[Advaita-l] Why holy mantras are chanted 108 times

[Michael Shepherd]

Perhaps I should add an example to my question :

If the Sun is distant from us 108 times its diameter (who measured it ?) :
then is this just a simple fact, like 'this flower has seven petals'; or is
it a clue to Creation, the Bramanda itself ? Unless we are clear about the
significance of numbers in the divine science, it seems to me that we could
demote number into some sort of superstitious 'magic'..

If the diameter of the Sun is thus related to distance, this would be an
implication for the study of gravitational pull..

The examples of 108 given recently sem to me to vary in their significance
and implications... 108 Upanishads.. ?

Michael

-----Original Message-----
From: advaita-l-bounces at lists.advaita-vedanta.org
[mailto:advaita-l-bounces at lists.advaita-vedanta.org]On Behalf Of Michael
Shepherd
Sent: 11 January 2010 11:40
To: A discussion group for Advaita Vedanta
Subject: Re: [Advaita-l] Why holy mantras are chanted 108 times



This does raise the question : is 'number' and numbers, part of the active
agency of Creation (as for instance the Circle of Nine Points would
suggest) -- thus a sort of hidden aspect of empirical science; or simply a
reminder of the nature of that Creation; or both ? (I hope this makes
sense..)

Michael

-----Original Message-----
From: advaita-l-bounces at lists.advaita-vedanta.org
[mailto:advaita-l-bounces at lists.advaita-vedanta.org]On Behalf Of
Tanushree Bagrodia
Sent: 11 January 2010 07:26
To: advaita-l at lists.advaita-vedanta.org
Subject: Re: [Advaita-l] Why holy mantras are chanted 108 times



>
> A new member (who still has to learn a lot), I would like to share my
>> learnings on the number 108.
>
>
> 1 stands for brahman, the One and only whole reality
> 0 depicts maya, the creator of all illusions
> 8 is the ashtadha prakriti, the materialistic world
>
> The only thing separating the materialistic world from the brahman is maya
> and hence the 0 between the 1 and 8. It is maya and getting sucked into it
> that creates the distance between the material world and the brahman.
> Without the brahman or the ashtadha prakriti, maya own its own has no
> powers. 0 on its own has no value. Thus the number 108 is a representation
> of brahman and a constant reminder that there is only One reality and One
> truth all else is an illusion created by maya in the form of the
> materialistic world.
>
> Interestingly, SitaRam and RadheyShyam in the devnagri script also add to
> 108
>
> For e.g. SitaRam
> Sita :
> The alphabet "s" in Devnagri is the 32nd consonant
> The vowel sound "I" in Devnagri is the 4th
> The alphabet "t" is the 16th consonant
> The vowel sound "A" is the 2nd
> Total of these is 54
>
> Ram:
> The alphabet "r" is the 27th consonant
> The vowel "A" is the 2nd
> The alphabet "m" is the 25
> Total of these is 54
>
> Total for SitaRam is 108
>
> Similarly RadheyShyam adds to a 108
>
> 108 was used in the titles of vaishnav saints, however, in the recent
times
> not understanding the significance of 108 many mandleshwars (which again
is
> a mis-representation as it should be mandleeshwar from the words mandli +
> ishwar) have started using 1008, such that their titles read 1008 swami
sri.
> This should be 108, if used at all.
>
>
>
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