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Crystal thread

I heard that crystals are very useful for buddhist related things. We can use them for meditation and we can use them to make negativity go away. Every Crystal type is special with its own vibration and its own causes. I dont really know too much about crystals but I just bought a few, waiting for them to be shipped.

If you have a collection of crystals or any at all than I am interested to see a photo of them. If you want to share any knowledge or photos than thatd be great too.

Each one is special for a certain chakra, thats pretty interesting.


Comments

  • federicafederica Seeker of the clear blue sky... Its better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than to speak out and remove all doubt Moderator
    I have practised Crystal therapy, and I also used faceted lead crystal pendants during my time as a Feng Shui Consultant.
    I don't know of any specific Buddhist tradition that deliberately uses crystals for chakra balancing, but I have been convinced of their efficacy. However, I seldom use them currently....
  • GlowGlow Veteran
    edited February 2014
    I have a soft spot for rose quartz. It has a very soft color and density that feels very soothing to me. It's supposedly associated with loving energy. I don't know how much I believe in crystals, but I do understand how stones can evoke different feelings, and I have noticed that -- subjectively -- when I've ordered crystals online and received, I sometimes get a "bad" feeling about a stone, while others feel very resonant and powerful. BTW, you have to be careful with those online vendors. Sometimes they send you tiny, tiny stones. I received a shipment of stones that were all around the size of a small coin, but my favorite rose quartz (which I've unfortunately lost) was among them -- it was a tiny, splinter shaped stone that broke in two... and I have no idea where either piece is.

    I generally try not to rely on gimmicks or gewgaws in my Buddhist practice, but I sometimes look at a rose quartz for a few minutes before doing metta practice.
    zsc
  • Glow said:

    I have a soft spot for rose quartz. It has a very soft color and density that feels very soothing to me. It's supposedly associated with loving energy. I don't know how much I believe in crystals, but I do understand how stones can evoke different feelings, and I have noticed that -- subjectively -- when I've ordered crystals online and received, I sometimes get a "bad" feeling about a stone, while others feel very resonant and powerful. BTW, you have to be careful with those online vendors. Sometimes they send you tiny, tiny stones. I received a shipment of stones that were all around the size of a small coin, but my favorite rose quartz (which I've unfortunately lost) was among them -- it was a tiny, splinter shaped stone that broke in two... and I have no idea where either piece is.

    I generally try not to rely on gimmicks or gewgaws in my Buddhist practice, but I sometimes look at a rose quartz for a few minutes before doing metta practice.

    Thats funny I was gonna post a picture of the rose quartz that I purchased. ITs my favorite one. And yeah its tiny but im okay with them being small. Theres no other way of me getting crystals.

    Is the tiny one less effective?
    federica said:

    I have practised Crystal therapy, and I also used faceted lead crystal pendants during my time as a Feng Shui Consultant.
    I don't know of any specific Buddhist tradition that deliberately uses crystals for chakra balancing, but I have been convinced of their efficacy. However, I seldom use them currently....

    Do you find any of them to be specifically effecive?
    Glow
  • federicafederica Seeker of the clear blue sky... Its better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than to speak out and remove all doubt Moderator
    edited February 2014
    Yes, when applied to correct usage....
    Crystals all have specific effects and benefits....
    I find haematite very effective for grounding, and Amethyst as a general tonic and anti-depressant...
    Be careful where you keep them though; exposure to sunlight can alter their colour and efficacy....
    I clean my crystals by covering them, for 24 hours, in pure rock-salt, then rinsing them thoroughly and drying them naturally.
    Cleansing them this way relieves them of negative energy and impurities....
    EvenThird
  • federica said:

    Yes, when applied to correct usage....
    Crystals all have specific effects and benefits....
    I find haematite very effective for grounding, and Amethyst as a general tonic and anti-depressant...
    Be careful where you keep them though; exposure to sunlight can alter their colour and efficacy....
    I clean my crystals by covering them, for 24 hours, in pure rock-salt, then rinsing them thoroughly and drying them naturally.
    Cleansing them this way relieves them of negative energy and impurities....

    Wow I always thought sunlight was good for them. Do you know if a crystal being smaller also makes it weaker?


