Magical Tattoo - Sak Yant In Thasang Village



Monk With Magical Tattoos - Wat Pha That Nong Mat

Being married to Duang, a devout Theravada Buddhist, gives me many opportunities to experience and document many unique cultural and religious events, rituals, and ceremonies.

Many of the unique opportunities are and have been associated with the "outside" Wat of Thasang Village - her home village.  Duang and her immediate family favor Wat Pha That Nong Mat which is just outside of her village nestled amongst the agricultural fields and wetlands as well as seasonal waters of Nong Mat.

The Abbott of Wat Pha That Nong Mat is a late twenty or early thirties year old friend of Duang's son.  Ajahn Ott, besides being a regular Monk, had studied under the famous Monk, Luang Pho Poen at Wat Bang Phra.  At Wat Bang Phra, Ajahn Ott learned the powers and skills of the magical tattoos - Sak Yant.  He now performs special rituals related to Sak Yant, Korb Siarn Khru, and the occult.

I knew that Ajahn Ott was able to tattoo people with magical tattoos.  He had told my wife that when he was going to tattoo someone, he would let me know so that I could observe and photograph the process.

The "magical tattoos" are actually "sak yant" - Yantra tattooing.  Sak yants have a long and mystical history dating back over 2,000 years ago.  Sak yant tattooing is an ancient tradition of Thailand, Cambodia, Lao People's Democratic Republic and parts of Myanmar (Burma).  Today the tradition is largely restricted to Thailand.

 

Yantra originated in India.  Yantra are symbols and geometric arrangements that are used in Eastern mysticism to focus on spiritual concepts and to balance the mind.  Wearing, creating, and concentrating on yantra was believed in Indian religions to provide spiritual benefits.  In India the yantras were typically created on cloth.

 

Thai Yant (Sak Yant) Flag Hung In Our Living Room

The use of Yantras printed on cloth is still popular today in Thailand.  Yantra flags are hung in homes and vehicles to bring good luck and fortune.  They are especially popular for posting in businesses to bring success.  We have two Yantra flags in our home - one in our living room and a second one hung above the entrance door to our bed room.  The cloths are blessed by the Monks of each specific Wat that distributes them. The cloths are believed by Theravada Buddhists to protect from evil spirits, provide good health and ensure safety for the residents of the home where they are displayed.

 

Some Yants are small - similar to soccer club pendants, and are hung from motor vehicle rear view mirrors to afford protection from accidents.  We do not have one but we do have a small plastic disk - a sort of medallion with yantric symbols on it.

 

Yantra Cloth Above the Door To Our Bedroom

 

However it was the Khmer culture that adapted the yantras into tattoos.  During the Khmer Empire period, the warriors were covered from head to toe with yantric tattoos incorporating ancient Sanskrit script.  It was believed that the power of the Yantric tattoos protected the warriors - arrows and knives were unable to penetrate their skin.  Ok - you might be wondering why if the warriors were invincible, why are we all not talking Khmer today.  Although the Sak Yant tattoos are very powerful, there are rules that the bearers must follow to maintain the powers and the tattoos have to be re-energized periodically.  Apparently the Khmer warriors did not follow the rules faithfully or kept their tattoos energized.

 

Ajahn Ott Creates a Sak Yant On A Monk As 2 Year Old, Pope, Obseves

Today, Yantra designs for tattoos contain Animist, Hindu and Buddhist symbols.  It is yet another example of the Thai people incorporating rather than getting rid of beliefs and practices of previous religious systems into their current system.

Sak Yants are created using the "mae sak", originally a bamboo needle, but today it is a long metal pointed rod.  A trained Monk or a lay Sak Yant master uses the slotted metal pointed rod to apply special ink beneath the skin to create the selected design. The rod more closely resembles a knitting needle than any needle that I assumed would be used to create a tattoo.  After he has finished tattooing the person, the Monk or the Ajahn recites a prayer and blows twice onto the new tattoo to energize it.

Today in Thailand, many Monks, military men, Policemen, and gangsters have Sak Yants on their skin.  Many tourists also get "magical tattoos" in more of a right of passage than a belief or commitment to the heritage of the tattoo.


