What is the meaning round beads around the neck of Sha Wujing?

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Not sure if he's the "least developed" of the pilgrim. In terms of moral disciplines, he's much better than his brother Pigsy. Venerable Thich Thien Sieu wrote a great essay that provides deeper analysis on the role and meaning of each pilgrim. Unfortunately I couldn't find any English's translation to the original article here. About the meaning of those huge beads, not sure if they carry any significant meaning other than to aid sutras reciting (sort of like the rosary beads..). The character Lu Zhishen (Flowery Monk) in the novel "Water Margin" also wears similar things..

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Today the beads are generally used for counting the breaths, however there is also a use for divination. In the latter each bead is assigned a meaning according to the breakdown of sense experience (vedana) as follows:

The six senses (eye, ear, nose, tongue, body, mind) X pleasant, unpleasant, neither-pleasant-nor-unpleasant Bound up in the worldly = 18 + Not bound to the worldly = 18 = 36 X Past, Future, Present = 108.

So bead #1 = past pleasant sensation down-bound to the world related to the eye

When asked a question the diviner finds the bead most appropriate to the question and visualizes (from his associations with that sense-experience) and interprets to attain an answer.

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