actually, oddly enough, i designed this ages ago...long before i began thinking about the elephant festivals! the elephant here is ganesh (a.k.a., ganesha) and is the hindu god of compassion and remover of obstacles. even though he is a hindu deity, devotion to him is broad, including amongst the janes, buddhists and beyond! being that the cornerstone of my faith is compassion, he has always been a favorite of mine along with avalokitesvara, kuan yin, and others.
the red lotus above his head is also very important. this symbolizes the original nature of the heart (hrdaya). it is the lotus of love, compassion, passion, activity and all the qualities of the heart. it is the lotus of avalokitesvara.
the sanskrit calligraphy that i added below ganesh is "sankalp" which means "ceremonious offer." in this case, referring to my own personal ceremonious offer of myself in service to others. together with the mani prayer in sanskrit on my other arm, makes for a strong personal statement of compassion and devotion to others.
this sits well with my spirit. i am pleased....
now to go play with kavi and see how many more flowers i can "paint" on him before heading home.
namaste'
Joe, not only is your new ink beautifully designed, it is beautiful from within. Wishing you a "relaxing" weekend. You do relax once in a while, don't you? Cheers.
ReplyDeletewhat a great tattoo. my father was a huge elephant lover, too. i have been working in an elephant painting and planning my elephant tattoo ever since he passed away in october. hopefully i will be able to come up with something as meaningful as yours!
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HpD40ewOyC4
ReplyDeleteif elephants can swim bears can fly
I think it is really beautiful that you have
ReplyDeleteyour hearts intention (compassion) and life journey
"etched" so that you are always reminded.
p.s. cool 5 finger shoes! I bet they are warm?
:)
Wow....love your tatoo of Ganesh.
ReplyDeleteThank you for the *story* of your tatoo too.
Jacky xox
didn't it hurt?
ReplyDeleteGlorious!! And quite possibly the best elephant ears I've seen.
ReplyDeletei wish i did get to relax on the weekends, jeanne, but they are my heaviest schedule in the cottages! 14 hour days! but i should get to relax this next week as i only have a couple shifts scheduled, so far. which won't go down well with the old paycheque...i may have to supplement somewhere, somehow....
ReplyDeletethanks, olwyn! i'm sure you'll come up with something absolutely perfect! you seem to have a wonderful inspiration for it!
ReplyDeletetoo funny, manya! lmao!
ReplyDeletethanks, marie...i only believe in ink with intention (for my own skin, in any case). and these two, in particular, are most important to me.
ReplyDeleteactually, the five fingers are not warm at all! i do have a couple pairs of toe socks to go with them if it's too cool out. i'm planning on getting another pair, made of kangaroo leather, that will be warmer...
thank you, jacky! and you are most welcome! as mentioned above, i only believe in ink with intention for myself, and this intent is the cornerstone of my faith. permeates my whole being, so seemed appropriate for me...
ReplyDeletejude, most definitely!! but pain is relative. love hurts. life hurts. sometimes, just getting up in the morning hurts! :) the pain of this ink was actually heavier than the other two. not sure why. same artist. one other in same location, just different arm (though smaller). i just did as i always do...focus on my breath. focus on my intent. be with the pain. breathe through it. and the moment passes...
ReplyDeletethank you, pisky! i am extrememly pleased with the way the ink turned out!
ReplyDeleteCool tat! Does having your belief engraved in your skin help you live it? Can you feel it working its magic in you? I like to know why people get tattoos - if you don't mind my asking. I have a tiny Ganesh over the door of my studio to help remove creative obstacles.
ReplyDeleteAs everyone else comments on the tatoo and the meaning all that is going through my mind is: "hee ha ha to the funny farm where life is beautiful all the time and you'll be happy to see those nice young men in their clean white coats ..and they're coming to take me away. I know. . you're picking me up on the way aren't you? Ha!
ReplyDeletethanks, magic gypsy! i don't know if i'd go so far as to attribute a tattoo with helping me live my beliefs. and i know that there are about as many reasons for getting a tattoo as there are those who have them. for me, it there is a magical element. at least, in the sense that there is internal mystery and awe. there are also elements of devotion, dedication, and journeying.
ReplyDeletei don't need the ink in my flesh to encourage me to live my faith. but it does "set the scene" in some respects. grounds in the physical ideas and thoughts in from the etheral.
i think of my faith and devotion in terms of ideas in action, rather than in terms of worship. the ink is more like the altar cloth and decorations of the sanctuary...
um...yes, helen, i do believe they mentioned your name! ha!! (that is one of my favorite dr. demento songs, btw)
ReplyDeleteGanesh is someone who looms large in my life, he is all over my house, and in my dreams. What a wonderful Tattoo.
ReplyDeleteyeah, annie...he looms large in mine, too. he is all over my house, rides on the rear view mirror of both my trucks, and is now all over my skin! :) i've always had an affinity for him...
ReplyDelete