Yesterday, Duang and I had gone out to Wat Phra That Nong Mat to participate in a special ritual - the casting of a Naga in front of the shrine for Ruesi on the Wat's grounds.  It turned out to be quite a busy day at the Wat - the daily ritual of offering food to the Monks, the ritual for casting the Naga statue, the actual casting of the statue out of concrete, a surprise ritual called "Kahn Ha Kahn Phet", village women making handicraft brooms out of palm fronds, and ... Ajahn Ott creating two Sak Yants on the back of one of the Wat's younger Monks.

Ajahn Ott Accepting Offering for Sak Yant Tattoo

Soon after setting up my gear inside the small Ruesi shrine, I was joined by the young Monk to be tattooed and Ajahn Ott.  The young Monk made the traditional offering prior to the start of the tattoo process.

After removing his cover, the young Monk presented his back to Ajahn Ott .  Ajahn Ott used a long metal rod much like a knitting needle to apply ink dots beneath the skin.  He worked diligently, patiently and quickly to add two Yant Gao Yord tattoos on each side of an existing Yant Gao Yord.

Yant Gao Yord is the  most sacred of Buddhist tattoos. The nine vertical lines of the tattoo represent the nine peaks of Mount Meru, the home of Brahma and other Deities. Nine Buddhas are represented by three ovals with each Buddha granting special powers or protection.  Beneath the spires are a series  of small boxes - magic squares.  Inside the squares are symbols for individual powers and protections that are provided.  Some of the powers and protections include good luck and fortune, improvement of your fate and destiny, protection from accidents and violence, protection from black magic, power and control over people, as well as invincibility.  Beneath the spired configuration is a kataa - magic spell.

Upon completing the tattoos, Ajahn Ott quietly recited a kata, magic spell, to energize the tattoos.

Reciting a Kataa to Energize the Tattoos

Upon completion of energizing the tattoos, the young Monk paid his respects and returned outside to the other Monks and laypeople working on the components for the Naga statue,

I look forward to more opportunities to witness and document the unique process of creating magical tattoos.

New Gallery Available - "Wat Bang Phra, Sak Yant Tattoo"

Luang Pi Nunn Applies A Sak Yant To A Shoulder

A new gallery of 23 selected photographs from Wat Bang Phra in Thailand is now available for viewing and purchasing of prints.  The photographs are associated with the application of magic tattoos, Sak Yant, to the bodies of devotees at the famous Theravada Buddhist temple west of Bangkok.

http://www.hale-worldphotography.com/Thailand/Wat-Bang-Phru-Yak-Sant-Tattoo/38395615_tdMxtB

Wai Khru Ceremony, Wat Bang Phra

A Devotee, overcome by his tattoo animal spirit, starts off for the podium

Last month we attended a special cultural and religious event at Wat Bang Phra in Nakom Pathom - the Wat Bang Phra Tattoo Festival.  On March 15th the Wai Khru Ceremony was held.

Our visit to the temple the evening before the Wai Khru Ceremony is documented in the following blog entry:

http://hale-worldphotography.blogspot.com/2014/03/the-night-before-wai-khru-wat-bang-phra.html

The Wat Bang Phra Tattoo festival is about renewing the energy and power of special magical tattoos, Sak Yant, for which the Monks of Wat Bang Phra are famous.

http://hale-worldphotography.blogspot.com/2014/03/sak-yant-tattoos.html

The Wai Khru Ceremony is a ritual with Animist origins and subsequently influenced by the spread of Brahmanism from India,  The point of the ceremony is for people to pay respect and homage to their teachers.  Here in Thailand Wai Khru ceremonies are conducted for schoolchildren to show thanks, respect and to show honor for their teachers.

Muay Thai fighters before the start of each match will perform a Wai Khru Ram Muay ritual:

http://hale-worldphotography.blogspot.com/2013/01/wai-khru-ram-muay.html

to demonstrate their respect and pay homage to Buddha, their teachers, and their country.

Often performers of Thai classical dance, Krabi-Krabong martial art, and Thai classical music will perform a Wai Khru ritual, although not as elaborate as a Wai Khru Ram Muay before performing to pay respect and to make homage to their teachers as well as to the deities that patronize their arts. The tradition extends to Go-Go dancers at clubs throughout Thailand - a Wai Khru ceremony is held before the club opens each day. Many individual dancers will perform a quick Wai Khru before taking to the stage for the first time each day..  My brother-in-law also performs a ceremony before the start of each of his shows.

