TheBlankSlate |

Sak Yant.

Posted on April 19, 2017 by theblankslate

Every year, during the end of March, over 10,000 people flood the grounds of Wat Bang Phra, an ancient Buddhist temple about 50 kilometres west of Bangkok, famed for its history and magical tattoos. People enter the temple during the early hours of the morning to participate in a heady yet enriching festival revolving around the age-old art of Thai Tattoos – Sak Yant.

The participants come with the intention of recharging the magical powers coursing through the various tattoos that mark their skin, through a ceremony called the Wai Khru.

Wai Khru is a Thai ritual in which students pay respects to their teachers in order to express their gratitude and formalize the student–teacher relationship. The rituals of Wai Khru are believed to have derived from ancient animistic beliefs, influenced by the spread of Brahmanism from India.

What may sound sober takes a surprising turn as there’s a sudden crescendo of energy amongst those gathered. One after another, the devotees enter a state of trance and bliss, known as Khong Khuen (rise of the magical force), in which they jump, scream and charge headlong, arms flailing around, toward the front of the temple grounds where the monks sit and oversee the festival. The devotees become possessed by their Sak Yant, and embody their tattoos – tattoos that vary from tigers, crocodiles, mythical animals to various Hindu gods.

A phalanx of soldiers and paramedics guard the temple shrine from the onslaught of tattooed devotees, bringing them out of the trance by repeatedly rubbing their ears. As the festival concludes, the monks lead a prayer before the crowd rushes toward the stage to be blasted with holy water from a high-powered hose. The devotees leave, confident their tattoos have been sufficiently charged with magic again.

Wai Khru festival at Wat Bang Phra, Thailand.

Volunteers and soldiers restrain a devotee and repeatedly rub his ear to bring him out of the trance.

Photographs from http://www.expertvagabond.com

SAK YANT

Sak Yan or Sak Yant (Thai: สักยันต์), is a form of tattooing that originated amongst Thai people. These tattoos draw inspiration from Buddhist, Brahman, and animist imagery, and incorporate sacred geometry and magical incantations (kata) written in the Khmer version of Pali Sanskrit- also known as Khom. And they are believed to offer power, protection, fortune, charisma and other benefits for the bearer. Today it is practiced in Thailand and Myanmar, and to a much lesser extent in Laos and Cambodia.

Sak means “to tattoo” in Thai, and Yant is the Thai pronunciation for the Sanskrit word yantra, meaning ‘magical design’ or ‘mystical insignia’. Thus, the Sak Yant Tattoo literally translates to ‘Magical Tattoo’.

“Sak yant was influenced by the Khmer language since around 1,200 years ago. The language has no power in itself. But power comes from the [tattooing] ceremony.” Ajarn Neng Onnut, a renowned, Bangkok-based Sak Yant master who has tattooed Steven Segal and Brooke Shields, among other luminaries, told The Diplomat.

Sak yant designs are normally tattooed by ruesi (seers or sages), wicha (magic) practitioners, and Buddhist monks, traditionally with a long bamboo/metal rod sharpened to a point called the khem sak. Although today with many health concerns of the westerners obtaining their tattoos, many practitioners have modernized their methods and have begun using modern tattoo-guns in order to be completely safe.

ORIGIN & HISTORY

During the golden age of the Ayutthaya Kingdom (1351-1767 CE), warriors took to the battlefield clad in suea yant, or shirts covered in yant designs meant to protect them. Officials and civil servants from the period also wore sak yant on their shirts to signal their status and military level. Buddhist monks originally engraved Sak Yant into warriors seeking protection and strength in battle; often covering their entire bodies from head to toe in magic symbols to prevent knives and arrows from piecing their skin. Slowly, over a period of time, these designs travelled on to the bodies of the warriors themselves, when they realized inking the skin was a more practical idea. And thus grew the sacred art of Sak Yant Tattoos.

THE MONK AND THE AJARN.

