five mukhi Rudraksha occur with the greatest frequency, totaling 95% of all Rudraksha seeds. The single faced, which is almost never found in a round shape, is very rare, and the frequency of the higher number of faces also makes them extremely difficult to find. Occasionally, seeds are found that are grown together in various formations. Each seed has a naturally occurring hole in the center from the fruit itself, making them perfectly ready to wear.

In Dr. Roy's studies, Rudraksha were found to have powerful electromagnetic, paramagnetic, and inductive properties varying with the different numbers of mukhis.  His group showed that each mukhi Rudraksha emits different specific electrical impulses, stimulating certain chemical responses in the brain and causing desirable changes in the personality and perceptions of the wearer. Rudraksha were demonstrated to to control heartbeat, stress levels, blood pressure and depression. The effect of Rudraksha on the neurotransmitters dopamine and serotonin was also shown by this group, with effects close to the benefits of long-term tranquilizer use, with no ill side effects.  While even panic attacks can be staved off by proper handling of a specific Rudraksha,  many non-medical and personal-life benefits are upheld for owners of these natural treasures, or Tears ("Aksha") of Shiva ("Rudra"). 

From the descriptions in Vedic scripture and collective analysis of phenomenon resulting from ownership, many different properties have been ascribed to Rudraksha according to their variance in facets, or mukhi.  Rudraksha can be worn by anyone of any religion, and unlike the tradition of gemstones, the Rudraksha can never harm anyone that wears them in any way.  However, Rudraksha are personal items and cannot be traded or shared.  Each mukhi of Rudraksha has a different mantra to activate it, and a long ritual is required to 'energize' the Rudraksha before the beads are offered to buyers.  Traditionally, the Rudraksha are worn on threads or mounted in silver settings.

Rudraksha seeds can be used as concentration and meditative aids, and each also has an archetypal form of God associated with it, in addition to alignment with a primary planet.

From all that is known of Rudraksha, it is little wonder that so much attention has been given to Rudraksha over the ages in the areas of both spiritual and physical nature.  These natural treasures can benefit anyone, and are offered for viewing in our gallery as well as for personal exploration.