Why 108 Beads in a Mala? Sacred Meaning Explained

The number 108 appears across nearly every Indic spiritual tradition. A traditional mala has 108 beads. Sun namaskars are often performed in cycles of 108. Many temples have 108 steps.

Some say 108 reflects the average ratio of distances from the Earth to the Sun and Moon. Others note that the human body has 108 marma points. In numerology, 1 stands for higher truth, 0 for emptiness/completeness, 8 for infinity.

Whatever the source, the practice of completing 108 chants creates a contained, deliberate spiritual unit. It is not too few to be casual, nor too many to be unsustainable. It is a perfect circle.