Why 108 beads?

The number 108 is considered a sacred number in many Eastern spiritual traditions, including Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism. It has significant spiritual and metaphysical symbolism and it is often used as a symbol of wholeness, completeness, and spiritual connection.  Here are some of the reasons why the number 108 is considered significant:

Hindu: In Hindu astrology, there are 27 constellations, each with four parts, which gives a total of 108 parts of the zodiac.  The number 108 is said to represent the number of Upanishads, which are sacred texts that form the basis of Hindu philosophy. Hindu deities are often depicted with 108 names, which are recited during worship.

Yoga: In traditional Hatha yoga, there are 108 marma points, which are energy centers in the body where two or more types of tissue meet, such as muscles, veins, ligaments, or bones. According to the Yogic scriptures, there are 108 energy lines, the so-called “Nadis” that lead to the “Anahata Chakra”, the heart chakra.

Buddhism: In Buddhism, it is believed that there are 108 earthly desires, that one must overcome in order to achieve enlightenment. In Tibetan Buddhism, there are 108 sacred sites around the world that are considered holy pilgrimage sites.

Mathematics: The number 108 is a Harshad number, which is an integer that is divisible by the sum of its digits. In this case, 1 + 0 + 8 = 9, and 108 is divisible by 9.

Spiritual significance: The number 108 is said to represent the wholeness of existence, with the 1 representing the universe, the 0 representing emptiness or completeness, and the 8 representing infinity or eternity.

Sun and Earth: The diameter of the sun is 108 times the diameter of the Earth. The distance from the sun to the Earth is 108 times the diameter of the sun.

Moon and Earth: The average distance of the moon from the Earth is 108 times the diameter of the moon.

Planets and houses: In astrology, there are 12 houses and nine planets. Twelve multiplied by nine equals 108.

Traditionally in ancient Indian numerology, one stands for God or higher Truth, zero is related to “emptiness” and the number eight is connected to the concept of infinity.

Heart chakra: The chakras are the intersections of energy lines, and there are said to be a total of 108 energy lines converging to form the heart chakra. One of them, sushumna, leads to the crown chakra, and is believed to be the path to self-realization.

Sanskrit alphabet: There are 54 letters in the Sanskrit alphabet. Each has masculine and feminine, Shiva and Shakti. So, 54 multiplied by 2 is 108.

Harshad number: 108 is a Harshad number, which is an integer divisible by the sum of its digits (Harshad is from Sanskrit and means "great joy").

River Ganga: The sacred River Ganga spans a longitude of 12 degrees (79° to 91°), and a latitude of nine degrees (22° to 31°). Again, if you follow the math, 12 multiplied by nine equals 108.