Why does a mala have 108 beads?
There is no single reason. 108 was already a sacred number in Hindu and Buddhist traditions, and each explains it differently: a Hindu canon lists 108 Upaniṣads, and Japanese Buddhism speaks of 108 worldly passions. A string of 108 beads lets one pass of the mala complete one full count of the mantra.
One bead, one recitation
A mala is a counting string. One bead is passed for each recitation, so a full pass is a full count and the hands keep the number while the mind stays on the words. Many of the mantras in Japa's library are described as counted this way: Oṃ Maṇi Padme Hūṃ is counted on a mala of 108 beads, one bead to a recitation
, and the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra on a mala of 108 tulasī beads
.
The explanations people give
The number is older than any one explanation of it, and the explanations differ by tradition. Two that can be traced to a named source:
- Hindu. The Muktikā Upaniṣad gives a canon of 108 Upaniṣads (verses 1.30–39).
- Buddhist. In Japan, temples strike their bells 108 times on New Year's Eve, joya no kane, for the 108 worldly passions (bonnō) of Buddhist teaching, as the Asian Art Museum of San Francisco describes it.
You will also meet astrological and numerological explanations. They are popular, but they are explanations of the number after the fact, and no single one is the reason.
Not every string has 108
Strings are made in the sizes traditions actually use. Half (54) and quarter (27) malas are common for shorter sittings, and Japa offers both. A Muslim misbaḥa usually has 33 or 99 beads; a Catholic rosary has five decades of ten; an Orthodox prayer rope is commonly of 33, 50 or 100 knots. Sikh simran does not require a mala at all.
Is 108 the number you must say?
Not necessarily. For most of the 108-bead practices in Japa's library, 108 is recorded as Japa's suggestion rather than a rule of the tradition. Some communities do set a number: initiated ISKCON devotees undertake sixteen rounds of the mahā-mantra a day, which is 1,728 recitations. If you were given a number by a teacher, that is the one to keep.
Print a mala
The printable mala tracker is a ring of 108 beads to tick by hand, with a 27-bead quarter version on its second page, as a free PDF in A4 and US Letter.
Questions
Why 108 and not 100?
Because 108 was already a sacred number before it was a bead count. The mala carries the number the tradition counts in; it was not rounded to a decimal figure.
What is the extra bead on a mala?
Most malas have a larger head bead, often called the meru or guru bead, that marks where a round begins and ends. It is not counted as one of the 108.
Can I use a mala of 54 or 27 beads?
Yes. Half and quarter malas are common, and you can go round them two or four times for a full 108. Japa's online counters offer rounds of 27, 54 and 108.
Read the texts
Sources
- Muktikā Upaniṣad 1.30–39, the list of 108 Upaniṣads
- Asian Art Museum of San Francisco, Japanese New Year Bell-Ringing Ceremony, on joya no kane and the 108 bonnō
- Japa practice library: Om Mani Padme Hum, Hare Krishna Maha Mantra, Waheguru and The Jesus Prayer (practice notes)
Count it in Japa
Japa counts a mantra in rounds of 108, 54, 27 or any size you choose, with a haptic for each bead and an optional bell at the end of each round. If you prayed on your own mala, you can add the rounds afterwards instead of tapping them out.
Counting is free and unlimited on iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch. No account, no ads, no subscription. Japa is an independent app and is not endorsed by any teacher, lineage or community.