February 4, 2012

Moment of Zen: Chinese Character Tattoos

By Joe

They look so hip with their Chinese tattoos.  I’ve heard of several stories of people getting Chinese characters tattooed on their bodies, and they were told that it meant one thing, but actually meant something altogether different.  I wonder what these tattoos say?

About Joe

Unknown's avatar
I began my life in the South and for five years lived as a closeted teacher, but am now making a new life for myself as an oral historian in New England. I think my life will work out the way it was always meant to be. That doesn't mean there won't be ups and downs; that's all part of life. It means I just have to be patient. I feel like October 7, 2015 is my new birthday. It's a beginning filled with great hope. It's a second chance to live my life…not anyone else's. My profile picture is "David and Me," 2001 painting by artist Steve Walker. It happens to be one of my favorite modern gay art pieces. View all posts by Joe
This entry was posted on Saturday, February 4th, 2012 at 8:00 am and posted in Moment of Zen. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.

4 responses to “Moment of Zen: Chinese Character Tattoos”

  • Unknown's avatar tamayn
    February 4th, 2012 at 4:37 pm

    I understand the allure of getting a tattoo in a foreign script, but it's too risky. I'd rather get a tattoo with meaning than just getting it to get one.

    Reply
  • Unknown's avatar Jay M.
    February 5th, 2012 at 10:40 am

    I agree with @tamayn…if I get a tattoo (which I am considering), you can bet it will not be the least bit ambiguous, at least to me!Peace <3Jay

    Reply
  • Unknown's avatar Alexander
    February 5th, 2012 at 12:26 pm

    Well, the tattoo on the left chest in the first pic means "true" whereas the right one means "longevity". Having these two put together, i don't know what it is trying to convey. The tattoo in the second pic is a bit messy – I think it's a some sort ancient Chinese typeface that not many Chinese nowadays can even recognise correctly.

    Reply
  • Unknown's avatar JoeBlow
    February 6th, 2012 at 12:38 am

    Tamayn and Jay, I used to think about getting the Ohm symbol, but it does hold several different meanings for me.Alexander, thanks for the information.

    Reply

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