The Mystic of Sak Yant

Sak Yant in progess

Life in Thailand is saturated with supersition. Thai people embrace the mentality that destinies are directed by both benevolent and sinister spirits. In fact, much time has been spent on appeasing such spirits in return for favors and protection. In Thailand, there is little distinction between religion and occult practices. Since the times of the Ayutthaya Kingdom, some 300 years ago, Thai men have learnt from tattoo 'ajahns' (Thai for teachers), listening to their words of wisdom, in an attempt to comprehend their destiny and gain some control over it.

Embedded in the various neighborhoods of Bangkok are several well-known tattoo arjahns who play their tare from the comfort of their own homes. These extraordinary gentlemen are highly respected and cater to the spiritual and physical needs of their communities. Today, the art of tattooing has become and immensely popular global phenomenon. Images of famous Hollywood movie stars proudly showing off their latest westen tattoos have not gone unnoticed in Bangkok. Young people are impressed by the media represtenations and yearn to be part of the global tattoo scene. However, the poverty that has plagued Thailand for the past decade meant such imidation of western culture was not possible. What was more possible is a visit to the traditional tattoo ajahns where offerings of flowers can be exchanged for a tattoo.

Freshly done Yant Tattos

A visit to the Tlatphlu neighborhood in Bangkok is never complete unless you make a stopover at Ajahn Tong's residence studio. Built over a plot of land measuring a humble 450 square feet, the apartment is run down yet vibrant in a special way. The open door of the master's studio contributes a great part in its vibrancy as barking of dogs and crying of babies compliment each other to form a messy chorus. Clusters of young boys surrond Arjahn Tong as he tattoos his devotee, watching with much interest and awe. Seated amongst numerous sculptures of the Lord Buddha and various peculiar looking Thai deities, Ajahn Tong radiated a feeling of serenity and holiness.

Ajahn Tong in his Tlatphlu studio residence

"I have always worked in this area," the master said. "I am now 52 years old. All these tattoos go back 1000 years to the Khmer times and culture. I was taught the ancient language of Pali by my master who saw a special talent in me. I have been practising Sak Yant for 33 years."

Sak Yant is an ancient tradition of Thai Theravada Buddhism, more commonly known in the Western world as magical Thai tattoos. Using a long and thick needle dipped in a deadly concoction of snake venom, rats' blood and Chinese ink, it is then poked into the skin. The combintaion of these precise pokes will then form the tattoos. These tattoos are believed to make its bearer bcome invunerable to weapons and help protect him in times of danger. Another phenomemon that is apparently unexplainable about yant tattoo is 'Khong Khuen", where the devotee gets possessed by an animal spirit and goes into a temporary state of trance. Khong Khuen has always been the main spectacle in any Sak Yant ceremony. Upon the completion of the tattoo, the ajahn will bless the yant tattoos and give it powers. Chanting in the ancient Pali language, the master will perform an elaborate ritual lasting five minutes. At the end of the ritual, the devotee will then go into a state of trance as if he was possessed by the animal he had earlier tattooed. Some might hiss like a snake and start crawling on the floor while others might roar like a tiger and go on all fours. It is also at this defining moment where the tattoo master proves the invincibility of the devotee for all to see. Using a two foot long sharp sword, the tattoo master proceeds to knife the devotee repeatedly in the stomach. Surprisingly, there are no signs of physical injury. The devotee will then recover from the trance, seeminly oblivious to the whole drama that has since unfolded.

This magical aspect of yant tattoos is not without its media proof. In a recent report dated 25th November 2005 in the Singaporean Chinese Newspaper 'Shin Min Ri Bao' there was a particular article on how a man with yant tattoos from Pattani emerged unscathed from a vicious robbery despite being shot twice with a M16 assault rifle. In Thailand, personal accounts of yant tattooed men who cheated death repeatedly are also passed through word of mmouth or featured on television programmes such as 'Occult'. Sak Yant has now become a mandatory rite of passage for every Thai mobster.

A heavily tattooed Thai man

Even in Ajahn Tong's peaceful studio, the vile presence of the mafia lingers. Seated quietly in the waiting area were three heavily tattooed thugs who eyed anyone who came into the studio suspiciously, their firearms hidden but always within reach. They had come to get more 'kongkrapean' tattoos from Ajahn Tong. KongKrapean means 'Great Protection' in Thai.

When questioned about the patronage of gangsters, Ajahn Tong was philosophical in his answer. "We need to possess good behaviour to pursue a wholesome life. In the absence of a wholesome life, the tattoos are absolutely powerless. People come here because they have faith in the master and the powers of the tattoo," he explained. "I want my devotees to understand their deeds and hopefully lead them to a better way of life. If a devotee only wishes to accquire powers it is not good. Such desires do not interests me. There must be certain degree of interest and understanding. These tattoos must be treated with respect and belief; they are not a quick fix."

