Count To 108 On Your Hands

[Kaljug]

Waheguru Ji Ka Khalsa, Waheguru Ji Ki Fateh!

For when you do not have a mala to hand.

1. The palms of both hands should face you. The 3 segments of each finger on each hand are used to keep count while the thumbs of each hand are used as pointers.

2. Starting with your left hand, place the (left) thumb on the uppermost segment of your (left) index finger and count 1.

3. Working down the segments of your left index finger count 2 then 3.

4. Working to the right, repeat the counting procedure on the (left) middle finger (still using the left thumb as a pointer) and proceed until you reach the lowest segment of your (left) pinky finger. By now you should have counted to 12.

5. Repeat the same on the left hand, this time starting at the uppermost segment of the right pinky finger, counting down each finger and continuing to the next finger (the ring finger) and so proceeding towards the right. By the time your (right) thumb is pointing to lowest segment of your index finger, you will have counted to 24.

6. Now fold down the finger that is furthest to your right (the right index finger in this case), and repeat the procedure outlined in (1), but ignoring the finger that is folded. When your right thumb is pointing eventually to the lowest segment of the last upright finger (the right middle finger in this case), fold this finger and repeat the procedure in (1), again not counting the folded fingers.

7. Continue this way until only the left index finger remains upright, and when you have counted the three segments of this finger, you will have counted to 108.

Let me know if this is not clear enough, Singho.

Regards,

K.

[A_Sikh_For_Life]

And whats the benefit of counting?

[Kaljug]

And whats the benefit of counting?

It helps you to fall asleep?

The point was to illustrate how to complete a mala of 108 of whatever paath you are doing using your hands.

K.

[Laadli Fauj]

what's the significance of 108? not doubting it or anything like that, just wondering where it comes from and stuff

[Kaljug]

what's the significance of 108? not doubting it or anything like that, just wondering where it comes from and stuff

108 has been an important number from ancient times in India. Many of the devatas have 108 names, there are 108 Upnishts, and so on. Here's some more interesting info about the number:

http://shrifreedom.org/yoga108.shtml

The malay one gets from puratan samparday all have 108 beads, and many Mahapurush recommend doing various numbers of 108 bead malay of certian paaths for different reasons.

K.

[Laadli Fauj]

thanks

[A_Sikh_For_Life]

It helps you to fall asleep?

The point was to illustrate how to complete a mala of 108 of whatever paath you are doing using your hands.

K.

LOL.. you mean like counting sheep?

BTW where in Sri Guru Granth Sahib Jee does it state that counting will bring one spiritual benefit?

[Matheen]

BTW where in Sri Guru Granth Sahib Jee does it state that counting will bring one spiritual benefit?

You could ask where does it say to read Panj Banis? Guru Sahib does say that the mind needs to be brought under control. An easy way is to set a target of how much jaap you want to do, and malas or counting helps in this respect and also helps to build discipline. The natural tendency of our minds is to do as little as possible so keeping a target forces the mind to come under your control. After a certain stage, it will become automatic and you won't need to keep count etc, but some Mahapurkhs still do to set an example. These are techniques that have been tried and tested through the ages.

Guru Sahib speaks against people who keep malas etc for show /pakhand etc but on the other hand, GUru Ji also says:

ਜਲਿ ਜਾਉ ਜੀਵਨੁ ਨਾਮ ਬਿਨਾ ॥

Without the Naam, the Name of the Lord, life might just as well be burnt down.

ਹਰਿ ਜਪਿ ਜਾਪੁ ਜਪਉ ਜਪਮਾਲੀ ਗੁਰਮੁਖਿ ਆਵੈ ਸਾਦੁ ਮਨਾ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥

The Gurmukh chants and meditates on the Lord, chanting the chant on the mala; the Flavor of the Lord comes into the mind. ||1||Pause||

Guru Sahib's malas have been preserved at various historic Gurudwaras as well.

[A_Sikh_For_Life]

ਹਰਿ ਜਪਿ ਜਾਪੁ ਜਪਉ ਜਪਮਾਲੀ ਗੁਰਮੁਖਿ ਆਵੈ ਸਾਦੁ ਮਨਾ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥

ਹਰਿ ਜਪਿ ਜਾਪੁ ਜਪਉ ਜਪਮਾਲੀ ਗੁਰਮੁਖਿ ਆਵੈ ਸਾਦੁ ਮਨਾ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥

Har jap jāp japa▫o japmālī gurmukẖ āvai sāḏ manā. ||1|| rahā▫o.

The pangtee above is not promoting mala nor counting on a mala.

[A_Sikh_For_Life]

The malay one gets from puratan samparday all have 108 beads, and many Mahapurush recommend doing various numbers of 108 bead malay of certian paaths for different reasons.

