Tens of thousands flock to sacred tattoo
ceremony outside Bangkok
Bill Bredesen
March 20,
2016 The Nation
A heavily tattooed Thai man trembles as he releases
a full-throated animal scream. He struggles to his feet, seemingly
against his will, and charges forward, only to be restrained by the
brute force of temple officials.
The man is experiencing a trance state commonly witnessed at an
annual ceremony that pays respect to a late sacred Thai tattoo
master and former temple abbot.
Tens of thousands of believers over the weekend crowded onto the
grounds of Wat Bang Phra in Nakhon Pathom, some 50 kilometres west
of the Thai capital, to re-energize their tattoos’ spiritual
powers.
They gathered under a sweltering sun, sitting cross-legged on
plastic mats, some with their heads bowed in meditation, and waited
hours fora blessing from the temple’s current tattoo
masters.
The spectacle of followers in trance states was
constant. They roared like tigers, howled like monkeys and shouted
like men possessed,assuming the animal powers of their magical
ink.
Pongsakorn Yodchumpong, 30, whose body is covered in mystical
insignia, was among those who entered such a state. His body
shook,he growled, and he tried several times to stampede through
the crowd.
His girlfriend later sat behind him, rubbing his ears to calm him
down.
"I have no idea what caused it to happen," he said, his eyes still
red and watery from the trance. "I was sitting there listening to
the speaker, and it slowly came on. I attend the ceremony every
year, and it happens every year."
Temple officials reminded visitors over a loudspeaker that the
masters did not encourage them to enter a trance.
"They only want you to be grateful for the blessing," they
said.
Thailand’s sacred tattoos are believed to bring different types of
good fortune, including protection, power, good luck and
prosperity.
To harness the power of the sacred ink, disciples are instructed to
follow basic Buddhist precepts, including not taking life and not
consuming intoxicants, among others.
Still, few seemed sure what exactly causes the trance state.
"In theory, the ’wicha’ is being awakened, the magic implanted in
them, this metaphysical substance that’s been planted in their
bodies by the master," said Joe Cummings, the author of Sacred
Tattoos of Thailand and a recent TEDx Talk speaker on the
subject.
"When they first have their tattoos done, they go into trance, and
then when it’s recharged, it happens again because it’s being
reawakened," he told dpa.
In recent years, the popularity of traditional Thai tattoos, known
as"sak yant," has extended beyond the country’s borders, and many
Westerners now appreciate their magical import.
Scattered throughout the crowd at Wat Bang Phra were many
foreigners whose bodies were covered in Thai sacred tattoos.
"My German family thinks I’m crazy," said Frank Kruppa, whose
chest,back and upper arms are inked with 108 tattoos from the
temple.
"But the tattoos have been very helpful for me, very
powerful."
Of the trances, Kruppa said he felt capable of entering such a
state himself, but that he’s "afraid of what would happen."
"I want to control my emotions. It’s better for me," said the
Berlin native, who is now a longtime resident of Bangkok.
The Hollywood star Angelina Jolie helped popularize Thai tattoos
around the world when she had a "ha taew" (five lines) design inked
on her left shoulder blade in 2003.
Jolie returned the following year and had a large, Thai-style tiger
tattooed on her lower back.
The first tattoo given to disciples at Wat Bang Phra is known as
the"gao yord," which translates as the nine peaks, representative
of the cosmological Mount Meru in Hindu and Buddhist
mythology.
The interest in Thai tattoos has grown such that one high-end
Bangkok resort, The Siam Hotel, created its own tattoo salon on
site where a master from Wat Bang Phra inks guests.
"We’ve done (actress) Michelle Rodriguez, NBA basketball stars,
it’s great," said Jason Friedman, the former general manager of The
Siam Hotel who oversaw the project.
Friedman attended the ceremony at Wat Bang Phra with hotel
guests,and he rolled up his short sleeves to reveal intricate Thai
tattoo patterns covering his upper arms and shoulders.
"I get a tingle when they chant, but I’ve never gone into a
trance," Friedman said.
An Italian man who asked not to be identified said he personally
experienced the trance in previous years.
"I still haven’t figured it out," he said. "I consider myself to be
very grounded. I was in shock. When it happened to me, I went
through a stage like I was in and out of a dream.
"It was like I kept coming and going in a conscious state of
being."