108

The sounds of temple bells, which ring one hundred and eight times at each temple at the turn of a year, are supposed to renounce one hundred and eight worldly desires in our minds. When our worldly desires disappear, we can greet a new year.

The worldly desires are separated into six classifications: visual, auditory, olfactory, gustatory, tactile and emotional. Each classification of desire is divided into three sub-classifications: lust, mediocrity and vice. Each of these three sub-classifications are further divided into two aspects: infection and purification. Last of all, each divided element is composed three timeframes: past, present and future. This brings the total variation of desire counts up to one hundred and eight. (6 × 3 × 2 × 3). People in old times made a pun playing with the number 108. (The number 108 is also made up from 4(Shi) × 9(Ku) × 8(Ha) × 9(Ku), which are continuously pronounced "Shi-Ku-Hakku"in Japanese. When put into Chinese letters,"Shi-Ku-Hakku" homonymouly means being in troubles and hardships. Therefore, 108 worldly desires are considered to be 108 sufferings.)