The word "buddha" in Sanskrit means "awakened". He is not a god. This is a spiritual mentor, born human. Any follower of the holy teachings can become a Buddha. So, history has about 9 enlightened ones. The Buddha tattoo usually depicts a person born under the name Siddhartha Gautama 2500 years ago. However, there are also symbolic sketches of the thinker Sak Yant, as well as female versions of the drawing.
Who is Buddha?
The prince was born into the royal family on the border of Nepal and India. The father wanted to save Siddhartha from any troubles and suffering in life. So that the son would not learn about the existence of beggars, sick and old people, they were expelled from the palace in which the future Buddha lived. However, at the age of 30, Siddhartha left his home and discovered 4 things that turned his worldview upside down: a dead body, a poor old man, a leprous patient and a hermit. What he saw amazed the future Buddha, and he left his family, home and property to find a way to save a person from suffering.
Being a hermit, Siddhartha Gautama studied meditation with the enlightened ones. But this did not help him achievedesired state. Then he rejected the teachers and began to 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 the Buddha after 40 days. For the rest of his life, Siddhartha traveled around northern India spreading knowledge. The Buddha was not a god, as he knew his disciples. Now the 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 connected with the history of the spiritual mentor. It is compassion, wisdom and freedom. A person who has a religious tattoo expresses his respect to the teacher and shows others his commitment to Buddhism. The owner of the drawing 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, strives for a modest lifestyle. There are many sketches of Buddha tattoos in the world.
The thinker image options have different meanings:
- teacher's hands - contemplation;
- Buddha in meditation - inner harmony;
- the thinker's head is a sign of wisdom;
- joyful enlightened (hotei) - happy life, we alth.
The female form of a thinker
There are also female images of the Buddha. According to religion, subject to additional prohibitions, the weaker sex can also reach nirvana. Meaning of female Buddha tattoos:
- Tara is the savior of souls,sympathy.
- Samantakhabri (wife of the bodhisattva Samanthabra) - purity of thinking, freedom from stereotypes, judgments, attachments.
- Prajnaparamita - all-embracing wisdom.
Buddha tattoo is a powerful amulet against any evil. However, for a person who does not follow the principles of the teaching, such a pattern 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 a lotus is one of the most popular sketches. Buddhists consider this flower sacred. It means aspiration and awakening. The specificity of the growth of the lotus is endowed with a special philosophy - from the dark bottom, through obstacles, it makes its way to the light and even in dirty reservoirs it retains its purity. And also some stories contain stories that the Buddha appeared to the world from this flower.
Sacred drawings on the body
Buddha tattoo is one of the variations of Sak Yant. They make a religious drawing in Thailand, and the technique of its implementation differs from that familiar to a European person. Instead of a typewriter, a bamboo stick disinfected with alcohol is used. The ink replaces the secret herbal decoction, which ensures that the tattoo heals quickly after application. The painful process necessarily ends with prayer. Mantras give the tattoo magical powers.
In ancient times, shamanic tattoosprotected warriors from bodily harm and death. Each tattoo has its own meaning, so you should pay special attention to the choice of sketch. Sak Yant Buddha Image Options:
- Onk Phra, or Buddha's body. The tattoo symbolizes the sage himself. The sun and moon above it illuminate the path of the wanderer 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 follow a number of commandments in the future. 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.
Tattoo spot
Religionists believe that a person's feet connect him to the Earth. Therefore, everything below the waist is impure. The image of the teacher, located in an inappropriate place, Buddhists will consider it an insult. It is necessary to place the Buddha tattoo as high as possible - on the head, neck, chest. In other cases, it's better not to flaunt the drawing.
In Sri Lanka, loud scandals regularly occur due to tattoos depicting a thinker. Border control has the right to refuse a person entry into the country because of the pattern on the body. In 2016, a tourist from England was deported for having 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 the country's law enforcement officers are more loyal toteacher's drawing - only those who placed the jewelry below the waist are punished.
Choosing a religious tattoo is a serious step. If you want to decorate your body with a Buddha image, you should follow a few rules: do not place it below the waist, do not flaunt it, do not do bad deeds. In this case, the drawing will become a talisman and will not bring trouble to its owner.