During our visit Friday evening, we learned that the tattoo festival would start at 9:00 A.M. at Wat Bang Phra.  I expected that the festival would be an all day event so we planned on arriving just before the scheduled start of the festival.  We arrived at 8:55 A.M. to find just about all open spaces, other than some walkways (runways?), filled with people sitting on plastic sheeting placed upon the parched and dusty ground.

Wat Bang Phra - Just before start of Wai Khru Ceremony

We had entered the grounds just to the left of the elevated shrine where the senior Monks and Tapawkao were located.  Many Monks were seated on chairs off to the left of the elevated shrine.  There was a small square area about 25 meters on each side that had many young men, some rather large and muscular - many wearing uniforms of local ambulance services and some martial arts clubs. We stopped at the edge of the seated people and the standing men.  Duang immediately said that she had to go to the bathroom and for me to stay there.  As she was leaving, I could hear some growling and snarling from various locations throughout the mass of people - Monks excepted.  These were devotees who were becoming possessed by the animal spirits of their magical tattoos.

Quickly, possessed people commenced rushing, charging, crawling, flailing, and hopping from the crowd towards the front of the elevated shrine.  At first it was typically one at a time, but you could feel the excitement as well as the frenzy building.

Devotee Becoming Possessed As His Tattoo Becomes Recharged

 

I got to shoot a little bit of video with my movie camera but quickly went to just still photos of my prime camera. Duang was nowhere to be seen to take care of my camera bag which was just as well - things were getting physical rather quickly where I was standing.

It turned out the people that were standing behind me were like "shock troops" - they stopped the advance of the possessed people and calmed them down by rubbing their ears and, if particularly possessed, lifting their bodies off the ground which was rather effective in breaking the spell.

There was a contingent of foreigners who were moving about and getting in position to take close-ups of the faces of the possessed devotees.  I did not join them - they were younger than 64 years old, in better shape them me, and almost all of them did not have a 22 pound backpack of gear on their back. 

Possessed Devotee Elevated Off the Ground to Break the Spell

I quickly realized the perilous position that I was in - possessed people were racing towards my vicinity from 180 degrees.  Depending upon how I turned myself some of the action was going on behind my back.  I decided that the best protection was to go on the offensive and to forget about taking photos.

I put all my gear into the backpack and started to face the crowd trying to determine where the next assault would come from.  I made sure that I was always behind the first line of blockers - I became a partner to a very large and muscular Thai wearing US Army fatigues (I suspect Army surplus - I have even seen Vietnamese young men in US Army fatigues near the Chinese border).  The Thai guy would take the brunt of the charge high, and I would either go in for the possessed person's ears or in rough cases I would go in low and raise a leg off the ground while others went for the other leg.  Go for the person's ears?  Yes - rubbing the ears helps snap the possession.  I added my own personal touch - I pulled on their ear lobes three times while chanting "Sah Sah" This technique seemed to be rather effective - pulling three times to signify the three gems of Buddhism - Buddha, The Teachings of Buddha, and the Sanga (Buddhist religious community).  "Sah Sah" being what you say to people, usually children, to calm them down.   I imagine the shock of have a falang (foreigner) pulling on your ear lobe three times and hearing him telling you to calm down was enough to break just about any animal possession that morning.

Once the possession was broken, the devotee would wai (raise the hands in a praying position and nod his head) to the people who got him out of his possession.  This indicated gratitude and respect for their efforts.  Having been dispossessed once did not mean the devotee was done for the day.  Many people would become possessed several times.  There was one guy that we dealt with three times.  I don't know if his tattoo spirit was that powerful or if he just had a proclivity towards getting possessed.

This man did not get possessed while his tattoos were charged with energy

Several times there were charges by 5 to 10 people at the same time.  Clouds of dust flew up into air from the pounding of feet on the dusty ground.  Some of the possessed people did not stay within the bounds of the established walkways through the crowd - they would end up taking the overland (over body?) route through and often over the seated people.

