We have grown up learning what makes Earth the only habitable planet known to mankind. Its ‘optimum’ distance from the Sun plays a major role in supporting life as we know it. The other distance that affects life on this planet in terms of seasonal temperatures, tides in the oceans is the one between the Earth and the Moon. A closer look at these distances is startling. The average distance between the Earth and the Sun is 108 times the sun’s diameter whereas the average distance from the Earth to the Moon is 238,800 miles, about 108 times the moons diameter. And this makes the moon appear the same size as the sun to us when of course the diameter of the sun is over 400 times that of the moon. 

While ‘yoga’ has become a way of living for many, it is believed that the human body contains 7 chakras, or energy centers. Starting from the top of the head down to the base of the spine. The number ‘108’ is connected with our ‘Heart Chakra’, which is known to connect us with love, transformation, and compassion. As per Vedic wisdom there are 108 energy lines that come together right at the center of our chest, where the heart chakra lies. Pranayama cycles are often repeated in 108 cycles and sun salutations are often completed in nine rounds of the 12 postures, which when multiplied, adds up to 108.

In Hinduism, 108 represents the wholeness of existence, with 1 representing the universe, 0 representing the emptiness or completeness of spiritual practice, and 8 representing infinity or eternity. There are 108 Puranas and 108 Upanishads, which are sacred texts that explore the nature of the self and ultimate reality. Also, there are 108 beads on a mala, a traditional tool used for meditation and prayer. In Buddhism, it is believed that there are 108 earthly temptations, 108 lies, and 108 delusions of the mind that humans must overcome to achieve enlightenment. In Christianity, the division of Christian holiday from Soul’s day which is on November 2nd to 25th December has 54 days and 54 nights. This period signifies that within those two dates, light transformed into darkness a total of 108 times and the reverse also occurred the same number of times. In Islam, the number 108 is used to refer God. 

For music lovers, there are 108 Karanas or transitions in Indian classical dance. Further, there are 108 musical meters or talas in Indian Carnatic music. And for the sport lovers, 108 also happens to be the number of stitches on a baseball. The number 108 is ubiquitous. A highly revered number for thousands of years, 108 finds a special significance across astronomy, spiritual traditions, yoga, mathematics, astrology, geometry, music, sports and above all its connection with essence of life. Drawing inspiration from the positivity and growth signified by 108, we have embarked on this journey of building 108 Capital a go-to solution for founders building tech-first, scalable and sustainable businesses.