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‘108’ – Its Significance

(On the occasion of 108th issue of ‘Nirvana’) 108 or its fractions and multiples are considered very significant in all the Eastern Religions mainly in Hinduism. These are some interesting facts about the number 108. In India and in Hinduism, all the beings are part of the cosmos. The distance and the movement of the planets effect the Mind and Body of everyone. The distance of Earth from the Sun is about 108 times the diameter of the Sun. The distance between the Earth and the Moon is also about 108 times the diameter of the Moon. Modern astronomers like Nicolaus Copernicus (1473-1543) to Mike Brown (1965 -) used modern scientific instruments and their calculations reaffirm the ancient Indian astronomers’ findings. When the human body’s internal temperature reaches 108 degrees Fahrenheit the human body’s vital organs begin to fail from overheating. According to Ayurveda, there are 108 pressure points in the body, where consciousness and flesh intersect to give life to the living being. The Indian, Chinese, and other Asian countries have developed their traditional martial arts based on these pressure points in the body. In Buddhism there are 108 earthly temptations a person must overcome to achieve Nirvana and in most of their traditions they use malas or roseries with 108 beads. In Jainism there are 108 types of karma that one must practice in life before achieving the highest. In Hinduism, the followers of Shaivism and Vaishnavism also give importance to the number 108 in their scriptures and practices. So, in Asian Religions and cultures number 108 plays a very important roles in deciding their paraphernalia of rituals etc.