Buddhist Tattoos

[tc4mez]

Can someone translate this to english for us perhaps?

Got the picture from another website which I "MAI KOW JAI" the language as well...

btw for some reason I can't seems to post the link on my replies or posting, is there a setting here that allows that?

[sabaijai]

Those are Aj Noo's 12 practice rules (basically precepts) for those who want to wear sak yan. I could translate them but would rather direct you to the Thai Language subforum, where you will find many eager amateur Thai translators ;-). Please post the photo there and you should have a translation in a jiffy.

[Revee85]

Hey gentlemen, I'm interested to do a Sak yant in Thailand and i have some pics i found online that i like. But i do not know what does it mean. Can anyone please explain to me what these pictures mean? Greatly appreciated...

[Revee85]

Sorry.. i forgot to add the other two...

[jcandeli]

There's a Hmong in Mae Taeng, Chiang Mai Province, who does the best work I've ever seen (from an aesthetic view), for 99 baht plus flowers and incense. IMHO any chang sak that charges more than that is in for the money, and that includes both Aj Noo and Po Kae.

Oh! I am very interested in this person. Can you please give me some more information? Is it easy enough to just go to Mae Taeng and ask around for the Hmong person?

Thank you so much for your help!

JP

[jcandeli]

Hi. I just got two Sak Yan's from Wat Bang Phra and had a great experience!

My Taxi driver spoke okay english and was able to help me translate the meanings with the master monk, but I would really apperciate it if anyone here could give me a fuller explanation of my Sak Yans, the meanings, and the literal translation of the words.

Thanks in advance!

============

Wow, I am surprised to see the person tattooing you in jeans and a pollo shirt. Even the Arjans who are not monks seem dress more spiritual. I guess Thailand is the land of contradictions though. The tattoos are beautiful. I don't recognize that monk from Wat Bang Phra. Did you happen to catch his name?

[JimmyTheMook]

Hi. I just got two Sak Yan's from Wat Bang Phra and had a great experience!

My Taxi driver spoke okay english and was able to help me translate the meanings with the master monk, but I would really apperciate it if anyone here could give me a fuller explanation of my Sak Yans, the meanings, and the literal translation of the words.

Thanks in advance!

============

Wow, I am surprised to see the person tattooing you in jeans and a pollo shirt. Even the Arjans who are not monks seem dress more spiritual. I guess Thailand is the land of contradictions though. The tattoos are beautiful. I don't recognize that monk from Wat Bang Phra. Did you happen to catch his name?

The fact is the guy doing the tattooing is a layman and perhaps an ex-monk , highly doubt that was done at Wat Bang Phra

The yant's are very nice and clean but at Wat Bang Phra the monks do the tattooing

Guess his good English speaking taxi driver took him somewhere else

[NuttyMokum]

Sawadee khap all.

Altough this is another tattoo related topic, it is different then the others.

The end of the year me and my girlfriend are going to Thailand for 2 months, and I would finnaly realize a dream of myself and that is to get some yants tattooed

Now I have ofcourse searched on the net and found some Wat's where they tattoo you,

but I can't seem to find Wat's in or near Ubon Ratchathani, in or near Nong Kai, in or near Chiang Mai, and in or near Chiang Rai

Can anyone of you help me and tell me if and where these Wat's can be found in those areas?

I did find some names of Monks, Brahim Masters and Ruesi, and at which Wat's they can be found, but the excact adresses are difficult to find, so if someone can help me out with this I would be very happy.

• Monks:-
  
  
• Hlwong Phu Man
  
• Hlwong Por Lae - Petchburi
  
• Hlwong Pi Pant - ex Wat bang Pra - now at Wat Kho Poon Temple - Ang Tong Provin
  
• 
  
• Wat Bang Pra:
  
• Hlwong Por Phern - Wat bang Pra temple - Nakorn Phatom
  
• Hlwong Pi Phaew - Wat bang Pra
  
• Hlwong Pi Nan - Wat bang Pra
  
• Hlwong Pi Thig - Wat bang Pra
  
• Hlwong Pi Ya - Wat bang Pra
  
• 
  
• Brahmin Masters :-
  
• Ajarn Gaew - Bang Sue, Bangkok
  
• Ajarn Noo Ganpai - Phatum Thani, Bangkok
  
• Ajarn Thong
  
• 
  
• Ruesi:-
  
• Ajarn Thoy - Wat Tong Nai temple, Awn Nut, Bangkok
  
• Ajarn Anek
  
• 
  
• 
  
• Some in Southern Thailand, but don't know their rank:
  - Ajarn Daeng, Wat Rai Temple - Pattani.
  - Ajarn Dam Wat Hin Korkway - Yan Dta Khaw.
  - Ajarn Iad - Wat Poke Yem - Pattalung.
  - Ajarn Biam - Wat Lam Plork - Trang.

