Wat Bang Pra Temple is where I first Encountered the Phenomenon of Sak Yant Tattoos;
I found my Master and Teacher there (Hlwong Pi Pant)
Above pic; Hlwong Pi Nan
tattooing at Wat bang Pra - HP Nan is one of the oyunger masters that
have arisen in recent years. He has been making at WBP since about 4
years now, and seems to be developing a rather large following as far
as disciples are concerned.
His Yant tattoos are rather finely detailed and beautiful.
WAT BANG PRA TEMPLE
Wat bang Pra
Temple is maybe the most renowned place for the tattooing of Sak Yant
tattoos.
The temple developed its' fame for such a phenomenon in the years that
it was presided over by
the great master, the reverend Hlwong Por Phern
Tithakunnoe, whose "leaping tiger" tattoo and
"gao Yord" has been tattooed on devotees from various
continents.H.P.Phern was the eighth Abbot
of Wat Bang Pra
temple, presiding over the place from 2517 to the day of his passing
away in
2555(actually there was already some sak yant tattooing occuring before
his arrival as Abbot,
but the temple did not enjoy any special fame for the matter at that
time).
This temple is maybe the main reason that Sak yant has become
such an Internationally known and
sought after phenomenon, due to the fact that most foreigners who have
recieved sak yant over
the years have recieved them from this temple.This is due to the fact
that most guides and taxi
drivers would think of Wat Bang Pra before any other place, as Wat Bang
Pra is immensely more
famous and prominent in the minds of Thai people when one coins the
phrase "sak yant"
or "temple
tattoo". Ask any taxi driver where to get a Temple tattoo
and you will have perhaps a 90 percent
chance that they will take you to "Wat Hlwong Por Phern" (common name
for Wat Bang Pra).
Despite this fact, there are many other places in Thailand where you
can obtain a sacred Yant
tattoo from a Sak Yant Master; there are hundreds of "samnak Ajarn sak"
(sak yant master
offices) around the country.
Not all masters are monks there are also Brahmin (who wear white robes
and respect the 5 vows of
purity) and laymen, plus the rather more rare "Ruesi" (hermit
ascetics), who are rather
respected for their great magical powers.
The Buddha himself is purported to have recieved his first lessons from
the Ruesi , and it is
also rumoured that after Buddha's Enlightenment, that he ordained the
Ruesi who taught him
before even his 5 first disciples.
A short Biography of the Reverend Hlwong
Por Phern is included on this website.click on the link to
read.
Tattooist Monks - Kruu sak ครูสัก
Above and below Pic; Hlwong Pi phaew has been resident for about 9 years at Wat bang Pra. He tattoos behind Hlwong Por Phern's Mausuleum which is behind the big white chedi (spire) on the right as you enter the temple.He is famous for his great love of saiyasart (Buddha magic) and is considered by many young locals to have special powers of endowing the tattoos with "Kong grapan" (warrior's protection from weapons and enemies). A quietly spoken monk, HP Phaew is also very popular with many European devotees because of his friendly but passive nature
สถานที่ตั้งวัดบางพระ
วัดบางพระ ตำบลบางแก้วฟ้า อำเภอนครชัยศรี จังหวัดนครปฐม
WatBangpra Nakhon Pathom Thailand
Tel. 034 - 389 - 333
links;
http://spaceweb.multiply.com/photos/album/104
