The word "Buddha" in Sanskrit means "awakened." He is not a god. This is a spiritual guide born of man. Any follower of holy doctrine can become a Buddha. So, history has about 9 enlightened ones. Buddha tattoos usually depict a person born under the name Siddhartha Gautama 2500 years ago. However, there are symbolic sketches of the thinker Sak Yant, as well as female versions of the picture.
Who is the Buddha?
The prince was born into the royal family on the border of Nepal and India. The father wanted to protect Siddhartha from any troubles in life and suffering. So that the son would not know about the existence of the poor, sick and old people, they were expelled from the palace in which the future Buddha lived. However, at 30, Siddhartha left his home and discovered 4 things that turned his worldview upside down: a dead body, a poor old man, a patient with leprosy and a hermit. What he saw struck the future Buddha, and he left his family, home and property in order to find a way to rid the person of suffering.
As a hermit, Siddhartha Gautama studied meditation with the enlightened. But this did not help him achieve his desired state. Then he rejected the teachers and began the search for nirvana in his own mind. Siddhartha vowed to sit under the Bodhi tree until he attained liberation. A state that surpasses everything in the world came to Buddha after 40 days. For the rest of his life, Siddhart traveled throughout northern India and spread knowledge. Buddha was not a god, which was known to his disciples. Now religion has a huge number of followers in all parts of the world.
The meaning of the picture
The meaning of the Buddha tattoo is related to the story of a spiritual mentor. This is compassion, wisdom and freedom. A person with a religious tattoo expresses his respect to the teacher and shows others a commitment to Buddhism. The owner of the picture seeks to achieve enlightenment, to get out of a series of constantly changing life and death, to plunge into nirvana. Such a person knows how to sympathize, avoids quarrels, seeks a modest lifestyle. In the world you can find many sketches of Buddha tattoos.
Variants of the image of the thinker have different meanings:
- the hands of the teacher - contemplation;
- Buddha in the process of meditation is inner harmony;
- the head of the thinker is a sign of wisdom;
- joyful enlightened (hotey) - a happy life, wealth.
The female form of the thinker
There are female images of Buddha. According to religion, subject to additional prohibitions, the weaker sex can also achieve nirvana. The meaning of female Buddha tattoos:
- Tara is the savior of souls, sympathy.
- Samantahabri (wife of the bodhisattva Samantahabra) - purity of thinking, freedom from stereotypes, judgments, attachments.
- Prajnaparamita - all-encompassing wisdom.
Tattoo Buddha - a powerful amulet against any evil. However, for a person who does not follow the principles of teaching, such a drawing on the body can harm. If your lifestyle is far from the ideals of the eastern religion, you should not decorate your body with the image of a thinker.
Buddha and lotus tattoo: meaning
The drawing of a meditating teacher and lotus is one of the most popular sketches. Buddhists consider this flower sacred. It means aspiration and awakening. The specificity of lotus growth is endowed with a special philosophy - from a dark bottom through obstacles it makes its way to the light and, even in dirty reservoirs, retains its purity. And also some legends contain stories that Buddha appeared to the world from this flower.
Holy drawings on the body
Tattoo Buddha is one of the variations of Sak Yant. They make a religious drawing in Thailand, and the technique of its implementation is different from the usual European person. Instead of a machine, a bamboo stick disinfected with alcohol is used. Ink replaces the secret broth from the collection of herbs, which provides quick healing of the tattoo after application. The painful process necessarily ends with prayer. Mantras give the tattoo magic power.
In ancient times, shamanistic tattoos protected warriors from bodily harm and death. Each tattoo has its own meaning, so you should pay special attention to the choice of sketch. Options for Buddha image in Sak Yant:
- Onk Phra, or Buddha's body. The tattoo symbolizes the wise man himself. The sun and moon above it illuminate the wanderer’s path at different times of the day.
- Round Yant - the head of the Buddha, personifies the god of creation.
In order for the magical properties of the tattoo to take effect, it is necessary to further observe a number of commandments. Basically, they are no different from the prohibitions in other religions: you can not engage in theft, lie, commit adultery. However, there are also very unusual requirements. For example, you can’t wear red clothes.
Place for tattoo
Adherents of religion believe that man’s legs bind him to the Earth. Therefore, everything below the waist is unclean. An image of a teacher located in an inappropriate place, Buddhists will consider it an insult. Buddha tattoos must be positioned as high as possible - on the head, neck, chest. In other cases, it is better not to flaunt the picture.
Loud scandals regularly occur in Sri Lanka over tattoos depicting the thinker. Border control has the right to deny a person entry into the country because of a drawing on the body. In 2016, a tourist from England was deported for a Buddha tattoo on her arm. Earlier, for the same reason, a citizen of the Netherlands was fined. Similar cases occur in Burma. However, there law enforcement officers are more loyal to the teacher’s drawing - they punish only those who placed the jewelry below the waist.
Choosing a religious tattoo is a serious step. If you want to decorate your body with a Buddha image, you should observe several rules: do not place it below the waist, do not flaunt, do not commit bad deeds. In this case, the drawing will become a talisman and will not bring any trouble to its owner.