[NuttyMokum]

Hi. I just got two Sak Yan's from Wat Bang Phra and had a great experience!

My Taxi driver spoke okay english and was able to help me translate the meanings with the master monk, but I would really apperciate it if anyone here could give me a fuller explanation of my Sak Yans, the meanings, and the literal translation of the words.

Thanks in advance!

Can you give us an indication on how long it took to get these two?

and how much did it cost you?

[spencerdharmagrafix]

I found this thread to be very informative. Does anyone know of any temples in the issan area (especially around Buri ram, Surin) that specializes in Yan tattooing? Any suggestions are greatly appreciated. Thanks!

Thanks for the name cards from Ajarn Anek - ill publish them too for those who wish to visit him.

[NuttyMokum]

I found this thread to be very informative. Does anyone know of any temples in the issan area (especially around Buri ram, Surin) that specializes in Yan tattooing? Any suggestions are greatly appreciated. Thanks!

Altough the post was made a long time ago:

I'm also interested in any Wat's doing Sak Yant's in that area...

[Yoyo777]

There's a couple of threads on this topic already....use the search function and look for 'tattoo'.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

yup, been through various thread, but anyone has a tattoo done at wat bang pra before?

can we request for a tattoo at any time of the year or just during the festival?

or anyone has a tattoo done by aarjan Noo Khanpai(spelling??) I assume it will be much harder to get tattoo done by him as he is soo famous now... anyone any idea?

thanks

hector

I was at the Samnuk of Arjan Noo in December/January this year! http://arjannoo.com/ You can go to his place anytime you want- but expect the place to be very busy and you may not get your tattoo on that day. Sometime it is completely empty - you just have to be lucky. You definitely need a car to get there.

Of course I wanted the tatoo from Arjan directly but it was way too expensive (well, if he tattooed me, then he would have to close the Samuk for a day and I have to pay all the cost they would have earned - asked for something like 20,000 Euro! A woman cannot show much skin in his place), so I was tattooed by Khun Kai, one of the first disciples of Arjan. He is such a talented artist, but don't expect them to be nice. First you have to negotiate the price with Arjan's little brother but they know that the foreigners have money so they will probably try to rip you off - Thais pay 1/3 of what Farangs pay...

Arjan still does ink tattoo, my friend got it from him directly. You cannot make any reservation. You just go, and wait for your turn. If you go to his disciples, then you cannot choose which one you want - you just go to the guy who is free. Khun Kai is definitely the best - Arjan's little brother, Khun Nid, is also a talented artist, but since he manages the finance of the operation, my husband had to wait for over an hour until he kept on talking to his customers & taking money in. Normally the 4 line tattoo takes 12-15 minutes

Nobody speaks English so you should go there with someone who can speak Thai. I told them that I wanted to have a dragon - they showed me one picture, and that was it! He said he would improvise it, and having made a rough outline with a pen, he just started to DIG IN! Never had such a pain in my life - in total it took 12 hours over 3 days, but it was worth it! Two people constantly stretched my skin and shared my pain... I think it is very exhausting for them!

Good luck, and I hope you will get a tattoo by him. But everyone who is tattooed by the disciples get a blessing by Arjan. Amazing experience!

[NuttyMokum]

I was at the Samnuk of Arjan Noo in December/January this year! You can go to his place anytime you want- but expect the place to be very busy and you may not get your tattoo on that day. Sometime it is completely empty - you just have to be lucky. You definitely need a car to get there.

Of course I wanted the tatoo from Arjan directly but it was way too expensive (well, if he tattooed me, then he would have to close the Samuk for a day and I have to pay all the cost they would have earned - asked for something like 20,000 Euro! A woman cannot show much skin in his place), so I was tattooed by Khun Kai, one of the first disciples of Arjan. He is such a talented artist, but don't expect them to be nice. First you have to negotiate the price with Arjan's little brother but they know that the foreigners have money so they will probably try to rip you off - Thais pay 1/3 of what Farangs pay...

