108

WHY 108?  

Read and share with your friends the importance of number 108.

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

Harshad number: 108 is a Harshad number, which is an integer divisible by the sum of its digits (Harshad is from Sanskrit, and means "great joy")

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. There are said to be 108 virtues to cultivate and 108 defilements to avoid.

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. Chinese astrology says that there are 108 sacred stars.

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.

First man in space: The first manned space flight lasted 108 minutes, and was on April 12, 1961 by Yuri Gagarin, a Soviet cosmonaut. 

Stay Aware. Stay Blessed.

6 down to earth facts

Six down to earth facts:-

1. In a 2000 Sq feet house you live in 200 Sq feet; in the remaining 1800 Sq feet lives your ego.

2.The difference between "Time" and "Wealth". You are always aware at all times how much wealth you have but you are never aware at any time how much time you have.!!!

3. An anklet costs thousands but is worn on the feet but a bindi costs ₹ 2 and is worn on the forehead....Therefore it is not the cost that matters but the place.

4. In a book store lie both the Holy Gita and the Koran. They never quarrel with each other. ..The ones who fight in their name are those who have never read them....

5. A true friend is one who tells you the truth which may hurt like salt on a wound; those who speak sweetly are only sycophants. It is a known fact that salt never spoils but sweets spoil very easily.

6. Science claims that when hurt is inflicted on the tongue it heals very fast .....Wisdom says that when hurt is inflicted by the tongue it never heals. 👌🏽👌🏽👌🏽

Let it go

*Superb Msg*... Do read!!! When somebody told me that he has failed in his exams, my question is, *"Is it a law that you will pass every time?"* When someone told me that my boyfriend broke up with me, my question is, *"Is it a rule that you will have successful relationships everywhere?"*When somebody asked me why am I in depression, my question is, *"Is it compulsory to have confidence all the time?"* When someone cried to me about his huge business loss due to his wrong decision, my question is, *"Is it possible that you take all right decisions?"*The fact is our expectation that life has to be perfect/permanent is the biggest reason of our unhappiness.One has to understand the law of impermanence of nature. After each sunny day, there has to be a dark night, after each birth there have to be certain deaths, for the full moon to come again it has to pass through no moon. In this imperfection of nature, there is perfection. So *stop taking your failures and bad part of your life soooo personally or intensely,* even God does not like to give you pain but its the cycle through which you have to pass. Prepare yourself for one more fight after each fall because even failures cannot be permanent...  Enjoy life.... *Your breath comes to go.*

*Your thoughts come to go.*

*Your words come to go.*

*Your actions come to go.*

*Your feelings come to go.*

*Your illnesses come to go.*

*Your phases come to go.*

*Your seasons come to go.*

*You have come to go.*

Then why do you hold on to your guilt, anger, unforgiveness, hatred so so so tightly, when it too has come to go... *Let it go ..*

Durva

DURVA OR ARUGAMBPUL

Durva is a sacred grass. The word Durva is a combination of two words ‘duhu’ and ‘avam’. Duhuavam means that which is far away and brought closer. This implies that drive brings the distant pure spiritual or pavitrakas of Lord Ganesha closeness. But the Sanskrit literal translation means ‘which is cut or eaten by animals.’ It constantly enhances the principles of the three deities namely Shiva, Shakti and Ganesha. Durva or Arugambpul has a great capacity of attracting Primal Shiva, Primal Shakti and Primal Ganesh.

Generally durva is associated with Lord Ganesha. Use of durva in Hindu rituals can be traced back to Vedic times. There is a similar species called kusha grass and scholars and priests. There is a mention of durva grass in Verse 138 of the Guru Gita referring to different types of asanas and effects. Verse 139 states that durva mat should be covered by a white blanket as it may become uncomfortable after some time. The one usually identified as durva has a botanical name ‘cynodon dactylon’. This is referred to as Bermuda grass in the western world.

Durva grows wild and commonly cultivated in Hindu homes. It is a perennial fast growing, dark green, creeping grass. It has roots at the node and forms matted tufts. It sprouts back soon enough after being plucked and thus is a powerful symbol of regeneration, renewal, rebirth and fertility. This is the reason it is offered to householder Gods like Ganesha and not to ‘hermit Gods’ like Siva. The roots also have a tendency to grow deeper in search of water symbolizing perseverance. The tender shoots of durva have higher capacity to absorb the dew drops which falls on it. These tender shoots of durva are used in puja ritual of a deity.

DURVARCHANAI:

Durva is used for all kinds of puja, be it domestic, Satynarayana puja or the elaborate Durga puja. It is indispensable during any sacrifice. Whenever water has to be offered in prayer, it is done by dipping a bunch of durva into water and sprinkling it on the deity. Durva here is considered the purifier.

