Please help what does this word mean?

[johnnilam]

know what this chinese word mean? in the picture? http://s152.photobucket.com/albums/s183/JanetisHERE/?action=view&current=TATTOO.jpg thanks in advance

[skylee]

The character is 獨. For its meaning, take a look at this -> http://cdict.net/?q=%BFW

[jbradfor]

I think it's 觸. Means "knock against; touch; to feel". So on what body part is is going to be located, seems very inviting! Seriously, I assume it's there as I believe it is good luck to rub the Buddha's tummy.

Later Edit: oh well, skylee beat me by 2 minutes. And when it comes to Chinese, I would trust skylee over me.

[Javer Chen]

it's 獨 which means there is only one God and it's me. I am the one and only. In Chinese 天上地下唯我独尊.

[johnnilam]

thanks folks yea i am trying to get a tat that's why i am interested

[jbradfor]

it's 獨 which means there is only one God and it's me. I am the one and only. In Chinese 天上地下唯我独尊.

I'm getting off-topic here, but isn't that a pretty un-Buddhist attitude? Didn't the first Buddha even deny being a god, let alone the only god?

[randall_flagg]

You might want to check out what his hand gestures mean in this particular picture. Seems it might, just might, be the gesture of "teaching".

http://www.onmarkproductions.com/html/mudra-japan.shtml

Perhaps there is a Buddhist forum where you can get more detailed help? Or perhaps there are Buddhists on this forum who are willing to help you?

[Lu]

it's 獨 which means there is only one God and it's me.

The character means alone, sole, only. The word itself doesn't imply anything to do with god.

[Javer Chen]

Quote:

it's 獨 which means there is only one God and it's me. I am the one and only. In Chinese 天上地下唯我独尊.

I'm getting off-topic here, but isn't that a pretty un-Buddhist attitude? Didn't the first Buddha even deny being a god, let alone the only god?

Pls note there is a Dragon behind the Buddhist and there is no Dragon in Buddism culture. so I don't think this picture is from a Buddhism Classic, especially can't be from the original Buddhism culture(India Buddhism). Dragon is a very typical sign of the Eastern culture(including China and Japan). The picture is a mixed of india Buddhism culture and eastern Dragon culture. It mostly looks like come from Eastern pop culture, maybe from Japanese cartoons or something similar.

If it's truly from a pop culture, then we can't interpret this picture in a Buddhism way or explain it with a Buddhism viewpoint.

the character 獨 which means the only and the Dragon sometimes also means the only. for example, citizens call the lord as dragon in China history.

Buddhism was introduced to China in 魏晋Dynasty and developed very much in Tang Dynasty Because of Wuzetian( the only female lord in China history). Wu was infatuated with Buddhism and spread it to the whole country. The prevalence of Buddhism was resisted and criticized by many famous schoolars such as 韩愈. the criticizes and resistence forced the Buddhism to assimilate some digest from Chinese traditional culture like Confucian and Dao Culture and etc. The big mixture of the Buddhism culture and taditional Chinese culture was mostly done in Song Dynasty. And from that time on, it's a little different from the original India Buddhism culture.

So I think it's still understandable and reasonable why there is a 独 not a 佛 on his belly.

this is my viewpoint and I still think it means the one and only.

[HashiriKata]

If it's truly from a pop culture

Yes, it does look to me like a creation by some Western artists for the tattoo brigade, and it would be a step too far to try to map any Buddhist thinking to it.