Guest guest Posted March 15, 2007 Report Share Posted March 15, 2007 Respected group members & Gurujans, Why a mala contains 108 only and not any other number.Why not 100 or 101 or any other number. Is there any write up regarding this in vedas or any other scripture. Is it ideal to do jap without a mala with fingures??. Thanx & regards, Bhaba Now that's room service! Choose from over 150,000 hotels in 45,000 destinations on Travel to find your fit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 15, 2007 Report Share Posted March 15, 2007 Dear Bhabha, Our Ancestors were very knowledgable. We have 27 nakshatras with 4 charans each. Multiply 27 x 4 and You get 108. So when You take 108 names of the Lord, you automatically are doing remedial measures for every position of the planets in Your chart, because all the Lords of these charans are nothing else but manifestations of the Supreme itself. 108 Padas means all the degrees of the Zodiac covered. You have by taken 108 names of the Lord, actualy paid obesciense too all the portions of this Universe. Japa by Mala is the best. This same japa by Mala but Mansik (ie.without saying aloud)is again the best combination. But this does not mean that we cannot do Japa without Mala or in any other way. Eating food in a quality restaurant is the best. But to appease ones hunger, if one is not able to eat in a good quality restauarant, a roadside one will do, to appease the same. Therefore discretion has to be used. Formalities without Bhava(Love)and faith and surrender have not much meaning. But if the Japa is combined with formalities, rules and regulations peoperly adhered to, and also with Prem-Bhava,Shraddha (Devotion) and Bhagawan par Bharosa (Faith in God), then this Japa can become the most potent and powerful medicine for relief for any human. At the same time for those who are immersed in wordly filial activities and do not have time and infrastructure for going into formals of Japa, but yet they remember Him constantly, offer all their services and action to Him, believe in Him,Love Him, have faith in Him,treat Him as his own,and unconsciously or consciously do Japa of Him , always, even when happiness is seen or sadness, yet they continue their rememberances and Japa, just like the heart beating, such souls though they may not be apparently seen doing Japa vocally or with a Mala (Rosary) in their hands, yet they get the same results due to their devotion and love for God. The Destination is the same,ie.Going back to Godhed, The ways may be different viz.Japa Yoga, Bhakti Yoga, RajYoga-Jnana Yoga, Kriya Yoga ,Karma Yoga etc. and these inside them individually would have various by lanes to tread upon, due to various sections of humanity being occupied with various activities and lines of occupation, making it difficult for all to tread on a common platform. So Bandhu, please carry on, in your search for peace and enlightenment through Japa. regards, Bhaskar. , Bhabagrahi Pradhan <bhabagrahip wrote: > > Respected group members & Gurujans, > > Why a mala contains 108 only and not any other number.Why not 100 or 101 or any other number. Is there any write up regarding this in vedas or any other scripture. > > Is it ideal to do jap without a mala with fingures??. > > Thanx & regards, > > Bhaba > > > > Now that's room service! Choose from over 150,000 hotels > in 45,000 destinations on Travel to find your fit. > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 15, 2007 Report Share Posted March 15, 2007 ||Jai Ramakrishna|| Dear Mr.Pradhan, Also note 108 is divisible by 3.... & three is considered auspicious in hindu religion...we have 108 upanishads as well... Shree Ramakrishna once said " Maalaa jape sala, kar jape bhai, maney maney jape je tar bolihari jaayi " ...meaning Brother-in-law does Japa in Mala, Brother does in fingers & one who does in mind, should be praised " ... Thanq , Bhabagrahi Pradhan <bhabagrahip wrote: > > Respected group members & Gurujans, > > Why a mala contains 108 only and not any other number.Why not 100 or 101 or any other number. Is there any write up regarding this in vedas or any other scripture. > > Is it ideal to do jap without a mala with fingures??. > > Thanx & regards, > > Bhaba > > > > Now that's room service! Choose from over 150,000 hotels > in 45,000 destinations on Travel to find your fit. > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 15, 2007 Report Share Posted March 15, 2007 Dear Mr Pradhan Very well written by Ghosh jee. Another opinion is, we have 27 Nakshatras and each Nakshatra have 4 parts, so 27 x 4 = 108. Regards Manpreet Singh , " " <gg_0202 wrote: > > ||Jai Ramakrishna|| > Dear Mr.Pradhan, > Also note 108 is divisible by 3.... & three is considered auspicious > in hindu religion...we have 108 upanishads as well... > Shree Ramakrishna once said " Maalaa jape sala, kar jape bhai, maney > maney jape je tar bolihari jaayi " ...meaning Brother-in-law does Japa > in Mala, Brother does in fingers & one who does in mind, should be > praised " ... > Thanq > > > , Bhabagrahi Pradhan > <bhabagrahip@> wrote: > > > > Respected group members & Gurujans, > > > > Why a mala contains 108 only and not any other number.Why not > 100 or 101 or any other number. Is there any write up regarding this > in vedas or any other scripture. > > > > Is it ideal to do jap without a mala with fingures??. > > > > Thanx & regards, > > > > Bhaba > > > > > > > > Now that's room service! Choose from over 150,000 hotels > > in 45,000 destinations on Travel to find your fit. > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 15, 2007 Report Share Posted March 15, 2007 Dear Friends, On a mala, or set of mantra counting beads, there are generally 108 beads, or some fraction of that number. The question often arises: " Why are there 108 beads on a mala? " Below are some of the many reasons that have been given, as well as a few other points of interest. None of these reasons are being promoted here as more or less true than the others. However, you may notice that 108 appears to be somewhat like a road map of reality in general, and the human in particular. Regardless of the meaning of 108, it is important that if a mala is used to count mantras, the mantra be remembered with sincerity, devotion, feeling, and full attention. 9 times 12: Both of these numbers have been said to have spiritual significance in many traditions. 9 times 12 is 108. Also, 1 plus 8 equals 9. That 9 times 12 equals 108. Powers of 1, 2, and 3 in math: 1 to 1st power=1; 2 to 2nd power=4 (2x2); 3 to 3rd power=27 (3x3x3). 1x4x27=108 Desires: There are said to be 108 earthly desires in mortals. Lies: There are said to be 108 lies that humans tell. Delusions: There are said to be 108 human delusions or forms of ignorance. 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 said 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. 54 times 2 is 108. Pranayama: If one is able to be so calm in meditation as to have only 108 breaths in a day, enlightenment will come. Upanishads: Some say there are 108 Upanishads, texts of the wisdom of the ancient sages. Sri Yantra: On the Sri Yantra there are marmas where three lines intersect, and there are 54 such intersections. Each intersections has masculine and feminine, shiva and shakti qualities. 54 times 2 equals 108. Thus, there are 108 points that define the Sri Yantra as well as the human body. Pentagon: The angle formed by two adjacent lines in a pentagon equals 108 degrees. Marmas: Marmas or marmasthanas are like energy intersections called chakras, except have fewer energy lines converging to form them. There are said to be 108 marmas in the subtle body. Time: Some say there are 108 feelings, with 36 related to the past, 36 related to the present, and 36 related to the future. 8 extra beads: In doing a practice of counting the number of repetitions of the mala, 100 are counted as completed. The remaining are said to cover errors or omissions. The 8 are also said to be an offering to God and Guru. Chemistry: Interestingly, there are about 115 elements known on the periodic table of the elements. Most of those, around or higher than the number 100 only exist in the laboratory, and some for only thousandths of a second. The number that naturally exist on Earth is around 100. Astrology: There are 12 constellations, and 9 arc segments called namshas or chandrakalas. 9 times 12 equals 108. Chandra is moon, and kalas are the divisions within a whole. River Ganga: The sacred River Ganga spans a longitude of 12 degrees (79 to 91), and a latitude of 9 degrees (22 to 31). 12 times 9 equals 108. Planets and Houses: In astrology, there are 12 houses and 9 planets. 12 times 9 equals 108. Goddess names: There are said to be 108 Indian goddess names. Gopis of Krishna: In the Krishna tradition, there were said to be 108 gopis or maid servants of Krishna. 1, 0, and 8: Some say that 1 stands for God or higher Truth, 0 stands for emptiness or completeness in spiritual practice, and 8 stands for 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. Silver and the moon: In astrology, the metal silver is said to represent the moon. The atomic weight of silver is 108. Numerical scale: The 1 of 108, and the 8 of 108, when added together equals 9, which is the number of the numerical scale, i.e. 1, 2, 3 ... 