The Sacred Tattoos of Thailand
The Sacred Tattoos of Thailand
"My religion is not deceiving myself."
Jetsun Milarepa 1052-1135 CE
"Butchers, prostitutes, those guilty of the five most heinous crimes, outcasts, the underprivileged: all are utterly the substance of existence and nothing other than total bliss."
The Supreme Source - The Kunjed Gyalpo
The Fundamental Tantra of Dzogchen Semde
Jetsun Milarepa 1052-1135 CE
"Butchers, prostitutes, those guilty of the five most heinous crimes, outcasts, the underprivileged: all are utterly the substance of existence and nothing other than total bliss."
The Supreme Source - The Kunjed Gyalpo
The Fundamental Tantra of Dzogchen Semde
Re: The Sacred Tattoos of Thailand
Great video.
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Re: The Sacred Tattoos of Thailand
You don't see that every day.I don't have a tattoo but I would get one of those.
Re: The Sacred Tattoos of Thailand
I see this striking resemblance to some of the wilder pentecostal services I've seen. I suppose this kind of thing has been going on since the imes of the Greek oracles. It was probably ancient even then.
Sergeant Schultz knew everything there was to know.
- DewachenVagabond
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Re: The Sacred Tattoos of Thailand
I think Esoteric Theravadan Buddhism is fascinating, so it cool seeing stuff like this and learning more about it. I also think the Reusi/Lersi role is really interesting as a tradition of yogis/ascetics. It seems to have some things in common with Ngakpas and other Vajrayana yogi traditions, although they probably have more in common with Hindu traditions. For example, I found this interview: http://www.sakyan.org/en/interview-with-a-ruesi/
This isn't related to Ngakpas and other yogi traditions, but I also found this interesting:
Also, the general role of performing rituals for individuals and the community, and the way it potentially represents a 3rd path between monk and regular lay-man is similar to the Ngakpa tradition.
Somananda Yogi wears long cotton robes, long hair, and a long beard; external evidence of his recent commitment to the life of a Thai Reusi...
In actuality, the practices of many of the people called or calling themselves Ruesi are often very different from one another. Some people are practicing as ascetics, some as householders, some in the city, some in the wilderness, some practice mantra, tantra, yoga and others practice meditation or medicine...
The Ruesi of Thailand are just like the Vijjadharas of Burma, the Reusi of Cambodia, the Yogis of Tibet, the Siddhas of India, the Immortals of China, the Sufis of Islam, the Hermits of Europe, the mystics of Christianity and the Shamans of the Americas and Africa...
...it is absolutely necessary to have a competent teacher, who is already a practitioner, in order to be initiated into the tradition... Usually, for myself, I only wear white and brown colored robes. As for other aspects of the appearance, we don’t cut our hair or beard for the first three years. This is because every Reusi is empowered with the spirit of the past Reusi and teachers. Cutting the hair would be cutting the connection to this power...
I am part of two major lineages. One is the Northern tradition, which has its roots in areas like Tibet and Burma. I refer to it as the Tibetan-Burmese-Northern Thai tradition. The other tradition is a Thai-Cambodian tradition, which has its roots in central and Eastern Thailand as well as Cambodia. The two traditions may appear different but the central teachings are very much the same. The major differences are the language used in chanting and texts.
This isn't related to Ngakpas and other yogi traditions, but I also found this interesting:
As a Buddhist Reusi, is your goal to reach enlightenment?
Yes, though we willingly postpone our enlightenment in order to continue existing in this world for the benefit of others. It’s similar to the Bodhisattva vows in Mahayana Buddhism but it differs in that our vow is to remain until the birth of the next Buddha. We vow to be his/her disciple. The Bodhisattva’s vow is to stay in this world system until the last being has attained enlightenment. So, their commitment is much longer.
Re: The Sacred Tattoos of Thailand
I met Somananda Yogi last year when I went to Thailand for the United Nations Vesak Day Conference.SonamTashi wrote: ↑Tue Mar 26, 2019 10:09 am I think Esoteric Theravadan Buddhism is fascinating, so it cool seeing stuff like this and learning more about it. I also think the Reusi/Lersi role is really interesting as a tradition of yogis/ascetics. It seems to have some things in common with Ngakpas and other Vajrayana yogi traditions, although they probably have more in common with Hindu traditions. For example, I found this interview: http://www.sakyan.org/en/interview-with-a-ruesi/
Also, the general role of performing rituals for individuals and the community, and the way it potentially represents a 3rd path between monk and regular lay-man is similar to the Ngakpa tradition.
Somananda Yogi wears long cotton robes, long hair, and a long beard; external evidence of his recent commitment to the life of a Thai Reusi...
In actuality, the practices of many of the people called or calling themselves Ruesi are often very different from one another. Some people are practicing as ascetics, some as householders, some in the city, some in the wilderness, some practice mantra, tantra, yoga and others practice meditation or medicine...