Some, very few, of the possessed people were female.  Possessed females seem to present a challenge to the ceremony.  The possessed women typically were possessed by crawling type animal spirits - slow crawling spirits.  The possessed women were stopped in the walkways by a couple of men, usually older men, long before getting to the area of high energy in the front of the shrine.  They had their ears rubbed and snapped out of their possession.

When not actively working on getting someone out of their possession, the shock troops nervously surveyed the crowd to determine where the next assault would most likely come from.  In the end, I helped with about 12 to 15 possessed people with only one slight glancing blow or grab to the groin.

While all this was going on there was some speaking, perhaps reciting of a prayer, from the elevated shrine.  The possessions seemed to taper off and stop on their own at which time everyone sat down or took a knee while some chanting was done by the Monks and Tapawkaos on the elevated shrine.

When they had finished their chanting, I saw a couple of Monks appear at the front of the raised shrine holding some fancy fire hose nozzles.  These were not the 2-1/4 inch or 6 inch high pressure nozzles that you attribute to fire protection systems in building or hydrant systems.  The nozzles and associated hoses were more like the portable water fire extinguishers of years gone by - perhaps a 1/2 or 3/4 inch hose.  The nozzle appeared to be tapered brass decorated with white braided rope, to me it was reminiscent of the fancy nautical knot displays made by sailors when I was a young boy.

Upon seeing the nozzles and the grinning Monks, the crowd - seated and standing went berserk,  Everyone got up and rushed to the front of the raised shrine to receive the blessing of the holy water.  Being so close to the shrine to begin with, I was quickly caught up in a human wave propelling me forward.  I received a good spray or two of the holy water but was struggling with all my might to keep on my feet.  The force of all the people from all areas of the crowd was propelling me forward and on top of other people's feet. I knew that I could not stop being swept along but I had to struggle to keep from going down and perhaps trampled.  I have been in that situation once before - exiting a soccer game in Curitiba, Brazil when four young men created a panic by rushing, and pushing through the crowd.

I was caught in the crowd and wanted to get out badly.  I noticed up ahead there was an area that seemed to offer protection - an area created by the extension of two staircases from a shrine building off to the left of the mass of people.  Just like getting caught in an ocean rip tide, I knew that I would only wear myself out resisting the mass of people behind me.  Just as you are supposed to do in a rip tide I commenced working my way across the crowd mass to the sanctuary of the building.  It was still a struggle to maintain my feet beneath me but I started to make some lateral progress.  With a great deal of physical effort and many apologies along the way - I made it to safety.

The Wai Khru Ceremony - the blessing and recharging of the magic tattoos had taken, to my surprise, 1-1/2 hours.  The area of the ceremony was quickly vacated and cleaned up.  A great many of the people remained at the Wat to be tattooed, purchase souvenirs, make merit, eat and drink.

Once safe, I tried getting a hold of Duang.  I was carrying my cell phone specifically in case we became separated.  It took about twenty minutes to get her on the phone - the system was apparently overloaded - I could not even make a call let alone her answering my call.  Eventually we reunited in the temple.  After Duang went off and brought back a nice refreshing ice cold Pepsi, while I enjoyed my drink and got my heart to calm back to normal, Duang worshipped at the shrine.  We then headed back to the area where we had witnessed Tapawkaos tattooing people the previous evening.



Young Man Contemplating the Sak Yant that He Is About to Receive

Many people were being and waiting to be tattooed by two Tapawkaos in area where we had watched the night before.  In rooms located at one side of and above the area, other Tapawkaos and at least one Monk were also tattooing people.

We saw many of the same people that we had seen the night before.  Many people were busy distributing food and drinks.  It turned out that all food and most of the drinks were free, donated by people in support of the event and temple.

At one end of the room, a Monk who spoken to me the evening before, sat and was giving a special blessing to men who came to him.  He was rolling what appeared to be a small roll-on container of oil on the head and forehead of the men kneeling in front of him.  I had not seen that type of blessing before.  I asked about it and Duang told me that it was "special".

Getting A Special Blessing

I was definitely glad that we had arrived and visited the Wat before the Wai Khru Ceremony.  The Wai Khru Ceremony was definitely a life experience and I will witness it again some day.  Having experienced it once I would not bring so much equipment and pay more attention as to where we set up for the ceremony as well as arriving much earlier.  I definitely would visit the Wat the evening before and recommend it to anyone planning on attending the festival - visiting the night before provides a more complete experience.

