When you're traveling in India--especially through holy sites and Ashrams--you see a lot of people wearing beads² around their necks. You also see a lot of old photographs of naked, skinny and intimidating³ Yogis (or sometimes even plump, kindly⁴ and radiant Yogis) wearing beads, too. These strings⁵ of beads are called japa malas. They have been used in India for centuries to assist devout⁶ Hindus and Buddhists⁷ in staying focused during prayerful meditation⁸. The necklace is held in one hand and fingered in a circle--one bead touched for every repetition of mantra. When the medieval Crusaders drove East for the holy wars, they witnessed worshippers praying with these japa malas, admired the technique, and brought the idea home to Europe as rosary.

The traditional japa mala is strung with 108 beads. Amid the more esoteric circles of Eastern philosophers, the number 108 is held to be most auspicious⁹, a perfect three-digit multiple of three, its components¹⁰ adding up to nine, which is three threes. And three, of course, is the number representing supreme¹¹ balance, as anyone who has ever studied either the Holy Trinity or a simple barstool can plainly see. Being as this whole book is about my efforts to find balance, I have decided

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1 bead
n.念珠；(pl.)珠子项链；水珠
参考例句：
She accidentally swallowed a glass bead.她不小心吞下了一颗玻璃珠。 She has a beautiful glass bead and a bracelet in the box.盒子里有一颗美丽的玻璃珠和手镯。

2 beads
n.（空心）小珠子( bead的名词复数 )；水珠；珠子项链
参考例句：
a necklace of wooden beads 一条木珠项链 Beads of perspiration stood out on his forehead. 他的前额上挂着汗珠。

3 intimidating
vt.恐吓，威胁( intimidate的现在分词)
参考例句：
They were accused of intimidating people into voting for them. 他们被控胁迫选民投他们的票。 This kind of questioning can be very intimidating to children. 这种问话的方式可能让孩子们非常害怕。

4 kindly
adj.和蔼的，温和的，爽快的；adv.温和地，亲切地
参考例句：
Her neighbours spoke of her as kindly and hospitable.她的邻居都说她和蔼可亲、热情好客。 A shadow passed over the kindly face of the old woman.一道阴影掠过老太太慈祥的面孔。

5 strings
n.弦
参考例句：
He sat on the bed,idly plucking the strings of his guitar.他坐在床上，随意地拨着吉他的弦。 She swept her fingers over the strings of the harp.她用手指划过竖琴的琴弦。

6 devout
adj.虔诚的，虔敬的，衷心的 (n.devoutness)
参考例句：
His devout Catholicism appeals to ordinary people.他对天主教的虔诚信仰感染了普通民众。 The devout man prayed daily.那位虔诚的男士每天都祈祷。

7 Buddhists
n.佛教徒( Buddhist的名词复数 )
参考例句：
The Jesuits in a phase of ascendancy, persecuted and insulted the Buddhists with great acrimony. 处于地位上升阶段的耶稣会修士迫害佛教徒，用尖刻的语言辱骂他们。 来自英汉非文学 - 历史 The return of Saivite rule to central Java had brought no antagonism between Buddhists and Hindus. 湿婆教在中爪哇恢复统治后，并没有导致佛教徒与印度教徒之间的对立。 来自辞典例句

8 meditation
n.熟虑，（尤指宗教的）默想，沉思，（pl.）冥想录
参考例句：
This peaceful garden lends itself to meditation.这个恬静的花园适于冥想。 I'm sorry to interrupt your meditation.很抱歉，我打断了你的沉思。

9 auspicious
adj.吉利的；幸运的，吉兆的
参考例句：
The publication of my first book was an auspicious beginning of my career.我的第一本书的出版是我事业吉祥的开始。 With favorable weather conditions it was an auspicious moment to set sail.风和日丽，正是扬帆出海的黄道吉日。

10 components
（机器、设备等的）构成要素，零件，成分； 成分( component的名词复数 )； [物理化学]组分； [数学]分量； （混合物的）组成部分
参考例句：
the components of a machine 机器部件 Our chemistry teacher often reduces a compound to its components in lab. 在实验室中化学老师常把化合物分解为各种成分。

11 supreme
adj.极度的，最重要的；至高的，最高的
参考例句：
It was the supreme moment in his life.那是他一生中最重要的时刻。 He handed up the indictment to the supreme court.他把起诉书送交最高法院。

12 decided
adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的
参考例句：
This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。 There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

13 investigation
n.调查，调查研究
参考例句：
In an investigation,a new fact became known, which told against him.在调查中新发现了一件对他不利的事实。 He drew the conclusion by building on his own investigation.他根据自己的调查研究作出结论。

14 dangles
悬吊着( dangle的第三人称单数 )； 摆动不定； 用某事物诱惑…； 吊胃口
参考例句：
A kite dangles from a telephone wire. 一只风筝悬挂在电话线上晃来晃去。 Her hand, which dangles over the side, sparkles cold with jewels. 她一只手耷拉在一边，闪耀着珠宝的寒光。

15 apparently
adv.显然地；表面上，似乎
参考例句：
An apparently blind alley leads suddenly into an open space.山穷水尽，豁然开朗。 He was apparently much surprised at the news.他对那个消息显然感到十分惊异。

16 purely
adv.纯粹地，完全地
参考例句：
I helped him purely and simply out of friendship.我帮他纯粹是出于友情。 This disproves the theory that children are purely imitative.这证明认为儿童只会单纯地模仿的理论是站不住脚的。

17 thereby
adv.因此，从而
参考例句：
I have never been to that city,,ereby I don't know much about it.我从未去过那座城市，因此对它不怎么熟悉。 He became a British citizen,thereby gaining the right to vote.他成了英国公民，因而得到了投票权。

18 publicity
n.众所周知，闻名；宣传，广告
参考例句：
The singer star's marriage got a lot of publicity.这位歌星的婚事引起了公众的关注。 He dismissed the event as just a publicity gimmick.他不理会这件事，只当它是一种宣传手法。

19 gratitude
adj.感激，感谢
参考例句：
I have expressed the depth of my gratitude to him.我向他表示了深切的谢意。 She could not help her tears of gratitude rolling down her face.她感激的泪珠禁不住沿着面颊流了下来。

20 scattered
adj.分散的，稀疏的；散步的；疏疏落落的
参考例句：
Gathering up his scattered papers,he pushed them into his case.他把散乱的文件收拾起来，塞进文件夹里。

21 anonymity
n.the condition of being anonymous
参考例句：
Names of people in the book were changed to preserve anonymity. 为了姓名保密，书中的人用的都是化名。 Our company promises to preserve the anonymity of all its clients. 我们公司承诺不公开客户的姓名。

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