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Sak Yant Tattoos: The Ultimate Travel Memento

09/26/2013 by Kristin 34 Comments

There is a magical Buddhist blessing that each of us carries on our bodies.  Some of us carry just one, others two.  Some of us were gifted this art from the very same monk – Luang Pi Nunn of Wat Bang Phra near Bangkok, and others traveled to the green and mountainous Chiang Mai to be bestowed with this beautiful protective enchantment.

In each case, the monk chose the tattoo based on what he felt we needed.  In exchange for a small donation of flowers, cigarettes, and incense, we were all given the privilege of leaning over a triangular pillow while the monk tapped away on a bamboo pole dipped in an ink of venom and charcoal, inscribing ancient sanskrit characters meant to protect us and bring us luck.  He finished with a gentle chant – an additional blessing to breathe life into the tattoo.  We each emerged a little more decorated, protected, and blessed.

Where we all differ is our reason for getting these tattoos. Curious about why my other travel blogging peers felt the urge to permanently carry a Sak Yant tattoo, I asked them all what their purpose was for seeking it out. The stories are just as varied and beautiful as the tattoos themselves:

My Story

Sak Yant tattoo meaning
My blessings. Photo by Jackie Benthuysen

I had always wanted a tattoo and had even gone as far as making an appointment to get one and canceling…twice.  I just wasn’t sure that what I wanted had enough meaning.  Sure enough, after each time I thought to myself, “whoa, dodged a bullet there!” I finally felt compelled to take the plunge when my friend Yvonne (who tells her story later in this post) told me all about the magical monk tattoo.  I loved the idea that the monk would choose the design for me.  We went together to get the tattoo and will forever match and have that beautiful memory when we look back on our time in Thailand.

I decided to get the second tattoo a few days after my 27th birthday.  I had just gone through what seemed like a few rough changes, but in reality, they had all brought me back to my favorite part of the world: Asia.  I had also spent the better part of the previous six months discovering Buddhism, not as a religion, but as an understanding of life. It taught me compassion, which made me a happier person, and helped me to develop patience and kindness.  My second tattoo was my way of cementing that understanding.

Sak Yant tattoo meaning
Thanks to Matt (whose story is below) for snapping the application of my second tattoo

I have the Ha Taew – sacred five lines which provides five blessings: to clean out unwanted spirits, protect me against bad luck, protect me from curses, to recognize and support my good fortune and drive, and to gain charisma and attract the right people. The second is called the Gao Yord, or nine spires – nine is a very significant number in Buddhism and the nine spire incorporates Buddha’s image underneath each spire, bringing me similar protections and good luck.

Yvonne’s Story:

Sak Yant tattoo meaning
Yvonne’s Sak Yant tattoo

“Tattoos are for me an expression of the true me. I do believe that we got our bodies from something, let’s call it God, to use in our life. But the real me, the person behind the body, the thing which makes me me, is the thing inside. Lets call it soul. Bodies are random. Personality is not. Some people do sport to make that body look like they feel. Some people use make up, some experiment with hair and clothes to let you see, what kind of person they really are. For me, tattoos are a perfect way to express the inner me.

My body is full of everything I believe in. Justice, Karma, that evil and good are just two sides of one story. It’s a long story. And yes, I do believe in magic. So once I heard about Sak Yant, the magic tattoo, I knew that’s for me. I can’t remember when I first heard about it, but I remember exactly the moment when I decided I’m really going to get one. It was in Chiang Mai, I was talking to the chef of our hostel about my back tattoo and he showed me his tattoos. They were beautiful. Sak Yants. And he told me about the spirit of Sak Yants, what they mean to him and encouraged me to go to the same temple where he got his ones. And I knew I’m going to do this. And I did. ”

Sak Yant tattoo meaning
Her Ha Taew Sak Yant

Read more about our experience getting tattooed together on Yvonne’s blog.

Matt’s Story:

Matt actually went with me when I got my second tattoo.  Our reasons for getting the tattoos were pretty similar. Here’s what inspired him to get his:

Sak Yant tattoo meaning
Luang Pi Nunn applying a tattoo

“My very first tattoo was engraved into my flesh by a practicing Buddhist monk in the traditional Sak Yant style. While I’m a fan of many Buddhist principles, I don’t practice the religion. So why did I get it? I’d been considering a tattoo of some sort, but could never figure out what. My lifestyle revolves around seeking out new travel adventures, so when I learned about the Sak Yant process, I was intrigued. Why not let a practiced Thai holy-man pick an ancient design and apply it using a traditional method?

The Gao Yord protection symbol currently on my back will always remind me of the day I sat on a dirty monastery floor for 4 hours with 40 locals waiting nervously for my turn to be jabbed blessed. An incredible and unusual travel experience that will remain etched into my mind, as well as my back, forever.”

