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Tattoos and Buddhism

woods93woods93 Explorer
edited June 2011 in Buddhism Basics
I'm new to Buddhism and I have a tattoo that is an American flag with a banner that has my fathers name, birth date, and death date. Is this acceptable in Buddhism? The reason for me getting this tattoo is to remind me of the good times I had with him and to help me make good life discussions.

Comments

  • buddhacoebuddhacoe
    Bless you!!!!!

    ANYTHING is acceptable in buddhism....do whatever you want to do!!!!! Just be nice, honest, dont cheat , dont do wrong ....blar blar blar....you see where im going with this.
    Read up the noble 8 fold path and if you agree (which you should because they are very basic common sense things) then start practising them. Practice meditation. Try living in the now more, dont dwell on past events, remember them but try not to dwell, crave desire things that are not good. Like i said 'ive always thought buddhism is very very very basic common sense things to follow. We should all be follwing the precepts we shouldnt need buddha to tell us this stuff. However the more we get into it and study the more teachings you learn. HOWEVER: you CAN do whatever you want with things like that...
  • woods93woods93 Explorer
    Tthanks for the comment, I have been to different websites and this subject was very unclear to me.
  • compassionate_warriorcompassionate_warrior Veteran
    Why wouldn't it be acceptable to Buddhism?
  • YishaiYishai Veteran
    edited June 2011
    In almost all cases, tattoos are only subject to cultural views. As far as I know, Buddhism has nothing against them.
  • BonsaiDougBonsaiDoug Simply, on the path. Veteran
    A tattoo might very well be the ultimate definition of impermanence. Once you're gone... so is the tattoo.
  • TalismanTalisman Veteran
    http://newbuddhist.com/discussion/3131/buddhist-tattoos/p1
  • ThomBThomB Explorer
    I have half a dozen tattoos and was thinking of adding a buddhist themed one. I feel uncomfortable of getting a Buddha though. Almost as if it is worshiping him which would not be right. I'm considering a dharma wheel.
  • MountainsMountains Veteran
    edited June 2011
    Here's mine!

    How do you insert the actual photo in this new forum format anyway? HTML tags don't work...

    http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2006-8/1203417/IMG_8934.JPG
  • woods93woods93 Explorer
    thank you all for the help.
  • StaticToyboxStaticToybox Veteran
    Nothing at all in Buddhism against tattoos. I have three currently, none Buddhist themed however. I want to get more, the biggest thing stopping me is money. I'm considering ether a Dharma Wheel or an Endless Knot (personally I love Endless Knot imagery). Maybe I should get something incorporating both. I'm also playing with the idea of a personalized Buddha. Something more reflective of my own personality and background, rather than traditional Buddha imagery.

    And finally, one idea that I'm strongly considering is getting the hull number(DE-641) of the ship my grandfather served on in the Navy during WWII. Although I wonder whether this would be a celebration of man's destructive capacity. My grandfather was very dear to me, and he was rather proud of his service in the war, believing it to have been a necessary war (while not agreeing with many of our acts during the war). For whatever it's worth his personal capacity in the war was not violent. He was a mechanic. His station was down in the guts of the ship, keeping her going.
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