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.

Unexpected Pleasure, Beauty Is Where You Find It

Phra Maha Chedi Chai Mongkol, Roi-Et Province

Yesterday I wrote that our trip to Roi-Et ...  "As is the case for all wonderful trips, our expectations, as well as anticipations were exceeded.  We got to meet face to face for the first time my Facebook friend.  The first night we witnessed a wonderful presentation of the Vessantara Jataka by local university students.  We met a very nice local couple who invited us to spend Sunday night at their home."
Our new friends in Roi-Et wanted to take us Sunday morning to a special place about 80 km from their home.  It turned out that this special place was a very special place - an unexpected pleasure for Duang and me.  Our friends brought us to view and experience Pra Maha Chedi Chai Mongkol, "The Great, Victorious and Auspicious Pagoda" - also known as Pra Maha Chedi Chai Mongkhon .

In Thailand, chedi is the same as a stupa.  Chedis and stupas are Buddhist structures containing Buddhist relics - often the ashes of Buddhist Monks.  Phra Maha Chedi Chai Mongkol is built to house some very special Buddhist relics.  Besides the relics of the Monk most responsible for its construction, Luang Phu Sri Vi Ro, and other Monks, Pra Maha Chedi Chai Mongkol contains relics from Buddha that arrived from Sri Lanka on May 3, 1997.

The decision to build Pra Maha Chedi Chai Mongkol and to create a sacred place for the relics was made at a meeting of the clergy on 25th of November 1985.

That was almost thirty years ago.  I do not know if the chedi is still under construction or if it undergoing extensive renovation.  No matter the case, we found the facility to be incomplete.  I estimate that the facility is about 60 percent complete.  However the 60% completion state is pretty much universal.  No matter where you go in the facility you have a clear indication from the construction or restoration to date what that area will look like when it is completed.

Ground Level Portico

Portico Partially Completed

Pra Maha Chedi Chai Mongkol is rife with symbolism.  The symbolism starts with the dimensions of the complex.  The facility is located in Roi-Et Province ("101 Province").  Pra Maha Chedi Chai Mongkol is situated upon 101 rai of land - 40 acres.  The chedi is 101 meters wide by 101 meters long and 101 meters tall.

Main Pagoda Flanked By Two Of the Eight Smaller Pagodas

The chedi is surrounded by eight smaller pagodas.  Pagodas?  Pagodas are chedis that can be entered and may have a secular purpose.  The large chedi is also a pagoda since it can be entered.

Naga Exiting the Mouth of A Dragon

The main pagoda has five floors each having a different purpose and motif.

The first floor is for meetings and conferences.

First Floor - Shrine to Luang PhuSri Maha Vi Ro

The beams and columns of the first floor are covered with intricate designs with a pink and gold color palette.  It is very beautiful and, in my opinion, rivals the opulence of Versailles.  Several paintings adorn the perimeter wall of the first floor with many to be added to complete the decor.

First Floor Painting

Another First Floor Painting

First Floor Staircase Decoration

Statue Adorning First Floor Staircase

The second floor of the pagoda is meant for clergy meetings and has a blue along with gold color palette.

Second Floor Ceiling

Second Floor Shrine

Second Floor Shrine

As we walked about the pagoda in awe of the beauty as well as the complexity of the decor, we came upon a section where a man was working on adding decorations to a wall panel.  We learned that it took him three days to complete each wall panel.

Worker Adding Decorations To Wall Panel

The third floor of the pagoda is an ubosot - ordination hall, the holiest prayer room.  Ordination of Monks takes place in the ubosot which is often referred to by laypeople as "bot".  The ubosot of this pagoda is red and gold.

 

 

Ceiling Panel of the ubosot - Third Floor

 



Ceiling Detail Of Ubosot

Ornate Columns Descending From Ornate Ceiling

Ubosot Shrine



Part of Ubosot Shrine - "Reclining Buddha"

Ubosot Ceiling

The fourth floor has access to an outside viewing deck which provides grand panoramas of the surrounding countryside.  The wall of the fourth floor, to me, seemed to be a hall of fame for Monks.  There were many statues set pedestals along the perimeter wall.  Each statue had a name of a different deceased Monk.

