Yantra tattooing or Sak Yant is a form of

tattoo A tattoo is a form of body modification made by inserting tattoo ink, dyes, or pigments, either indelible or temporary, into the dermis layer of the skin to form a design. Tattoo artists create these designs using several tattooing processes ...

ing using Indian

yantra Yantra (; 'machine'/'contraption') is a geometrical diagram, mainly from the Tantric traditions of the Indian religions. Yantras are used for the worship of deities in temples or at home; as an aid in meditation; and for the benefits believe ...

designs. It consists of sacred geometrical, animal and deity designs accompanied by

Pali Pāli (, IAST: pāl̤i) is a Classical languages of India, classical Middle Indo-Aryan languages, Middle Indo-Aryan language of the Indian subcontinent. It is widely studied because it is the language of the Buddhist ''Pali Canon, Pāli Can ...

phrases that are said to offer power, protection, fortune, charisma and other benefits for the bearer.

History

Tattoos believed to offer protection and other benefits have been recorded everywhere throughout both

mainland Southeast Asia Mainland Southeast Asia (historically known as Indochina and the Indochinese Peninsula) is the continental portion of Southeast Asia. It lies east of the Indian subcontinent and south of Mainland China and is bordered by the Indian Ocean to th ...

and as far south as

Indonesia Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania, between the Indian Ocean, Indian and Pacific Ocean, Pacific oceans. Comprising over List of islands of Indonesia, 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, ...

and the

Philippines The Philippines, officially the Republic of the Philippines, is an Archipelagic state, archipelagic country in Southeast Asia. Located in the western Pacific Ocean, it consists of List of islands of the Philippines, 7,641 islands, with a tot ...

. Over the centuries the tradition spread to what is now

Cambodia Cambodia, officially the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country in Southeast Asia on the Mainland Southeast Asia, Indochinese Peninsula. It is bordered by Thailand to the northwest, Laos to the north, and Vietnam to the east, and has a coastline ...

Laos Laos, officially the Lao People's Democratic Republic (LPDR), is the only landlocked country in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by Myanmar and China to the northwest, Vietnam to the east, Cambodia to the southeast, and Thailand to the west and ...

Thailand Thailand, officially the Kingdom of Thailand and historically known as Siam (the official name until 1939), is a country in Southeast Asia on the Mainland Southeast Asia, Indochinese Peninsula. With a population of almost 66 million, it spa ...

, and parts of

Myanmar Myanmar, officially the Republic of the Union of Myanmar; and also referred to as Burma (the official English name until 1989), is a country in northwest Southeast Asia. It is the largest country by area in Mainland Southeast Asia and has ...

.Cummings, Joe, (2011) ''Sacred Tattoos of Thailand: Exploring the Magic, Masters and Mystery of Sak Yan'', Marshall Cavendish. While the tradition itself originates with indigenous tribal animism, it became closely tied to the

Hindu Hindus (; ; also known as Sanātanīs) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism, also known by its endonym Sanātana Dharma. Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pp. 35–37 Historically, the term has also be ...

Buddhist Buddhism, also known as Buddhadharma and Dharmavinaya, is an Indian religion and List of philosophies, philosophical tradition based on Pre-sectarian Buddhism, teachings attributed to the Buddha, a wandering teacher who lived in the 6th or ...

concept of

or mystical geometric patterns used during meditation. Tattoos of yantra designs were believed to hold magic power, and were used much like the

kolam Kolam (, , ), also known as Muggu (), Tarai Alangaram () and Rangoli (), is a form of traditional decorative art that is drawn by using rice flour as per age-old conventions. It is also drawn using white stone powder, chalk or chalk powder, oft ...

tattoos of India. For these people, religion is closely tied to the notion of magic, health, and good fortune. The script used for yantra designs varies according to culture and geography. In Cambodia and central Thailand, the Khom script is used. While in northern Thailand yantra tattoos may use Shan, northern Thai, or Tai Lu scripts, and in Laos the Lao Tham script is employed.Cummings, Joe. (2015). ''Sacred Tattoos of Thailand: Exploring the Magic, Masters and Mystery of Sak Yan''. See als

/ref> The script spells out abbreviated syllables from

incantations. Different masters have added to these designs over the centuries through visions received in their meditations. Some yantra designs have been adapted from pre-Buddhist

shamanism Shamanism is a spiritual practice that involves a practitioner (shaman) interacting with the spirit world through altered states of consciousness, such as trance. The goal of this is usually to direct spirits or spiritual energies into ...

and the belief in animal spirits that was found in

Southeast Asia Southeast Asia is the geographical United Nations geoscheme for Asia#South-eastern Asia, southeastern region of Asia, consisting of the regions that are situated south of China, east of the Indian subcontinent, and northwest of the Mainland Au ...

and incorporated into Thai tradition and culture.

Meaning

Yantra tattoos are believed to be magic and bestow mystical powers, protection, or good luck. There are three main effects of a yantra tattoo. One is that which benefits the wearer, such as making them more eloquent. Another is that of protection and to ward off evil and hardship. This is commonly used by military personnel, police, taxi drivers, gangsters, and others in perceived dangerous professions. Another type is that which affects people around the wearer, such as invoking fear. The tattoo only confers its powers so long as the bearer observes certain rules and taboos, such as abstaining from a certain type of food. Sak yant designs are also applied to many other media, such as cloth or metal, and placed in one's house, place of worship, or vehicle as a means of protection from danger or illness, to increase wealth, and to attract lovers. In recent years Hollywood celebrities such as

Angelina Jolie Angelina Jolie ( ; born Angelina Jolie Voight, , June 4, 1975) is an American actress, filmmaker, and humanitarian. The recipient of List of awards and nominations received by Angelina Jolie, numerous accolades, including two Academy Awards ...

