When I decided I was coming to Thailand I wanted to investigate the possibility of getting a Sak Yant tattoo. There was something unique and special about having a seasoned monk perform a sacred ritual inside a Buddhist temple while performing a hand-crafted art practiced for thousands of years. And today is the last day I will spend in Chiang Mai, Thailand and it comes with bittersweet feelings.
The last couple of weeks have provided me yet another growth opportunity to continue to look inside of myself, echoes of my past, and make the choices I needed to for myself to continue to be at peace with who I am, how I engage with people around me (friends, beloveds and the corner market cashier) and how I want to continue to offer the gifts I’m meant to be giving back to this world. As painful as some of these moments have been during the past couple of weeks, I’m at peace with myself, accepting what is. I want to express my gratitude to the people who have been around me and communicating with me.
One of the first days after I arrived to Chiang Mai I just by chance walked by one of the most popular Sak Yant places. It was then I was reminded that I wanted to check out this possibility. I stopped in and had a conversation with the receptionist, looked at the books with the designs and made the appointment. I knew I would need the guidance of the monk to help me decide what I wanted. Taking into account my own personal mantras, values, my work in the world and the practices towards peace I would have to sit with this idea for about 10 days because that was the only time their most practiced, 30yr veteran monk was available.
I’ve never really been a tattoo person in my life except when I decided I wanted to design one for myself a couple of years ago. I spent about 6 months designing the only tattoo I have on my left arm and I appreciate the intentions and meanings around the decided upon design with the Celtic knots and the meanings of the words. If you are interested learning more about my first tattoo click here. This tattoo is a compilation of personal values that I embrace and practice in my life and forgive myself for when I don’t make the mark, which happens more regularly than I like to admit sometimes.
Being in the mix of the choices I made for myself, facing into the “farang-ness” here in Thailand as well as people’s individual challenges dealing with my expression in this world I continued to look at different Sat Yank designs that would represent me and help continue to set the intentions I have moving forward in my life. One of my teachers said… modern-day world is paved with intentions.
I sat in front of Monk Rachan and was reminded that no matter how liberal I think USA is – there is a class system here in Thailand – I am NOT EQUAL to a Monk and of course not, I did not devote my life to the study of Buddhism, celibacy and relinquishing my worldly possessions. Think about how you would act towards a judge in a court case, who looks as if they might let you off with a warning for some indiscretion and is just waiting for you to give them any reason to throw the book at you. I was on my knees and also sitting lower than him.
After giving the monk my offerings, I sat and talked a little bit about who I am, my work in the world, my personal mantras and showed him a few of the designs I liked. With his guidance I decided on the Paed Tidt 8 directional Yant.
This video will give you some idea of what Sak Yant is all about…
Here is what was explained to me and some of what I pulled off of the internet about the Paed Tidt Yant …
The Sak Yant design ‘Paed Tidt’ or Eight Direction Yant is a sacred Geometric Yant containing eight Mantras written in 2 concentric circles in the center of the design. The design of the Paed Tidt Yant also incorporates eight representations of the Buddha. These are the groups of 3 ovals each increasing in size from the top.
In Thailand, there is a Buddha image, each one in a different pose, for every day of the week. (On Wednesdays there are 2 Buddhas, one for the morning and one for the evening) and these 8 Buddha Images can be seen in many Thai temples, usually surrounding a Chedi.
The Paed Tidt Yant will give you protection in whichever direction you are traveling and ward off evil spirits. The script used on the Paed Tidt Yant is an ancient Khmer script known as Khom. The Mantras written in the Paed Tidt Yant and which should be chanted when going out to give further protection are as follows.
The yant is not necessarily for traveling per se, but is for pulling in good luck and protection from all 8 directions and is also good when travelling as all yants are. This is a powerful yant to be helpful in the future which is a form of traveling but has no compass directions. Do not limit your mind.
Unaalome, which is the circle at the bottom represents the life you live with the many earthly distractions we encounter in our daily lives. If you let these things control your life you will go around in circles. Get rid of these things and you will get on the ever-increasing spiral. The more you do this the better your life will be. The spiral represents the head and spirals around the crown of the scalp until it reaches the top center point of the scalp. The straight line pointing upwards represents the straight path to Enlightenment without any wavering behavior that the Arahants have accomplished.
It is believed the better you get at cutting these negative influences out, you will get to enlightenment much faster.
There are rules which the Yant bearer should try and follow. These can vary from master to master. Nothing will happen badly if you stray from some of the rules. Try and keep to the rules and your life will be good. Below is a good example of these rules:
- Do not kill a person for pleasure.
- Do not steal for your own personal gain.
- Do not lie to harm others. We all tell white lies and there is a difference.
- Do not have sexual relations with another’s partner.
- Do not spit in the toilet. The toilet should be a clean place and not to keep it so, shows disrespect to oneself and others.
- Do not swear at or disrespect your parents in any way.
- Do not speak about people behind their back in a manner likely to cause harm.
- Do not over consume alcohol and become troublesome to others. Keep in control.
- Do not walk under female underwear. The reason for this is to avoid temptations and distractions that the opposite sex can bring. Monks themselves are not allowed to touch a woman’s skin for this very reason and when a monk tattoos a female, he will wear surgical gloves.
- Do not partake in evil deeds. Avoid all contact with such happenings whenever possible.
Now I can continue to heal and make my way back to Bangkok tomorrow. My time in Thailand is limited and I’m not sure where I may be headed to next. Maybe Cambodia to visit Anchor Wat or to Vietnam. There is more life to be revealed to me once I arrive in Bangkok.
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