The Ruesi of Thailand are just like the Vijjadharas of Burma, the Reusi of Cambodia, the Yogis of Tibet, the Siddhas of India, the Immortals of China, the Sufis of Islam, the Hermits of Europe, the mystics of Christianity and the Shamans of the Americas and Africa...
...it is absolutely necessary to have a competent teacher, who is already a practitioner, in order to be initiated into the tradition... Usually, for myself, I only wear white and brown colored robes. As for other aspects of the appearance, we don’t cut our hair or beard for the first three years. This is because every Reusi is empowered with the spirit of the past Reusi and teachers. Cutting the hair would be cutting the connection to this power...
I am part of two major lineages. One is the Northern tradition, which has its roots in areas like Tibet and Burma. I refer to it as the Tibetan-Burmese-Northern Thai tradition. The other tradition is a Thai-Cambodian tradition, which has its roots in central and Eastern Thailand as well as Cambodia. The two traditions may appear different but the central teachings are very much the same. The major differences are the language used in chanting and texts.
This isn't related to Ngakpas and other yogi traditions, but I also found this interesting:
As a Buddhist Reusi, is your goal to reach enlightenment?
Yes, though we willingly postpone our enlightenment in order to continue existing in this world for the benefit of others. It’s similar to the Bodhisattva vows in Mahayana Buddhism but it differs in that our vow is to remain until the birth of the next Buddha. We vow to be his/her disciple. The Bodhisattva’s vow is to stay in this world system until the last being has attained enlightenment. So, their commitment is much longer.
Interesting guy. He now practices in a Nepali Nath lineage and is currently based in Nepal.
He took me to Wat Ratchsitharam (in Bangkok this is the main temple for Reusi style meditation practices and traditional Thai medicine) and he translated for me while the oldest monk (a teacher of his) there guided me through a couple of visualisations to check my meditative capacity.
We also visited a Hindu (Brahmanic) temple to MahaDevi and the Buddhist Golden Mountain temple.
We had the time to discuss a number of issues in depth and found agreement on many details.
One of his students here in Europe (just outside of Milan, Italy) has been initiated by a Sak Yant master in order to do sacred tattoos. I hope to visit him soon.
Yes, there are quite a few parallels between the Reusi and the Ngakpa systems.
"My religion is not deceiving myself."
Jetsun Milarepa 1052-1135 CE
"Butchers, prostitutes, those guilty of the five most heinous crimes, outcasts, the underprivileged: all are utterly the substance of existence and nothing other than total bliss."
The Supreme Source - The Kunjed Gyalpo
The Fundamental Tantra of Dzogchen Semde
Jetsun Milarepa 1052-1135 CE
"Butchers, prostitutes, those guilty of the five most heinous crimes, outcasts, the underprivileged: all are utterly the substance of existence and nothing other than total bliss."
The Supreme Source - The Kunjed Gyalpo
The Fundamental Tantra of Dzogchen Semde
Re: The Sacred Tattoos of Thailand
Interesting thread. Thanks.
The profound path of the master.
-- Virūpa, Vajra Lines
-- Virūpa, Vajra Lines
- Kim O'Hara
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Re: The Sacred Tattoos of Thailand
Thanks, Greg.
I have just cross-posted it to the Tantric Theravada thread on DWT - https://dhammawheel.com/viewtopic.php?f=16&t=10503 which may also interest DWM members.
Kim
I have just cross-posted it to the Tantric Theravada thread on DWT - https://dhammawheel.com/viewtopic.php?f=16&t=10503 which may also interest DWM members.
Kim
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Re: The Sacred Tattoos of Thailand
This one?https://samyeinstitute.org/instructors/somananda-yogi/Grigoris wrote: ↑Tue Mar 26, 2019 12:27 pmI met Somananda Yogi last year when I went to Thailand for the United Nations Vesak Day Conference.SonamTashi wrote: ↑Tue Mar 26, 2019 10:09 am I think Esoteric Theravadan Buddhism is fascinating, so it cool seeing stuff like this and learning more about it. I also think the Reusi/Lersi role is really interesting as a tradition of yogis/ascetics. It seems to have some things in common with Ngakpas and other Vajrayana yogi traditions, although they probably have more in common with Hindu traditions. For example, I found this interview: http://www.sakyan.org/en/interview-with-a-ruesi/
Also, the general role of performing rituals for individuals and the community, and the way it potentially represents a 3rd path between monk and regular lay-man is similar to the Ngakpa tradition.
Somananda Yogi wears long cotton robes, long hair, and a long beard; external evidence of his recent commitment to the life of a Thai Reusi...
In actuality, the practices of many of the people called or calling themselves Ruesi are often very different from one another. Some people are practicing as ascetics, some as householders, some in the city, some in the wilderness, some practice mantra, tantra, yoga and others practice meditation or medicine...