, whose tattoos were inked by Ajahn Noo Ganpai with Old Khmer script Sak yant in Thailand, have made them popular among women. Angelina Jolie got a yantra tattoo of a Bengal tiger in 2004 to celebrate acquiring Cambodian citizenship. However, a modern movement in Thailand seeks to progress away from its animistic past. As part of this movement, many modern-day Thais view yantra tattoos as nothing more than good-luck symbols that are stylish.

Types and designs

File:Khmer Sacred Symbol, Om or Unalom.png, The "unalome" is a common motif in yantra tattoos and is itself a popular yantra used widely in Southeast Asian Buddhism. File:Thai Om symbol.png, ''Om'' written in Thai script. There are thousands of traditional designs of yantra tattoos, but some of the most well-known and popular include: * ''Ong Phra'' (; translation: ''Buddha's body'') - one of the most commonly used elements in Yantra tattooing, but can also be a more complex standalone design. Meant to provide insight, guidance, illumination, etc. * ''Haw-taew'' (; translation: ''five rows'') - Typically tattooed on the back left shoulder. Each of the five lines relates to a different blessing for success and good luck. * ''Gao-yord'' (; translation: ''nine spires'') - typically tattooed on the center top of the back in various sizes and levels of complexity. Simple version pictured at the top of this article. * ''Si-yot'' (; translation: ''four spires'') - to influence the feelings or actions of others and protect the bearer. * ''Paed-thit'' (; translation: ''eight points'') - represents protection in the eight directions of the universe. Round shape; typically tattooed on the center of the back. Pictured in gallery below. * ''Sip-thit'' (; translation: ''ten points'') - a version of ''paet-thit'', but protects in ten directions instead of eight. * ''Maha-niyom'' (; translation: ''great preference'') - to grant the bearer favor in the eyes of others. Round shape; typically placed on the back right shoulder. * ''Yot Mongkut'' (; translation: ''spired crown'') - for good fortune and protection in battle. Round shape; typically tattooed on the top of the head. * ''Panchamukhi'' (; translation: ''five Deva faces'') - intended to ward off illness and danger. * ''Suea-koo'' (; translation: ''twin tiger'') - typically depicts twin tigers. Symbolizes strength, fearlessness, and resilience. * ''Uṇālom'' (; translation: ''

urna In Buddhist art and culture, the Urna (ūrṇā, ūrṇākeśa or ūrṇākośa (Pāli uṇṇa), and known as in Chinese) is a spiral or circular dot placed on the forehead of Buddhist images as an auspicious mark. As set out in the '' Lakk ...

'', often left untranslated as "unalome") - the ūrṇā curl between the eyebrows of the Buddha. Variously described as representing the '

third eye The third eye (also called the mind's eye or inner eye) is an invisible eye, usually depicted as located on the forehead, supposed to provide perception beyond ordinary sight. In Hinduism, the third eye refers to the ajna (or brow) chakra. In bot ...

', the path to

nirvana Nirvana, in the Indian religions (Jainism, Hinduism, Buddhism, and Sikhism), is the concept of an individual's passions being extinguished as the ultimate state of salvation, release, or liberation from suffering ('' duḥkha'') and from the ...

, and the coil, line, and point of the syllable ' Om' written in

Thai script The Thai script (, , ) is the abugida used to write Thai language, Thai, Southern Thai language, Southern Thai and many other languages spoken in Thailand. The Thai script itself (as used to write Thai) has 44 consonant symbols (, ), 16 vowel s ...

. * ''Hanuman'' (; translation: ''monkey god'') - Hanuman is revered for his ability to overcome obstacles and challenges, making the Hanuman Yantra a symbol of resilience and determination.

Locations

* One of the most famous temples in the present day for yantra tattooing is Wat Bang Phra in Nakhon Chai Si District,

Nakhon Pathom Province Nakhon Pathom (, ,Pronunciation) is one of the central Provinces of Thailand, provinces (''changwat'') of Thailand. Neighbouring provinces are (from north clockwise) Suphan Buri province, Suphan Buri, Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya province, Ayutthaya ...

, Thailand. Ajaan Noo Kanpai, perhaps the most famous practitioner of sak yan in Thailand, trained here.
Sak Yant Chiang Mai,
located in Chiang Mai

Northern Thailand Northern Thailand, or more specifically Lanna, is a region of Thailand. It is geographically characterized by several mountain ranges, which continue from the Shan Hills in bordering Myanmar to Laos, and the river valleys that cut through them. ...

a co-op of 10 local Monks and Sak Yant Masters have been providing Sak Yant since 2017. Noted Masters include Ajarn Dang, Phra Aum who create Yantra in

Lanna The Lan Na kingdom or the Kingdom of Lanna (, , "Kingdom of a Million Rice Fields"; , , ), also known as Lannathai, was an Indianized state centered in present-day Northern Thailand from the 13th to the 18th centuries. The cultural developme ...

and Khom Thai.

Gallery

Image:Yant_Paed_Tidt.jpg, Yant Paed-thit Image:Wat-bang-phra.jpg, Phra Ajarn Hlwong Pi Nan tattooing at Wat Bang Phra Temple Image:hlwongpipant-josh.jpg, Hlwong Pi Pant tattooing a yant in Ang Thong Province. image:Yant-tattoo.jpg, Devotee of Wat Bang Phra covered in sak yant image:Sak Yant Tattoo performed in thailand.jpg, Sak yant, Nakhon Pathom

History

Meaning

Types and designs

Locations

Gallery

See also

References

Further reading