We ask a few of the seated men about their tiger charm tattoo, pointing at the small Thai script that is surrounding the contour of the image. They tell us that they wear the image for power, that it is helpful to them in their life. The tiger image represents the spirit of the senior monk and his ability to calm the dangerous power of the animal. The image is obviously a metaphor for the path these men have chosen to take during their life. It is interwoven with deep Buddhist faith in the ability of meditative, calm energy to produce positive results.