Did I get a tattoo?  If I were to get a tattoo it would definitely be a Sak Yant or something similar - ancient roots, culturally unique, mystical, and traditional even to the extent of its application.  Yes I would be concerned about the reuse of needles on several people without normally acceptable cleanliness and sterilization techniques, and the use of a common ink well for all people being tattooed. But I did not get a tattoo for the following reasons.

In getting a magical tattoo, Sak Yant, there are eleven rules that are supposed to be followed by the wearer.  There are some slight variations from Monk to Monk as well as Master to Master.  Basically the rules are:

1.   Do not eat star fruit, pumpkin, or any other gourd type vegetables
2.   Do not be a lover to any married people
3.   Do not say bad things about somebody's mother
4.   Do not eat food from a funeral or wedding buffet
5.   Do not eat leftovers
6.   Do not duck under a washing line or an overhanging building
7.   Do not duck under a certain type of banana tree
8.   Do not cross a single headed bridge
9.   Do not sit on a ceramic urn
10. Do not let a woman lay or sit on top of you
11. Do not brush up against the blouse or skirt of a woman especially when she is having her period.

I possibly could ignore the health risks of the tattooing process perhaps even rationalizing that the alleged snake venom in the custom made inks neutralize viruses.  However I can not rationalize getting a tattoo with special rules knowing that I would fully break at least three of the eleven rules.  For me doing so would betray and trivialize the admiration and respect that I have for the tradition.

The Night Before ... Wai Khru Wat Bang Phra

Installing A Sak Yant

One of the main reasons for our journey to Nakhon Pathom, a region west of Bangkok, was to attend the annual Wat Bang Phra Tattoo Festival.

There are many temples in Thailand where you can receive a yantric tattoo (magical tattoo) from either a Monk or from a highly trained lay person called, according to my wife, "Tapawkao".  A Tapawkao is one step below a Monk and one step above a Brahman.  Duang's deceased uncle was a Brahman and led the laypeople in all the merit making rituals at the village wat.  He acted as a priest type leader for the people - leading the chants, making the offerings, and interacting with the Monks who served their own role and had their own chants in the rituals.  Duang's uncle also performed Animist rituals such as Baii Sii ceremony, spirit house installations, our wedding ritual, and house blessings.

Tapawkaos receive much longer and more intense training for Bikkhus (ordained Buddhist monastics, "Monks") than Brahmans.

Prior to embarking on our trip to Nakhon Pathom, I did quite a bit of research on the Internet.  I even watched an episode of "The Tattoo Hunter" related to the Wat Bang Phra Tattoo Festival.  There was a great deal of information ot there about Sak Yant and the festival.  Much of the information appears to have come from a single source.

I have often written that my purpose in this blog effort is to share what I have seen, and experienced regarding the different aspects of culture here in southeast asia.  I know that there are times when what I write contradicts other sources of information.  Often I attribute this to the juxtaposition of  "The way things are supposed to be and the way they actually are"

To ensure that I accurately describe what I have observed, I often verify with my wife, Duangchan, to verify the accuracy and content of my writings.  What I eventually share on my blog is an accurate rendition of my obsevations of the events.

Duang Making An Offering and Receiving Blessing From the Abbott

You can obtain a Yak Sant tattoo daily at Wat Bang Phra.  However during the night before the Tattoo Festival, many people make a pilgrimage to the temple to be tattooed prior to the ceremony the next morning.  The Monks and Tapawkaos tattoo people throughout the night.  I have found that here in Thailand it is always best to be on site the day before the official scheduled start of any festival.  A good example of this is the Poi Sang Long Festival in Maehongson - we always arrive the day before the "start" of the festival to witness the ritual involving the shaving of the young boy's heads in the late afternoon.  I suspected that the same would be true for the tattoo festival.

After checking into our hotel and making a visit to Wat Sawang Arom, we arrived at Wat Bang Phra around 4 P.M.