10, etc., where 0 is not a number. Meditations: Some say there are 108 styles of meditation. Breath: Tantra estimates the average number of breaths per day at 21,600, of which 10,800 are solar energy, and 10,800 are lunar energy. Multiplying 108 by 100 is 10,800. Multiplying 2 x 10,800 equals 21,600. Paths to God: Some suggest that there are 108 paths to God. Smaller divisions: The number 108 is divided, such as in half, third, quarter, or twelfth, so that some malas have 54, 36, 27, or 9 beads. Hinduism: 108 is said to refer to the number of Hindu deities. Some say that each of the deities has 108 names. Islam: The number 108 is used in Islam to refer to God. Jain: In the Jain religion, 108 are the combined virtues of five categories of holy ones, including 12, 8, 36, 25, and 27 virtues respectively. Sikh: The Sikh tradition has a mala of 108 knots tied in a string of wool, rather than beads. Buddhism: Some Buddhists carve 108 small Buddhas on a walnut for good luck. Some ring a bell 108 times to celebrate a new year. Chinese: The Chinese Buddhists and Taoists use a 108 bead mala, which is called su-chu, and has three dividing beads, so the mala is divided into three parts of 36 each. Stages of the soul: Said that Atman, the human soul or center goes through 108 stages on the journey. Meru: This is a larger bead, not part of the 108. It is not tied in the sequence of the other beads. It is the quiding bead, the one that marks the beginning and end of the mala. Dance: There are 108 forms of dance in the Indian traditions. Praiseworthy souls: There are 108 qualities of praiseworthy souls. (by Swami Jnaneshvara Bharati) Regards Kumar ================================================ C. P. KUMAR Scientist 'E1' National Institute of Hydrology Jal Vigyan Bhawan Roorkee - 247667 (Uttarakhand) INDIA Web Page : http://www.angelfire.com/nh/cpkumar/ ================================================ Unfold the Goddess Within: Shambhavi/ ================================================ , " manpreetchaman " <manpreetchaman wrote: > > Dear Mr Pradhan > > Very well written by Ghosh jee. > > Another opinion is, we have 27 Nakshatras and each Nakshatra have 4 > parts, so 27 x 4 = 108. > > Regards > Manpreet Singh > > , " " > <gg_0202@> wrote: > > > > ||Jai Ramakrishna|| > > Dear Mr.Pradhan, > > Also note 108 is divisible by 3.... & three is considered > auspicious > > in hindu religion...we have 108 upanishads as well... > > Shree Ramakrishna once said " Maalaa jape sala, kar jape bhai, > maney > > maney jape je tar bolihari jaayi " ...meaning Brother-in-law does > Japa > > in Mala, Brother does in fingers & one who does in mind, should be > > praised " ... > > Thanq > > > > > > , Bhabagrahi Pradhan > > <bhabagrahip@> wrote: > > > > > > Respected group members & Gurujans, > > > > > > Why a mala contains 108 only and not any other number.Why not > > 100 or 101 or any other number. Is there any write up regarding > this > > in vedas or any other scripture. > > > > > > Is it ideal to do jap without a mala with fingures??. > > > > > > Thanx & regards, > > > > > > Bhaba > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 16, 2007 Report Share Posted March 16, 2007 Respected Kumar Saab,BhaskarJi & other group members, Thank You very much for beautiful response from all. Regards, Bhaba " C. P. Kumar " <cpkumar wrote: Dear Friends, On a mala, or set of mantra counting beads, there are generally 108 beads, or some fraction of that number. The question often arises: " Why are there 108 beads on a mala? " Below are some of the many reasons that have been given, as well as a few other points of interest. None of these reasons are being promoted here as more or less true than the others. However, you may notice that 108 appears to be somewhat like a road map of reality in general, and the human in particular. Regardless of the meaning of 108, it is important that if a mala is used to count mantras, the mantra be remembered with sincerity, devotion, feeling, and full attention. 9 times 12: Both of these numbers have been said to have spiritual significance in many traditions. 9 times 12 is 108. Also, 1 plus 8 equals 9. That 9 times 12 equals 108. Powers of 1, 2, and 3 in math: 1 to 1st power=1; 2 to 2nd power=4 (2x2); 3 to 3rd power=27 (3x3x3). 1x4x27=108 Desires: There are said to be 108 earthly desires in mortals. Lies: There are said to be 108 lies that humans tell. Delusions: There are said to be 108 human delusions or forms of ignorance. 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 said 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. 54 times 2 is 108. Pranayama: If one is able to be so calm in meditation as to have only 108 breaths in a day, enlightenment will come. Upanishads: Some say there are 108 Upanishads, texts of the wisdom of the ancient sages. Sri Yantra: On the Sri Yantra there are marmas where three lines intersect, and there are 54 such intersections. Each intersections has masculine and feminine, shiva and shakti qualities. 54 times 2 equals 108. Thus, there are 108 points that define the Sri Yantra as well as the human body. Pentagon: The angle formed by two adjacent lines in a pentagon equals 108 degrees. Marmas: Marmas or marmasthanas are like energy intersections called chakras, except have fewer energy lines converging to form them. There are said to be 108 marmas in the subtle body. Time: Some say there are 108 feelings, with 36 related to the past, 36 related to the present, and 36 related to the future. 