Tattooed devotees transform in Thai temple trance

By Jorge Silva

 

 

WAT BANG PHRA, Thailand (Reuters) - Deep in trances, devotees of a Thai temple charged through gathered crowds on Saturday mimicking the beasts on their tattoos.

 

Some had their hands curled into tiger claws, some became crocodiles, some were transformed into Hanuman, the monkey god.

 

The annual tattoo festival at Wat Bang Phra, about 80 km (50 miles) from Bangkok, draws thousands of devotees every year who come to recharge the power of sacred Sak Yant tattoos.

 

The tattoos are inked by Buddhist monks using sharpened bamboo sticks or long metal needles. Originally etched for warriors needing protection in battle, they are also believed to bring luck and give strength.

 

But every year, their magic power needs to be restored at the festival, where thousands of devotees pay their respects to the temple’s master tattooist.

 

Not everyone goes into a trance. Those who do take on the characteristics of their tattoos. They try to charge toward the temple, but are held back by a wall of temple guards and soldiers.

 

(Writing by Matthew Tostevin; Editing by Sam Holmes)

 

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2017-03-17

 

Taken almost verbatim from BKK Post this morning.  How far has Thailand progressed since the 18th Century?

The human species is into regression.


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Videos from this event are interesting.

 

 

31 minutes ago, mikebell said:

Taken almost verbatim from BKK Post this morning.  How far has Thailand progressed since the 18th Century?

 

Just to clarify, not taken from the Bangkok Post. Thaivisa has a subscription to Reuters too.

Just now, Jonathan Fairfield said:

 

Just to clarify, not taken from the Bangkok Post. Thaivisa has a subscription to Reuters too.

Apologies.

Do a urine test on these guys for Yaba and the result could be interesting.

 

What has this got to do with true Buddhism?  File this under the growing pile of  'Faked in Thailand' 

The human species is into regression.


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Rituals etc are practiced by various groups all over the world. Because we may not understand does not warrant ridicule.

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No, that one Somchai is just constipated.

The ridiculous tats are purely coincidental ...  

 

 

 

Edited March 12, 20179 yr by jollyhangmon

I have never had nor will ever have a tattoo, yet I have to admire the creativity and artwork of a talented tattooist. Only with close inspection, revealed in the posted photos, can one appreciate the detail of the tattoos presented. The delicate lines which would appear from a distance are not just lines but made of dots of letters created in Thai script.

To create and complete a design with such detail is something which few tattoo artisans could accomplish.

OTOH, those tattooed must have been very devoted or masochists (!)...it must have taken many sittings over months to complete such designs!

1 hour ago, Jonathan Fairfield said:

they are also believed to bring luck and give strength.

Wrongly believed.

1 hour ago, roo860 said:

 

 

Rituals etc are practiced by various groups all over the world. Because we may not understand does not warrant ridicule.

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Belief in magical tattoos always deserves ridicule, in any faith.

2 hours ago, mikebell said:

Taken almost verbatim from BKK Post this morning.  How far has Thailand progressed since the 18th Century?

 

Cosplay convention, USA, 2015:

 

 

Cosplay - Wikipedia

 

"All over the world people are similar in their desires, but differ in their customs".

 

 

Edited March 12, 20179 yr by Enoon

Belief in magical tattoos always deserves ridicule, in any faith.

What a wonderful diverse world we live in, religion, customs, beliefs, everyone has their own opinions, mine is live and let live.

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2 hours ago, mikebell said:

Taken almost verbatim from BKK Post this morning.  How far has Thailand progressed since the 18th Century?

Please specify in which direction? Makes it easier to answer your question.

Just now, roo860 said:

 

What a wonderful diverse world we live in, religion, customs, beliefs, everyone has their own opinions, mine is live and let live.

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Mine is don't spread belief in magical drawings.

 

Quite a new one actually.

 

Based on fact there are people who may believe in such nonsense.

1 hour ago, LukDod said:

I have never had nor will ever have a tattoo,

Maybe in distant times you will reconsider,- home address in case of Alzheimer, blood type, and allergies if you are submitted to a hospital, or bar a code in case you lose your credit cards.

Play acting.

Maybe Drugs.

Maybe Alcohol

Take your pick

or maybe all three

 

Amazing Thailand

Edited March 12, 20179 yr by onemorechang

2 hours ago, Bluespunk said:

Belief in magical tattoos always deserves ridicule, in any faith.

Don't underestimate the power of the mind or the inventive ways people have of accessing it.... Contempt is not a power as much as you may superstitiously believe it is... it's just a strategy of the cowardly to feel superior that's been around a long time....