    And if you dont mind id like to see some of your stones if you have a photo of them.
  • federicafederica Seeker of the clear blue sky... Its better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than to speak out and remove all doubt Moderator
    I have no photos, simply because (sadly) my crystals are currently in storage (boy, will THEY need a M-A-J-O-R clean when I get them back!)

    You would use crystals of suitable dimensions for the function you require, (you wouldn't use a large rock on an eyelid, would you?!) but the size doesn't affect the efficacy, no....
  • Chakras actually aren't a Buddhist concept, they're part of the Hindu tradition. And crystals don't "make negativity go away" on their own. What they do is magnify the body's electromagnetic energy, so if a healer's working on you, their energy is enhanced by the crystal. Some crystals can help strengthen a person's "aura" or E-M field (which does relate to the chakras, according to Hindu tradition).
  • I have collected crystals, rocks and minerals all my life, not so much for the metaphysical aspects as the aesthetics and fascination with the geology behind them. Many of the rock shops where I picked up my specimens or sold the ones I dug up and cleaned catered to the folks who were into the meta side, though. I had many fascinating conversations with the shop owners and learned much about their beliefs.

    The one thing I'd like to contribute is that often the metaphysical collector is overcharged for the crystal. A nice piece of smokey quartz that a rock collector can buy for, say, ten dollars will be sold to you for fifty. Cleansing and charging of the crystals is simple, according to the people who operate the stores. Stick them in a bowl of sea salt and place it on a windowsill for a few days. So you can try buying the raw crystals and experimenting and save money.

    If you want to buy nice crystals, a good place to look is ebay. With areas like China and Brazil selling direct that way, you should be surprised at what you can buy for very little money anymore. Quartz is the most common mineral on earth, and quartz crystals are not rare by any means.

    I lost my folder of pictures of my collection in a computer crash but I'll take some more pictures over the next couple of days and post them so you can see some fantastic crystals from around the world.
  • @Dakini there is Buddhist yoga actually. I believe there are four chakras rather than seven like the Hindu.
  • Cinorjer said:

    I have collected crystals, rocks and minerals all my life, not so much for the metaphysical aspects as the aesthetics and fascination with the geology behind them. Many of the rock shops where I picked up my specimens or sold the ones I dug up and cleaned catered to the folks who were into the meta side, though. I had many fascinating conversations with the shop owners and learned much about their beliefs.

    The one thing I'd like to contribute is that often the metaphysical collector is overcharged for the crystal. A nice piece of smokey quartz that a rock collector can buy for, say, ten dollars will be sold to you for fifty. Cleansing and charging of the crystals is simple, according to the people who operate the stores. Stick them in a bowl of sea salt and place it on a windowsill for a few days. So you can try buying the raw crystals and experimenting and save money.

    If you want to buy nice crystals, a good place to look is ebay. With areas like China and Brazil selling direct that way, you should be surprised at what you can buy for very little money anymore. Quartz is the most common mineral on earth, and quartz crystals are not rare by any means.

    I lost my folder of pictures of my collection in a computer crash but I'll take some more pictures over the next couple of days and post them so you can see some fantastic crystals from around the world.

    This is great contribution. thanks
  • zsczsc Explorer
    @Glow my favorite bracelet is made of rose quartz. I bought it at a local venue while out with one of my good friends to commemorate the memories of love and friendship our outing brought, and still continue to bring. I wear it on and off, but reading your post made me realize that I can wear it more often as a reminder to approach the world with a spirit of friendship and hospitality. Thanks for nudging me in the right direction :)
    Glowpommesetoranges
  • HamsakaHamsaka goosewhisperer Polishing the 'just so' Veteran
    Jeffrey said:

    @Dakini there is Buddhist yoga actually. I believe there are four chakras rather than seven like the Hindu.

    "Tan dien" or "Dantien" (spelled all kinds of ways) is Chinese and I first heard of it as part of breath meditation on another forum. I guess the 'dantien' is a similar concept as a chakra, a locus of energy in the human body.

    Thanissaro Bikkhu teaches a simple breath meditation where six areas are 'breathed through' and they are roughly in the same bodily spots as the Hindu chakra system.