Arjan still does ink tattoo, my friend got it from him directly. You cannot make any reservation. You just go, and wait for your turn. If you go to his disciples, then you cannot choose which one you want - you just go to the guy who is free. Khun Kai is definitely the best - Arjan's little brother, Khun Nid, is also a talented artist, but since he manages the finance of the operation, my husband had to wait for over an hour until he kept on talking to his customers & taking money in. Normally the 4 line tattoo takes 12-15 minutes

Nobody speaks English so you should go there with someone who can speak Thai. I told them that I wanted to have a dragon - they showed me one picture, and that was it! He said he would improvise it, and having made a rough outline with a pen, he just started to DIG IN! Never had such a pain in my life - in total it took 12 hours over 3 days, but it was worth it! Two people constantly stretched my skin and shared my pain... I think it is very exhausting for them!

Good luck, and I hope you will get a tattoo by him. But everyone who is tattooed by the disciples get a blessing by Arjan. Amazing experience!

Great story... any chance of you posting a picture of your tattoo?

[JimmyTheMook]

There's a couple of threads on this topic already....use the search function and look for 'tattoo'.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

yup, been through various thread, but anyone has a tattoo done at wat bang pra before?

can we request for a tattoo at any time of the year or just during the festival?

or anyone has a tattoo done by aarjan Noo Khanpai(spelling??) I assume it will be much harder to get tattoo done by him as he is soo famous now... anyone any idea?

thanks

hector

I was at the Samnuk of Arjan Noo in December/January this year! http://arjannoo.com/ You can go to his place anytime you want- but expect the place to be very busy and you may not get your tattoo on that day. Sometime it is completely empty - you just have to be lucky. You definitely need a car to get there.

Of course I wanted the tatoo from Arjan directly but it was way too expensive (well, if he tattooed me, then he would have to close the Samuk for a day and I have to pay all the cost they would have earned - asked for something like 20,000 Euro! A woman cannot show much skin in his place), so I was tattooed by Khun Kai, one of the first disciples of Arjan. He is such a talented artist, but don't expect them to be nice. First you have to negotiate the price with Arjan's little brother but they know that the foreigners have money so they will probably try to rip you off - Thais pay 1/3 of what Farangs pay...

Arjan still does ink tattoo, my friend got it from him directly. You cannot make any reservation. You just go, and wait for your turn. If you go to his disciples, then you cannot choose which one you want - you just go to the guy who is free. Khun Kai is definitely the best - Arjan's little brother, Khun Nid, is also a talented artist, but since he manages the finance of the operation, my husband had to wait for over an hour until he kept on talking to his customers & taking money in. Normally the 4 line tattoo takes 12-15 minutes

Nobody speaks English so you should go there with someone who can speak Thai. I told them that I wanted to have a dragon - they showed me one picture, and that was it! He said he would improvise it, and having made a rough outline with a pen, he just started to DIG IN! Never had such a pain in my life - in total it took 12 hours over 3 days, but it was worth it! Two people constantly stretched my skin and shared my pain... I think it is very exhausting for them!

Good luck, and I hope you will get a tattoo by him. But everyone who is tattooed by the disciples get a blessing by Arjan. Amazing experience!

How much did you pay for your auspicious Ajarn Noo Sak Yant ?

[NuttyMokum]

I'm going to thailnad in january and am also lookin to get yan haa taew while i am there. i've been told wat bang pra doesn't do this specific yan and im not a big fan of the nine peaks tattoo... where did you get your yan done?

I'm also interested in at which Wat she has been in Tannawa, not for getting a Yarn Haa Taew but for a other Yant.

Edited February 25, 2009 by NuttyMokum

[JimmyTheMook]

I suggest you do a search for 'tattoo' in this forum as you will find a fair amount of information, including where to get sak yan.

Yes Wat Bang Phra does tattoo women. If you just show up you risk that no one will be able to do the work, but I'd say if you arrive before 10am, chances are you'd leave with a sak yan before the day is over.

Ideally, yes, you would let the monk(s) decide. At Wat Bang Phra newcomers usually start with the kao yawt (nine peaks, representing the sacred Mt Meru of Hindu-Buddhist cosmology) tattoo across the top of the back, shoulder to shoulder. However I have seen Thai women receive other tattoos (usually invisible, using sesame oil instead of ink) there.

Best thing would be to go and have a chat first, see what's available, who's available, etc.

Two weeks ago, I wanted to get the Yarn Haa Taew tattoo (like Jolie), therefore my boyfriend who is Thai called Ajarn Noo for availability, price etc.