Offering durva in prayers is called ‘durvarchanai’. This practice varies from place to place. Durvankur is the offer of three or five leaflets to Sri Ganeshji. The middle leaflet of durvankur attracts the Principle of Primal Ganesh and the other two leaflets attract Primal Shiva and Primal Shakti Principles.

The minimum number of Durva to be offered to Sri Ganesh is 21. This is tied together and offered to Sri Ganesh after dipping into water. The entire deity of Sri Ganesh excluding the face should be covered with Durva. Thus the fragrance of Durva spreads around the deity. Sri Ganesh is ritualistically worshipped by offering a Durva and chanting or the utterance of the one thousand Names of Lord Ganesha. This is called ‘durvarchan’ or ‘durvarchanai’. “The Principle of a Deity is emitted in higher proportion through the Holy Feet of the idol. So the Durva offered in the beginning attracts Ganesh Principle in higher proportions. This Principle is then transferred to the Durva offered later on. This Principle is spread up to the top by the Durva offered in sequence. Due to this the Chaitanya frequencies are emitted from the idol in higher proportions.

Sometimes three leaflets of the tri-foliate Durva is offered to Sri Ganesha. This denotes the three gunas. The tri-foliate gives the benefit at the spiritual level. The sole aim of life of a person on a path of spirituality is to contribute to the divine mission by going beyond the trigunas. The symbolism here is for one to be in a state beyond the trigunas and continue with the spiritual mission.

As a result of the durvarchanai done in this manner, the Ganesh Principle is attracted to the venue of the worship in higher proportions. The Nirguna frequencies of Principles of Deities are attracted in the idol. These frequencies are transformed into Saguna frequencies in Sri Ganesh idol and they are then emitted through the idol because of which the worshipper gets more benefit. What is the symbolism here? First the nirguna principles are attracted to the deity. These frequencies are transformed into saguna frequencies in the Ganesha deity and they are then emitted through the idol. Durva emits chaitanya in higher proportions. It is also emitted as a subtle frequency as it is of sattvic frequency. In Hinduism, despite duality, the ultimate aim is to see and be blessed by nirguna aspects of God. It is for convenience that one worships the saguna deities.

It is thus clear that due to the emission of the Deity’s Principle through the durva, the adverse influence of the rajas-tamas-predominant principles in the environment is reduced. This is the reason why a person suffering from negative energies feels distressed when he comes in contact with the Durva”.

In South India and in many Ganesha temples, Arugampul or durva is made as garlands to be offered to Ganesha and this is called ‘arugampul malai’. ‘Malai’ or mala here means garland. Lord Ganesha is the Remover of Obstacles. Hence he is also known as Vigneshwara or vignahara. Vignam means obstacles or hindrances. Puja is conducted for Ganesha before any other deity.

In the South there is a practice of making a cone shape ‘manjal paste’ on which durva grass is planted. This ritual starts off the puja at hand. This is not thrown away after the prayer and is left in some place where the grass dries and becomes dust to be blown away. It is said that if the earth is mixed with the paste, then arugampul regenerates as if it is growing in the soil. This has a symbolic meaning that life goes on. It also symbolizes the inherent power of nature.

Durva is also an important aspect in spiritual and religious rituals. Participants in rituals, such as a homa, a sacrifice to fire, often wear rings made from durva grass.

AKSHATA:

In the absence of durva, it may be substituted by ‘Akshata’ which is unbroken rice grains smeared with kumkum offered to the deity. By tradition akshata is all-encompasing. Akshata implies that it can be used as a substitute of substances offered in rituals’.

MYTHOLOGY:

There are various legends and myths about Durva. One relates to an Asura-demon named Analasura. He scared everyone, including the Gods and was such a terror that the earth would tremble by his voice and his eyes used to emit fire. The Gods prayed to Ganesha for rescue from Analasura. Ganesha took a child form and commenced the “Sarvkasha” war.

Fireballs oozing out from Analasura’s eyes destroyed surroundings of Ganesha. He tried to gulp Ganesha. This led to Ganesha showing his real roopa. However, due to heat Ganesha was restless. The heat was unbearable despite applying sandal paste all over his body. Seeing this predicament all Gods decided to make a foundation of the moon on his head and Ganesha is also known as “Bhalachandra.

Lord Vishnu gave his lotus therefore Ganesha is also known as “Padmapani”. Lord Shankara removed a cobra from his neck and tied it to Ganesha’s hip. Lord Varuna, Rain God showered plenty of water, heat was not subsiding. It is said that 88,000 sages came with a small bunch of twenty one durvas. It was placed on Ganesha’s head and miraculously the heat subsided. In appreciation He announced that “whoever with devotion, offer me Durva would be pious and get punya”. Punya among other meanings indicate good karma.

