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to those with Buddhist styled tattoos
woods93
Explorer
how long were you a Buddhist before you got a Buddhist style tattoo?
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I in no way mean this as an insult to you lotuslove, but this is something that very often comes from people that get their first tattoo. They want it to have all the meaning in the world, have it be super personal, super detailed, super intricate in both design and meaning. And then they get their first tattoo. After that the super "meaning" behind your tattoos seem to fade. It's more like wearing a T-Shirt with a certain logo on it (although, granted, for the rest of your life). You probably shouldn't grab a shirt that you think is ugly, but you very rarely walk around with a T-shirt that has the meaning of life hidden somewhere in it.
Spend some time thinking about what you want. If after a couple of months you still think it's a good idea, take the plunge. I havn't met anyone that has thought it through and regretted it later. Don't put too much meaning into it. It's a miniature piece of artwork, not the shroud of turin.
Love this thought! Haha.
Lotuslove I agree. It took me 3 years to get my first tattoo, so I could be sure it was the right thing, in the right place. I have spent 2 years working on the current design I intend on getting over the summer. There is nothing wrong with your t-shirt saying more about you than other peoples, to borrow a metaphor.
I spent a significant amount of time in tattoo shops before I got my first one. A few friends of mine were artists, and it was a fun place to hang out. You would see people come in with long and elaborate stories, wanting to remember them in the form of a tattoo (a lot like some of the shows, like LA Ink). For those, tattoos were a milestone, something they will cherish always. Others, however, would walk in and say "I want a flower . . . lets go." The artist would reply, "what type of flower do you want?" and the girl would reply, "I don't care, lets just do this." I'm 100% sure that they regretted the decision.
Like so many other things in life, if you do it for the wrong reasons, without being mindful of your actions, the results can often become damaging. With the right mind set, and the right intentions, the same actions can create so much joy.
Did the person tell you WHY they regretted it? Did they get it because they wanted A tattoo and not THAT tattoo? Or did they regret it because they didn't think it through? Better yet, do they regret it because they didn't take care of it, and it improperly aged?
Here's a hint, the colors will fade and it won't last forever. But there is a number of things you can do to protect the color and make it last just as long as you do. You can also get it touched up, like putting a second coat of paint on.
As for the veteran? Why would he want to get it touched up? Yes it had faded. But he didn't want to see the images any more. Better faded than repaired. And his skin was getting old, slightly wrinkled, in his 60s, and he had hairs on his arms which he didn't have way back when. He just wished he hadn't put this now out of fashion artwork on his arm and had to look at it every day.
Hope I didn't offend anyone!
I will concede, however, that some individuals that get tattoos are personally driven to rather flashily show off what they think is "cool" in an attempt to force those around them to see the same thing. But to say everyone is like that, or even a large percentage of individuals with tattoos, is stretching it. I think the key part of that sentence is what "you" find unattractive. I don't get tattoos because of you (not meant to be offensive, just a statement). I get them for me, for what they mean to me.
I do, however, make it a point not to show mine off. I purposely get them in a location where I get to see them, and I can show you, but that you arn't forced to look at it. I think it's more common curtesy than anything else. Years ago I worked as a lifeguard. I wasn't able to cover up my tattoos with shorts, and t-shirts became too hot. So I covered it up with an ace bandage (or some hockey tape). I did it every day that I was working, for over six years. One day a manager (who proudly displayed his tattoos) asked me why I covered them up. I said that I chose to have the tattoos, and the mothers of the children didn't choose to expose their children to them. He said it wasn't a big deal, and wasn't against company policy. I thanked him for his views, but said I would continue to cover them up. If someone wants to see them, I will gladly show them. But it was a personal choice to get them. i will likewise give you the personal choice on whether or not you decide to observe them. A very interesting idea. I would love to get into that, but unfortunately I think it's a little beyond this thread. I'm not saying that he should. I was just explaining possible options. If he was displeased with how it looked, there are options. If he was displeased with it's existence, there are still options (laser surgery isn't as expensive as it used to be). Life is too short to dwell on any choices you made in the past and view them with regret and sorrow, regardless of what those decisions were. Do something about it now, or let it go.
