tattoo of Dorje Shugden

[WisdomBeing]

I saw this tattoo which was posted on the Dorje Shugden facebook and I thought it was awesome!

I love tattoos and have a few already. I would love to get one of Dorje Shugden to add to my collection of tatts but just when I had decided on where and what to put as my next tatt, i was told that i shouldn't. I was wondering if it's like disrespectful to tattoo pictures of Buddhas on our bodies? Or are tattoos not good in general? Does anyone have anything to share about this? Thanks!

[hope rainbow]

What an interesting question!
I would indeed like to know the reasons why tattoos of Buddhas would be inappropriate...
Thank you WB, cool topic!

[DharmaDefender]

What an interesting question!
I would indeed like to know the reasons why tattoos of Buddhas would be inappropriate...
Thank you WB, cool topic!

You mean other than the fact itll sag when your 80?

[pgdharma]

I think it is alright to have tattoo of DS or enlightened beings on your body.  I have seen the Thais with tattoo of mantras and Buddha covering their whole body and  to them it is a form of protection.

[lightning]

Putting permanent tattoo damage violate the Vairocana Buddha commitment of not bringing harm to your body, especially if you had already taken Highest Yoga Tantra commitment. I think this apples to the three lower tantra as well, hence it is not advisable to have tattoo, if you have taken tantric empowerment.  
For more details you may want to consult your resident teacher or Gurus.

[WisdomBeing]

Thanks for sharing that info, Lightning. So for the Thai monks, it's okay for them to have tattoos? That would contradict the Vairocana Buddha commitment also? Or do the Thai monks not have those commitments?

Actually if the commitment is to not harm your body, then piercing ears is also not allowed, nor plastic surgery. Though i guess it's logical that those are purely cosmetic and we should not indulge in the Eight Mundane Concerns anyway.

[Positive Change]

Putting permanent tattoo damage violate the Vairocana Buddha commitment of not bringing harm to your body, especially if you had already taken Highest Yoga Tantra commitment. I think this apples to the three lower tantra as well, hence it is not advisable to have tattoo, if you have taken tantric empowerment.  
For more details you may want to consult your resident teacher or Gurus.

This is indeed interesting. I have not heard of this... however a tattoo actually is to "beautify the body" and not harm it... Well at least that is the perception of the one having the tattoo. This is interesting to me because, something as "mundane" as or as personal as a tattoo could have certain repercussions whether we know it or not. This really sums up life... and ignorance is not necessarily bliss.

Question: If this is indeed true, what happens if one already has a tattoo on one's body? Does this mean one cannot take up any tantric commitments?

[lightning]

Putting permanent tattoo damage violate the Vairocana Buddha commitment of not bringing harm to your body, especially if you had already taken Highest Yoga Tantra commitment. I think this apples to the three lower tantra as well, hence it is not advisable to have tattoo, if you have taken tantric empowerment.  
For more details you may want to consult your resident teacher or Gurus.

This is indeed interesting. I have not heard of this... however a tattoo actually is to "beautify the body" and not harm it... Well at least that is the perception of the one having the tattoo. This is interesting to me because, something as "mundane" as or as personal as a tattoo could have certain repercussions whether we know it or not. This really sums up life... and ignorance is not necessarily bliss.

Question: If this is indeed true, what happens if one already has a tattoo on one's body? Does this mean one cannot take up any tantric commitments?

To clarifly this, if you have tattoo before empowerment it is OKay. but NOT after empowerment! Because you are required to attain Vairocana Buddha with your human body after tantric empowerment.
In guru Yoga have you heard that Guru's body has 80,000 pores emitting wrathful arahat??? Every single pores contains countles of Buddha countries etc.

[lightning]

Thanks for sharing that info, Lightning. So for the Thai monks, it's okay for them to have tattoos? That would contradict the Vairocana Buddha commitment also? Or do the Thai monks not have those commitments?

Actually if the commitment is to not harm your body, then piercing ears is also not allowed, nor plastic surgery. Though i guess it's logical that those are purely cosmetic and we should not indulge in the Eight Mundane Concerns anyway.

Thai monks do not have such commitments as they do not have Tantric vows, neither do Mahanaya practioners. In Hinayana, practioners are supposed to think human body as unclean to aquire renuciation and insight to emptiness.

Whereas Tantric yogists are are supposed to visualise their body as pure and transform their body into the Vairocana Buddha body attainment.

[diamond girl]

The detailed tattoo looks too painful for me! 

I was once told that you do not take holy items to places like toilets. If you tattoo a Buddha statue or mantra onto your body, it would mean you have a holy item on your body, then would it mean that it is bad when you go to the bathroom?

Plus, if one has tattoo it could be assumed that one is not a monk, so what happens when you have physical intercourse? Is it not disrespectful of the holy item on one's body?

[dondrup]

Body tattooing may cause skin infections and other complications.  Hence why would we want to harm our body by tattooing?  A healthy body is necessary for the development of our meditation practice.

