The significance of 108 – a magical number

Do you have a favourite number? Mine has been 13 for a long time and recently I added 108. As you may know, the long Yang form is also called 108 form as it is supposed to have 108 movements. So, I had a closer look at the significance of 108.

It turns out to be a sacred number in Buddhism and Hinduism! And I found some more fascinating details.

The significance of 108


  • 11 x 22 x 33 =? What you think? Get out your calculator!
  • The angles in a pentagon are each 108 degrees.
  • The distance from Earth to Sun is 108x the diameter of the Sun. And the distance between Earth and Moon is also 108x the diameter of the Moon!
  • The first flight in space (by Yuri Gagarin) was officially 108 minutes long.
  • The volume of frozen water increases up to 108%.
  • A core temperature of 108°F becomes life-threatening to the human organs.
  • 108 is a Harshad-number, which means it is an integer that is divisible by the sum of its digits when written in that base. Harshad is Sanskrit and means “joy-bringer”.
  • Talking about Sanskrit: The Sanskrit alphabet consists of 54 male and 54 female syllables = 108 syllables of Sanskrit!
  • In many Indian temples there are 108 steps, windows etc.
  • Mala Bead Bracelets* (which you could call the rosary of Buddhism and Hinduism) are made of 108 beads. Yoga people also often wear a Mala.
  • In India, in case of an emergency, you call 108!
  • On New Year’s Day they ring the temple bells 108 times in some Buddhist temples.
  • Rumour has it that there are 108 pyramids in Egypt.
  • Stonehenge’s diameter is 108ft.
  • An official baseball has 108 stitches.
  • There are 108 cards in the game “Uno*”.

Now back to the significance of 108 in Taijiquan: surely it is possible to count the moves in such a way that you get 108 moves as a result. However, my assumption is, that this number was chosen deliberately. Especially when thinking about the significance of 108 in Buddhism.

Compiled by

Vikas P Deshpande

M. E. Civil, Structural Consultant.

Vastu and Feng Shui Consultant

0434681647, deshpandevikas@gmail.com

 

 

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