Why is mala made of 108 beads ?
The number 108 is very auspicious and has a significance for so many reasons, which are
Chakras
There are 108 energy lines connecting to the heart, with one of them believed to be the path to self realization.
Mantras
When using your mala beads in meditation and chanting your mantra, some have said you are complete once you have done it 100 times. The 8 extra beads are to account for errors. Or even more beautiful, are meant to be an offering to your guru.
Letters
Many choose to recite their mantra in sanskrit, the ancient script of India. Within the Saksrit alphabet there are 54 letters. Each letter has a feminine and masculine version — totalling 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.
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.
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.
Sumeru
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.