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Story
by : Suy Se.
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A protective Yantra being
tattooed onto a devotee's back.
Picture by Olivier de Bernon, as published
in the book entitled Yantra et Mantra.
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Unlike
people from Western countries who wear tattoos
for decoration or ego hikes, most Cambodians
actually tattoo themselves only for self-protection.
Khmers believe in Tantras and the magical
power they harbour. Few would wear a tattoo
just for show sake. People in Cambodia have
tattoos on their body to ward off evil or
harm and it is widely believed that a certain
Yantra crafted by a monk or a holy person
on the chest of a believer, will even bounce
off a bullet or fragments from a hand grenade.
One old chap from Kampot who wishes to be
known simply as Nith even claimed that he
cannot die because he has a longevity tantra
tattooed on his back but quickly added, "unless
I default in my vow of abstinence from certain
vices as required of me when I begged the
monk to tattoo the tantra on me."
In Cambodia today, except for those who joined
the army, the number of people sporting a
tattoo has reduced largely. Ordinary people,
nowadays, do not like the idea of having their
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skin pierced and
stained permanently. Many soldiers in the army, armed
themselves not just with their issued weapons, but also
yantras and tantras. Usually when a man decides to join
the ranks of any uniformed unit of defense, he would go
to consult a spiritual person (usually a monk) to receive
blessings and request for a talisman of sort. Although
some are given amulets, many would prefer to tattoo a
yantra on their body instead. In some instances, the ritual
may also require that the person receiving the tattoo
should abstain from talking to anyone for three days and
three nights. The master guarantees that no harm will
come to the person who can faithfully keep the abstinence;
not even a gun would fire and neither would a knife cut.
For those who had for some reason or other spoke out during
the period of silence, they would have to observe the
5-holy Buddhist Abstinence for as long as they live-they
cannot kill, steal, cheat, be intoxicated by alcohol or
lust for woman. |
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Usually,
friends and relatives are allowed to be at the ceremony
when the master tattoos a yantra on the devotee's
body.
The master slowly rubs a Chinese Ink-stick on a
dish shallowly filled with water, to produce the
coloring for the tattoo, as he instructs the devotee.
In the meanwhile, an instrument of what looks like
a sharp-pointed bayonet is being sterilized in boiling
hot water nearby. Some pieces of cut lemon too are
on standby beside the holy man. When the ink in
the dish appears thick and dark enough, the master
removes the instrument from the pot and grazes it
with the lemon pieces. With ink all ready, the master
moves swiftly on the devotee's body with the sharp
instrument, piercing the skin in rhythm like a sewing
machine as he recites his mantras. Regularly padding
the devotee's skin with ink as it dries, the master's
zaps gradually produce letters in what looks like
Khmer alphabets yet none at the scene was able to
comprehend. Some murmured that those letters must
be Pali, yet those who understood Pali seemed confused
as well. Soon, as rows of alphabets became more
apparent, the master paused for a break and explained
that the mantra tattooed on the body are holy verses
derived from Pali. Even as a member of the audience,
the stress was quite unbearable; one cannot imagine
what the human |
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A Protective Yantra of War tattooed
onto the back of a devotee.
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A monk working on a devotee
as
friends and relatives look on.
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| canvas must
be going through. "The tattoo is important
indeed but more important is the perseverance in
keeping the abstinence," Master Prum Yan stated.
"The devotee must be clean in thoughts and
conduct himself well. Besides, the magical power
in the tattoo will only be effective and even strengthened
if the devotee continues to observe all religious
festivities, spend time in meditation and regularly
pays respect to the Buddha, the Dharma, the |
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Yantra being tattooed onto a
devotee’s arm.
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Sangha".
Recorded also in the literatures of Chi Takwann,
a Chinese author during Angkor Funan era, ordinary
people and not just soldiers wear tattoos. Besides
their magical powers, Yantra were ornamental arts
of the Khmer people at that time. People use little
clothing and coupled with their preventive power,
many people had tattoos on them.
Youngsters today prefer the washable kind of stick-ons
just for show. With so many variations coming into
the market, who knows, one day people may be able
to wear a different form of protection for each
day of the week. |
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Suite
B8, Regency Square, InterContinental Hotel, 294 Mao Tse Toung
Boulevard,
Phnom Penh, Kingdom of Cambodia.
Tel: (855) 23 213 133 Fax: (855) 23 213 033
E-mail:
editor@leisurecambodia.com |
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