The Wat is a fairly large complex with many buildings.  Many people were busy setting up booths and stalls.  Other people were occupied with preparing and cooking food in makeshift outdoor  kitchens.  There were many people but I would not catagorize the area as crowded.

After wandering about a little, we found a building where two people, one man and one woman, were being tattooed by two Tapawkaos.  I know that they were Tapakaos because they wore ordinary white clothing and their heads had not been shaved.  We asked one of the men that was stretching the skin for the tattoo process if I could take photographs.  He indicated that we had to talk to the Abbott about taking photographs.  We left that building and found the large building where the Abbott was.

We asked the young man who was assisting the Abbott about taking photographs of the tattooing process.  The young man suggested that we make an offering and discuss it with the Abbott.  Duang walked over to the desk where offerings of orchids, two joss sticks, and two small candles were for sale.  She returned and we knelt before the Abbott and made our offering to him.  After receiving his blessing, we inquired about taking photographs.  The Abbott's assistant asked about if the pictures were for television.  Duang explained to the assistant about how I take photographs, write stories about life in Thailand, and place them on the Internet. In very short time, I had permission to take photographs except for photographs of women being tattooed by Monks.  We placed an offering of money in an envelope and handed it to the assistant.  In return he handed me an envelope with some writing on it.

I was concerned about using a flash to take photographs.  I asked and Duang tried to explain what I was asking about.  I ended up setting up the flash with its light modifier and firing it for the Abbott to see.  He indicated that there was no problem - it was up to me.

A Tapawkao Tattoos A Young Man - The Traditional Way

We returned to the building where we first saw a person getting a tattoo. Off to the side of a stairway going up to where Luang Pi Nunn was creating Sak Yant and beneath a statue of Ruesi, the Tapawkao were still busy tattooing people - it was going to be a long night for them.

Ruesi are hermit sages who first discovered the powers of yantric tattoos (Sak Yants).  They passed on their knowledge and secrets to Monks who continue the traditions and practices today. Ruesi are sometimes depicted wearing a tiger skin because Lord Shiva, the original Great Ruesi, wore a tiger skin.  The tiger skin is also emblematic of being a hermit.

Monk With Sak Yants

Wat Bang Phra is considered to be the prime site for Sak Yants due to the work and reputation of its previous Abbott,  Luang Phor Phen.  Luang Phor Phen is well known for his use of magic to help people and the power of his Sak Yants.  During one period of his life, Luang Phor Phen was a hermit in the deep jungle known for its wild animals and evil spirits. It is said that during that period of time, he was always accompanied and protected by a large as well as very fierce tiger.  Luang Phor Phen died in 2002.  He is often depicted as riding atop a large tiger.  If you look carefully at some of the following photographs you will see depictions  of Luang Phor Phen and the tiger.  The souvenir tee-shirt, not mine - the one Duang purchased, has Luang Phor Phen and the tiger on the front and a yantra on the back.

Men Await Their Turn To Be Tattooed by Luang Pi Nunn

Today the most famous Monk for Sak Yant tattoos is Luang Pi Nunn. a Monk at Wat Bang Phra.  My goal was to witness and photograph him as well as his work.

After photographing the tattooing at the base of the stairway, we climbed the stairs and walked into a fairly large dim room.  At one end of the room, two Monks at each corner were tattooing people.  The Monk at the left hand corner of the room was Luang Pi Nunn.



Offerings in the foreground, Luang Pi Nunn in the background

The room was filled with about 40 people - roughly 20 seated upon the floor per Monk.  Each person had purchased an offering for 199 baht.  Each offering consisted of a bunch of orchids, a pack of cigarettes, two incense sticks, and two yellow candles.  The offerings were placed together on agold colored pressed ornamental bowl used throughout Thailand for presenting offerings to Monks.  The approximately 20 men bowed before the Monk as the offerings were made and received a blessing from the Monk.  As the number of people waiting dwindled, a new group was brought into the room and the offering ritual was repeated.

The room had no air conditioning but the whirling ceiling fans kept the room comfortable - at least for me but then again I was not about to be stuck hundreds if of times by a needle.  Four large cloth posters were hung on the walls on each side of the Masters.  The posters showed many of the yantras that were possible.