Better yet, just let it go, lol. None taken. I look forward to a thoughtful discussion. likewise, I hope that I didn't put down your views at all. Simply trying to express both sides of the coin.
But it is not like a painting which an artist may sell or give away, it is fully and forever attached to the person who put it there. My generalisations were wrong, but the ego does play a role in some (if not many) tattoos (eg your example of people trying to be cool etc).
The second quote which you used from my last message, about my perceptions and opinions of what is boring and unattractive. I agree, I was being totally subjective. But then you say, “I don't get tattoos because of you… I get them for me, for what they mean to me.” That’s kind of what I meant when I said “me, me, me” (again, no offence intended!). And I agree, why shouldn’t anyone do that? We should be free to decide such things. But it has become a fashion, and fashions come and go, and a proportion of people follow them without engaging their own imagination and creativity. I once asked someone with Hindi on their arm what it meant, and they couldn’t explain much at all about it, they just liked the writing. These kind of conversations have made me bitter and twisted and cynical about tattoos, lol
Also, I think the connection between “Buddhist tattoos” and malas as a fashion item, depending on one’s motivation, is I think totally relevant to this thread.
Interesting topic. What happened to woods93?
Anyhoo...I do like the idea of a lotus flower as part of my next tattoo. I do think of myself of something beautiful (my soul) and I have truly emerged from some pretty disgusting circumstances. The lotus is most fitting for me.
Also, Buddhism feels like home to me. My soul feels as though it's opened up. I have no second thoughts about getting a Buddhist inspired tattoo.
I've never regretted a decision I made, because I did it consciously. I weighed the pros and cons of the potential outcomes, and made the best choice I could at the time. If I'm displeased with the outcome, it's usually because I either didn't have all of the relevant data in front of me, or the outcome was out of my control. Either way, I made the best decision I could have at the time, and there is no reason to regret that or dwell on it.
You may vote for a candidate and have a particular view that you later disagree with. That's life. Things change. But to regret that view point isn't the point (at least to me). I embrace the way things were, and understand that they no longer are. Even if my view point changes and my tattoos don't, it reminds me where I came from and how I used to think. There is no shame in having that around as a reminder as long as you can let it go.
If you can't, and you need to hold onto that regret and shame, surely tattoos arn't going to work out. No doubt. I can't say everyone is as pure at heart in their tattoo choices, just as much as you can't say everyone's ego plays a role. I'll agree with you there. An interesting point. I think the difference of opinion that we have (or may have) is that I have my tattoos for what they mean to me. I can take them or leave them though. I don't shove them in anyone's face. You say it's about "me, me, me" and to me that implies that I'm shoving it in your face to explain to you how I react. To you it might be something different. But I don't see the difference between getting a tattoo because it means something to [I]me[/I] and not getting any tattoos due to the fear of what they might mean to [I]me[/I]. Maybe I see it wrong though. That's something we see eye to eye on. One time I was hanging out at a friend's tattoo shop and a young woman walked in and said "I want a tattoo of a flower on my lower back." The artist directed her to some photos of artwork, and asked her if she would like to pick one. She said no, that she just wanted a flower, and "lets go." The artist asked what type of flower she would like (a rose, tulip, daisy, ect.). She said she didn't care, she just wanted a tattoo and a flower would probably look nice.
I just shook my head. That is not what I consider a fully informed, conscious decision. Relevant, yes. But not the topic. If we are trying to discuss the relevance of clinging to items generally, totally on topic. But we are focused on tattoos here, and potentially how individuals cling to them (or avoid them), and not necessarily how they do the same with every item they come into contact with.
I spent 17 years in the army, and never got a tattoo (which is rare in the circles I mixed in); I was too frightened of my Mother!!!