For the total development of the human being, solitude as a means of cultivating sensitivity becomes a necessity.
J. Krishnamurti

Friday, September 10, 2010

flying over ubekistan and 108

newark flight to dehli gate 108. 108 is an asupicious number in the hindu religion and has many meanings of  which, i wish i knew. i do know there are 108 beads in the mala prayer beads and i took this as my first good omen that i was headed in the right direction.
speaking of direction, this is my first trip east and flying over pakistan and ubekistan is like flying over a sea of red sand. an ocean of vastness that seemed to expand forever in every direction.
now finally in dehli.....and nothing can prepare one for the smell. it wraps you like a warm blanket of moth balls, spices, smoke and diesel fuel.
when i was met by 'juan' i had no idea what to expect and even where he might take me. talk about complete faith. looking out the back seat window cars buzzing by, rickshaws, bikes and humans are everywhere. already it became clear that in india  all social structure and norms i know of do not exisit. people are hanging out of cars, sqautting beside the highway, construction is taking place at 10 pm and cows have the right of way. so far i have said little and am just soaking in the flavor of this place. i already love it. the internet cafe i am in has the worst keyboard and touching makes me so happy i brought the xl bottle of hand sanitizer. wow, this is so surreal. love, love, love and faith... will be my mantra for tomorrow.

2 comments:

  1. I love reading your posts! Does the voice of India calling you sound anything like the mooing of a cow?
    Be well!

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  2. Ahhh the smell........

    Here you go my love... Significance of sacred number 108

    The early Vedic sages were renowned mathematicians and in fact invented our number system. 108 was definitely the number of choice for this simple reason: 108 represents the whole of existence. Here's some interesting reasons why:

    The number 9 represents wholeness and 108 when added together equals 9. 1+0+8 = 9. Interestingly, if you multiply 9 times ANYTHING, the answer is always 9 when you add the numbers together. Try it! 1x9= 9. 2x9=18 1+8=9. 285x9=2565 2+5+6+5=18 1+8=9. 8543x9=76887 7+6+8+8+7=36 3+6=9 The logic behind this is that 9 represents wholeness or God and God times anything is always God since God is all there is!

    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.

    Planets and Houses: The 9 planets travelling through the 12 signs/houses constitutes the whole of existence. 9 x 12 = 108

    The 27 nakshatras or lunar constellations spread over the 4 elements - fire, earth, air, water or the 4 directions - north, south, east, and west. This also constitutes the whole of existence. 27 x 4 = 108

    Consider the 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. The logic behind this is that 1 represents 1 dimensional reality, 2 represents 2 dimensional reality, 3 represents 3 dimensional reality. When you mulitply their powers together then you encompass the whole of existence.

    The universe is made up of 108 elements according to ancient texts. The current periodic table claims a few more than 108.

    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 time sthe diameter of the Sun.

    Moon and Earth: The average distance of the Moon from the Earth is 108 times the diameter of the Moon.

    Slver and the Moon: In astrology the metal Silver is said to represent the Moon. The atomic weight of Silver is 108.

    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 nine equals 108.

    Astrology: There are 12 constellations, and 9 arc segments called namshas or chandrakalas. 9 times 12 equals 108. Chandra means moon and kalas are the divisions within the whole.

    Time: Some say that there are 108 feelings, with 36 related to the past, 36 related to the present and 36 related to the future.

    Pentagon: The angle formed by two adjacent line in a pentagon equals 108 degrees.

    Sanskrit Alphabet: There are 54 letters in the Sanskrit Alphabet. Each has a masculine and a feminine, shiva and shakti, 54 times 2 is 108.

    Heart Chakra: The Chakras are the intersections of energy line, vortexes. 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.

    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. 9 times 12 is 108.

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