Various Yantras

The atmosphere of the room was somewhat somber and reverent - what you would expect in the prescence of a deeply faith based ritual.  Some of the men did talk but when they did, it was in low and hushed voices.  The men were mostly young - Sak Yants are very popular with policemen, military men, Monks, and others with dangerous but not necessarily legal professions or occupations.  Although I had started at the back of the crowd, I was upfront and next to Luang Pi Nunn in very little time.  The people knew that I was very curious and only interested in taking photographs with no intention to cut in line to get a tattoo of my own.

Man Waiting To Be Tattooed - I Believe That He Has A "Good Heart"

I focused my attention upon Luang Pi Nunn and the men that he was tattooing.  Two young men sat in front of the raised platform upon which Luang Pi Nunn sat.  Their duty was to stretch the skin of the person to be tattooed.  In order to make proper sized and clear lines, the skin needs to be stretched the proper consistent amount and in the proper direction.

Luang Pi Nunn Orientates A Young Monk

The person to be tattooed sits on the floor with his back to Luang Pi Nunn.  Often a triangular pillow is placed on his lap to help support his torso.  The person is then orientated so that Luang Pi Nunn can read the person's aura.  Based upon the person's aura, the Monk determines what yantra and where it will be applied to the skin.

The Master Often Smokes As He Reads Auras

After he determines which yantra he will create and where, the Master immediately commences to tattoo the person.  Downstairs some Tapawkaos used stencils to mark the yantra on the skin before they started to tattoo.  Although there were some stencils in a basket behind him, I never saw Luang Pi Nunn utilize a stencil.

The Sak Yant was created with long metal rods which more closely resembled knitting needles than the needles that I expected to be used for tattoos.  The rods were about 24 inches long and approximately 1/8 inch in diameter. The tips of  the needles were split - remininsent of old style fountain ink pens.

After loading the needle with ink and with his assitants stretching the skin, the Master started piercing the skin with the needle to create the yantra pattern.  Periodically with the smoothest and most fluid motion he would recharge the needle with ink from the tiny reservoir at his side.

Recharging the Needle With Ink

After completing the tattoo, the needle was placed into a container of ink stained alochol - ready for the next tattoo.  At the front of the Master's work station. there were two sharpening stones - like the kind used to sharpen knives.  A sheet of sandpaper was also stored in the back of his station for sharpening the needles.  I observed Luang Pi Nunn for about two hours and he never sharpened a needle.

Luang Pi Nunn's Workstation - He Sits Cross Legged On the Table

When Luang Pi Nunn took a break, I was able to get some close up photos of his workstation.

Tattoo Needles(?) and the Master's Cigarette Butts

The Master's Tools

The ink used for applying Sak Yants are a secret recipe - unique to each Master.  It is believed to contain coconut oil, charcoal, snake venom and possiblely human remains (I suspect ashes).  In the above photograph the small bowl of golden fluid is palm or coconut oil that is used rather than black ink to create invisible Sak Yants.  Rolls of toilet paper are used to create tissue pads that are used to prevent smearing of the tattoo as it is being created, to help keep ink from getting on the master's hands, and to clean the tattoo when it is completed.  The man seated behind me was kept busy unrolling toilet paper and folding into compact absorbant pads.

When the tattoo is completed, the Master cleans the tattoo of excess ink and quietly recites a special chant.  He blows on the tattoo twice to energize the Sak Yant with its powers.

Luang Pi Nunn Energizes A Sak Yant That He Just Completed

After an hour observing Luang Pi Nunn, we went back down the stairs to explore more of the facility.

There were several areas where Tapawkaos were involved in tattooing people.  I had read that only Monks could energize the Sak Yants.  This was not my experience the night before Wai Khru at Wat Bang Phra.  Every Tapawkao that I observed, upon finishing a tattoo, would recite a Kataa and blow twice into the Sak Yant to energize it.  I questioned Duangchan about this and she told me that Tapawkaos are taught a great deal by Monks and have powers.  The Monks give them authority to recite Kataa and to energize the Sak Yants.

Man Receives Sak Yant On His Thigh From A Tapawkao

After three hours we left Wat Bang Phra eagerly anticipating the Wai Khru Ceremony the next morning.