Fourth Floor of the Pagoda

The fifth floor is supposed to be a museum related to Pra Maha Chedi Chai Mongkol.  The museum must be also under renovation because other than the walls containing relics from many Monks, there were no articles on display.  However the fifth floor is the base of a marvelous spiral stairway containing 119 steps leading up to the sixth floor where the Buddha relics are stored.



Spiral Stairway Connecting 5th Floor to 6th Floor

Looking Down At the 4th Floor From the 5th Floor

Relics from Buddha - 6th Floor

The access to the sixth floor, where the relics of Buddha from Sri Lanka are kept, is by climbing a spiral staircase from the 5th floor.  There is elevator access between all the other floors - when the elevator is not being renovated.  However much like reaching enlightenment or Heaven, the way to the 6th floor requires some effort - climbing 119 steps - ever decreasing width threads as you get closer and closer to your goal - a challenge for me with size 11 feet.  Towards the top of the staircase I was climbing with my sock covered feet just about parallel to the stair threads after having jabbed my toes several times earlier.  Descending the steps is much easier with the stair threads getting wider and wider with each step down.

Ceiling of the 6th Floor

The exterior of the pagoda outside of the 6th floor is a tiered King's umbrella (Sa Vhet Tha Chut) fabricated from 60 kilograms of gold.

Upon arriving at the 6th floor, I was sweating profusely.  The pagoda is not air conditioned and the outside temperature was around 36C (97F).  Although the exterior of the pagoda is white, the natural chimney effect the hot air along with the increased humidity caused by respiration of its visitors rising up through the building to the 6th floor - not to mention the physical exertion of climbing up 101 meters (331 feet) through the building.  Fortunately, there were a couple of large fans circulating the air at the sixth floor.  After Duang had completed her worship, we commenced our journey down through the building.

Our visit to Pra Maha Chedi Chai Mongkol was a quite unexpected pleasure.  I had never heard or read of the place.  Our new friends had definitely made a memorable experience for us by bring us to this special place.

Just as I have found many of the world's wonders overwelming upon first encountering them. I found that one visit to Pra Maha Chedi Chai Mongkol to be inadequate to fully appreciate its magnitude and beauty.

It was only starting with my second visit to Grand Canyon National Park that I began to comprehend its magnitude and the extent of its beauty.  After six visits to Yellowstone National Park, I still discover more of its beauty and grandeur with each visit.

The same is true with Pra Maha Chedi Chai Mongkol.  One visit is definitely not sufficient.  I was told that it will take five years to finish it.  With 5 years of construction or renovation to come, the place will be continually evolving  and changing - states to be celebrated, cherished, and ...photographed.

Our journey to Roi-Et started with a series of expectations and anticipations.  Just as with life, we encountered many opportunities to realize our expectations but it was the changes to our original plan that provided the greatest happiness and the realization of beauty that we did not know existed along our planned route.

I look forward to returning to Pra Maha Chedi Chai Mongkol to better understand, and appreciate it.

Isaan Area Back Roads

Tobacco Drying In Isaan

From a Facebook friend, we learned of the Bun Pha Wet Festival in Roi-Et.  After seeing photos from my friend's previous visit to the festival seven years ago, I decided that it would be a pleasant trip for us to attend this year's festival.

Roi-Et is a small, approximately 36,000 people. agricultural centered town three hours from our home.

We went to the festival expecting to see people dressed in traditional clothing and performing traditional Lao as well as Thai dances.  We knew that there would be plenty of small booths, stalls, and motorcycle sidecars selling soft drinks and all kinds of food.  We anticipated that we would be able to witness merit making and rituals involving Theravada Buddhist Monks.