The term ‘Ajarn’ is used to describe a learned person… similar to the term Professor or Master. When we refer to the term ‘Ajarn’ we are referring to a Sak Yant Master. Generally an Ajarn (or Sak Yant Master), is a former Monk who has taken his training in the Magical Art of Sak Yant and continued to provide the service to people even after they no longer work within the Temple environment.

The Traditional Sak Yant Tattoo is a magical and spiritual symbol that is done in an ancient language that takes Monks years to learn. A Tattoo Artist might be able to copy a pattern and give you a beautiful Tattoo – one that might look a lot more symmetrical and intricate – but the Monks and Ajarns change the text of the language to empower the Sak Yant and provide a magical blessing based on the purpose and intent behind the chosen design. Besides, getting a Sak Yant from a regular tattoo artist beats the whole purpose, doesn’t it?

Research into the culture and tradition of Thailand would lead one to believe that Buddhist monks do not tattoo on women. But this is one huge misunderstanding. In fact, Angelina Jolie broke all rumours and helped spread awareness about this sacred practice when she got her Sak Yant tattoo in 2004. Most people tend to confuse tradition and culture with the actual Vinaya ( Monk Code of Conduct). Thai Buddhist Monks are permitted to touch a woman, so long that it does not create lust. For this reason many Monks decide that it is better to be safer than sorry in this regards, and if they do touch a female they use prayer clothe (or gloves for Sak Yant) as an added layer.

THE PROCESS

Sak Yant is not like any ordinary tattoo. The application involves either a long metal rod or bamboo stick, which is used to insert the ink deep into the skin through a process called ink tapping. The ink (usually a clay mixture) is infused with various herbs, such as antiseptic waan root, wild ginger, sesame oil, snake venom, and, according to some travel witers, human remains as well. Apparently this adds power to the ink.

To know more about the practice and to watch Ajarn Ohr practice the sacred design, click here.

YANT DESIGNS

There are many traditional types and designs of yantra tattoos, but each design has it’s own meaning and intention, and demands to be placed in specific positions of the body in order for them to be effective. In Southeast Asian culture, the head is the most sacred part of the body. The further down the body, the less sacred, and foreigners with religious figures inked on their legs have caused upset. So, if you’re planning to get a sacred/religious tattoo, make sure you get it done in the right place!

Some of the most popular designs include:

‘Ongk Pra’ is a simple Buddha Yantra used both as an individual blessing and also as an embellishment to other, larger Sacred Yant designs. Commonly seen as 9 small Buddhas sitting on the nine spires of the Gao Yord Sak yant tattoo.

Yant Mahaniyom is also known as the great Preference Yantra – this is because of the fact that is posesses the powert of Metta Mahaniyom. Traditionally, yant Mahaniyom is generally Tattooed placed on the right shoulder on the back, instil a general air of completion, wholeness and balance.

Yant-Gao-Yord-Nine-Peaks-of-ount-Meru-Sakyant-Tattoo-Design

Yant Gao Yord is the Yant Kroo of many of the Great Samnak Sak Yant around Thailand and South East Asia, and is perhaps the most well-known of all Sak Yant designs. They are many different versions of Yant Gao Yord, the most common being formed as a pyramid like structure, but some can also be formed in a flat alignment.

Yant Gao Yord being tattooed onto the back of a devotee.

Yant Suea Koo : The two tigers represent “Amnaj” (power over one’s subordinates), and is often used by Soldiers and Policemen in commanding positions.

Yant Paed Tidt is representative of the 8 directions of the Universe and has a kata to protect you in each direction you may travel in.

Yant Paed Tidt with a tiger in the centre.

SAK YANT AFTERCARE

Generally a Sak Yant does not bleed during the process because the steel needles that the monks and Ajarns use today, do not penetrate the skin as deeply as a tattoo machine. Your Sak Yant will heal much faster (usually a day or two) but it is a tattoo and to ensure long term quality, it is essential to provide an aftercare program.

After you receive your Sak Yant, you need to do the same things as you would a normal tattoo to avoid tattoo bleed (fuzzy lines if ink spreads) and to keep the ink dark after the healing scabs come off. Like any tattoo after a week the skin around the tattoo will start to flake off revealing the final and permanent Sak Yant.

