I got my first tat back in '95 and since then I've always had an itch to get another. I've been playing around with the idea of getting a Sak Yant, or a Thai Temple Tattoo. Sak Yants the Thai name for the Tattooing of Sacred geometrical designs on the skin. Yant (or Yantra, as we call them in the west), are normally tattooed by Buddhist monks, or Brahmin Holy men . The Yant tattoos have developed over the centuries under the influence of several different things The Yantra designs that already existed in Hindu India were adapted by the Thais as Buddhism arrived from neighbouring India.; I consider the Yantra sacred so my decision whether or not to get one will be weighed carefully. Last February I undertook and requested the Upasampada “Going Forth” or Buddhist Monk Ordination. It is tradition for males in Thai families to undertake ordination and become a monk for a temporary period, at least once in their life. Ill be sure to blog about it later, as it deserves more then this short paragraph.

My Ordination

Anyway my initial point is that I saw several of the Monks at the Temple with Yantras. I’ve always been intrigued by them, but the timing has never been right. To have them done properly they have to be done by a Monk or “Shamen”. Not too many running around San Francisco. Also I don’t know if you’ve ever seen the videos of the Sak Yant ceremonies. It’s straight up crazy. People claim to fall into a trance or become possessed… not really my cup of tea. I’ve attached a clip at the bottom of the post. You’ll see what I’m talking about.

The Designs

Here are 2 designs that I like however the issues are I don’t know their purpose/meaning, and I think they are a bit too intricate for me. If you look at pictures of Wanlop Sitpholek he actually has quite a few Yantras on him.