0 votes
by (180 points)
Hello, I have been meditating for months now and have been wanting to get a simple tattoo to remind me to be more mindful in my day-to-day life.

I am thinking a simple outline of a lotus flower on my forearm.

Would this be disrespectful in any way or against a teaching I am unaware of?
by (8.5k points)
Please be aware male monks are not allowed to touch females and vice versa.
by (18.8k points)
They can tie without touching
by (1.8k points)
Thank you.  Since male monks are not allowed to touch female monks, and vice versa, is there a method to do this whilst preventing contact?
by (18.8k points)
Monks and Nuns do not wear Paritta threads. Those are for lay people. Some male monks prefer to give the threads to the husbands so they can tie on the wives. Some monks carefully tie avoiding physically contact.  These days people are extremely sensitive about gender discrimination. So the idea is to avoid physical contact without causing unnecessary distractions.

1 Answer

0 votes
by (18.8k points)

I would recommend being mindful of the wanting to decorate your skin. Tattooing or branding the skin is not an accepted symbolism in Theravada Buddhism or the culture. If you must have something on your body that relates to Buddhism, it's better to have a Paritta thread wrapped around your wrist. You can easily get them from a monk.

Paritta thread

Cultivating a habit of taking refuge in the Triple Gem everyday would be a better method of reminding you to be mindful on a day to day basis.

by (8.5k points)
Please be aware male monks are not allowed to touch females and vice versa.
by (18.8k points)
They can tie without touching
by (1.8k points)
Thank you.  Since male monks are not allowed to touch female monks, and vice versa, is there a method to do this whilst preventing contact?
by (18.8k points)
Monks and Nuns do not wear Paritta threads. Those are for lay people. Some male monks prefer to give the threads to the husbands so they can tie on the wives. Some monks carefully tie avoiding physically contact.  These days people are extremely sensitive about gender discrimination. So the idea is to avoid physical contact without causing unnecessary distractions.
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