On 23 April 2003, 'The Nation' newspaper of Thailand reported famous Hollywood actress Angelina Jolie recieving a yant tattoo from another tattoo master called Ajahn Noo. The article soon sparked a Sak Yant craze in Thailand as Hollywood-crazy young Thais and visiting farangs (Thai for foreigner) flocked to tattoo ajahns to get inked. Sak Yant became an overnight fashion statement in the process diluting its social stigma and association with the mafia. Sak Yant has now became a lucrative business.

Australian Kerry McNaught with Ajahn Tong

In an attempt to capitalize on this current craze, many unqualified tattoo ajahns have recently surfaced in Bangkok giving Yant tattoos to young people. The 'ajahns' demand cash payment for their work and do not have the necessary training and religious culitivation. The young devotees who patronized these questionable 'ajahns' were never interested in the traditional process or mystical aspect of Sak Yant. There were simply blind followers of an on-going trend who just want to be inked to show off.

Arahn Tong was oblivious to the surge in demands for his Yant tattoos. "I do not understand why young people nowadays are so interested in these tattoos. To me, Sak Yant is never an art. It is part of Thai Buddhism," he said. "If someone told me my tattoos are beautiful, I will get insulted. I only hope to improve the lives of my devotee, nothing else. That's why I always remind them to stay with the teachings of Lord Buddha and be dedicated to their tattoos."

Tattooed Monks in Thailand

One area of concern regarding Sak Yant is its HIV risk. It is no secret that the neddles used when tattooing are never replaced. On an average, a famous tattoo master like Ajahn Tong will see as many as 30 devotees a day. This means that by the time the last devotee recieves his tattoo, the needle would have come into contact with 29 different men's blood. In fact it is very likely to come into contact with contaminated blood. Recent statistics released in 2005 by international AIDS charity group AVERT shows that Thailand has 560,000 HIV adult patients which is equivalent to 1.7% of the total population, making it Asia's third highest behind India and China. Avert went on to list sharing of needles when using drugs or tattooing as one of the main contributors to HIV transmission and strongly advises against such practices in any trade.

Ajahn Tong, however, refused to acknowlegde the statistics presented to him and presented another perspective. "My devotees will never get any disease from my needles. Every night I soak them with holy water which I specially prepared. This is a practice passed down from generations,'' he replied. " I have yet to hear cases of my devotees getting HIV after getting a tattoo from me. Although I cannot rule out the possibility of my devotees getting HIV from prosititues or through drug abuse," he added.

Another area of concern is Sak Yant's contribution to the increasing crime rate in Bangkok. UK based Mercer Human Resource Consulting published Bangkok's crime rate as 384 cases per 100,000 population in 2004 and 478 cases per 100,000 population in 2005. For Nonthaburi neighbourhood police chief, Natipong Klahan, yant tattoos are nothing but trouble. " Gangsters with yant tattoos are getting bolder and bolder with no respect for the law. They believe that yant tattoos will protect them from bullets an make them invincible," he complained. "But we cannot ban Sak Yant because it is an ancient tradition which holds an important role in religion. How can we ban Sak Yant when even our King has them?" he said.

Faced with such pessimistic views on Sak Yant, Ajahn Tong remained upbeat and idealistic. To him, everyone who came for his tattoos had problems and worries. Providing them with assistance was the tattoo master's job. " I feel that I am giving my devotees a very special gift. My devotees are like my special children. By the time I finish a large Hanuman (the monkey warrior god from Thai mythology) tattoo these young men would have listened to me and become a better person. I am not interested in what they do as long as they follow the five precepts of Buddhism."

Hanuman Tattoo

The five precepts of Buddhism are the curriculum of Buddhist teachings and serve as the basis of moral conduct. To abide by the five precepts , one must not kill; steal; indulge in sexual misconduct; lie; and take intoxicants. As preached by Ajahn Tong. these are basic precepts that everyone is encouraged to follow and practise in order to lead a fulilling life.

One of the many statues of Buddha in Buddhist Thailand

Perhaps it can be said that Sak Yant fundamentally teaches its devotees to uphold good moral conduct. Tattoo masters like Ajahn Tong provide a priceless service to those young men in search of assistance and guidance. More often than not, Sak Yant provides answers on certain aspects of life which cannot be found in the books. While some might pursue Sak Yant as an outlet for magical powers, it can be said that embedded in a messy process stained with ink and blood, generations of complied wisdom are actually passed from the master to his devotees. Although it does not provide people with any control over destiny, this wisdom will surely came in handy when determining the outcome of our life.