Maybe I’ll find a new job and stay in Thailand longer, but it doesn’t feel like that is going to happen.  I feel that my time living here is coming to an end.  This has been a big part of my journey to awakening as I practice living in presence even when things are challenging.  I decided to get a Sak Yant tattoo as a ceremonial experience of this  part of my journey.  A Sak Yant tattoo is a traditional Buddhist tattoo that has magic for protection, good luck, or some other purpose.  A friend recommended the Sak Yant master I went to.  I made an appointment with him a month ago.  He isn’t a monk, but has learned from the monks as well as other teachers.  It sounded cleaner and more personal than going to a temple to have it done.  They have a package where I could have a translator as well as be picked up from my hotel so I paid extra for that.  The translator picked me up at 8:30 and we didn’t get to the tattoo place until 10:00am.  He chatted the whole time.  He has a friend that wanted to watch me get the tattoo – she wants one, but is afraid.  She met us at Ajarn Neng’s tattoo place.  He works out of the front room of his house.  When we got there I had to sit in the carport and wait since Ajarn Neng was still praying.  The carport, like most places in Thailand, is dirty.  It smells like pee.  What have I gotten myself into?  This is supposed to be one of the best Sak Yant masters in Bangkok.  Am I in the right place?  His assistant came out and gave me some incense to hold while I prayed with him to Ganesha.  I had to repeat what he was chanting.  I have no idea what I promised to Ganesha.  Ganesha is a Hindu god.  I cannot explain what he has to do with a Buddhist tattoo.  Then I got to go into the house, kneel before the master and present him with a pedestal that had a bunch of fake flowers and and envelope with my money in it.  After a brief conversation, he recommended the tattoo that I got.  It will help protect me in my new business.  It will make people want to support me.  People will want to listen to me the way they want to listen to a bird sing.  I decided that this was fitting as I’m learning to trust that life supports me.  He suggested the right shoulder and as I was not set in what or where, I went with his suggestion.  He makes the ink himself.  He uses a long stick with a sharp point to do the tattoo.  It’s amazing that he has any aim at all with such a long stick.  Two people assist him to hold my skin tight.  After the tattoo is done, he cleans it and then puts a sheet of gold leaf above it.  He prays as he puts the gold leaf on.  I believe this is also part of the process of putting the magic in the tattoo.  He also anointed me with holy water like I had seen the monks do at ceremonies I had seen.

Now, I have rules to follow or the magic of the tattoo will be lessened.  I think I can handle all of them except number 4.  1. Do not say any bad word to your parents and be grateful for them.  2.  Do not use any chemical drug. Mushroom and Marijuana are ok.  3.  Do not eat star fruit or Winter gourd.  4.  If you have a chance to come to Thailand. You should come and worship the Waikru day(Master day) which organized once a year at Arjan Neng’s place. (The first Sunday of March).  5.  Do not go under the hanging rope that hang the laundry.  6.  No adultery.  7.  Pray kata that Arjan Neng gave you 3 times in the morning.

After the tattoo, the translator and his friend drove me to the bus station.  We drove forever (over an hour) and still didn’t even go halfway across the city.  Bangkok is a huge city.  They called the bus station and my hotel in Kanchanaburi just to get the lowdown on everything for me.  They told me how Chinese tourists are not respectful of the Thai culture and he’d rather have tourists from other countries – he’s a tour guide too.  When we got to the bus station, they came in with me and helped me buy a ticket.  The bus station is huge.  It had 5 or 6 floors and even had a mall.  I would have been able to buy a ticket on my own, but it would have taken forever to find my way around.  I was grateful to have their help.  Hmmmmm…. is the tattoo working already?

I got to Kanchanaburi a couple of hours later.  Instead of playing cheesy game shows on the tv on the bus, they played sad Thai music with videos of people mourning the King.  For two hours.  I don’t like my hotel.  I miss the nice hotels I had in China.  I walked to a floating restaurant for dinner.  It was right next to the bridge or the river Kwae.  It’s spelled Kwae, not Kwai.  I thought it would be nice and relaxing to eat by the river, but the water in the river was dirty with a film of yuck on top.  The food was way overpriced. I saw two bakeries on my way to the restaurant – one would have cake and that would make me feel better.  No.  Neither bakery had any baked goods.  Maybe they don’t know what a bakery is.  The room next to mine must have 8 people staying in it.  They keep yelling, going in and out of the room slamming the door and shuffling their feet loudly as they go past my door, only to turn around and go back.  Back and forth, back and forth, inside, outside, inside.

http://www.thaisakyant.com/index.php?lang=en

(c) All rights reserved Kimberly Fiore