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Buddhist tattoos of The Worst Horse's readers,
Part Two.
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A COUPLE MONTHS BACK, we brought you "Body Vows," Part One. It was our first look at "practice tattoos" -- those tattoos which our readers have gotten, as a most personal (and, permanent) form of self-support for their Dharma practice. The response was great: other than our main page, that first installment has proved to be the most-visited section of the Horse. By far.
And we've gotten several new submissions from readers who wanted to share the stories behind their practice tattoos. You'll find them here.
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We hope you'll enjoy this next round of "Body Vows," and hey: if you'd like to send us a photo and explanation of your practice tattoo, we'd love to see it. And we know that the many other Worst Horses who visit the site would too. See the bottom of the page for details on being included in the next installment.
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THIS WAS MY FIRST DHARMA TATTOO (although not my
first tattoo) -- a standing form of Manjusri, the Bodhisattva of Wisdom. It
was completed about 5 years ago by Cori at the Tattoo Palace in Wolverhampton,
UK, taking about 25 hours in all. I find it very inspiring to recall that
he is there at my shoulder each day as I go about my work as a teacher -- trying
to bring my practice into my life as much as I am able.
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MY SECOND (and I would imagine last) dharma tattoo was done last year - the
syllables of Om Mani Padme Hum written twice around my right ankle and coloured
to represent the colours of each of the jinas, as they appear in each realm on
the Wheel of Life)
I have read recently that some people consider it
disrespectful to have tattoos below the waist but had not come across that view
when I had it done - and no Tibetan people (including monks) that I met
last year in Lhasa were offended - in fact they all seemed to really love it. I
like to consider that each step I take offers out this mantra of compassion into
the world.
May all beings be well.
-FRAN
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I DID THE FIRST TATTOO ACROSS AMERICA TOUR last Fall, strictly
as a music tour, without the meditation- instruction angle [which Jake is working with now. See more below.].
That's when I got my Chogyam Trungpa tattoo. It was done by Mark Mahoney in Hollywood.
-JAKE LA BOTZ.
To learn about the new Tattoo Across America Tour, and the meditation instruction Jake will be
giving this time around, visit his website here. (By the way: the music's great.)
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THESE CHINESE CHARACTERS say (from top, elbow area to wrist):
Buddha
Dharma
Sangha.
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I AM CURRENTLY GETTING a Chinese dragon tattoo as well on that arm (I recently finished the third sitting of six). The dragon wraps around my arm and around the three jewels tattoo. In addition to the dragon there are two lotus flowers in there.
The dragon is a symbol of luck, fortune and over-coming any obstacle to reach ones goal. In China the dragon is also seen as the protectors of the various Buddhas.
-JAMES, of The Buddhist Blog
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MY NAME IS Timothy Brown. I had this tattoo done at
Underground Ink in Lexington, Kentucky.
The compassion and understanding that is found in
Tibetan Buddhism had been slowly calling me from Theravada practice. One
morning during meditation, the symbols of the lotus and Buddha's enlightened
meditative eyes flooded my mind as I continued to chant Om Mani Padme Hum. I
felt the two symbols put together would make an exemplary reminder of what the
jewel in the lotus is. The mind in the foreground (mind being the chief,
forerunner of all things) and the jewel in the lotus, is the emptiness found at
its center.
Thanks guys, for sharing the amazing work and many
wishes for continued success with your site.
Metta,
TIM
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THE BUDDHIST PEACE
FELLOWSHIP SYMBOL on my forearm.
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MY "HUNKY" BUDDHA, on my leg.
[He represents] one part "gay man wishful thinking," one part the
impermanence of youth. As I'm pushing 40 and beyond he reminds me that
perfect beauty lies in practice and achieving enlightenment.
-DAVID B.
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THIS CALLIGRAPHY by the late, great Maezumi Roshi is featured in both the original and rereleased versions of the classic book, On Zen Practice. It's titled (appropriately), "Practice."
I fell in love with it the moment I saw it. To me (and I admit I have no real knowledge of calligraphy or Japanese characters), it's not jjust a reminder to myself: Hey, you -- practice! (Though it is that, too.) It's about what practice does.
And what practice does, I find, is refine. It smooths things out. To me, the two halves of the image are a kind of "Before" and "After." The top image is squiggly, busy, over-thought. The bottom image is similar in shape and composition, but without all the extra noise. It's become more flowing, more direct. Isn't that what meditation does to our minds? I think so.
I was doubly blessed when I had the tattoo done: it was done by the award-winning Mark Misoda, who also happens to be an old friend who I just love. So I have some "Mark" with me, too.
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THIS ONE IS KUKKURIPA, the legendary yogi who was willing to sacrifice his own enlightenment in order to be with his best friend, his dog -- that cute little blue guy there. (You can find Kukkuripa's story here.)
Sometimes, I can get to feeling bad about my practice -- I don't know if I'm the worst horse, but I'm pretty lousy. And since my wife is currently out a lot at school, I often just don't feel right going out to the wonderful practice center nearby. Not when my dogs have been home alone all day!
When I learned about Kukkuripa, I identified completely. The idea of leaving his beloved dog behind while he went and meditated just didn't sit right with him, and so he bailed. But, as the story goes, his compassion and love for -- and responsibility to -- his dog ended up being what most impressed the gods; he was doing what needed to be done. And that's no little thing.
Every day, I am similarly rewarded, I feel. The love and loyalty I get from my dogs is a huge gift. It reminds me just how much of a difference some care and compassion -- even mine -- can make.
Thanks to Josh McAlear at Redemption Tattoo for the great, great work.
-ROD
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THIS TATTOO was designed by the renowned tattoo artist Sotsie Gorman. Having grown up in the punk scene, earned a philosophy degree, and now, ultimately working for a small Buddhist non-profit I've found that that I need to let the dharma express itself in ways that feel organic to me. I find that having dharma art on me is a way of being true to where I've come from and is a reminder to myself (and hopefully others) that in the moment we can step away from the habitual and open to things as they actually are.
-GARY STEINBERG, DIRECTOR OF PROGRAMS, THE METTA FOUNDATION
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GOT A "PRACTICE TATTOO?" Want to have it included in our next Body Vows installment? Email a smallish jpg (about the size of the ones seen here is ideal) and a description here. Be sure to let us know how (or if) you want your name to be credited, and if you have a website, MySpace page, or anything else you'd like us to link to.
You might also want to check out the "Dharma Tattoos" section of our homepage for some additional links on the subject.
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DHARMA-BURGER ARCHIVE 
