A most interesting fact that reveals some of the mysticism around 108 – is that according to the Vedas: [ref: 1]:
- The Sun is 108 Suns from the Earth. That is, 108 Sun diameters. Which is found to be very accurate by modern science calculations.
- The Moon is 108 Moons from the Earth. That is 108 Moon diameters. Which not only is also accurate by modern science calculations, but strange coincidence indeed, that the distance to Earth to Sun and Earth to Moon are both an exact multiple of 108.
- The diameter of the Sun is 108 Earths. Not only is this also accurate by modern science calculations, but this a triple coincidence of the 108, as if the previous two coincidences weren’t enough! Astonishing!
Apart from the fact that the ancient sages inferred this several thousands of years ago, without the aid of modern scientific instruments, is in itself also mind boggling.
Just do the math:
I decided to punch in the numbers myself:
Earth to Moon = 108 Moons
Hinduism:
Distance between Moon and Earth = (Diameter of the Moon) x 108 = (3476 km) x 108 = 375,408 km
Modern science:
The shortest distance from the Earth = 356,399km
The longest distance from the Earth = 406,699km
The average distance from the Earth = 384,400km
It’s off by just 2%. Note, that this variation may be because we haven’t taken into account any change in pattern of Moons orbit in the past 10,000 or so years. Also, note that there is variation of 11% between the perigee and apogee in the moon’s orbit, so we can’t simply take the average.
Earth to Sun = 108 Suns
Hinduism:
Distance between Sun and Earth = (Diameter of the Sun) x 108 = (1.39 million km) x 108 = 150.12 million km
Modern science:
The average distance from the Sun to the Earth = 150 million km
Sun Diameter = 108 Earths
Hinduism:
Diameter of the Sun = (Diameter of the Earth) x 108 = (12,756 km) x 108 = 1.38 million km
Modern science:
Diameter of the Sun = 1.39 million km
Coincidence?
The above are too much to be simply coincidences. There is obviously some deeper principle behind this that we have not yet fathomed. Western science may one day find the underlying connection, and when it does it will name it some “XYZ Constant”. My point being that Hindu yogis couldn’t care less what anyone called it. What’s more important is to “know” it – as in direct perception – they probably know the underlying or higher dimensional significance of 108, of which we are seeing only the projection of in our limited three dimensional, fish eyed view of the universe. By experiencing Reality directly, all the secrets of the universe unravel before you with lucid clarity. Knowledge doesn’t have to come from a book; in fact it doesn’t. It comes from the mind which observes nature.
108 – Breath Cycle
Some years back I indulged a little bit in western astrology and vedic astrology. One of the first things I learnt in vedic astrology was that their units of measure for time was all derived from the cycles of breath. That is the Hindu time units of seconds, minutes, hours, days, weeks, months, years,… yugas, kalpas, etc. were all based on our breath cycles.
So, on hunch, I decided to see if there would be any connection between the number of breath cycles and 108. And viola, there was! The average adult male breaths 21,600 times per day (10,800 solar breaths and 10,800 lunar breaths) – a clean multiple of 108!
Hindu sages obviously had some sort of deeper awareness of the connection between the macrocosm and microcosm.
More…
More coincidences? or some deeper laws that science has yet to discover? I’m including multiples of 27 also (for example 27 or 54 is commonly used in beads for beaded wrist chains or short necklace chains, instead of 108).
- Sun takes 27 days to rotate (27 x 4 = 108).
- There are 27 nakshatras (27 x 4 = 108).
- Upper Limit for FM Radio frequency is set to 108 MHz.
- The number of dimples in a golf ball is a multiple of 108.
- 12 signs of the zodiac x 9 grahas (”planets”) = 108.
One reason why science may have not yet discovered it is because they are seemingly all so unrelated. But then, so was light, energy, mass, space, time, and gravity also so not connected, now we know they are. Like for example, that gravity can be seen as a curvature in the fabric of space-time.
from other sources;
http://sanatandharma.ind.in/108-number-108-beads-japa-mala-sanatan-dharma/
doing this, proceed to do 