So, if you don’t have a tattoo yet, and you’re waiting for your first one to be something special, plan a trip to Thailand maybe?

Yours truly,
The Blank Slate.

Antiquity.

Posted on March 16, 2017 by theblankslate

It is art. Every tattoo has a meaning that is more than just something skin deep.

-Anon.

“Hey, I think I’m gonna get a tattoo this weekend. You wanna come with?”
“WHAAAAAAATTT? IT’S GOING TO BE ON YOUR BODY PERMANENTLY, ARE YOU STUPID? “

Courageous? Yes.
Committed? Yes.
Proud? HELL YES.
But, Stupid? No.

Okay… there maybe a few exceptions. But that’s alright. It’s still a fun story to share.

Yes, it’s on your body for life and you’re pretty much stuck with it. But why don’t we take a moment, and try to apprehend why people take this huge leap to mark their skin permanently.

Just how old this art-form is, we’ll never know.

Twenty-five years ago, tattoos were actually quite common… on sailors, prison inmates, and members of tough motorcycle gangs. If you looked at accountants, pro ping-pong players, or shoe salesmen, though, it would have been pretty rare to find some ink. So what happened?

The first-known tattoo – of a moustache – was discovered on a South American mummy from 6,000 B.C. It was a cosmetic tattoo, believed to have been done to entice his wife further.

But, the 1991 discovery of a pre-historic man in the Alps, revealed a whole new perspective to the story. Carbon dating would prove that he was mummified almost 5,300 years ago. Apart from being discovered with a number of primitive tools, the most fruitful outcome of this expedition was his tattoos. His tattoos, that covered him from head to toe, were found to have been lined up to acupuncture points on the body and were dark from repeated applications – some of which were on parts that he couldn’t have been able to reach on his own. Tattooing for medicinal purposes – dating back to ages and ages ago. Fascinating, isn’t it?

So, tattooing isn’t a new-found practice and tattoos have not always been about beautifying the human body; they have been passed on for generations and have been used for diverse reasons by different communities across the globe.

Tattoo-lovers, today, are a proud lot. They have consciously taken the decision to mark their skin and would proudly declare that they are what they are. To me, it’s a projection of a strong sense of identity that they have no intention of hiding. They are not scared of public opinion and would love to let others know what they believe in. And good for them!

Over the centuries, instead of becoming an extinct practice, tattoos have gained popularity — which only goes to prove that the art-form has stood the test of time and is here to stay. Thanks to pop-culture and social media, over the past few years, the walls dividing artists and tattoo fans have been reduced to mere rubbles, and now act as reminders of history.

While critics still lurk around the edges, waiting to point fingers at a tatted-arm or an inked-wrist, there are some others that have become and are becoming a lot more accepting of these practices. What was once considered self-mutilatory behaviour and a psychiatric problem has now become almost normative behaviour.

WHAT DOES YOUR TATTOO MEAN?

Millennials today get inked for a wide variety of reasons. To keep a memory permanent, or to mark a milestone; to honour a loved one or to pay respect to a tradition or culture; to identify with a cult/culture/organisation or quite simply to embellish this beautiful body that they’ve been gifted with… the reasons are endless, and to each, their own.

“An inked skin to me is a canvas that has some stories to tell, until the day you submerge into the soil.”

– BHAVANA SN

TO HONOR / SHOW RESPECT FOR A LOVED ONE.
A good friend got a tattoo as a token of love and respect for her mum, and she told me, ” …when I look at my tattoo it tells me that this is what I’m living for.”Humans are sentimental beings that crave attention, affection and that deep connection with one another. Either it’s a dedication to a loved one or a tribute to a respected personality, people get tattoos to mark the presence or impact of certain others in their lives.
TO CREATE AN IDENTITY FOR ONESELF.
Growing up in a rapidly changing and challenging world, most young people have struggled at some point or another with figuring out who they might be. Tattoos, recent research suggests, don’t just express identity: They help define it.It is a modern-day coat-of-arms that help cement some part of ourselves in this rapidly moving era, constantly reminding one of who they are and what they’re striving for.
TO KEEP A MEMORY PERMANENT OR TO MARK A MILESTONE.
To build anchors that would help bring stability to who you are today, and where you want to be.
TO BEAUTIFY THE BODY WITH A DISTINCTIVE WORK OF ART.

