10 posts tagged “body vows”
Here is another practice tattoo I just got.
It is the Dharma Wheel, I got it to remind me of the Noble Eightfold Path. The artist is Conan Lea.
Thanks for sending it, Erin -- it's gorgeous. (And so is Lea's other work!)
Here our latest Buddhism-inspired tattoos, sent as always by a reader:
Hi, I'm Gary from the UK and I noticed the features you have as regarding tattoos relating to Buddhism.
I have two so far, one on either bicep. On my left arm I have what is basically a half sleeve Koi, representing the courage to battle adversity and to attain one's goals against the flow of the tide, so to speak.
On my right arm I have an image of Samantabhadra, the Bodhisattva of Practice and compassion.
Both provide a certain inspiration and reminder of fundamental values that many of us implement each day.
Koi done by Jerry at Positive Vibrations, Albufeira, Portugal (six hour sitting)
Samantabhadra done by Sjef (www.chefdetattoo.nl), Albufeira, Portugal (8 hour sitting).
You'll find attached an image showing my Heart Sutra tattoo. It can be read "Form is Emptiness" and also "Emptiness is Form" since it's circular and therefore recursive. I wanted it plain and unadorned and that's exactly what I got.
It comes from Pain and Wonder in Athens, Georgia.
Thanks, DB!
I chose the Buddha because the image always helps me stay focused. I am an Anthropology/Religion major and Buddhism has always been something I related to. I have been getting tattooed for about 10 years now, and had always wanted a Buddhist tattoo. Michele and I wanted to have the strong Buddha image but soften it a bit to fit with the style we both love.
Thanks for sending it, Erin.
You'll find plenty more practice tattoos not just on this blog, but in the Body Vows archives. Just check the "Graze" section on the bottom of the homepage.
She writes:
Thanks, Aleathia. Looks like it was worth the wait.
Temporary Monks
Originally uploaded by Justin Mott
[Found this shot and just loved it. Here's what the photog writes:]
Only about a kilometer from one of the most visited temples in the world of Angkor Wat lies Wat Ang Kea Sa. Wat Ang Kea Sa is one of many monasteries in predominately Buddhist Cambodia with a thriving population of young men. Over one hundred Bodhisattva (The one striving for Enlightenment) monks study the Pali language (the language of Theravada Buddhism) here while also studying the international language of English. They split their study time towards the path to enlightenment with the path to a career in their post-monk hood world. After a few years of living in the pagoda many of these men look to enter the tourism workforce thriving in Siem Reap. Speaking another language is a must in order to land a decent paying job at one of the many new four and five star hotels popping up. Alongside their traditional orange robes they reveal a somewhat non-traditional view of tattooed arms with cell phones clipped to their robes and a partially divided life they will live. While Buddhism will probably play a prominent role in their future lives, their time at the pagoda and their time in the robes is short lived.
Uploaded by Justin Mott on 15 Sep 06, 12.15PM EDT.
But if someone gets a tattoo of you (or your work), then maybe so.
So the Horse was rather pleased to see this photo of a tattoo of a piece by Dolla -- one of his "Dolla Lama" images.
Sweet. In a way, we wish we'd thought of it first.
By the way: if you haven't, be sure to check out our Dolla interview, here. Dolla rules.
I had this tattoo of a dharma wheel done about 2 and half years ago for a lot of reasons. Mostly to make a very visible representation of my path in a very visible place. I have tattoos on both my biceps, but those are easy enough to cover up and even I forget I have them
at times.
But this one is always there, right in front of me, a constant reminder. And a good conversation piece when I meet new people who are quick to ask what it is, what it represents, etc.
I have been thinking of having one of my tattoos covered over (it's the "eighteen-year-old-what-was-I-thinking" tattoo) and possibly having a sleeve done of various Buddhist images. The Worst Horse has given me some great ideas!
Thanks, Scott!
OM MANI PADME HUM, [the mantra of Chenrezig, the Buddha of compassion] on my friend Trevor's arm.
Tattoo by Pablo Sela of Iron Cross Tattoo, Santa Barbara, CA.
Great ink. Nice shot, too.
Thanks, Gerry!
I got this tattoo of Jizo Bosatsu at Chopstick Tattoo in Osaka, Japan in May 2006. The artist was Magoushi and I would recommend him highly to anyone in, or travelling to, the Kansai area. He was able to draw and execute this design with very little notice and dealt graciously with non-Japanese speaking clients. This is my third tattoo, the first two are also custom pieces which represent journeys, but this is the only one on an explicitly Buddhist theme.
His image was a constant presence on the journey and so I chose him to sum up my time in Japan, and to be a kind of personal guardian whilst I wander around. In this interpretation he is surrounded by falling petals of cherry blossoms - another reminder of impermanence and of Japan. Jizo has treated me well - I returned to Japan in November 2006 and hope to be here another year so that I can continue to develop my practice. I am part way through another pilgrimage route and hope to return to Shikoku in 2008.
Thanks for sending it, Jenny!
