Sep 25 2008
Fresh Ink — The Sak Yant Edition, Part II
For anyone paying attention, you may recall that several months ago, I got a Sak Yant tattoo (Khmer geometric tattoos, meant to protect the wearer, originally as protection during war/fighting times).
That first tattoo was the Yant Gao Yord (or ‘Nine Spires Yanthra’), which represents the Nine Peaks Mount Meru; the sacred mountain in the centre of the Universe, with the four Continents around it.
Well, today I went to get the second in a series of Sak Yant tattoos (while I’m sill here in Bangkok). Admittedly, I did not go to Wat Bang Phra this time, instead getting the tattoo from a local Bangkok artist who trained as a monk but no longer practices. As such, I’ll need to get this Yant blessed (or ‘charged’) by a Bhuddist preist when I return back here to Thailand in a couple months.
This time I got a Yant Paed Tidt, which is representative of the 8 directions of the Universe and has a kata to protect you in each direction in which you may travel. Mine is a variation, but it looks similar to the one shown and described at the Sak Yant Website, here.
I’ll try to have a picture up in a couple days.
what exactly does this yant paed tidt signify ? if you could elaborate more please
Michelle,
The short answer is that this yant represents the 8 directions of the Universe and has a kata to protect the wearer in each direction he/she may travel in.
That’s pretty bare-bones, but I think the best explanation (at least far better than I could ever explain it) is to be found at: http://www.sak-yant.com/archive/108yant/paedtidt/
Hey man!
You seam to know a bit about sak yant tattoo`s… I have a question for you. Can you put the tattoo where ever you wnt on your boby or does it have to be on the barck?
Peace
Just to set the record straight, I pretty much know jack-shit about EVERYTHING. That being said, it’s my understanding that the ‘rules’ on Sak Yant (in general) is that you cannot have an actual image of the holy Buddha anywhere on your body, and that the yants themselves are not to be placed anywhere beneath the waistline (which, for obvious reasons, is considered unclean — that’s also the reason monks are not allowed to touch women, as they are alleged to be unclean … sorry girls, I’m jst the messenger.
Hope that helps.
I have a sak yant tattoo and I am a woman. I made a kind of pilgrimage to bkk to get it done. actually, i would have gone to anyone, but ended up at arjan noo’s to get it done in the belief that women cannot be touched by monks–which arjan noo is not.
later a westerner with plentiful sak yant told me that some bkk temples will put sak yant on women.
here is my experience:
I only have one and was not allowed to choose it. this is important! i think you often dont really get to choose. you tell them what is going on with you (i was on my way to afghanistan so i recieved the protection yant) and they give you the one that is best. also, i felt that they strongly encouraged putting the yants in the classic places. AJ’s is in the normal place for a protection tattoo. they put mine in a slightly different place. they were very clear that they were not going to do anything on my lower back, even though i didn’t ask for such a thing. this was a clear rule.
one final thing–this is for real. everything changed for me after recieving the tattoo. come correct.
This is all I really know, that which is my experience–i dont know about the other yants and dont know what the experience is for men.
i have a question if anyone knows– are there rules explicit for women? as far as i can see the rules are mostly for men, so i just try to stay on the right path as i see it. but if there are ladies rules, i would love to know them!
thanks1
hey what the other tattoo means? i really like it..
actually u can get a animal below the waist like a tiger or dragon but no angels like pikanet or hanuman those go above the waistline and i can get whatever sak yant i want as long as i never disrespect my master and continueing following the rules and he gives me my sak yants for free. he never told me that other masters made their students pay for their yants and i never knew untill now haha im glad my ajarn isnt like that
Hello there, I am planning to go back to Thailand in October to get a sak yant…I’m not certain where would be the best place to get it as there are not really many clear directives. I’m a lady and I want an ink yant…I would prefer to get it done properly in BKK by a monk…does anyone have any suggestions for me please??
Hi,I like the Tibetan mantra O Mani Padme Hum on your back.Where was it done?In Thailand,too?Its beautifully done.