As is the case for all wonderful trips, our expectations, as well as anticipations were exceeded.  We got to meet face to face for the first time my Facebook friend.  The first night we witnessed a wonderful presentation of the Vessantara Jataka by local university students.  We met a very nice local couple who invited us to spend Sunday night at their home.

Sunday morning while following our new friends out to their home in the countryside along some back roads, I saw many homes that had wood drying racks set up in their front yards.  The drying racks were heavily laden with strings of relatively small pale leaves.  I asked Duang what it was and she told me it was the same flowers that you cut and make into cigarette to smoke.  OK - I then knew that it was tobacco.  Coming from Connecticut, I am familiar somewhat with tobacco cultivation - Connecticut River Valley tobacco for cigar wrappers - the background for the film "Parrish"

As a child, I remember staring out the car window as large wood tobacco drying barns  and large swathes of the countryside, draped in white cotton, whizzed by.  Connecticut tobacco was grown under artificial shade to soften the sunlight and increase the humidity to soften and make a better tasting tobacco leaf.  I remember that the leaves were rather large, but then again I also remember the glacial rocks that I played upon back then being much larger than they are today.

The leaves that I saw along the back roads of Isaan were about 6 inches (16 cm) in diameter and the plants in the dry dusty fields were about 2-1/2 feet high (76 cm).

Tobacco Drying In The Front Yard

On our way back to our home, I stopped alongside of a back road across from a home that had several racks of tobacco drying under the hot Isaan sun.  Our typical high temperatures each day are now in the range of 36-40C (97-104F) and with the absence of the monsoonal air flows, our humidity is still low.  Several times when I rinsed my hands on this trip, I could actually see the water evaporating off of my skin in the sunlight.

 

 

While Duang waited in our truck, I crossed the road and busied myself taking photographs of the tobacco racks.  I was not there very long when I heard a man's voice coming from further back of the property.  I looked and saw a shirtless middle aged farmer.  He was saying something about a foreigner taking photographs.  I yelled out to him in Thai that yes the foreigner loves to take photographs. Quickly he was standing by my side.  I showed him some of the photographs that I had just taken.  He liked them and he started to point out some shots for me to take.  After a few more shots, he grabbed my arm - sort of like a Boy Scout assisting an old lady to cross the street, only in this circumstance he was leading me deeper onto his property towards his drying sheds.

 

Tobacco Drying Under Cover In Drying Shed



This type of behavior is not uncommon here in southeast Asia.  Quite often the local people encourage as well as nourish my enthusiasm to document their culture and way of life, by sharing more personal or private aspects of their world with me.  Even when the "special" shot that they point out is not necessarily a shot that I want, I take the shot and share it with them - a small gesture of gratitude for their kindness.

Tobacco Hanging From Roof Soffit

The farmer and I returned to the side of the road where I called out to Duang to join us.  There was too much conversation and undoubtedly way too much information going on in Lao for me to understand.  I needed my interpreter!

Isaan Tobacco Farmer In Front Of Small Market

Duang joined us and we all walked over to where several people were eating and drinking.  The people were family members of  the farmer.  Quickly Duang was engaged in full conversation with the people interrupted only by my asking questions about what I was photographing or about the tobacco farming process.

Tobacco Seedlings Ready To Be Planted

The family rotates their tobacco crop with rice.  The paddies where they had harvested the tobacco that was drying all over their property will be planted with rice in May or June dependent upon the arrival of the monsoon rains.

The tobacco takes 10 days to properly dry.  Representatives of large companies will come and buy the tobacco crop.  The farmers are paid 150 Baht a kilogram ($2.27 USD a pound) for the dried tobacco.  By comparison, in 1999 Connecticut River Valley tobacco farmers were paid $45-50 a pound for their crop.

The family buys tobacco seedlings from commercial growers for planting their crops.

Our unplanned and unexpected visit with the farming family lasted thirty minutes - time well spent.

Time travels fast when you take your time to experience what there is along the back roads of Isaan or anywhere that you find yourself.