Edited March 12, 20179 yr by arend
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17 minutes ago, arend said:

Don't underestimate the power of the mind or the inventive ways people have of accessing it.... Contempt is not a power as much as you may superstitiously believe it is... it's just a strategy of the cowardly to feel superior that's been around a long time....

Not believing in magical body art isn't being contemptuous or superior.

 

It's just knowing what is real and what isn't.

 

Harry Potter is fiction and so are magical drawings.

Edited March 12, 20179 yr by Bluespunk

28 minutes ago, arend said:

Don't underestimate the power of the mind or the inventive ways people have of accessing it.... Contempt is not a power as much as you may superstitiously believe it is... it's just a strategy of the cowardly to feel superior that's been around a long time....

Care to explain what all the 'cowards' who just don't partake in that - or any other form of -  superstitious mumbo-jumbo would be afraid of in your opinion? 

19 minutes ago, Bluespunk said:

Not believing in magical body art isn't being contemptuous or superior.

 

It's just knowing what is real and what isn't.

 

Harry Potter is fiction and so are magical drawings.

Now I’m confused. My quarter pound of amulets didn’t make me win the lottery so far. Should I blame them, or do you think they may be “same same but different” copies? Or is it my fault because I didn’t buy any tickets? I think I have to ask the monk I trust to get the answer.

1 minute ago, Lupatria said:

Now I’m confused. My quarter pound of amulets didn’t make me win the lottery so far. Should I blame them, or do you think they may be “same same but different” copies? Or is it my fault because I didn’t buy any tickets? I think I have to ask the monk I trust to get the answer.

... no, you not purchasing any tickets ain't the problem, that would have been magically (!) fixed.

But confess man, deep inside you there are some remaining doubts, aren't there?

 

Yep, kitty-cat, whiskers and all... meow

6 minutes ago, Lupatria said:

Now I’m confused. My quarter pound of amulets didn’t make me win the lottery so far. Should I blame them, or do you think they may be “same same but different” copies? Or is it my fault because I didn’t buy any tickets? I think I have to ask the monk I trust to get the answer.

aha! Found the answer in the article: "thousands of devotees every year who come to recharge the power of sacred Sak Yant tattoos." Gotta recharge annually, amulets also I'm sure. Of course it won't be free as the monks have to ommmmm and sprinkle water. 

Just now, klauskunkel said:

aha! Found the answer in the article: "thousands of devotees every year who come to recharge the power of sacred Sak Yant tattoos." Gotta recharge annually, amulets also I'm sure. Of course it won't be free as the monks have to ommmmm and sprinkle water. 

Any chance to make payment via 7-ELEVEN and holy water delivered by UPS for self ceremony?

Heck of a gimmick for the monks.. guaranteed to have repeat followers year after year, along with their donations..
And now, a good gimmick to entice tourists

This topic is pretty much the same as religion. To the thais, they have been indoctrinated to believe the concepts of their own form of Buddhism and the belief in sak yant tattoos that go with this. How many of the posters/commenters above or here on thaivisa have their own beliefs in an invisible god that they pray to? How often have you said a prayer in times of difficulty only for it not to have been answered? Believing in a god is simply a safeguard for some people's so called sanity and a way to control the masses (if you do something bad you'll go to hell). In reality, there is, in my opinion, no god, believing in this so called god is like believing that there is a single person that is king or queen of the world. I still have nothing to say in detriment to people's beliefs, whether Christian, Buddhist, Muslim, etc. as we are all free to make our own decisions about this type of thing.

2 hours ago, roo860 said:

 

What a wonderful diverse world we live in, religion, customs, beliefs, everyone has their own opinions, mine is live and let live.

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Mine is bang or get banged...

1 hour ago, Bluespunk said:

Not believing in magical body art isn't being contemptuous or superior.

 

It's just knowing what is real and what isn't.

 

Harry Potter is fiction and so are magical drawings.

I know that I respond at my own peril... but... yes if you only react literally to the phenomena, you miss the underlying psychology, the needs and purposes being addressed and fulfilled... you may feel superior to the Christian who expresses his faith in rituals and activities but I would assert that there are many ways to access the hidden and deeper states and powers of the mind. What is a rock concert, a full moon pagan ceremony but ways to experience what is beyond ordinary states of mind...pretty basic, of course. The point is that what is considered reason and rational is only one mental state available to us and yes, it should be home base but not a prison... I would simply point you to the extraordinary phenomena manifested through hypnosis for example...Also, I would point out that many of the participants are deeply inspired to live a good life by feeling that their tatoos have connected them to a higher power and code...

Edited March 12, 20179 yr by arend
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