People often inquire about my tattoos, particularly the sheer number I have and their significance. With 40 tattoos adorning my body, including a full back piece, I’ve found that this art form has been instrumental in reconnecting me with my physical self. Being tattooed has become a powerful act of reclaiming ownership of my body.
Arm showcasing Buddhist-inspired tattoos, representing personal journey and Zen practice.
It’s a way to redefine and mark this body as mine, distinct from past experiences of abuse or medical interventions. While tattooing is a significant part of my journey, practices rooted in Zen Buddhism, like zazen meditation and yoga, equally contribute to inhabiting and understanding my body more fully.
Among my tattoos is a text piece, a poem that resonates deeply with my understanding of enlightenment:
Satori
Don’t think
That it will be glorious:
That momentary burst
Of radiance
Illuming all.
Nonsense
It is more like
Losing your mother
In a large
Department Store
forever.
This poem has always captivated me, even though the author remains unknown to me. It speaks to the subtle and sometimes disorienting nature of spiritual awakening.
My back tattoo is a detailed representation of the Buddha statue enshrined on the main altar of the San Francisco Zen Center. This is not just any Buddha; it’s an ancient Gandhara Buddha from Afghanistan, a region historically rich in Buddhism. This statue carries profound personal meaning. Interestingly, this Buddha isn’t traditionally Asian in appearance. It’s Westernized, bearing a European face and sculpted in the Greco-Roman style, a reflection of Gandhara’s history as a Greek outpost.
For years, as I sat in the Zen Center’s Buddha Hall, I wrestled with the notion of Buddhism as an “Asian” religion. Then, one day, the realization struck me: this Buddha before me was Western, just like me. This understanding was transformative. It illuminated the truth that Buddhism transcends race and culture. It’s fundamentally about a universal human experience, a potential for awakening that resides within us all, regardless of background. Buddhist Tattoos, in this sense, become personal emblems of this universal and deeply individual journey.
