The clothes are considered one of the four essential items for the Buddhist monastic. As essential items as clothing to help cover the body, helps the body to escape the abuse of "cold, heat and flies," not for any other purpose. In other words, the renouncer (and everyone) can not use robes robes not used as a measure for a certain value. This certainly is not quite right about then, but at least it is reflected in the first stage.

However, as robes are seen as one of four things essential to the formation of the rules concerning what had happened. But even with the Vinaya rules of sewing, dyeing and clothes using the specific color of how health is not mentioned again.
We're not clear at this time Buddha What color robes. Business laws do not mention the specific color of the Buddha y as well as increase them. However, in the Great Eight economic nirvana we encounter a paragraph talking about lay Pukkusa, Malla clan, has offered the Buddha and Ananda two y Ton false color "metallic colors, bright yellow." This seems dress of the Buddha that usually yellow, or a similar color, but it is considered equivalent to his skin color (?).
There is the idea that clothing of that time monks in yellow technological, or yellowish brown (or orange), is the color of the robes that travel up the different cults often use, because the colors are consistent with international artists vagrant, first team earth and sun soaked his foot pedal to wind the dust. And one more reason why people such inference is due to the popularity of jackfruit tree traditionally used as dyes, which are dyed robes are often material for the yellow. Traditional medicine dyed in this way are still a number of Theravada monks traditionally maintained. Besides, the assumption y yellow dye comes from traditional medicine by the roots, leaves or bark, but with added technology tree roots. However, we found no evidence for this in business law.
In Samantapasadika, a commentary on the Vinaya by Audio (Buddhagosha) collection and translated from Pali to Sinhala V century, we I see a piece like this, "Buddha put his right arm out of the red robes, said to those who wish to publish in the musical 'Come here, he will live the monastic life to end suffering.' Just after the end of these words, the body lay minister disappeared, general body growth appears. A holiday sale's completion. These people start clean hair, wearing coffee-sa (kasava), wearing a y, a y coat (outer) and y on a shoulder up. "It was a period we find mention y color of the Buddha: in red.
However, based on the presentation of the Vinaya-related clothes up, we find that did not ordain the use of a solid color, because y depends on the trees coat dyeing which each increased use. But one thing we can know is the color of the robes the monks was often dark, dark, and is an ugly color. This can be known by the provisions of the dye that allows the use of the Buddha. And it also shows just where the use of words kasava (S. kasaya) to show robes; kasava means linking color, silver color, or as commonly referred to as "passing excellent".
From the Law (Vol. 5) have pointed out some kind of medical dyes, which, if dyed in this manner, the mind must have been dark and evil, "If he was flying colors, you should dye it, or embed the mud, or use the momentum-bark her bark she-tea, event-momentum-la, every bowl, a-ma-shaking, or trees, or for dyeing natural. "(Dong Minh HT. service). In General Products (South transfer), we see that there are six kinds of dyes by the Buddha to allow medical use of dyes, "Behold monks, have been used for six dyes. It is a dye made ​​from roots, dyes made ​​from the trunk, dyes made ​​from bark, dye made ​​from leaves, flowers made ​​from dyes, dyes made ​​from fruit. "In general, though y be dyed with dyes made ​​from what material in six categories, the color of y is usually not bright.
Y need to dye the first dark robes to distinguish childhood home that he often wore a white, and it needs to do more things for "passing excellent" to not cause the wearer favorite places and people looking to avoid the participation approval may occur! And the monks wear bright colors is also being critical of society at that time. In the General Product mentions the case of monks wear "color ivory" and people were critical.
That's about the color of y that we have temporarily. As for the type of medical knowledge, based on those presented in the Vinaya we see that the y's renunciation of her time is usually a rectangular piece of cloth (or nearly so), and not for reasons that must be assembled from several fragments. Original pieces to wear is not consistent with the monks of various sects and not only to Buddhist monks.
At the time of initial medical use of sewn fabric assembled from several pieces of the Buddha shall not be regulations and increase them to wear any robes which they earn, or raw plates, or pieces assembled. But later on when people criticize the monks wear plate of raw, new that the Buddha taught that people should wear cut, ie y assembled from several pieces of fabric. The idea may y from the square cloth balance has ensued with respect to Buddha and Ananda authors from Rajagaha Dakkhinagiri back and see the square box right field line (see Great Product, or Part Four Law book V). It later formed another name for y is "filled blessed y." And with this name, clothing of the renouncer had to add "value" new: where people can lay the seeds sown blessed! (Ie the y jacket deserves a place to lay offerings for blessings sown.)
Thus, y of the monks usually rectangular pieces of fabric composite. The wear so much fabric assembled so, on one hand because of the time the travelers who often pick up the pieces of fabric in the cemetery and dump it into the stage of the (for then it becomes a convention), and the other side to it "sa-subject fit, and to those who do not start seeing opposition wants attention." (General Products).
According to tradition, when a monk wearing a bare shoulder y often, how showing respect, especially when learning to speak or an elder. This is also a social convention of the time. The bare right shoulder wear, in fact, not own Buddhist tradition, because when Uruvela Kassapa (Pros-frequency long-Ca-lettuce-speakers) came to the Buddha to ask him from entering the well robes and bare shoulder. The ancient Indian tradition to wear with bare shoulders to meet the elders, the teacher or to the Holy Land.
