Why 108???

As a yogi, my favorite jewelry is a long, beaded necklace. The one I love most is made of sandalwood. Its warm, woody aroma grounds me. I have used it for many meditations and feel it has become a trusted friend. Some would never wear a mala as an adornment because it's traditionally considered a sacred tool. But I believe my mala doesn't mind that I carry it around my neck and not in a pouch.

Most malas contain 108 beads plus a guru bead and a tassel. I was always curious about that number 108. What seems random is actually an ancient, auspicious number. Check out these surprising finds:
 
In astrology, there are 12 houses and 9 planets. 12 times 9 equals 108.

They say, 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. The average distance of the Moon from the Earth is 108 times the diameter of the Moon. But I think, some detail oriented astronomers might disagree. Anyway, it's a good approximate.

There are 54 letters in the Sanskrit alphabet. Each has masculine and feminine, Shiva and Shakti. 54 times 2 equals 108.

There are 108 major Upanishads, a collection of spiritual texts in India.

There are 108 Marma points, sacred areas on the body in Indian Ayurvedic massage.

There are 108 major meridians (energy lines) coming out from the heart center.
 
And my favorite:
"There are 108 beads in a Catholic rosary. And there are 108 stitches in a baseball. When I learned that, I gave Jesus a chance." From the movie, Bull Durham (1988). 

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