Sak Yant Tattoos

Sak Yant Tattoos On Theravada Monk's Body

 Our just concluded four day trip to Nakom Pathom, approximately 50km outside of Bangkok, was the culmination of two serendipitous events.  About a month ago while surfing the Internet, I discovered an e-brochure, "Khlong Tour, Cruising the Majestic Waterways" created in 2007 by the Tourism Authority of Thailand.

 

The brochure describes several tours of the area including floating markets, farm and orchard visits, and some Buddhist sites.  We had visited the area for the first time in 2007 and for the second time last December.  The brochure highlighted some areas of interest that we had not visited.

 

Shortly after discovering the e-brochure, I learned from a contact on Facebook, that the annual Wat Bang Phra Tattoo Festival was scheduled for 15 March.

 

I have wanted to witness the Wat Bang Phra Tattoo Festival for at least three years.  I decided that this would be the year that we would attend the festival and also spend some time to visit some of the sites described in the e-brochure.

 

The Wat Bang Phra Tattoo Festival is a ritual where "magical tattoos" are re-energized by special chants from the Monks of the Wat.

 

Before writing and sharing our experiences at the festival, I would first like to give some background regarding the tattoos associated with Wat Bang Phra.

 

The "magical tattoos" are actually "sak yant" - Yantra tattooing. Sak yants have a long and mystical history dating back over 2,000 years ago.  Sak yant tattooing is an ancient tradition of Thailand, Cambodia, Lao People's Democratic Republic and parts of Myanmar (Burma).  Today the tradition is largely restricted to Thailand.

 

Yantra originated in India.  Yantra are symbols and geometric arrangements that are used in Eastern mysticism to focus on spiritual concepts and to balance the mind.  Wearing, creating, and concentrating on yantra was believed in Indian religions to provide spiritual benefits.  In India the yantras were typically created on cloth.

 

Thai Yant (Sak Yant) Flag Hung In Our Living Room

The use of Yantras printed on cloth is still popular today in Thailand.  Yantra flags are hung in homes and vehicles to bring good luck and fortune.  They are especially popular for posting in businesses to bring success.  We have two Yantra flags in our home - one in our living room and a second one hung above the entrance door to our bed room.  The cloths are blessed by the Monks of each specific Wat that distributes them. The cloths are believed by Theravada Buddhists to protect from evil spirits, provide good health and esure safety for the residents of the home where they are displayed.

 

Some Yants are small - similiar to soccer club pendants, and are hung from motor vehicle rear view mirrors to afford protection from accidents.  We do not have one but we do have a small plastic disk - a sort of medallion with yantric symbols on it.

 

Yantra Cloth Above the Door To Our Bedroom

 

However it was the Khmer culture that adapted the yantras into tattoos.  During the Khmer Empire period, the warriors were covered from head to toe with yantric tatoos incorporating ancient Sanskrit script.  It was believed that the power of the Yantric tattoos protected the warriors - arrows and knives were unable to penetrate their skin.  Ok - you might be wondering why if the warriors were invincible, why are we all not talking Khmer today.  Although the Sak Yant tattoos are very powerful, there are rules that the bearers must follow to maintain the powers and the tattoos have to be re-energized periodically.  Apparently the Khmer warriors did not follow the rules faithfully or keep their tattoos energized.

 

 

Today, Yantra designs for tattoos contain Animist, Hindu and Buddhist symbols.  It is yet another example of the Thai people incorporating rather than getting rid of beliefs and practices of previous religious systems into their current system.

Sak Yants are created using the "mae sak", originally a bamboo needle, but today it is a long metal pointed rod.  A trained Monk or a lay Sak Yant master uses the slotted metal pointed rod to apply special ink beneath the skin to create the selected design. The rod more closely resembles a knitting needle than any needle that I assumed would be used to create a tattoo.  After he has finished tattooing the person, the Monk or the ajan recites a prayer and blows twice onto the new tattoo to energize it.

I do not have any tattoos or have I ever considered getting tattooed,  however I know that if I were to get a tattoo it would not be "Mom", an anchor, or even a ship across my chest.  No, if I were to ever get a tattoo, it would have to be special - a tattoo that connected me with the far distant past, a unique tribal connection, a religious artifact created by traditional instruments used by a spiritual person - something like a sak yant.