Sak Yant tattoo meaning
Matt’s fresh tattoo

Ian’s Story:

Ian was my guru for getting my tattoo. I followed his directions and advice completely, and made sure to see his ink for myself before getting mine.  His beautiful story takes it another level deeper:

Sak Yant tattoo meaning
Ian receiving his tattoo

“I don’t have many tattoos – I should probably say *yet* – so finding something that has profound significance to me was very important. I have one from college, which marked a transitional period in my life, and it’s the Japanese equivalent of Chi, representing balance in your mind, your body and your soul. More than a decade later and I found myself living in Thailand.

A possible career been and gone, and a brand new life just being started. Already there was an appeal to have a marking symbolic to this transition. Then the unthinkable happened. During a trip to Thailand to visit me in my new quarters, my father suffered an irrecoverable cardiac arrest. My family joined together to support one-another here in Bangkok while doctors passed numerous tests. For my brother, it was his first time leaving North America. Not the introduction to my life-long passion I would have wished upon him, but significant none-the-less. We decided, while here together, to get a specific Sak Yant.

We took a wild trip involving minivans, motorcycle taxis, sun-rises over rice patties and a village-based Buddhist temple, Wat Bang Phra. It was there that a buddhist ajarn (tattoo master) monk gave us our sacred bamboo tattoos. They were of the symbol “Paed Tidt”, which looks like a compass, composed of the 8 reincarnations of Buddha, one for each point of the compass. It is said that this Sak Yant offers protection “from the 8 corners of the universe” to anyone who is blessed with it. It is ideal for travellers, and of course very significant to not only the transition of my new life abroad and all the travel entailed in my life, but also for the transition my family would now go through.

Sak Yant tattoo meaning
The process and beautiful result

Our Sak Yant experience was incredible. It was raw. It was sacred. It was unifying. I am so grateful I was able to experience that with my brother, and know that we are forever connected with the protection of the Paed Tidt, no matter how far our geographical locations separate us.”

Tawny and Chris’ Story:

Thanks to Chris for giving me info on the healing process after getting my tattoo.  The video these two made of their experience is a great introduction for anyone curious about the method:

Sak Yant tattoo meaning
Chris’ Sak Yant

“It’s an inescapably seductive story. The idea of traveling to a distant land and asking for a blessing. No paltry blessing either, a blessing that is etched into your skin for eternity. For me the experience gave me so much more than just the story, it gave me a compass to live by. The blessing I received was translated for me and reminds me of the virtues I value. Blend that all together with the sex appeal and how can you turn a yant down?”

Read more about their love story and amazing travels.

Do you have any travel tattoos? What do they mean to you?

UPDATE: The most common topic I am emailed about are how to get Sak Yant tattoos – the cleanliness, concerns over choosing a design, making an appointment, etc.  The reality is, the needles are cleaned between tattoos, but not as thoroughly as they should be and are certainly not unwrapped new for each recipient. In the case of Captain and Clark, who visited an ajarn who helped them discuss which tattoo they should get and operated in a cleaner environment, I would ethically like to recommend this as the best way to get a Sak Yant.

Have you ever wanted to get a travel tattoo? Six travel bloggers discuss how and why we each got Sak Yant tattoos in Thailand, and the meaning behind them.
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I'm Kristin, and my vision of a better world is one where more women are empowered and living out their dreams. Solo traveling is the best method I've found to become the best, bravest version of me. This site is all about how YOU can have the adventure of a lifetime in an easy, fun, approachable way, so that you can feel empowered, too. Want to learn more about me?

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Comments

  1. Matthew Karsten says

    09/26/2013 at 8:22 am

    Probably my most memorable experience in Thailand. Love Chris & Tawny’s video. 😀

    Reply
    • Kristin says

      09/26/2013 at 10:22 am

      I love it too they did a great job!

      Reply
  2. Ian Ord - My Sak Yant Experience says

    09/26/2013 at 8:47 am

    Thank you so much for providing the stage on which to share our experiences! It was one of the most profound things I’ve done in my life, and I’m so grateful to have been able to share that experience with my brother… and now with the world. 🙂

    Reply
    • Kristin says

      09/26/2013 at 10:22 am

      Thanks so much for contributing such a beautiful story

      Reply
  3. Becki | Backpacker Becki says

    09/26/2013 at 8:53 am

    This is a great round-up of everyone’s stories, especially since tattoos really do have significant meaning to most people. I love Sak Yant tattoos and their spiritual significance, but am too scared to get one!

    Reply
    • Kristin says

      09/26/2013 at 10:22 am

      Thanks Becki. They’re not too scary to get 🙂

      Reply
  4. Christopher Chiu says

    09/26/2013 at 8:55 am

    Hi Kristen,
    I stumbled upon your website when doing Silent Meditation retreat research and have been a huge fan ever since (will prob do mine in Chiang Mai later this year). I really like this article and the special stories behind everyone’s sak-yant 🙂

    I also have one and now living in Thailand permanently. Here’s my story and hope you enjoy it.

    http://www.journeyto8limbs.com/2012/07/05/last-day-of-training-and-ink-time-sak-yant/

    If you’re ever back in the land of smiles, would love to grab a drink.