The Ruesi of Thailand are just like the Vijjadharas of Burma, the Reusi of Cambodia, the Yogis of Tibet, the Siddhas of India, the Immortals of China, the Sufis of Islam, the Hermits of Europe, the mystics of Christianity and the Shamans of the Americas and Africa...
...it is absolutely necessary to have a competent teacher, who is already a practitioner, in order to be initiated into the tradition... Usually, for myself, I only wear white and brown colored robes. As for other aspects of the appearance, we don’t cut our hair or beard for the first three years. This is because every Reusi is empowered with the spirit of the past Reusi and teachers. Cutting the hair would be cutting the connection to this power...
I am part of two major lineages. One is the Northern tradition, which has its roots in areas like Tibet and Burma. I refer to it as the Tibetan-Burmese-Northern Thai tradition. The other tradition is a Thai-Cambodian tradition, which has its roots in central and Eastern Thailand as well as Cambodia. The two traditions may appear different but the central teachings are very much the same. The major differences are the language used in chanting and texts.
This isn't related to Ngakpas and other yogi traditions, but I also found this interesting:
As a Buddhist Reusi, is your goal to reach enlightenment?
Yes, though we willingly postpone our enlightenment in order to continue existing in this world for the benefit of others. It’s similar to the Bodhisattva vows in Mahayana Buddhism but it differs in that our vow is to remain until the birth of the next Buddha. We vow to be his/her disciple. The Bodhisattva’s vow is to stay in this world system until the last being has attained enlightenment. So, their commitment is much longer.
Interesting guy. He now practices in a Nepali Nath lineage and is currently based in Nepal.
He took me to Wat Ratchsitharam (in Bangkok this is the main temple for Reusi style meditation practices and traditional Thai medicine) and he translated for me while the oldest monk (a teacher of his) there guided me through a couple of visualisations to check my meditative capacity.
We also visited a Hindu (Brahmanic) temple to MahaDevi and the Buddhist Golden Mountain temple.
We had the time to discuss a number of issues in depth and found agreement on many details.
One of his students here in Europe (just outside of Milan, Italy) has been initiated by a Sak Yant master in order to do sacred tattoos. I hope to visit him soon.
Yes, there are quite a few parallels between the Reusi and the Ngakpa systems.
Re: The Sacred Tattoos of Thailand
Yup, that's the guy.amanitamusc wrote: ↑Thu Mar 28, 2019 3:47 amThis one? https://samyeinstitute.org/instructors/somananda-yogi/
Me and Somananda outside the Mahadevi temple in Bangkok, Thailand.
"My religion is not deceiving myself."
Jetsun Milarepa 1052-1135 CE
"Butchers, prostitutes, those guilty of the five most heinous crimes, outcasts, the underprivileged: all are utterly the substance of existence and nothing other than total bliss."
The Supreme Source - The Kunjed Gyalpo
The Fundamental Tantra of Dzogchen Semde
Jetsun Milarepa 1052-1135 CE
"Butchers, prostitutes, those guilty of the five most heinous crimes, outcasts, the underprivileged: all are utterly the substance of existence and nothing other than total bliss."
The Supreme Source - The Kunjed Gyalpo
The Fundamental Tantra of Dzogchen Semde
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Re: The Sacred Tattoos of Thailand
Nice pic.You guys could be brothers.Grigoris wrote: ↑Thu Mar 28, 2019 8:08 amYup, that's the guy.amanitamusc wrote: ↑Thu Mar 28, 2019 3:47 amThis one? https://samyeinstitute.org/instructors/somananda-yogi/
Me and Somananda outside the Mahadevi temple in Bangkok, Thailand.
me and somananda.jpg
Does he have some Sak Yants?
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Re: The Sacred Tattoos of Thailand
I'm thinking of going to Thailand some time in the not too distant future and get some Sak Yant-tattos (in some places I can cover easily, heh).
Does anyone have experience with this? What are the vows one must take (I already have refuge-vows)? Hygiene - what about it? What type of colors do they use - could it be damaging to one's health?
Thanks!
Does anyone have experience with this? What are the vows one must take (I already have refuge-vows)? Hygiene - what about it? What type of colors do they use - could it be damaging to one's health?
Thanks!
Re: The Sacred Tattoos of Thailand
I'm going in January. There are many guides to partying but precious few for Dharma junkies. I have a friend in BKK who is a videographer. Maybe I can convince him to make one.
This Rahula temple seems cool.
http://www.thaiworldview.com/bouddha/animism3.htm
Some info on Sak Yant
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wat_Bang_Phra
I would love to know if there are places to get relics and precious substances for Stupas.
Also if anyone knows any good magicians in BKK or Chiang Mai.
This Rahula temple seems cool.
http://www.thaiworldview.com/bouddha/animism3.htm
Some info on Sak Yant
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wat_Bang_Phra
I would love to know if there are places to get relics and precious substances for Stupas.
Also if anyone knows any good magicians in BKK or Chiang Mai.