What is the significance of 108 beads on a mala?
What is the significance of 108 beads on a mala?
In yoga, the number 108 refers to spiritual completion. That’s the reason why malas used for japa (silent repetition of a mantra) are composed of 108 beads – with an additional “meru” bead, which when reached, prompts the practitioner to count the mala beads in reverse order.
How many beads should be there in Japa Mala?
108 beads
The main body of a mala is usually 108 beads, though other numbers are also used. In addition, there is often a 109th bead (often of a distinctive size or colour) and/or tassel and sometimes there are additional beads which may be decorative or used for counting rounds.
What is the importance of 108 in Hinduism?
In Hinduism, we believe that outer cosmology should mirror our inner spirituality because our ultimate realization is that we are one in the same. It is said that the number 108 units represent the distance between our body and the God within us.
Does a mala have to have 108 beads?
108 Beads. Malas always have 108 Beads. There are also variations of malas like pocket malas or mala bracelets and they may have 27 beads or 54 beads, or any multiple of 9, as 9 is a sacred number in Yoga.
What does 108 stand for?
The number 108 is considered a sacred number in Hinduism, Buddhism and yogic tradition. Malas or Japa beads come in a string of 108 and are used for devotional meditation, mantra and prayer. With each bead a mantra or prayer is repeated to meet a total of 108.
Is 108 a holy number?
108 is a sacred number in many cultures and religions, notably in Hinduism, Buddhism and Jain traditions. Mathematicians also consider it is special, Leonardo Fibonacci, born around A.D. 1170 having posited in his theory that the number 108 has a way of representing the wholeness of existence.
How do you use 108 mala beads?
How do I use them?
- Hold your mala with one hand.
- Let it drape across your fingers so you can move it easily.
- Complete one full breath (inhale and exhale).
- Move your fingers to the next bead, breathing in and out once per bead.
- Finish at the guru bead to complete 108 breaths.
