Dragon

The dragon has long been revered as a sacred and mythical creature, symbolizing success, growth, and rising in life.

An ascending dragon represents rising from the earth to the heavens, while a descending dragon represents coming down from the sky to the earth.
These forms are said to reflect a Buddhist concept of striving for enlightenment while helping others.

Because these two dragons are seen as a pair, it is common to tattoo both an ascending and descending dragon together.