Sak Yant tattoo

Ex-monk claims tattoos of emblems offer protection
REPORT: SHREE ANN MATHAVAN EARLIER this week, project administrator Annie Tangot herself a new tattoo - her ninth. But it's not the love for body art that makes Mrs Tan, 38,do it. She gets inked to ward off evil spirits. Mrs Tan is among believers here in sak yant, a form of tattooing practised by Thai Buddhists, which is believed to provide amulet-like powers such as protection from harm. Master TS Tong, 33, who runs a Singthai Sak Yant, which provides sak yant tattoo services, claimed that more people are seeking his services because of the uncertain economic climate. The former monk, a Singaporean, said his shop in Sin Ming Road has other services such as tarot card reading and feng shui. Of his 200 customers a month, about 80 customers get tattooed, he said. "When people have economic difficulties, they think of turning to Buddha and prayers for help... to improve their businesses or maybe win the lottery," Mr Tong said. Unlike regular tattoos, sak yant takes the form of Buddhist emblems or prayer verses. Instead of a tattoo machine, a Thai Buddhist monk uses a large needle to painstakingly etch out tattoos stroke-by-stroke. Instead of dark-coloured ink, some sak yant tattoos are done in white ink or "transparent ones" using specially blessed herbal oil, so the tattoos are hardly visible. Once the tattoo is completed, the monk chants and prays over the devotee in Thai. Sak yant is widely known in Thailand and Cambodia but not so in Singapore. When The New Paper on Sunday visited the shop last week, Thai monk Arjan Wee Chai, 30, who works for Mr Tong, was scribing Mrs Tan's latest tattoo. She has spent about $1,000 on her tattoos over the past three years. Since she started getting tattoos, she claims her relationship with people at work has improved. Ms Karen Lee, 27, who works in the media industry, turned to sak yant last year because of pressure at work. After getting tattooed, she claims her work life has become smoother. She has at least 12 tattoos, which costs her about $1,500. Mr Tong, who does the inking when Arjan Wee is not around, said the tattoos start at $38 (for a tattoo the size of a five-cent coin) and can go up to $1,000 (for one that covers the entire back). Not for profit He claimed he doesn't do it for profit - "I see it as a way of helping others". He said he came across sak yant when he went to Mae Sot, Thailand, eight years ago to study Buddhism. He said: "Thai Buddhists have been practising this for over 100 years." It's not known if sak yant is available elsewhere here, but several Buddhist monks here remain critical of it. Venerable Dhammika, 58, who runs the Buddha Dhamma Mandala Society in Singapore, said: "This is against Buddhist teachings and scriptures, it's got absolutely nothing to do with Buddhism." The monk of 32 years added that it's the purity of the people's hearts that protect them - not shapes on their bodies or pieces of metal tied to their necks. It's an insult to associate such practices with Buddhism, he added. While Venerable Dhammikahas heard of such practices in Thailand, he wasn't aware that sak yant is practised here. The economic gloom could be a factor for it gaining popularity here,he said. "When people are desperate, this is what they do, it's a combination of desperation and naivety." Another Singaporean monk, who declined to be named,agreed. "Fortune-telling, fengshui, tattoos, amulets, all these are not Buddhism." He felt some Singaporeans are just looking for an easy way out. He said: "There are classes where you can learn about Buddhist teachings, but instead of understanding what Buddhism is really about, these people just want a quick fix. "I see it as a way for money to be made, otherwise why do it?" Mr Tong said of the criticism: "Everyone has his own practices and beliefs. This is the Thai Buddhist way. I don't think they should criticise other people's beliefs." This article was first published in The New Paper.

Ajarn Tong Talad Plu and Singapore

Ajarn Tong is resident in his samnak sak Talad Plu at Wat Pleng in Samut Prakarn
You can also catch him one month off and one month on in Singapore at the Fo Guang Hang Geomancy and Amulet centre. Ajarn Tong is an extremely friendly and likeable Master whose traditional bold line work has the look and feel of the traditional Sak yant tattoo in the tradition of LP Phern.

If you wish for an economical price i advise to visit him in Thailand at wat Pleng, as the prices of Sak yant in Singapore are rather expensive