The second legend has it that there was a most beautiful Apsara who was devoted and loved Ganesha. She chanted and prayed so that she could marry Ganesha. Ganesha too liked her. However Ghanesha’s mother, Parvathi was not keen in this alliance. She cursed Apsara to become a simple grass form on the earth where nobody would look at her. But Apasara begged for pardon. Parvati did forgive her, but later blessed her that even as a grass she would be durva and adored by Ganesha.

Thirdly the story is of Sage Kaundinya. He was relating the importance of Durva and Ganesha to his wife Ashraya who had doubts about this grass. Sage Kaundinya gave her bunch of 21 Durva and told her to get the gold equivalent from Lord Indra who is the God of all other Gods. Ashraya approached Lord Indra and asked about gold, but he in turn sent her to “Kubera” who is the Treasurer of Gods. However the scales were not balanced. Even all the other Gods like Brahma, Vishnu, Siva arrived and sat on top of the gold. The scales were in favour of durva. This perplexed everyone and all Gods approached sage Kaundinya at his ashram to address this. Kaudinya said that Ganesha being the King of all states, there could be no one superior.

Then there are mythologies linked to Vishnu, Sita and even a reference to Amrit which fell on durva grass to make it sacred. The Bhavishnya Purana states that durva originated from the hair on Vishnu’s hand and thighs while he supported the Mandara mountain during Samudra manthan. Hair fell and touched by Amrita to become durva. One more says that durva represents the hair of Brahma or even Sita.

Durva is also referred as Goroma. ‘Go’ indicates ‘mother earth’ and roma means hair. Thus, it is considered the hair of Mother Earth. According to Vamana Purana, durva is produced from Vasuki’s tail. Myths are myths, but it is the symbolism behind these stories that one is taken into account.

MEDICINAL VALUE:

Durva has a medicinal value. ‘Internally durva is used in various diseases. The plant is beneficial in the treatment of epilepsy and hysteria and in conditions associated with pain, due to vitiation of vata dose. As a potent styptic, it effectively arrests the bleeding in dysentery, piles, haematuria, epistaxis, menorrhagia, diarrhea, raktapitta etc. It checks the uterine bleeding, strengthens the uterus, averts the abortion and augments the fetal growth. The plant juice given along with rice water and rock candy, curbs the vomiting. Duva is useful as a general tonic as well as an aphrodisiac’.

Elephant

A mind stuck in wrong belief due to childhood or past experiences

As a man was passing the elephants, he suddenly stopped, confused by the fact that these huge creatures were being held by only a small rope tied to their front leg. No chains, no cages. It was obvious that the elephants could, at anytime can break away from their bonds but for some reason, they did not.

He saw a trainer nearby and asked why these animals just stood there and made no attempt to get away. “Well,” trainer said, “when they are very young and much smaller we use the same size rope to tie them and, at that age, it’s enough to hold them. As they grow up, they are conditioned to believe they cannot break away. They believe the rope can still hold them, so they never try to break free.”

The man was amazed. These animals could at any time break free from their bonds but because they believed they couldn’t, they were stuck right where they were.

Like the elephants, how many of us go through life hanging onto a belief that we cannot do something, simply because we failed at it once before?

Moral: 

Check and understand the childhood experiences and change false beliefs.

Failure is a part of learning. We should never give up the struggle in life. You fail not because you are destined to fail, but because there are lessons which you need to learn as you move on with your life.

Overdraft

Your Karmic Overdraft Account!

Banks offer a type of current account with an overdraft facility against security. The balance in this kind of account can become negative up to a certain prescribed limit depending on the value of the security. When the balance is already negative, further withdrawal will make the balance even more negative. However, if you deposit some money into that account, the negative balance will reduce. So long as the balance is negative, you are liable to the bank. But once the balance becomes zero, your liability is over.

Our karmic account is similar to an overdraft account. We all come into this world with a negative balance in our karmic account due to our past lives. The actions that we perform with some underlying desire are like further withdrawals from our karmic overdraft account that increases our “liability” further. On the other hand, the actions that we perform without any desire are like deposits into the overdraft account that reduce the negative balance, eventually bringing it down to zero.

We do not know what kind of karmic overdraft we are born with. The law of karma is complex. Even if we perform a supposedly ‘good’ deed, we are, more often than not, likely to have some conscious or unconscious desire while performing that good deed. For example, when we drop a coin into a beggar’s tin, we may have a hidden desire that the beggar’s hunger will be eventually satisfied so that we are required to give once again. All said and done, it is a worldly desire.