When Buddhism to China, under the influence of a culture-specific pictures profound Confucian ideology, form of bare robes no longer a suitable role for the monks when they appear in this country. In contrast to the Indian culture, the robes and bare shoulders are not considered express politeness in China. The Chinese see a tight body dressed as a sign of respect. And so the outfit of the increase was a change. In addition, changing the type of clothing is influenced by the religious dress of Taoism, and climatic conditions. The use of post-long shirt with wide arm style is influenced by the Taoist monk's clothing. Of course the Buddhist monks have been modified, when wore robes outside the box (it), an innovative medium to match the new cultural context, but also retains the traditional private her.
But when he changed clothes to fit the new cultural context, the medical use of three Buddhist monks Mahayana was no longer identical to the original tradition, and the rituals associated y has to be defined: three y are used for specific cases, and they also reduce problems related to particle and position of the user.
When an object has become not only "cover carrying hot and cold "as early, he became less symbolic and material has been added other values. And when he had contact with the ritual, the default provisions in any case, the form of clothing per-date is essential to have. But the creation of more different types of clothing per-date not only because "eight y" was more or less associated with ritual, but also because the monks no longer practices traditional alms as in India that have high labor to date. Y to the jacket collar workers is not very consistent. And here the color of the robes to each type differ, so it is compatible with the context.
The Buddhist Mahayana Buddhist majority to get through the gateway to China, and then to some extent it has influenced some features of this Buddhist country. When a Chinese monk missionaries to another country, the disciple of the Date of this type can not use the law to his teacher (at least initially). The main reason that the monks of the Mahayana is somewhat similar method for monks to Chinese law, the most visible is the y cape coat back out. If we look for solutions of Korean monks, we find it not so different from the legal to the Chinese monks. Although Koreans were later changed, such as the type of climate they do not keep long Chinese monk, and he also has a few "adjustments", but on the basis of the legal heir to traditional Chinese Nations.
first Japanese to receive Buddhism from Korea, and then from China, so more or less legal to take measures to influence the Chinese monks. However, Japanese monks are often very creative should not receptive to measures that style intact. They create many different types of robes, the robes used in rituals and everyday clothing, baby names ahead of number ten.
In color, robes of Buddhist monks Mahayana no homogenization. Even in China, not all monks have the same color clothes: the colors commonly used are gold, brown, brown, gray, green, black and gray. In the Tang Dynasty, there appeared a purple y, y is the king gave the monks.
Y coat Korean monks often colors: gray, brown, or green (Korean monks often wore y golden brown, climate and everyday clothes are gray or blue). Japanese monks are usually y yellow, gray or black, and purple also add y, a y originating from China. But in Japan the color of clothes also related to the location and status of people with it. For example, apprentices (as the primary focus in Vietnam) usually only wear black, and they only carry gold y after ordination. In Japan, color recovery method depends on the location of each temple. For example, only the dignitaries at the new large temple y purple jacket. Colors in Japanese law for issues related to sectarianism, and the legal arguments of color to have happened. In the 13th century, the founder of Zen Tao Dong, Dao Nguyen (1200-1253), said that ocher color is best suited for the robes, but other colors such as green, yellow, red, black, purple and color combination of all these colors, are also permitted.
We often hear Theravada monks wear their traditional medicine Buddha. Maybe that's true style robes over one shoulder bare, but because of the absence of color consistency from beginning to dress the monk in the Theravada Buddhism is not entirely the same color. In Srilanka, the most common color is y brown (or chestnut). This may be that in Sri Lanka in the past because there are many types of plants for this color, and color is still prevalent today. Meanwhile y color of the Burmese monks usually reddish-brown; different from the Thai majority with saffron robes.
And in some of Theravada Buddhism, the monks in the same country sometimes is not have a uniform color robes. Although there are no regulations in place, but the monks living in the forest wearing yellow-brown, while the monks in cities usually wear saffron. This is commonly encountered in Thailand.
Thus we see, whether South or North tone, style and color of y is not a homogeneous group. And this heterogeneity, Buddhism each country has created a legal definition for its own past. And based on these distinctions, we can realize an increase or ni come from a certain country by type and color of y which is the default.
The Vietnam Buddhist, and Japanese Buddhism and Korea's post-y very influential monk type robes of monks in China. But in color, almost monastic Vietnam are used for medical post-yellow, with few medical uses red (usually the elders). And so basically we have unity, but by the degree of color or darkness of post-y so we only have a relatively homogeneous. Besides the health post, the Vietnam Buddhist monks also updated per shirt (or colon oblique) of their own. The dress is a brown-date average is quite characteristic features of the Vietnam Buddhist monks on clothing, which makes Vietnam a religious character "own" something. And with average brown shirt Sunday (live), the monks of Vietnam has made ​​a particular tradition in the law for her!
Buddhism has experienced more than 2500 years, is present in many countries and exists in many cultural differences, so that Buddhism in every country necessarily has its own characteristics, and y is an aspect shirt. But the priest put on his robe color and what type of formula, then y (kasava) as its inherent meaning is not changed. Robes of Buddhist monastic bar represents the poor, simple, and most important of all is that it connects the wearer with his teacher guru - Buddha; and robe coats it also helps people remember to the duties and responsibilities.
The homogeneous or heterogeneous style and color robes is not so crucial. The key is to escape from the differences in appearances y shirt - it more or less related to sectarian issues - to see that although we are not the same "square shirt" still common "round"; and porcelain clause as well as the ideal disciple of Buddha, even while wearing nothing mantle y, still no difference. /. END=VIETNAMESE TRANSLATE ENGLISH BY BACH LIEN HOA.NAM MO SHAKYAMUNI BUDDHA.( 3 TIMES ).