“I have a lot of tattoos. I probably have over 100 tattoos. I don’t know. It’s just a mural… a collage.”
-TYGA

No matter what far corner of the globe you’re from, tattoos are a way to wear your life story on your skin. A blend of creativity and fashion, tattoos are no longer just about identity and territory. They are looked at as means to express beliefs, memories and the phase one is going through in life.

Gone are the days when tattoos were spotted only on mean, gang-members with sigils branded on their chests, or done in shady garages located in dark alleys. Whether you like it or not, they are growing in popularity. And, the long-term fear of being “marked for life” is being tempered by tattoo removal technology and people getting used to seeing tattoos. Whatever your feelings are about tattoos, one thing is for sure: There’s definitely more than meets the eye.

So, if you really want to go get that tattoo, go ahead and don’t bother about other’s opinions. This is your blank slate and your story to tell. But make sure to put in the thought and effort that it deserves.

If this article helped clear some of the doubts that were clouding your mind, or if there’s something else that you’d like me to talk about, let me know in the comments below.

Yours truly,
The Blank Slate.

Canvas.

Posted on March 2, 2017 by theblankslate

(When I was 16 yrs old)
Me: Appa, listen, two years from now, when I turn 18 and become an adult and shizz, can I get a tattoo?
Dad: No.
Me: Not now! Two years later.
Dad: No.
Me: But… It’s TWO years away.
Dad: (stares at me till I dissipate into thin air)

Getting a tattoo has been left unchecked on my bucket list for quite a while now and it looks like it’s going to stay that way for some time longer.

Why don’t I have one yet? And, what am I doing here, starting a blog on something that I have zero (ZERO) experience with?

Well, to start off, there are many reasons behind why I haven’t gotten ‘inked’ yet. But, one of the major influencing factors is my family. My parents are not conservative. They are not typically orthodox. They are not restrictive either. But, if one day I feel all rebellious, get a tattoo and head back home, I’ll have to sleep on the streets for the rest of my life. So no, I can’t get one. (Yet!)

One other reason is that I just can’t seem to be able to figure out what I need. It’s quite frustrating and the only outcome from this is an ever-growing Pinterest board.

But the thing is, this isn’t just my family or just my parents. This is the case with most of my friends too. Ask the elders what the big deal is and you will never get a definite answer – Just that expertly mastered look of disgust.

But… WHY?

Tattooing, as a form of body ornamentation, is not a recent practice. It’s been around for ages and researchers date tattoos back to a period as early as 4000BC. The word tattoo is said to have been derived from the Tahitian word meaning ‘to strike’, tatau, and examples can be found in the history of ancient societies in Hawaii and Tahiti as well. But regardless, tattooed men and women alike, are looked at as defiant of social conventions.

Tattoos are a form of expression – religious, in some cultures. And just plain visual verbalization in some others.
For some, it’s a feeling and an identity.
And for some, it is plain aesthetics. Their bodies are a giant canvas that they want to embellish.

So, this is me, a girl with a blank slate, trying to create cognizance about a beautiful form of art. Why should it be looked down at? Why do some people get the tattoos that they do, and why do some people shy away from it? What’s in trend now and who’s in trend now?

This is the beginning of a journey through the industry of tattooing.
So, if you’re already inked from top-to-toe and you’re looking to add more to that canvas; if you’ve always wanted one but can’t decide on your design; if you desperately want one but can’t build up the courage it takes, or if you’re an artist looking out for another artist and some inspiration, come back here for all this and more.

Yours truly,
A Blank Slate. (for just a while longer)