Before wearing Tulsi mala, she should be offered to Lord Krishna then Tulasi mala can be taken as prasadam.
Four Rules & regulations to be followed strictly,
NO Meat eating
No Intoxication
NO Illicit Sex
No Gambling
Minimum 3 rounds and it can go upto 6 rounds. Shrila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura Prabhupada used to wear around 6 rounds of Tulasi neck beads. If the neck beads are not made of Tulasi, then they should never be worn in the neck by either uninitiated or initiated devotees. Also sometimes uninitiated devotees wear only 2 rounds and initiated devotees wear 3 rounds. There is no scriptural basis for this. If a practicing devotee is chanting the Holy Names and following the five regulative principles including the Ekadashi fasting from grains twice a month, then one can wear Tulasi neck beads of minimum of three rounds whether one is initiated or not. But one should not wear less than three rounds of Tulasi neck beads.
Of course in the traditional Gaudiya Math standards, the devotees would start wearing Tulasi neck beads and tilaka only after initiation when they have been given to them by Shrila Gurudeva. But the benefits of wearing Tualsi neck beads and tilaka are so unlimited as described in the Hari Bhakti Vilasa, then one can surely start wearing them when one accepts a spiritual master in one's heart even though one may not have formally accepted the mantras from the Guru. As Shrila Prabhupada said that real initiation with Gurudeva is from the heart. Also the neck beads mean that we are no longer spiritual orphans but we have a spiritual Gurudeva under whose shelter and guidance we are chanting (ashraya laiya bhaje krishna taara naahi tyaje) just like pet dogs who have masters in India are identified from the stray dogs by a strap around their necks.
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Dandavat pranam
Hare Krishna Prabhu,
Please accept my humble obeisance.
All glories to Lord Krishna & Srila Prabhupad
Before wearing Tulsi mala, she should be offered to Lord Krishna then Tulasi mala can be taken as prasadam.
Four Rules & regulations to be followed strictly,
NO Meat eating
No Intoxication
NO Illicit Sex
No Gambling
Minimum 3 rounds and it can go upto 6 rounds. Shrila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura Prabhupada used to wear around 6 rounds of Tulasi neck beads. If the neck beads are not made of Tulasi, then they should never be worn in the neck by either uninitiated or initiated devotees. Also sometimes uninitiated devotees wear only 2 rounds and initiated devotees wear 3 rounds. There is no scriptural basis for this. If a practicing devotee is chanting the Holy Names and following the five regulative principles including the Ekadashi fasting from grains twice a month, then one can wear Tulasi neck beads of minimum of three rounds whether one is initiated or not. But one should not wear less than three rounds of Tulasi neck beads.
Of course in the traditional Gaudiya Math standards, the devotees would start wearing Tulasi neck beads and tilaka only after initiation when they have been given to them by Shrila Gurudeva. But the benefits of wearing Tualsi neck beads and tilaka are so unlimited as described in the Hari Bhakti Vilasa, then one can surely start wearing them when one accepts a spiritual master in one's heart even though one may not have formally accepted the mantras from the Guru. As Shrila Prabhupada said that real initiation with Gurudeva is from the heart. Also the neck beads mean that we are no longer spiritual orphans but we have a spiritual Gurudeva under whose shelter and guidance we are chanting (ashraya laiya bhaje krishna taara naahi tyaje) just like pet dogs who have masters in India are identified from the stray dogs by a strap around their necks.
Radhe Radhe
Daser Anudas,
Sibaram