Chapter 16 The first monk's clothing

The standard attire worn by Buddhist monks should be said to be formulated by the Buddha Sakyamuni himself, and it is clearly written in the "Law" (the "Law" of the Buddhist Tripitaka).But it should also be explained that this way of dressing and style was determined with reference to the clothing of the folks and sects of the South Asian subcontinent at that time, and was mainly suitable for people between the tropics and subtropics.In China, the land is vast, ranging from frigid to subtropical; the time is long, more than two thousand years; and it has to conform to the local customs and customs at that time, and sometimes is influenced and restricted by the upper class.During this period, there were many changes, resulting in the dressing of Sinicized Buddhism to form its own system, and to have an impact on Buddhism in other regions.

Sinicized Buddhism calls its standard clothing "dharma clothes", also known as "dharma clothes", which means "like dharma clothes" and "responsive dharma clothes", that is, clothes formulated in accordance with and in line with dharma.Some laymen call it a monk's robe or monk's robe, and monks sometimes call it the same. "Father" roughly has three meanings.The first meaning is that all the clothes worn by monks that do not violate the Buddhist rules and Dharma can be called dharma clothes; it includes the formal clothes worn on legal affairs, which are equivalent to the uniforms of laymen, and can be specially called "dharma clothes" or "dharma clothes". "Dharma clothes"; there are also daily clothes, which are equivalent to layman's work clothes and casual clothes, also known as "ordinary clothes".The second meaning is extended from the former one, that is, the original "three clothes" of the South Asian subcontinent and the old-fashioned dress (which has been changed considerably in Sinicized Buddhism) are the most formal "dharma clothes" and "dharma clothes". The clothes worn by Sinicized Buddhist monks within the three robes can also be called dharma robes under the cover of the three robes. Of course, there is a certain range of conventions and customs.The third meaning is extremely narrow: Zen specifically called the "golden clothes" given to disciples when the sect taught the Dharma as "dharma clothes". .