    Thx,
    Chris

    Reply
    • Kristin says

      09/26/2013 at 10:21 am

      Very cool tattoo, Chris! Enjoy the meditation. It was life-changing 🙂

      Reply
  5. Adam Finan says

    09/27/2013 at 4:37 am

    Got one in Phuket myself as well! Great experience if you go through the traditional routine

    Reply
    • Kristin says

      09/28/2013 at 12:22 am

      Which do you have?

      Reply
  6. Wade says

    10/31/2013 at 3:23 pm

    My girlfriend and I will be partaking in the Sak Yant tradition when we reach the Thailand phase of our year-long RTW. Awesome post!

    Reply
  7. Alexandra says

    11/22/2013 at 3:20 pm

    Hey,

    Me & my friend are totally in love with your story and sak yants – One question, where did you get the second tattoo done? I know its not being done in the same place as the first one so did you get the freedom to choose it? We travel in August and would love to get one at the beginning and end of our journey in a similar way to you

    Thank you!
    Ax

    Reply
  8. Cassey says

    11/27/2013 at 12:18 am

    Kristin, Thanks so much for your post and inspiration. I read all of the different posts and I decided that I would live on the edge when I was in Thailand and I went through with it. One of the best and most nerve racking things I’ve done. You’re Awesome!

    Reply
    • Kristin says

      11/27/2013 at 8:52 pm

      Thanks for your kind comment Cassey!

      Reply
  9. Stephanie Boedecker says

    03/30/2014 at 3:45 am

    Just wanted to say I read this post long ago but finally got my Sak Yant! I was leery about going when I woke up at 5:45 but I’m glad I did it!! Sure there’s some risks involved but it’s definitely a travel memento that I’ll always have with me and special memory!

    Thanks for the blog post and info!
    Stephanie

    Reply
    • Kristin says

      03/30/2014 at 7:59 pm

      I didn’t sleep at all before I got mine! Very cool, Stephanie.

      Reply
  10. Franca says

    04/30/2014 at 4:45 am

    Nice story Kristin, I like that your second tattoo meant something very special for you, something that Buddhism taught you. I don’t have any tattoos but I cannot deny that I thought about getting some, we’ll see 🙂

    Reply
  11. Alex says

    09/18/2014 at 3:51 am

    Very interesting stories from everyone. I’m actually writing a term paper in grad school on how Sak Yant tradition has developed from the pre-Funan period to today and the final part of my paper is the introduction of foreigners and how they personalize their tattoos. If anybody with a Sak Yant story would allow me to interview them, I’d greatly appreciate it!

    Reply
    • Kristin says

      09/18/2014 at 8:59 am

      Very cool, Alex. You’re welcome to interview me. I have two: [email protected]

      Reply
  12. Marc says

    09/23/2015 at 7:11 am

    Love those tattoos. And also loved the story. I like that Yant (2nd ) tattoo. It looks very cool.

    Reply
    • Kristin says

      09/23/2015 at 10:03 pm

      Thanks! I’m toying with the idea of getting more.

      Reply
  13. Giselle says

    11/02/2015 at 10:11 am

    Hello!! You know what it mean http://data.whicdn.com/images/206704878/large.jpg I really wanna know.

    Reply
    • Kristin says

      11/06/2015 at 2:20 pm

      You can’t get that at Wat Bang Phra. That’s a tattoo artist I’m sure. Sak Yants don’t actually go on the ribs traditionally.

      Reply
  14. Alice Teacake says

    01/03/2016 at 12:17 am

    It’s a truly beautiful tattoo: so cool that you went back and got a second one after having the 5 lines first. A tattoo with such a deep meaning too really kicks ‘normal’ tattoos out of the water in my opinion.

    Reply
    • Kristin says

      01/03/2016 at 7:49 am

      I think so too. All of mine are spiritual and have a deeper meaning.

      Reply
  15. Lord Jesuch says

    05/06/2016 at 3:26 am

    Any sacred tattoo will last for a few years only. The divine power was embedded in the black ink. So do not be a fool by any arjarn. They do not have any power in their hands.

    Reply
    • Kristin says

      05/06/2016 at 8:15 am

      If you want the powers to last, if you believe in it, it’s supposed to be blessed yearly. That’s my understanding and that’s why the wat where I got mine has a yearly festival

      Reply
  16. Darryl Johnston says

    09/10/2018 at 7:56 pm

    It really looks cool! I love the Sak Yant Tattoos and the meaning behind it, how sacred these tattoos are.

    Reply
  17. Luana says

    10/21/2019 at 6:53 pm

    How did you make the reservation? I read that he makes over 50 tattoos per dday!
    thanks

    Reply
    • Kristin says

      10/22/2019 at 3:06 pm

      You can’t make a reservation

      Reply

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