    BTW, when I was in nursing school, and the New Age was in full swing, I kept getting strep throat over and over again. I would take antibiotics and it would just come back. It would hit me like a freight train, high temperature, throat so sore I couldn't swallow my own spit. I bought an amethyst crystal and wore it around my neck because the lady at the shop told me amethyst was particularly powerful for purification and healing. The chain was short and the crystal was just below my collar bone. Nope, never got strep throat again. Go figure.

  • zsc said:

    @Glow my favorite bracelet is made of rose quartz. I bought it at a local venue while out with one of my good friends to commemorate the memories of love and friendship our outing brought, and still continue to bring. I wear it on and off, but reading your post made me realize that I can wear it more often as a reminder to approach the world with a spirit of friendship and hospitality. Thanks for nudging me in the right direction :)

    That's awesome! Even if stones don't have metaphysical properties, they can definitely serve as excellent spiritual reminders. :D The Buddha was fond of using flowers as a metaphor for the dharma as well -- anything that reminds us of the beauty outside out human world tends to be pretty evocative, IME.
    EvenThirdzsc
  • CinorjerCinorjer Veteran
    edited February 2014
    Here's a piece of amethyst quartz with miniature calcite stalactites. The amethyst is typical of Brazil, but you can't pin the exact mine down due to these geodes are traded around and sold on street corners and sometimes dug up from private property. This would have been a piece of a much larger hollow geode at one time.


  • And here's some yellow quartz from Sichuan, China. It's actually clear quartz crystals with a layer of iron oxide that gives it the yellow tint. Miners in China are supplying the collecting world with some great specimens, but it's a super dangerous occupation due to lack of safety standards over there.
  • federicafederica Seeker of the clear blue sky... Its better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than to speak out and remove all doubt Moderator
    Some people are also unscrupulous and just blast locations with explosives to get hold of these crystals. Another good reason to 'care' for them and clean them thoroughly.
    Cinorjer
  • BonsaiDougBonsaiDoug Simply, on the path. Veteran
    edited February 2014
    @Cinorjer - Are you into the art of suiseki (viewing stones/scholar stones) which are also placed on diazas. Yes? Or is this just coincidental in the way you display your crystal collection? Just curious...

    Either way, very nice!
  • @Cinorjer - Are you into the art of suiseki (viewing stones/scholar stones) which are also placed on diazas. Yes? Or is this just coincidental in the way you display your crystal collection? Just curious...

    Either way, very nice!

    You know of suiseki? Well of course with a name like @BonsaiDoug you would. I have tried playing around a bit with it, looking for the right rocks in streams and such, and tried carving my own bases. It's much harder than it looks, both to find the natural rocks (I am from the school that sees sawing off the base or making changes to the natural rock is cheating) and carving the wood base to fit. Here's two rocks I collected and carved bases for.
    Jeffrey
  • BonsaiDougBonsaiDoug Simply, on the path. Veteran
    @Cinorjer - yeah, the diaza is tough; tried once and it was not pretty. Suiseki folk are extremely anal regarding the diaza. It must be carved from one piece of wood, must fit the bottom of the stone precisely, and must have legs; carved from the wood and not glued on.

    A bit too anal for moi.
  • Here are mine , Ill name them starting from the green one. Fushite,amthyst,Kyanite blue,IDK,Aventurine Orange, Rose Quarts,Kyanite black, Pink idk
    Cinorjer
  • @heyimacrab That's a great lineup! I've always been fascinated by kyanite. It comes in a variety of colors depending on the impurities, but the bright blue just stands out on the shelf. It's a shame that it's so fragile it damages very easily. I ordered one through ebay that arrived in a thousand pieces, even though it was inside bubble wrap. Hope you're careful not to drop yours.
  • Cinorjer said:

    @heyimacrab That's a great lineup! I've always been fascinated by kyanite. It comes in a variety of colors depending on the impurities, but the bright blue just stands out on the shelf. It's a shame that it's so fragile it damages very easily. I ordered one through ebay that arrived in a thousand pieces, even though it was inside bubble wrap. Hope you're careful not to drop yours.

    Its a shame that it shattered. Its such a gentle stone when you connect with it. That and the Fushite have lovely essence.
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