8 extra beads: In doing a practice of counting the number of repetitions of the mala, 100 are counted as completed. The remaining are said to cover errors or omissions. The 8 are also said to be an offering to God and Guru. Chemistry: Interestingly, there are about 115 elements known on the periodic table of the elements. Most of those, around or higher than the number 100 only exist in the laboratory, and some for only thousandths of a second. The number that naturally exist on Earth is around 100. Astrology: There are 12 constellations, and 9 arc segments called namshas or chandrakalas. 9 times 12 equals 108. Chandra is moon, and kalas are the divisions within a whole. River Ganga: The sacred River Ganga spans a longitude of 12 degrees (79 to 91), and a latitude of 9 degrees (22 to 31). 12 times 9 equals 108. Planets and Houses: In astrology, there are 12 houses and 9 planets. 12 times 9 equals 108. Goddess names: There are said to be 108 Indian goddess names. Gopis of Krishna: In the Krishna tradition, there were said to be 108 gopis or maid servants of Krishna. 1, 0, and 8: Some say that 1 stands for God or higher Truth, 0 stands for emptiness or completeness in spiritual practice, and 8 stands for 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. Silver and the moon: In astrology, the metal silver is said to represent the moon. The atomic weight of silver is 108. Numerical scale: The 1 of 108, and the 8 of 108, when added together equals 9, which is the number of the numerical scale, i.e. 1, 2, 3 ... 10, etc., where 0 is not a number. Meditations: Some say there are 108 styles of meditation. Breath: Tantra estimates the average number of breaths per day at 21,600, of which 10,800 are solar energy, and 10,800 are lunar energy. Multiplying 108 by 100 is 10,800. Multiplying 2 x 10,800 equals 21,600. Paths to God: Some suggest that there are 108 paths to God. Smaller divisions: The number 108 is divided, such as in half, third, quarter, or twelfth, so that some malas have 54, 36, 27, or 9 beads. Hinduism: 108 is said to refer to the number of Hindu deities. Some say that each of the deities has 108 names. Islam: The number 108 is used in Islam to refer to God. Jain: In the Jain religion, 108 are the combined virtues of five categories of holy ones, including 12, 8, 36, 25, and 27 virtues respectively. Sikh: The Sikh tradition has a mala of 108 knots tied in a string of wool, rather than beads. Buddhism: Some Buddhists carve 108 small Buddhas on a walnut for good luck. Some ring a bell 108 times to celebrate a new year. Chinese: The Chinese Buddhists and Taoists use a 108 bead mala, which is called su-chu, and has three dividing beads, so the mala is divided into three parts of 36 each. Stages of the soul: Said that Atman, the human soul or center goes through 108 stages on the journey. Meru: This is a larger bead, not part of the 108. It is not tied in the sequence of the other beads. It is the quiding bead, the one that marks the beginning and end of the mala. Dance: There are 108 forms of dance in the Indian traditions. Praiseworthy souls: There are 108 qualities of praiseworthy souls. (by Swami Jnaneshvara Bharati) Regards Kumar ================================================ C. P. KUMAR Scientist 'E1' National Institute of Hydrology Jal Vigyan Bhawan Roorkee - 247667 (Uttarakhand) INDIA Web Page : http://www.angelfire.com/nh/cpkumar/ ================================================ Unfold the Goddess Within: Shambhavi/ ================================================ , " manpreetchaman " <manpreetchaman wrote: > > Dear Mr Pradhan > > Very well written by Ghosh jee. > > Another opinion is, we have 27 Nakshatras and each Nakshatra have 4 > parts, so 27 x 4 = 108. > > Regards > Manpreet Singh > > , " " > <gg_0202@> wrote: > > > > ||Jai Ramakrishna|| > > Dear Mr.Pradhan, > > Also note 108 is divisible by 3.... & three is considered > auspicious > > in hindu religion...we have 108 upanishads as well... > > Shree Ramakrishna once said " Maalaa jape sala, kar jape bhai, > maney > > maney jape je tar bolihari jaayi " ...meaning Brother-in-law does > Japa > > in Mala, Brother does in fingers & one who does in mind, should be > > praised " ... > > Thanq > > > > > > , Bhabagrahi Pradhan > > <bhabagrahip@> wrote: > > > > > > Respected group members & Gurujans, > > > > > > Why a mala contains 108 only and not any other number.Why not > > 100 or 101 or any other number. Is there any write up regarding > this > > in vedas or any other scripture. > > > > > > Is it ideal to do jap without a mala with fingures??. > > > > > > Thanx & regards, > > > > > > Bhaba > Be a PS3 game guru. Get your game face on with the latest PS3 news and previews at Games. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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