His assistant told us that it costs 3,860THB (with ink) and 2,620THB (with sesame oil). A few days later we went tho Phatum Thani to see him and get it done. Ajarn Noo's "temple" is located on the first floor. When we entered there were already 4-5 other peoples waiting. We had to talk to Mr. Ruksitt first. At that time Ajarn Noo left already the room (maybe he felt bored, because there were no "Dara's" actress/actors). Mr. Ruksitt, I guess his bodyguard wanted to know what the purpose of our visit is. We said, that we called already and wanted to have the Yarn Haa Taew tattoo. I am a "luk krueng" half Thai, half Swiss, but my Thai is not yet perfect. He saw the farang in me and the price was all of a sudden 3 times higher than before. He answered the Yarn Haa Taew costs 10,000THB which is a special price. We told him that on the phone the price was 3,860THB. Mr. Ruksitt said that this price is no longer valid. And if we want to get the tattoo by Ajarn Noo it would cost us 35,000THB. Do you want to know how much they charge for the tiger which Ms. Jolie has on her lower back? 100,000THB for Thais and 200,000 if you are Non-Thai!

I think this has absolutely nothing to do with any spiritual thing anymore. It is all about making money and suck it especially from farangs, who they think must be sooo rich.

BTW: Mr. Ruksitt's behaviour is similar to the one of a monkey. While we answered his question, he was eating two bananas in front of us. Never have seen this before, absolutely impolite!

There was not one monk in the room, therefore not one chant or buddhist word was spoken while we were there. The television was on, and the guy who tattooed a customer watched TV while tattooing.

I was glad that my bf convinced me to leave and get my tattoo done somewhere else. On the same day we were at Tannawa and I'm very happy to have a even more beautiful and precise Yarn Haa Taew on my shoulder.

Good move not getting a Sak Yant at Ajarn Noo's - the Thai's I know who are involved with Sak Yant call him Ajarn Mickey Mouse...

Go to Wat Bang Phra where the Buddhist Monks preform the ritual and have not turned it into a business.

[sabaijai]

I've merged three different, lengthy threads on sak yan into one Buddhist Tattoos thread.

[spencerdharmagrafix]

Sawadee khap all.

Altough this is another tattoo related topic, it is different then the others.

The end of the year me and my girlfriend are going to Thailand for 2 months, and I would finnaly realize a dream of myself and that is to get some yants tattooed

Now I have ofcourse searched on the net and found some Wat's where they tattoo you,

but I can't seem to find Wat's in or near Ubon Ratchathani, in or near Nong Kai, in or near Chiang Mai, and in or near Chiang Rai

Can anyone of you help me and tell me if and where these Wat's can be found in those areas?

I did find some names of Monks, Brahim Masters and Ruesi, and at which Wat's they can be found, but the excact adresses are difficult to find, so if someone can help me out with this I would be very happy.

• Monks:-
  
  
• Hlwong Phu Man
  
• Hlwong Por Lae - Petchburi
  
• Hlwong Pi Pant - ex Wat bang Pra - now at Wat Kho Poon Temple - Ang Tong Provin
  
• 
  
• Wat Bang Pra:
  
• Hlwong Por Phern - Wat bang Pra temple - Nakorn Phatom
  
• Hlwong Pi Phaew - Wat bang Pra
  
• Hlwong Pi Nan - Wat bang Pra
  
• Hlwong Pi Thig - Wat bang Pra
  
• Hlwong Pi Ya - Wat bang Pra
  
• 
  
• Brahmin Masters :-
  
• Ajarn Gaew - Bang Sue, Bangkok
  
• Ajarn Noo Ganpai - Phatum Thani, Bangkok
  
• Ajarn Thong
  
• 
  
• Ruesi:-
  
• Ajarn Thoy - Wat Tong Nai temple, Awn Nut, Bangkok
  
• Ajarn Anek
  
• 
  
• 
  
• Some in Southern Thailand, but don't know their rank:
  - Ajarn Daeng, Wat Rai Temple - Pattani.
  - Ajarn Dam Wat Hin Korkway - Yan Dta Khaw.
  - Ajarn Iad - Wat Poke Yem - Pattalung.
  - Ajarn Biam - Wat Lam Plork - Trang.

Ajarn Man is deceased since before you were born

HP Phern is also deceased.

If you wish to get a tattoo in Ubon then you could ask on the sak yant website by commenting on the samnak sak section pages and asking, or even on the forums there, where i see you are already a member. You never know you might get an accurate answer.

as to

- Ajarn Dam Wat Hin Korkway - Yan Dta Khaw.

- Ajarn Iad - Wat Poke Yem - Pattalung.

