May 28, 2007
-
Bad-assery
my badass factor has gone up as of friday may 25th
The buddha is the amida buddha from kamakura japan, seated in the lotus position. Amida is a buddha of compassion, and known for his openeness and acceptance of all people into his pure land, which you can reach by simply calling upon him. Amida is the buddha that i pray to when i am looking for guidance, patience, really any positive quality i feel i need
The left hand (on your right) is in the Karana mudra, the mudra which expels demons and removes obstacles such as sickness or negative thoughts. It is a hand position i use often when i am feeling stressed or overwhelmed in general. Since I am left handed, I chose to have amida’s left hand make the symbol
The right hand (on the photo left) is The Bhūmisparśa “Earth-touching” Mudrā literally represents the Buddha taking the earth as witness. It represents the moment when Buddha
took the earth as testimony when he had resolved the problem of
cessation of suffering while he was under the peepal tree at Bodh-Gaya. In my case, it is a constant reminder that the world is witness to all my actions and i should conduct myself accordinglyIn place of a lotus flower which would be more traditional, in the center of Amitabha’s chest is a star of life, a symbol of medicine, and emergency medical services in particular. The snake on a staff in the center is for both medicine and my greek heritage, and is the rod of asclepius, father of medicine, and son of Apollo.
So my tattoo was chosen to represent my pride in my greek heritage (my past), my belief in and desire to continue adhering to the tenets of buddhism through the choice of not only the buddha, but the mudras he exhibits (present), and my ultimate endpoint as a physician (the future)
All three coexist in my mind and now on my body, and help to serve as a reminder of the person I was, am, and hope to be.
-J
Post a Comment
Leave a Reply
Why Not Zoidberg
Comments (12)
@SusanGalloway - ah, but the title got you reading…and having a tattoo in and of itself still adds to ones badass factor
After reading the meaning of your tatoo, doesn’t seem like you’re a badass at all..!
Dude, buddha’s doing a metal sign! Sorry I was away in Cali when you got inked. I’ll see you later this week. Hope studying’s going well.
That is a nice one. But the implication of having something holy on one skin is a little strange for me, even a lot of people here carry around Buddhist image in various forms with them.
Sometimes, I would like to have a wing on my shoulder too.
very very nice. =)
yep his name is really batman.
and the recipe!
ginger carrot soup
3 tb olive oil
1 lb carrots, in chunks
2 large yellow onions, chopped.
2 cups chicken broth (i actually use wild rice chicken soup from whole foods and strain it)
2 tbs crystallized ginger, minced
1 1/2 cups fresh orange juice
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup half-and-half
saute onions in oil until soft. add everything else except for the oj and half-and-half. simmer for 45 minutes. smooth in food processor. stir in juice and half-and-half. (i eat it warm in the winter and chilled in the summer)
love it. is it your first? really well thought out, btw.
wow…. That is one well thought-out tatoo!
and now you can never become a covert operative in foreign soil
You know what really makes you badass…it’s the meaning behind your tattoo!!! It’s not just…tattoo…COOL. It’s tattoo+Buddhism interconnected with your own personal goals. Awesome!! I would never get a tattoo but good for you! If you visit Japan and go to an onsen, people will think you are a yakuza member!
wow. i’m impressed. but OUCH.
I love this.