Taking the time to stop and smell the roses or in this case, the tobacco. has its own rewards.  Life is better when it is fully experienced by stepping out of our comfort zone to learn more of our world.

"Allen's World" is always offering opportunities to experience and learn for those willing to take the time - for those willing to step out of their comfort zone.  The world that you live in also offers opportunities to discover, experience, and to celebrate the diversity of life - it only requires that you choose to travel along the back roads of your world - wherever it may be.

Vessantara Jataka Cloth

Scene From The Vessantara Jataka In Roi-Et
Prince Vessantara and his Wife, Maddi

This weekend, Duang and I attended and experienced Bun Pha Wet (Bun Phra Wet or Bun Phawet) in Roi-Et which is a three hour drive from our home here in northeast Thailand, a region called "Isaan" (Esarn, or Isan)

Bun Phra Wet is a merit making event held during the fourth lunar month of the year.  The exact date for Bun Phra Wet varies from area to area in order for people to enjoy their festival and to enjoy the festivals conducted where their friends as well as family members live.

The main ritual of Bun Phra Wet is the recital of the "Great Birth Sermon" also known as Vessantara Jataka.  The Jataka is a series of stories recounting the various reincarnations of Lord Buddha as a human, as well as an animal.  The Vessantara Jakata has 13 episodes that commemorates the Lord Buddha's life as a man, Prince Vessantara, - the last reincarnation before he was reincarnated as Siddhartha Gautama after which he achieved enlightenment.

The theme of the Vessantara Jataka is the virtue of charity.  Prince Vessentara was the embodiment of perfect charity.  I suspect that many people have considered giving away their children or perhaps their wife or husband.  Despite having those thoughts, most likely motivated by personal selfish reasons than pure charity, people do not act on their thoughts.  Prince Vessentara, in an act of pure charity, actually gave his children away to be servants to an old hermit who needed help.

The story does eventually has a happy ending.  It is a very interesting story and is extremely popular with the Lao Loum people of Lao People's Democratic Republic (Laos) and Thailand's Isaan region. It is also celebrated in Myanmar and Cambodia.  In a later blog I will recount the story in greater detail and from its beginning to end.

The Vessantara Jataka is thousands of years old.  It has been perpetuated by many methods, one being through the use of story clothes upon which scenes of the Jataka were painted.  In many wats or vats, scenes from the Vessantara Jataka were made into murals on the walls.

The focal point of Bun Pha Wet in Roi-Et is the "lake" in the middle of town - "Beung Phlan Chai'.  Beung Phlan Chai is more like a small pond than a lake in my opinion. There is a small islands in the lake that is accessible.  One night a performance of the Vessantara Jataka was performed by university students.  It was repeated a second night as part of a dinner theater type event.

In Roi-Et for the festival a very large and long story cloth is hung along the banks of the Beung Phlan Chai -about 3/4 of the way around the lake.  I took many photographs but I do not know if the long story cloth constituted 13 episodes of the Jataka or if the story cloth was a series of the 13 episodes repeating several times.  No matter the case it was beautiful, interesting, and impressive.

Story Cloth Along Beung Phalan Chari In Roi-Et

The various panels were hand painted on  what appeared to be heavy cotton cloth.

The Hermit Brahmin, Jujaka, With Vessantara's Children, Jali and Kanha



Phawet Sandahn and Nang Matti - Lao Names for Vessantara and Maddi



People Celebrating the Return of Prince Vessantara

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jujaka, Being Greedy, Ate So Much That He Dies

 

Indra Helps Out Jali and Kanha When Jujaka Falls Asleep

 

 

 

 

Duang knows this story from having been taught by the village Monks.

The Bun Pha Wet festival is just the type of cultural event that I enjoy and find so interesting.  The mythology binds the people of today with their ancient past.  Events such as this help to define their identity and values. It also provides a way to pass on the traditions to the young people of today and sustains the traditional crafts as well as arts.