High-level bodhisattvas make aspirations to be reborn as human in order to be able to practise Highest Yoga Tantra (HYT).  Why is that so?  Of all the 6 realms of existence, only human is endowed with a body that is a suitable vehicle to practise HYT.  With HYT, one can achieve enlightenment in a single lifetime as compared to the sutric path that takes many eons to accomplish enlightenment.  This shows the preciousness of our human body and we should not harm our body with tattoos.

Why do we need to use tattoos to show our spirituality? Are there no other better and more respectful ways to venerate the Buddhas?   

[Positive Change]

Body tattooing may cause skin infections and other complications.  Hence why would we want to harm our body by tattooing?  A healthy body is necessary for the development of our meditation practice.

High-level bodhisattvas make aspirations to be reborn as human in order to be able to practise Highest Yoga Tantra (HYT).  Why is that so?  Of all the 6 realms of existence, only human is endowed with a body that is a suitable vehicle to practise HYT.  With HYT, one can achieve enlightenment in a single lifetime as compared to the sutric path that takes many eons to accomplish enlightenment.  This shows the preciousness of our human body and we should not harm our body with tattoos.

Why do we need to use tattoos to show our spirituality? Are there no other better and more respectful ways to venerate the Buddhas?

I like what you have said here as it makes complete sense... And of course there are better and more respectful ways to venerate the Buddhas... ABSOLUTELY!

I guess we need to ask ourselves why we would want a Buddha image on our body to begin with. Is it really to venerate the Buddhas or to feed our ego in some way? I mean no disrespect to the person having the beautiful tattoo of Dorje Shugden on his arm as I do not know the person and hence I cannot be a judge of one's character or motivation... but as a tattoo loving person myself, I do know why I have my tattoos...

But from what I have learnt from this thread, I do not think I will be having another tattoo ever...!

[WisdomBeing]

Thanks for all the feedback. I have tattoos of a panther, a snake, a celtic symbol and a bird. Each of these tattoos commemorated a meaningful period of my life. They were of course done for aesthetic reasons as well but that was not the main reason. It's just that i was thinking of a Dharma tattoo to commemorate my meeting the Dharma. It would have been a deeply personal reason. Whether it looks awful when i'm 95 doesn't bother me really. But it would bother me if doing the tattoo is deemed disrespectful of the Buddhas. That i would never never ever do. So to err on the side of caution, i won't be putting any Dharma tattoos on until i learn otherwise. Thanks guys!

[Big Uncle]

Putting permanent tattoo damage violate the Vairocana Buddha commitment of not bringing harm to your body, especially if you had already taken Highest Yoga Tantra commitment. I think this apples to the three lower tantra as well, hence it is not advisable to have tattoo, if you have taken tantric empowerment.  
For more details you may want to consult your resident teacher or Gurus.

Hi Lightning,
How does permanent tattoo harm the body? I don't get it. I am not an expert of the Tantric commitments as I have not taken it yet but I don't see how getting a tattoo will harm the body. What about piercing? Not allowed in Tantra too?? That means no Tantric practitioner is allowed to pierce their ears? If that is so, why do we see Sakya Trizin, the highest Lama of the Sakya order and an obvious master of Tantra, have his ears pierced? He wears beautiful turquoise earrings. My point, I think we have to understand the Tantric commitments from the standpoint of its meaning especially in this case.

About getting a Buddha tattoo, I personally see no problem in doing so. But it would not be very appropriate if we are doing nasty things with our body like sexual intercourse and have the Buddha witness this. Hence, I would stick to pendants that we can remove and put on at any time.

[lightning]

Putting permanent tattoo damage violate the Vairocana Buddha commitment of not bringing harm to your body, especially if you had already taken Highest Yoga Tantra commitment. I think this apples to the three lower tantra as well, hence it is not advisable to have tattoo, if you have taken tantric empowerment.  
For more details you may want to consult your resident teacher or Gurus.

Hi Lightning,
How does permanent tattoo harm the body? I don't get it. I am not an expert of the Tantric commitments as I have not taken it yet but I don't see how getting a tattoo will harm the body. What about piercing? Not allowed in Tantra too?? That means no Tantric practitioner is allowed to pierce their ears? If that is so, why do we see Sakya Trizin, the highest Lama of the Sakya order and an obvious master of Tantra, have his ears pierced? He wears beautiful turquoise earrings. My point, I think we have to understand the Tantric commitments from the standpoint of its meaning especially in this case.

About getting a Buddha tattoo, I personally see no problem in doing so. But it would not be very appropriate if we are doing nasty things with our body like sexual intercourse and have the Buddha witness this. Hence, I would stick to pendants that we can remove and put on at any time.

During the HYT empowerment, we were told not to put tattoo, not to pirece earring, not to do cosmetic surgey like breast implants, face surgery etc (anything that bring damage to your skin), unless you need an injection for medical purpose or surgery anything thing etc. that will bring balance to your health status is considered permissible.
I do not know about Sakya Trizin and I am in no position to judge a High Lama, but I do know about Gelug HYT empowerment requirements and standards.