The Mystic Meaning of the Number 108

The number 108 has held a multi-dimensional meaning throughout history.

The Spiritual Symbolism of the Number 108

In geometric terms, it is a natural division of the circle (108=36+72=9 X 12). In the Eastern part of the world, various traditions discuss the 108 navamsas. The Shiva malas^{^[1]}, or rosaries, both Tantric and Tibetan^{^[2]}, are composed of 108 beads. The number 108 is also of great significance within the Rosicrucian order since it exemplifies the timeframe of some of their cycles.

Interestingly enough, a leap year displays 366 days, and 3 x 6 x 6 gives 108.

Historical Meaning of the Number

The number 108 is considered sacred in many Eastern religions and traditions, including Hinduism[3], Buddhism, Jainism[4], and Sikhism, as well as yoga and dharma-based practices. Even the prehistoric monument Stonehenge is 108 feet in diameter. 108 is a number associated with spiritual completion, and it is no surprise that the early Vedic sages were renowned mathematicians, having, in fact, invented our modern number system. 108 is a Harshad Number, an integer divisible by the sum of its digits. Harshad in Sanskrit means “joy-giver.” 108 was the number of choice for this simple reason: 108 represents the whole of existence. It is said that there are 108 types of meditation. Some say there are 108 paths to God. Indian traditions have 108 dance forms.

Another interesting example is that Hindu deities have 108 names, while in Gaudiya Vaishnavism, there are 108 gopis of Vrindavan. Recital of these names, often accompanied by the counting of the 108-beaded Mala, is considered sacred and frequently done during religious ceremonies. The recital is titled "NA Maja Pa." Accordingly, a mala usually has beads for 108 repetitions of a mantra.

In some schools of Buddhism, it is believed that there are 108 defilements. In Japan, at the end of the year, a bell is chimed 108 times in Buddhist temples to mark the end of the old year and welcome the new one. Each ring represents one of 108 earthly temptations a person must overcome to achieve nirvana. Likewise, Zen priests wear juzu, a ring of prayer beads, around their wrists, which consists of 108 beads. The Lankavatara Sutra^{^[5]} has a section where the Bodhisattva Mahamati asks Buddha 108 questions.

In modern Gnosticism, as taught by Samael Aun Weor, it is believed that an individual has 108 chances, or lifetimes, to eliminate their ego and transcend the material world before "devolving" and having their ego forcibly removed in the infra-dimensions. In other words, each one of us carries the remnant memory cells of at least 108 previous incarnations, which constitute the body of our incarnational selves. Inside this, mostly, the holographic template has stored a repository of the emotional and spiritual involvements that your Soul may have experienced and retained the impression of, but which needed to be cleansed and integrated to continue the spiritual evolution.

The Buddhist tradition discusses the 108 earthly desires of mortals, the 108 lies humans tell, and the 108 human delusions. [6]

The esoteric presence of the number 108 is evident in various spiritual practices and theories. In Kriya Yoga, the maximum number of repetitions allowed in one sitting is 108. Additionally, 108 Sun Salutations in yoga practice are often used to honor change, such as the change of seasons, or at a time of tragedy to bring peace, respect, and understanding. It is said that if one can remain calm in meditation and practice pranayama to have only 108 breaths a day, then enlightenment will follow.

Energy Points^{^[7]}

There are said to be 108 energy lines, or nadis, converging to form the heart chakra. Marma points are like Chakras, or intersections of energy, with fewer converging energy lines. On Sri Yantra, the Marmas have 54 intersecting energy lines where three lines intersect. Each has feminine, or shakti, and masculine, or Shiva, qualities. 54 X 2 = 108. Therefore, 108 points define the human body and the Sri Yantra, also known as the Yantra of Creation. The same rule is observed in the Sanskrit language, with its 54 letters, which represent both genders, and are also referred to as Shiva and Shakti, respectively; again, 54 × 2 = 108.

Importance in Astronomy and Astrology

The Earth cycle is supposed to be 2160 years, which equals 20 x 108. The distance between the Earth and the Sun is 108 times the diameter of the Sun. The diameter of the Sun is 108 times the diameter of the Earth. The distance between the Earth and the Moon is 108 times the diameter of the Moon. The universe is composed of 108 elements, according to ancient texts. The current periodic table claims a few more than 108.

There are 12 constellations and 9 arc segments. 9 times 12 equals 108. The 9 planets traveling through the 12 signs constitute the whole of existence. 9 x 12 = 108. The 27 nakshatras or lunar constellations spread over the 4 elements - fire, earth, air, water, or the 4 directions - north, south, east, and west. This also constitutes the whole of existence. 27 x 4 = 108.

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[1] - The Buddhist rosary, which is inspired by the rosary of the Muslims, then straight away as an inheritance of the crusades by Catholic Christians, is constituted of 108 fragments of different human skulls.

[2] 108 sacred books constitute the holy writings for Tibetans

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[3] The Vedanta, according to Hindu tradition, recognizes 108 authentic doctrines (Upanishads) that aim to approach the Truth and destroy Ignorance.

[4] In the Jain tradition, it is believed that there are 108 virtues.

[5] The Lankavatara Sutra, an ancient teaching, repeatedly refers to many temples with 108 steps.

[6] In Tibetan Buddhism it is believed that there are 108 sins or 108 delusions of the mind: abuse, aggression, ambition, anger, arrogance, baseness, blasphemy calculation, callousness, capriciousness (unaccountable changes of mood or behavior) censoriousness (being severely critical of others), conceitedness, contempt, cruelty, cursing, debasement, deceit, deception, delusion, derision, desire for fame, dipsomania (alcoholism characterized by intermittent bouts of craving), discord, disrespect, disrespectfulness, dissatisfaction, dogmatism, dominance, eagerness for power, effrontery (insolent or impertinent behavior), egoism, enviousness, envy, excessiveness, faithlessness, falseness, furtiveness, gambling, garrulity (tediously talking about trivial matters), gluttony, greed, greed for money grudge, hardheartedness, hatred, haughtiness, high-handedness, hostility, humiliation, hurt, hypocrisy, ignorance, imperiousness (assuming power or authority without justification), imposture (pretending to be someone else in order to deceive), impudence, inattentiveness, indifference, ingratitude, insatiability, insidiousness, intolerance, intransigence (unwilling or refusing to change one's views or to agree about something), irresponsibility, jealousy, know-it-all, lack of comprehension, lecherousness, lying, malignancy, manipulation, masochism, mercilessness, negativity, obsession, obstinacy, obstinacy, oppression, ostentatious, pessimism, prejudice, presumption, pretense, pride, prodigality (spending money or using resources freely and recklessly), quarrelsomeness, rage, rapacity (being aggressively greedy or grasping), ridicule, sadism, sarcasm, seduction, self-denial, self-hatred, sexual lust, shamelessness, stinginess, stubbornness, torment, tyranny, unkindness, unruliness, unyielding, vanity, vindictiveness, violence, violent temper, voluptuousness, wrath.

[7] According to Chinese and Indian martial arts, Marma Adi, and Ayurveda, there are 108 pressure points in the human body.