Mexicali wrote:jcsuperstar wrote:many many things are a waste of resources, tattoos probably being the most insignifigant of all, ranked right under questioning their merit or lack there of.
Questioning the merit of my questioning the merit seems insignificant.
i didn't question the merit of your questioning, there was nothing to question. there is no merit in putting someone down for tattoos dharma or otherwise.
if one wants to have Buddhist tattoos (and i have a few even one given to me by a monk) i think one should have them. i not only get them to cover my old tats from my days singing in punk bands but just because i want them. we can find evidence in the Sigalovada Sutta that the Buddha did not intend lay people to be living some acetic life. the Buddha advises Sigala to buy gifts for his wife, this shows that he understood that some frivolity was healthy in lay people. he also advises him on how a layperson should take care of his finances:
With wealth acquired this way,
a layman fit for household life,
in portions four divides his wealth:
thus will he friendship win.
One portion for his wants he uses,
two portions on his business spends,
the fourth for times of need he keeps.
taking this into consideration i cant seem to find any reason why a tattoo, whether it be of tweety bird a dhammawheel or om mani padme hum, would be in anyway wrong.
http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka ... .nara.html