Holy Tattoos!

May 4, 2009 1:10 PM

DalaiLamaFilter: Does the Dalai Lama have tattoos?

In some photos of the Dalai Lama (for example) four light marks can be seen on his arm. While the size and symmetry of them suggests tattoos, they're rather faded and could definitely be birthmarks.

Does anyone know if the Dalai Lama is indeed sporting some ink, and if so, what it means?

posted by grapefruitmoon to grab bag (8 answers total)

My untrained eye thinks those are scars of some nature.
posted by Faint of Butt at 1:13 PM on May 4, 2009

To me they looked like scars, so I googled and voila: AskMe question on this very topic.
posted by so_gracefully at 1:13 PM on May 4, 2009

I didn't even think of scars! Which would explain why my preliminary search didn't wield anything.
posted by grapefruitmoon at 1:26 PM on May 4, 2009

I have a friend who met him once. He even gave him a Sony Playstation. I'll ask for you.
posted by mds35 at 2:01 PM on May 4, 2009

He says, "Good question. I feel like he does, but I couldn't go on the record with that. Trying to think back..."

I'll let you know if I get more updates.
posted by mds35 at 2:10 PM on May 4, 2009

I have also heard elsewhere the explanation mentioned in that thread, that they're vaccination scars. A Buddhist teacher of mine had them (he grew up in India), and I've seen them on other (non-Indian) Commonwealthers who got the smallpox vax.
posted by spaceman_spiff at 4:37 PM on May 4, 2009

Those look like vaccination scars, both for location and size. I have one, other arm, from long ago. For a while, some doctors switched to vaccinating women down near the ankle (ouch!) DD who's 25 was vaccinated without leaving a mark. No idea when the change happened.
posted by x46 at 4:46 PM on May 4, 2009

http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/1999/may/08/books.guardianreview9 Article mentions similar scars on shoulder being vaccination scars.

Oh yeah and exceptinsects? DD typically stands for "darling daughter"
posted by banannafish at 8:35 PM on May 4, 2009