- Ajarn Biam - Wat Lam Plork - Trang.

not all of them make sak yant, some of them just make magic spells and amulets. I am researching which ones make sak yant and which not and shall publish in the post where you got all this info from in the first place on the sak yant site. I shall also be visiting them to make fotos and interview them - the consequent pages on them shall appear under the samnak sak section at some point

[sabaijai]

Merged with tattoo thread. We're keeping all sak yan-related posts in the one thread.

[nok1888]

I heard from a few sources that it is in bad taste to get a buddha tattooed below the waist, its the same as keeping your mala beads above your waist

[itmeagain]

Do anyone here know the address of Ajarn keaw

in bangkok ?

[Inspired]

Who can help to recognize these symbols?

Thanks beforehand!

[sabaijai]

It's a figure of the meditating Buddha with the phrase 'Don't be selfish' (yaa hen kae tua) in Thai, a motif made popular by the late Aj Buddhadasa.

[Kalaf]

Sawadii Khrap, someone could tell me the signification of this Sak Yant?

thanks

[sabaijai]

See:

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/findpost-p25...ml&hl=peaks

[Kalaf]

thx very much...

and what about the 2 bottom line, the zig on the 2 side and the triangle on the middle?

[Kalaf]

up up...

Nobody can try to translate the 2 bottom line on the triangle tattoo?

[sabaijai]

You'd have to find someone who can read the Khom alphabet.

[peridot]

I got my first sak yant four years ago at Wat Bang Phra, with a bamboo needle. It was a gao yord, and they did not ask me what I wanted. I felt it appropriate to let the monk decide, and I was happy with the choice. A year later I went to the amulet market on Th. Mahathat and asked around for another place to get more sak yant. I found someone who spoke enough English to call a friend and pack me into a car for a 30 minute drive. I was taken to Ajarn Ti at Thamnak Thangawgay in Phuttamonthon. I have also received sak yant from Ajarn Peechaa at the same place. They are not monks, but white-clothed ajarns.

I got another sak yant, and have since returned for more work by myself. They don't speak much English, but with hand gestures and smiles I have had no problem getting what I wanted. They have books of designs to choose from, and once I even brought a design I took a photo of on another man. This caused a bit of a stir, but since I didn't speak Thai and they didn't speak English, somehow it worked out and I got the symbols that they had not used before. Since then I have learned that it was a breach of protocol to bring one ajarn's design to another for a sak yant, but fortunately it worked out. When I go for more work now, they are friendly and welcome me. I try to speak as much Thai as I can, even if it is wrong, and they are pleased at my efforts. They have encouraged me to send other farang there for sak yant. They have suggested donations in the book, between 70 - 200 baht for each design, but I donate 500 - 1000 baht each time, because I have the money and these tattoos mean a lot to me. I try to hide the money under the pile of 20 baht bills on the offering plate, but once they saw me put a 1,000 baht bill there and made me write my name on a chart of donors to be put on the wall. I didn't like that, but I went along with it.

I went to see Ajarn Noo a year ago, but was turned off by the rudeness of the people there, very unexpected in Thailand. The building was filled with advertising posters and standups for the movie with Ajarn Noo's sak yant in it. They said they wouldn't touch me for less than 30,000 baht, and criticized my existing work in a less than nice manner. I bowed politely and left, glad not to take part in their money making enterprise, and glad not to have that energy inflicted on my body. I see Thai people with the five fingers from Ajarn Noo, but I think now it has become a symbol of wealth, of the ability of the person to afford the high prices he charges, rather than the animist religious symbol it started as.

Others have said that the roots of sak yant are in animism rather than Buddhism, and I agree. Thailand is a very nice mix of animism, Buddhism and Brahmanism/Hindu. I met with the head of the Buddhist school at Wat Mahathat, and asked about sak yant and the Buddhist precepts. He dismissed sak yant as old superstition, but said that the precepts are meant to show respect and honor, rather than to be interpreted literally. Whether I walked under a clothesline or not was not as important as if I showed my body respect and honored the symbols placed upon it. I found this to be a clear and refreshing interpretation of the true spirit of the precepts, rather than a list of arbitrary rules to be followed or I would be damned, or risk retribution.

I have seen sak yant on men's legs. I have heard that it is inappropriate to put an image of the Buddha below the waist, but other symbols may be allowed.

I am attaching a photo of my most recent work.

[megaira]

Hello everybody,

I find this topic very interesting and many of the posts very helpful. I am living at the moment in Koh Tao and I am very interested in sak yan tattoos so I would like to ask if anyone knows where I can go and have one around here ( by that I am referring to all the nearby provinces Chumphon, Surat thani..). Any information will be appreciated.