The Importance of the Number 108 in Buddhism

The New Year’s Eve bell is struck 108 times as a symbol of overcoming of the 108 passions, or imperfections, that human beings are said to possess. (The number 108 plays a prominent role in Buddhism and Hinduism, although often with different explanations of how the number is derived.) The number appears in Buddhism at several turns. Full strands of Buddhist beads, or mala, contain 108 beads as a reminder of these passions or limitations. Statues of the young Siddhartha in meditation show 108 small topknots on his head.

As in this explanation adapted from the “Story of the Juzu” by Bishop Shinsho Hanayama, the equation is the product of senses, feelings, attachment to pleasure, and time:

Six senses are recognized in Buddhism: sight, sound, smell, taste, touch, and consciousness (mind). Now, each of these six sensations is associated with pleasant, unpleasant, or indifferent feelings, making a total of 18 feelings. Furthermore, each of the pleasant, unpleasant, and indifferent feelings has two classifications: those feelings that are attached to pleasure or detached from pleasure. When we multiply the 18 different kinds of feelings with the two classifications, we arrive at the figure 36. These 36 are the basic passions of man that are manifested in time—past, present, and future. Thus, 36 multiplied by past, present, and future will give us the total of 108 passions.

Bonus LinkS: What Are the 108 Defilements?

Yes, over time Buddhist sages have specifically identified the 108 imperfections we all deal with.

While this is a folk tradition, we are told it is rooted in the teachings of wise Buddhist scholars. So far we do not have a direct link to a treatise in the Chinese Mahayana canon for documentation. Wikipedia, accessed December 2024, has an extensive article referring to the custom as starting in the the Song dynasty in China. Belo find links to several secondary sources, including blog postings and news articles, on the topic.

This table, a blog by Charlie Jewitt provides a concise view of the bonno in English:
“The 108 Defilements of Buddhism”

This listing in a blog on Kansai Culture includes the English and Japanese (hiragana) view in a numbered listing, mostly alphabetical:
“The 108 Vices of Buddhism”

Here’s one overview from the Japan Times:
“Your 108 Misleading Karmas” (Note: article may be behind a paywall.)