The number 108 appears everywhere in Indian life — in mala beads, temple steps, wedding rituals, and yoga practice. But why this number specifically? What makes 108 sacred across so many traditions? Let’s try to understand the meaning of 108.
The number 108 appears everywhere in Indian life — in mala beads, temple steps, wedding rituals, and yoga practice. But why this number specifically? What makes 108 sacred across so many traditions? Let us explore together.
Here, we will explore ancient wisdom together and infuse it into our lives to make them wonderful. Let’s explore together the meaning of 108 from different aspects.
1. Meaning of 108 in spirituality
In spirituality, 108 symbolizes multiple meanings. We all know or have learned about Shiva’s cosmic dance, known as the Shiv Tandav. It is believed that the Shiv Tandav has 108 Postures, symbolizing that 108 is associated with the wholeness of the Universe. The Universe has 9 planets that revolve in 12 houses, which makes 108 total possibilities.
It is also said that 108 represents the association between God and the God-universe. 1 is unity, 0 is nothing, 8 is infinity. The logic is that if an individual merges with God or the God-universe by making himself zero, or nothingness, he becomes vast and infinite and becomes an integral part of God and the God-universe.
2. Meaning of 108 in Yoga
108 has deep meaning in yoga. The 7 chakras are arranged from the bottom to the top of our spine. Among these 7 chakras, the heart chakra is believed to be the center of love and compassion in humans; ultimately, 108 energy lines exist at this heart chakra, and chanting the word “Yam” 108 times harmonizes these lines, which may create a feeling of love in the person. Psychologists say it can also bring peace.
In yoga, during meditation, it is advised to chant the mantra 108 times; the repetition may create better focus and concentration. Psychologists have also shown that repetition can cause boredom, and eventually boredom sharpens focus; for example, on days when we are tired or bored, we fall asleep quickly and sleep better. Still, on days when we are not tired, or we are so excited, or maybe trapped in thought, we cannot sleep because boredom brings ultimate relaxation.
According to yoga, it is also believed that if a person breathes only 108 times in a day, they will attain enlightenment. “Read more about yoga for beginners” here.
3. Meaning of 108 in Scripture and nature.
According to Ayurveda, we have 108 vital points in our body. you chant a mantra 108 times, it awakens and activates these 108 points.
Also, in Hindu mythology, God has 108 names; there are 108 Upanishads, and it is believed that we humans are connected with the Lord through all 108 names of the Lord through the 108 energy lines of our heart chakra. In Sanskrit, there are 54 alphabets, with male and female, which, multiplied by 2, make 108. Also, our holy river Ganga flows at a longitude of 12 ° and a latitude of 9°; multiply them, and you get 108°.
4. Meaning of 108 in Buddhism
Not only in Hinduism, but 108 also has tremendous importance in Buddhism. There are 108 names known to Buddha, and 108 lamps are devoted to him. Most Buddhist temples have 108 steps. In Buddhism, there are a total of 108 lies, 108 earthly desires, and 108 illusions of the mind.
5. Meaning of 108 in Cosmology
108 is not just a number; it is a bridge between God and us, the Earth, and the Universe. Finally, the Earth’s distance from the Sun is 108 times its diameter; similarly, the Moon’s distance from Earth is 108 times the Moon’s diameter. 108 is not just a number; it is magic, the magic of nature, spirituality, and psychology.
6. Personal Experiment
Everywhere I practice a very simple exercise to increase focus and awareness, either at work or in my personal life.
Whenever I feel demotivated or frustrated, I do this simple exercise. I observe my full breath cycle 108 times and keep a count. It helps me calm down instantly. Whenever I feel angry, I hold my reflex for 108 seconds and see myself as an observer, trying to understand my emotion, my reasoning, and its consequences.
I am telling you it has helped me a lot. I don’t remember the last time I had unnecessary conflicts with anyone. I have been through many situations, both personal and professional, when I was overstimulated or when my workload caused fatigue. Right now, this simple exercise has helped me a lot, and the best part is that to practice it, you don’t need any props or an isolated place; you need yourself, which is always with you.
Then what is stopping you from merging your I with yourself and living life profoundly and excellently? You can explore more about the significance of 108 on Wikipedia.
How to use 108 in your daily life?
Apart from yoga, spirituality, cosmology etc, we can find meaning of 108 in our daily life can use it to uplift our life. You do not need a mala to begin: here are the 3 simple ways to bring the power of 108 into your daily ordinary life:
- Breath Counting: This is the simplest but most effective way to bring 108 into your life. For this, you do not need to sit in solitude and count the mala; you need focus and intention: focus on your breath and the intention of taking every breath with awareness. In this, we count our breath 108 times, and you will feel something extraordinary happen. It can create the same effect as meditation; Vigyaan Bhairav Tantra also says a person can become enlightened just by focusing on his breath.
- Mantra Repetition: This is another very effective way to incorporate 108 into your daily life. This can be done by reciting any mantra or the name of your God 108 times. This repetition will give you the same result as meditation, because “Vigyaan Bhairav Tantra” mentions that repeating a mantra creates the same effect as meditation.
- Gratitude list of 108 things: We can be grateful for many things, and listing them on paper will bring realization and thankfulness toward life and show how blessed we are. To do this, we need to do simple things, such as mentioning 108 things daily before going to bed, such as the things or incidents from the day for which you are grateful. This simple practice will bring lots of positivity into your life.
Final Thought
After knowing about the different meaning of 108, it is time to include this number in our life.108 is not just a number; it is a blessing to humans and every individual who incorporates it into their life. We can see this number, and all religions, spirituality, cosmology, etc., recognize its importance. If we consider it a holy number, we can start practicing these 3 simple steps to make our lives blissful.
