Sak Yant Myths & Misinformation
Clearing up Common Sak Yant Myths and Misinformation
Travel Blog articles and even some Tattoo Parlors that write articles about Sak Yant usually rank highly in search engines. While this is great to get an idea of the Sak Yant Experience - many often copy and paste incorrect Sak Yant information from each others Blog Posts - creating Sak Yant Myths and Expectations that have no real basis in the Authentic Sak Yant Tradition.
Sak Yant Myths and Misinformation. Get the Truth - Sak Yant Information Guide Expert and Real Sak Yant Information
Where do Sak Yant Myths and Misinformation come from?
1) Travel Bloggers
One of the biggest reasons that there are so many Sak Yant Myths and mis-information created by Travel Bloggers who rank highly in search results with incorrect information. While attempting to write quick and interesting articles for their readers, they seldom take the time to understand the traditions, and will often copy information from other (incorrect) blog posts; or guess what just happened..
The lack of any knowledge about the tradition, the inability to speak Thai makes it difficult to write a Blog Post about Sak Yants with accuracy. Most have to guess about the meanings and traditions behind the experience they just had.
Almost all of them guessed wrong, and/or copied incorrect information which includes being disrespectful and cheating Monks. Many had no idea they CAN choose the design and understand the meanings of their tattoo. Some just sadly went to a normal tattoo shop and wrote about ‘bamboo tattoo’ mistaking this as having any real tradition or being part of Thailand’s culture (spoiler – it doesn’t).
2) Tattoo Shop Websites
A recent development in Sak Yant Information found online is the ever growing number of Tattoo shops creating pages about Sak Yant Tattoos in the hopes of gaining customers. The Sak Yant Information provided by a Tattoo Business trying to cash in on the Traditional Thai tattoos is filled with mistakes and misinformation.
The bottom-line is you can not get a Real Sak Yant from a Tattoo Shop, you can only get a design that is full of errors, and and obvious fake to those who appreciate and follow the Sak Yant Traditions. You can find out more information in the article Why you can not get a Sak Yant from a Tattoo Shop.
Tattoo Shops will advertise on Google and provide Sak Yant designs and meanings on their website. The artist usually can not actually read the script, change the meaning of the template they use. They certainty can not provide any spiritual blessing for the fake replicas they make.
They do attempt to convince people to use them (and pay 3-5 times more) with paid online advertising and making claims that are false.
Typical Sak Yant Mistakes from Bloggers and Tattoo Shops
Travel Blogger Created Mistakes
If a Blog Post about a Sak Yant contains any of the following claims … It is a inaccurate article
- A Sak Yant is by donation of whatever you think appropriate
- The Inks contain ingredients like henna or snake parts that makes allergic reactions a possibility
- There is only ONE place to get a Sak Yant in a given city
- A real Monk can not touch a women so females can not get Sak Yants from Monks
- Sak Yants are done with a Bamboo Needle
- Needles and Ink is reused for many people
- You need to follow strict rules after getting a Sak Yant
- The Monk or Ajarn chooses the design
- Monks can read Auras
Tattoo Shop Created Mistakes
If a Tattoo Shop Website about a Sak Yant contains any of the following claims … It is to Scam Tourists
- You don’t really need the magic aspect of the Sak Yant
- They make prettier looking designs
- They have Air-conditioned rooms
- Real Sak Yants are unhygienic using old needles and ink
- Thai People will praise you for having fakes because they look good
- Real Sak Yant Masters can’t accept Money
- They have no ethical issues going against Thai Culture – so why should you?
- Real Sak Yants are not available in the areas they operate in
- and so on and so on
Got Sak Yant Questions?
We have the Answer at our Sak Yant FAQ
Sak Yant Information: Myths and Misinformation Corrected
Many of the Sak Yant Myths and Misinformation are created and copied from the Expert Vagabond websites article ‘Blessed By A Monk: How I Got My Magic Sak Yant Tattoo’, this article will list and correct some of the misconceptions found on that blogpost.
