Sak Yant: My Magic Thai Tattoo

There might be some details that I left out in my post about my backpacking, regarding my passage in Chiang Mai, Thailand, such as getting a tattoo! The major reason for that was my mom, who made a big drama about it and only kind of accepted after being out of reach with me for a couple of days while I was in India. She said later on that she thought I was raped and dead in some filthy alley, and that she would be more than glad to have me back, even with a tattoo. Poor her, but the drama was so intense and absurd it made me laugh.

I always wanted a tattoo, I just wasn't sure of what. While in Vietnam, I met these other Brazilians who told me about the Sacred Sak Yant Tattoos. When I heard of it I knew it would be perfect. Here is the link to the blog that I first read about it: <http://expertvagabond.com/sak-yant-tattoo/>.

"Traditional Sak Yant (also called Sak Yan, or Yantra) tattoos are hand-etched onto the skin using ancient geometric designs mixed with Buddhist prayers. They are believed to give the wearer magic powers associated with healing, luck, strength, and protection against evil. Sak Yant tattoos have been around for over 2000 years. 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."

I love the design and the spiritual meaning. My friends and I always joke that my guardian angel is pretty solid, but I could use some extra protection.

"In each case, the monk chose the tattoo based on what he felt we needed. In exchange for a small donation of flowers, cigarettes, and incense, we were all given the privilege of leaning over a triangular pillow while the monk tapped away on a bamboo pole dipped in an ink of venom and charcoal, inscribing ancient Sanskrit characters meant to protect us and bring us luck. He finished with a gentle chant – an additional blessing to breathe life into the tattoo. We each emerged a little more decorated, protected, and blessed."

They are meant to be made at a temple, and the monk will choose which design and in which part of your body he will do it. They don't do below the waist, maybe because is impure (?) and they are not allowed to touch the skin of woman. I bought the idea, and although I wanted to be blessed by a monk, I didn't really wanted to do it in the temple. I heard that the ink is made of weird stuff like venom and charcoal besides other stuff and it was not very hygienic. I didn't want to risk getting a disease or inflammation.

"The needle itself is usually wiped with an alcohol pad after each tattoo. Or it might be placed in a bottle of alcohol while a separate needle is used for the next person. But the same pot of ink is used with everyone, and blood can mix with the ink. This opens up the possibility of contracting HIV or Hepatitis."

"Each monk concocts his own special blend of magic tattoo ink too. The recipe is secret, but is thought to contain Chinese charcoal, snake venom, palm oil, and even human remains!"

On my last day in Chiang Mai, I hopped into a tuk tuk, already with my backpack and all in the search of a proper tattoo studio. Totally random. He took me to a decent one and I got in (DejaVu Tattoo Studio). I was not completely sure by the moment I got there. I haven't given it proper thought and my head was rushing with should I or not? But my spontaneous and adventurous side won and I was like sure, why not?

My tattoo artist had the back of his head all tattooed, was awesome. Look:

They are originally engraved into the skin with the traditional method, no machines used, but a long metal spike (or a sharpened bamboo) dipped into ink and repeatedly jabbed through the flesh by hand. At the studio I had both options, same price, but of course I wanted to get closer to the real deal. It took one hour and a half to get done and it didn't hurt as much as I thought it would. They told me that it hurts less that if made with the machine, but it takes longer, which makes sense.

There are several types os Sak Yant Tattoos, and the one I got was the Hah Taew ( 5 Lines). It is written in an ancient Khmer language.

Hah Taew, represents 5 yants or magical spells. Yants are accompanied with chants, or Khatas and the sounds are pronounced over and over to invoke a state of the mind where the mind can create magical spells. They are chanted 108 times before entering the high level of meditation.

The benefits granted by the Hah Taew Sak Yant are:

1. Maeta Ma Hah Niyom: With this blessing you will be treated by others with great loving kindness and compassion which will improve your popularity and help you to gain preferential treatment.

2. Chok Lap : Luck and good fortune

3. Kwam Plohtpai : Protection against danger including evil spirits

4. Noon Chataa : This benefit will improve your destiny, fate

5. Ma Hah Saneh: This will give you charm and increase your popularity and attractiveness with the opposite sex

(One line to go, all swollen and red. The last line was the most painful.)

Apparently there are also 11 special rules that go with the Sak Yant:

· I cannot eat star fruit, pumpkin, or any other ‘gourd’ type vegetable. (I love pumpkin and star fruit)

· I cannot be anybody’s lover who is already married. (sounds reasonable)

· It is absolutely forbidden for me to slander anybody’s mother (okay)

· I cannot eat food from a wedding, or funeral banquet (no way)

· I cannot eat leftovers. (Doesn’t work either)

· I should not duck under a washing line, or an overhanging building (what does that even mean?)

· I definitely should not duck under a Thaanii banana tree (how am I going to survive without that?)

· I cannot cross a single head bridge; but large or small bridges are not forbidden (have no idea what this means)

· I should not sit on a ceramic urn. Especially a cracked, or broken one (do toilets count?)

· I cannot let a woman lie on top of me, or sit on top either. (how should I interpret that?)

· I cannot brush by the blouse or skirt of a woman, especially during the menstruation period. (same here)

I already broke several of these rules and I don't really see their meaning. I thought of doing my own rules that besides the "do only good deeds" and so on would make sense, like cutting alcohol and stuff, but it didn't work either. So I will just believe the protection is still on (and I also read that the magic only lasts for about an year). But whatever works for me.

Reminds me of what my mom told me when I told her it was protection: "it is not protecting you of anything, you dumbass! Now you will never going to be able to get married". Not only I broke the rules for the protection but also got cursed by my mother. Yay!

#sakyant #hahtaew #buddhism