According to Osho, a mala symbolizes life, meditation, and wholeness: each bead is a perfected moment, invisibly threaded by eternity, guiding you toward egoless openness; the cross, by contrast, glorifies death and suffering, fixating on crucifixion rather than living consciousness. Wearing a mala affirms joyful, disciplined awareness and celebration; a cross reflects morbid seriousness and a culture of worshipping death instead of life.
A mala reminds you to live each moment joyfully and mindfully, while a cross focuses on death and suffering—choose the symbol that helps you celebrate life.