There continues to be a trend for spiritually themed body art and as a result the demand for Buddhist tattoos continues to grow so let us take a look at the origins of the most popular images and the history behind them. Archaeologists found the first evidence of Buddhist images dating back to around 250BC, during the reign of the Hindu King Ashoka in Sarnath India. He was greatly inspired by Buddha’s teachings and many of the sacred symbols that represented his devotion provided the origins of some of the most recognized Buddhist images today. 
However, images of Buddha himself began to appear a century and a half later, around 100BC as early Buddhists believed that it was his teachings, not the physical form that were key. The term Buddha simply means one who has found enlightenment and during his lifetime Lord Buddha actively discourages his devotees from worshipping him personally.
Unlike Hinduism, which has some similarities in philosophies, Buddhism does not involve the worship of a selection of gods and goddesses, nor does it dismiss other faiths and beliefs either which is perhaps why it appeals to so many today. When it comes to Buddhist tattoos, there are also some symbols that originated from the Hindu teaching traditions including the Eight Spoked Dharma Wheel. Popular tattoos of this nature often feature the image of Buddha often sitting under the sacred Bodhi Tree although this is often used as a body art design on its own too. The lotus flower also has close links to Buddhism and enlightenment so this is another favorite image often requested for this type of tattoo.
Buddha was actually born into the Hindu faith under the name of Prince Siddhartha Gautama however it was many years after his death that symbols relating to the religion he inspired actually came into prominence. It was not until centuries later, that a great deal of Buddhist artwork and new imagery relating to Buddha and his teachings started to appear, from around 600AD. 
At this time, a new technique for achieving ‘Nirvana’ was very much the rage and has since been incorporated into the traditional Buddhist faiths practiced in Japan and Tibet. Countries like Thailand and Sri Lanka also still use some of these early Buddha related images and have preserved them over the centuries sp they are still widely part of the faith today.
The spread of Buddhism from India to its neighbors further enriched related symbolism as a result so there are many Buddhist tattoos available today that originate from variations that have been adapted over the centuries from these original ideas. Those relating to karmic laws, meditation and the Tibetan Buddhist Wheel of life are all popular choices for use in body art.
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