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Even a conscious or subconscious feeling that 'I am doing a good deed and it will benefit me in some way in future,' is like withdrawing from the karmic account. A better way is to drop a coin into the beggar’s tin thinking that you are in a position to do so and that it is the right thing to do at that moment. All thoughts about future consequences of our actions should be shunned. Then the action will be like a deposit into the karmic account reducing the negative balance.

Consider every action or experience in the present moment as setting off a past karmic debt. In other words, do not regard your action or experience in the present moment as a cause of something that will happen in the future. 

It is our normal tendency to link every action to a scenario, past or future, in a cause-effect relationship. That is the basis of the law of karma. Instead, we should regard each action as simply a duty appropriate in the present moment which is nullifying a part of the accumulated karmic debt. If we cannot manage to bring down the negative karmic balance to zero before we die, we must come back to this planet for another life. This has to repeat again and again until the karmic overdraft balance becomes zero.

Scriptures and spiritual writers use the metaphor of sowing live and roasted seeds. Desireless action is like a roasted seed – it can never germinate. On the other hand, action with some conscious or unconscious desire is like a “live” seed that will sprout into a tree bearing fruits of karma that will, in turn, have further live seeds. Thus, the karmic cycle perpetuates due to desires.

That is why Krishna advises us in the Bhagwad Gita, verse 2:47 -- ‘Karmanyewadhikaraste, ma phaleshu kadachan’ -- You have a right only to perform an action and not a right to its fruit.

Meaning of Ram and KRISHNA

This is Discourse 14 of the Ánanda Vacanámrtam series.

  

 

“Krśńa” and “Ráma”

There are three explanations of the word “Krśńa” – philosophical, biological and historical.

The philosophical explanation is that Krśńa attracts every being: knowingly or unknowingly, each and every particle of this universe is being attracted towards the Nucleus of this entire Cosmological order. But it is the duty of beings to move towards Him. He attracts everyone. The second philosophical explanation is the feeling in the jiiva (unit being) of its “I”-ness – “I exist,” “I am.” Since He is there, this feeling of “I”-ness is there. Had Krśńa not been there, would I have remained?

What is the biological Krśńa? It is He who controls and guides all the vrttis [propensities] and pravrttis [sentiments] as the nucleus of the sahasrára cakra.

The historical Krśńa, as everybody knows, was a special personality who fought and made others fight for the establishment of dharma and morality.

Each and every word is meaningful. Another name for Parama Puruśa is Ráma. The word “Ráma” has also got three explanations.

One meaning is Rámante yoginah yasmin – “the only entity, the only object, from which yogis, that is, spiritual aspirants, get pleasure”. Spiritual aspirants do not get pleasure from small, finite, worldly objects. They want something infinite. Na alpe sukhamasti – “Bliss cannot be obtained from finite objects.” The infinite object which supplies them with infinite happiness is nothing but Ráma. As said in Ánanda Sútram,(1) Sukhamanantamánandam [“Infinite happiness is ánanda (bliss)”] – they want ánandam and not sukham, they want bliss and not happiness. Rámante yoginah yasmin.

Another meaning of “Ráma” is Ráti mahiidhara Ráma – “[Ráma is] the most glittering entity of the entire universe”. The first syllable of ráti [“glittering”] – rá – and the first letter of the word mahiidhara [“world”] – ma – make up “Ráma”. Why(2) glittering entity? Because all other glittering entities get their [glitter] from Him. In this solar system, we derive energy from the sun. But from where does the sun get energy? The sun gets energy(3) from the Cosmological Nucleus. There are countless solar systems in the Cosmos. And for all these solar systems, the hub is Parama Puruśa, Puruśottama. He is the Nucleus of all energy. The sun gets energy from Him alone – therefore Ráti mahiidhara.

The third meaning of “Ráma” is Rávańasya marańam Ráma [“Ráma is the death of Rávańa”]. The first syllable of Rávańasya and the first syllable of marańam go to make up “Ráma”. And what is Rávańa? In the Rámáyańa there is something regarding Rávańa. (The Rámáyańa is a mythological book, it is not history.) Rávańa means a ten-faced demon. That is, Rávańa represents the extroverted human mind moving, functioning, in ten directions – moving towards crudeness, away from the Nucleus – being drifted away by the centrifugal force. How can one be saved from crudification? Rávańa can be defeated, can be destroyed, only when one takes shelter in Ráma. That’s why He is Rávańasya marańam: when one takes shelter in Parama Puruśa, Rávańa automatically dies. So one under whom Rávańa automatically dies is “Ráma” – Rávańasya marańam – the first syllable of Rávańa, and the first syllable of marańam.

18 August 1978 morning, Patna