K.

This is not Gurmat.

[Matheen]

This is not Gurmat.

Doing Jaap of Gurbani is not Gurmat? Or is it the belief that Gurbani can help our lives that is not Gurmat?

Our GUru is Gurbani, and doing a Jaap means spending more time with Guru Ji, so how is it not Gurmat?

Edited December 17, 2009 by Matheen

[A_Sikh_For_Life]

Doing Jaap of Gurbani is not Gurmat? Or is it the belief that Gurbani can help our lives that is not Gurmat?

Our GUru is Gurbani, and doing a Jaap means spending more time with Guru Ji, so how is it not Gurmat?

The thread is about counting and that too on a specific number of beads ie 108.

[Kaljug]

The thread is about counting and that too on a specific number of beads ie 108.

Yes, the Guru Sahibs must have been practising anti-Gurmat when they used their malay, and so must Shaheed Baba Deep Ji and Sant Jarnail Singh Bindrawale who both recited 101 Jap Ji Sahibs daily, and so must all Mahapurush who have given bachan to premis to recite a certain number of malay of a bani per day, and so indeed must all Gursikhs wo=ho recite 5 bania every morning.

Unfortunately no one here gives a damn for what you and your Kala Afghani school of bovine extreta believe is gurmat.

K.

[laalsingh]

Nothing wrong with counting. Just be careful that focus stays on Nirankar, not the number.

[A_Sikh_For_Life]

Yes, the Guru Sahibs must have been practising anti-Gurmat when they used their malay, and so must Shaheed Baba Deep Ji and Sant Jarnail Singh Bindrawale who both recited 101 Jap Ji Sahibs daily, and so must all Mahapurush who have given bachan to premis to recite a certain number of malay of a bani per day, and so indeed must all Gursikhs wo=ho recite 5 bania every morning.

Unfortunately no one here gives a damn for what you and your Kala Afghani school of bovine extreta believe is gurmat.

K.

You and inder singh when unable to understand a simple Gurmat message, seem to blame it all on this "kala afghana"!!! STOP being so paranoid getting your knickers in a twist.

This article on gurbani.org might help you - http://www.gurbani.org/articles/webart188.htm "COUNTING BEADS".

[Kaljug]

You and inder singh when unable to understand a simple Gurmat message, seem to blame it all on this "kala afghana"!!! STOP being so paranoid getting your knickers in a twist.

This article on gurbani.org might help you - http://www.gurbani.org/articles/webart188.htm "COUNTING BEADS".

I find it unbelievable that I have to waste my time explaining to someone who is supposedly a Sikh that keeping a mala to perform bhagti is an aid to this one-pointed concentration on Naam that your article talks about.

Such a state of mind comes through abhyaas and Gurprasad, not by imagining yourself to have understood the message of Gurbani without any mehnt on one's own part.

That is why all Mahapurush recommend using a mala and a set number of repetitions for any beginner attempting to obtain this effortless state of being described in Gurbani when one's breath becomes the mala with which one remembers (simran) Akal at all times. The paradox is that this state comes through effort.

The technique of remembrance is the same in every religion (Christians, Muslims, Hindus all read the rosary), but in Sikhi this is just a tool, and one of many, to obtain the effortless bliss.

K.

K.

[A_Sikh_For_Life]

I find it unbelievable that I have to waste my time explaining to someone who is supposedly a Sikh that keeping a mala to perform bhagti is an aid to this one-pointed concentration on Naam that your article talks about.

Such a state of mind comes through abhyaas and Gurprasad, not by imagining yourself to have understood the message of Gurbani without any mehnt on one's own part.

That is why all Mahapurush recommend using a mala and a set number of repetitions for any beginner attempting to obtain this effortless state of being described in Gurbani when one's breath becomes the mala with which one remembers (simran) Akal at all times. The paradox is that this state comes through effort.

The technique of remembrance is the same in every religion (Christians, Muslims, Hindus all read the rosary), but in Sikhi this is just a tool, and one of many, to obtain the effortless bliss.

K.

K.

Follow Gurbani not some mahapurash!. If you cannot do vichaar from Sri Guru Granth Sahib Jee then please read the article.

Edited December 19, 2009 by A_Sikh_For_Life

[Kaljug]

Follow Gurbani not some mahapurash!. If you cannot do vichaar from Sri Guru Granth Sahib Jee then please read the article.

Oh sure. I should ignore the bachans of Mahapurush and the message of Gurbani which teaches us to heed the advice of the Saints and instead follow the vichaar of your eeree-mail correspondence course graduates of the Kala Afghana and Ragi Darshan school of the spiritually non-existent and utterly moronic. Thanks, but I think I'lll pass. :-D

K.