Some are important, others are just a result of insufficient knowledge or research. The author himself acknowledges how he learned about the Sak Yant .. “Traveling around Southeast Asia while living out of my backpack, I learned about these tattoos from some fellow travelers and thought it sounded like a cool experience“. It is not really the best source to learn about traditional and sacred rituals of a country from someone promoting budget experiences he learns from backpackers.
1) Sak Yant Myth - Origins of the Sak Yant
Misconception: “Buddhist monks originally engraved Sak Yant into warriors seeking protection and strength in battle. Often covering their entire bodies from head to toe in magic symbols to prevent knives and arrows from piercing their skin”
Reality: The history of Sak Yant’s is much deeper and richer. Holy Shaman not Monks originally created them, and then later more Monks started doing Sak Yants as Temples were the schools in Thailand. In order to learn to read and write, you had to first become a Monk. Sak Yant began to be taught to Monks even though it is not part of the Buddhist tradition because Monks were able to read the magical scripts. You can Read more here
2) Sak Yant Myth - Poke method Vs Machine Tattoo
Misconception: “No machines are used to create a Sak Yant design. These traditional Thai tattoos are engraved into the skin with a long metal spike or bamboo sharpened to a point”.
Reality: Many Monks and Sak Yant Ajarns use modern tattoo machines in addition to the poke method. Bamboo has not really ever been used as Thailand Temples have had and used metal for over 1000 years. The whole Bamboo Needle Story is a marketing Myth when Tattoo Shops started to do Replica Sak Yants for Tourists
3) Sak Yant Myth - The Monk chooses the design based on Auras?
Misconception: “Monks will often choose a sacred design, as well as the location of your tattoo based on your aura“.
Reality: This is perhaps one of the most inaccurate Sak Yant myths around. Monks do not see Aura’s! Monks do not know about Auras – they are not part of Buddhist teachings. Aura’s are part of the western new age movement and have nothing to do with Buddhism or Sak Yant traditions. A Sak Yant master can help you chose a design if you want them too. But all this does is show the Sak Yant Master you have no idea about Sak Yants, or why you are getting one.
It is much better to explain to the Sak Yant Monk, I want a Sak Yant for this reason, and I choose this design to represent it. The Sak Yant location is based on the design. Certain designs have certain locations, others can go where the person wants.
4) Sak Yant Myth - Best Place to get a Sak Yant Tattoo
Misconception: “The best place in Thailand to receive a Sak Yant tattoo is a Buddhist temple called Wat Bang Phra. It’s located about 40 minutes West of Bangkok.”
Reality: Wat Bang Phra is without a doubt the classic and most traditional place to get a Sak Yant tattoo. But there is no best place, as each Sak Yant Master has different skills, different traditions, different rules to follow and different blend of traditional and modern.
Many people who have Sak Yants will say ‘abc is the best’ or ‘abc is the only’. It is very difficult to offer accurate opinion of where to get a Sak Yant if you only been to one place. How can you compare with a grand total of one experience? You can not, so anyone person or service claiming to be the best is doing it to present themselves as an expert or are doing it for commission.
5) Sak Yant Myth - The Ink - made of snake venom and human parts?
Misconception: “Each monk concocts his own special blend of magic tattoo ink too. The recipe is secret, but is thought to contain Chinese charcoal, snake venom, palm oil, and even human remains!”.
Reality: The ink used by the vast majority of Sak Yant masters is brought from the local tattoo supply shop. Just like no one spends 4 hours making a bamboo needle anymore, no one spends days making special ink. Maybe a few hundred years ago, ink was made with what was available out in the jungle, but it is just incorrect to make assumptions that because the Sak Yant is a century old tradition, they still do it the way it was first started.
A starter Ink that has been made using some additional herbs and prayed over is often added in small quantities. But seriously? Monks are digging up bodies to give tattoos? give me a break!
6) Sak Yant Myth - The Sak Yant Hygiene?
Misconception: “The safety of Sak Yant is debatable. It can be a risky practice. The needle itself is usually wiped with an alcohol pad after each tattoo. Or it might be placed in a bottle of alcohol while a separate needle is used for the next person. But the same pot of ink is used with everyone, and blood can mix with the ink”.
Reality: This can be the case at Wat Bang Phra in Bangkok, where thanks to the author, people go to get a Sak Yant tattoo and give less than the cost of ink containers, gloves or needles.
It is not the case from any other Sak Yant Master in Thailand, who all use new Ink and Needles for each guest. Even at Wat Bang Phra you can request all of these things and give a donation will almost always ensure you get them.
7) Sak Yant Myth - Cigarettes As Payment? How much does a Sak Yant Cost?
Misconception:“Outside the entrance, I purchased a temple offering consisting of orchid flowers, incense sticks, and menthol cigarettes for 75 baht ($2.40 US) before removing my shoes and heading inside. Everyone is expected to present these simple gifts to the monk as payment for a Sak Yant tattoo”.
Reality: This myth is the most prevalent and has been used incorrectly to gauge if the Sak Yant is genuine – because it is done for $2-3! Even the author edit on his article makes the comment that it now cost more than he gave, making him question the new commercialization of Wat Bang Phra (then refers you to a much more expensive tour alternative as a remedy to this). Sak Yant tattoos have NEVER been done for a few dollars, this is the offering you make to the temple (via Sak Yant Master) to show respect. THEN you give a donation for the service you are about to receive.
Sak Yants like any form of spiritual practice have a cost. Every form of spiritual advancement requires sacrifice, this is one of the fundamental underpinnings of spirituality. In the situation where a westerner is coming from a position of earning 4-5 times the salary of a Thai person – that cost is money. If Thai people make a donation of around a days salary, why would a tourist think that 20 minutes of salary is a sufficient payment? Especially when they have not being (or continue to) give donations to their local Temple for years as the Thai people are doing?
You can find out more in Why Sak Yants are NOT Free
8) Sak Yant Myth - Real Monks can't touch a women or female?
Misconception:“Monks can not touch a female or women, therefore a Monk can not give a Sak Yant to a Female”.
Reality: There are no rules that say Monks can’t touch a female or women. There is however a Sanhadusesa rule (guidelines for living in a Monastery) that is often used as the foundation of this myth. The problem tends to be that people quote only half of the rule (actually half of the sentence) without any context or fact Checking
The saṃghādisesa 2 says “yo pana bhikkhu otiṇṇo vipāriṇatena cittena mātugāmena saddhiṃ kāyasaṃ saggaṃ samāpajjeyya hatthaggāhaṃ vā veṇiggāhaṃ vā aññatarassa vā aññatarassa vā aṅgassa paramasanaṃ saṃghādiseso.”
The saṃghādisesa 2 Not to touch a woman. If, with a lustful mind, a bhikkhu touches a woman – even a female born on that very same day – or the hair of a woman (not cut), it entails a meeting of the saṃgha.
So there is no rule that prohibits monks from touching women. The sanghadisesa rule is designed to keep focus on Spiritual mind while in Temple grounds by prohibiting monks from sexually groping women with “mind overwhelmed by lust”. For a monk to touch a woman with no lustful intent or outside of the Temple is not an offense. This does however mean that a Monk will not preform a Sak Yant Tattoo for females in Temple grounds, but they are able to do this off Temple.
Take Away Points
Blogposts about Sak Yants are great for getting an idea of other peoples experience, but also run the risk of pointing you in the direction of a higher cost service. Check out Google and Facebook reviews of all local providers of Sak Yant services – these are done without receiving payments and tend to be more honest representation than a commissioned article.
Tattoo Parlors can not give real Sak Yant Tattoos. It doesn’t matter how they try to justify it – they are not qualified
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