Robes for Lay Practitioners

mugzy

I have been looking online for meditation robe patterns for lay practitioners but haven't been able to find much aside from monastic robes. Is it possible to just make a generic robe of plain colors (black, brown, grey, etc)? Does anyone have any information as to what is (or isn't) an appropriate robe for one to wear? I'd imagine that wearing clothing that is usually reserved for monks would be frowned upon, except in certain circumstances. Any websites or information would be appreciated.

Vincenzi

black kimonos if you are a practitioner of zen?

genkaku

Here's one site: http://www.mtadamszen.org/supplies.htm I had one of my robes made by Myojo Morningstar and can attest to the quality. I went to a cloth store, picked the color and weight and quality of silence I wanted, sent her my measurements and the cloth, and she made it. Not cheap, but worth (years of use) the price.

As far as I know, no one has a lock on colors. When sitting, who knows what color a robe might be?

SherabDorje

Black sounds safe to me. Korean monks use gray, Pure Land Venerables use tan, a lot of others use saffron. Or royal blue. Any blue, for that matter. Something completely maroon might be ok too, just not yellow and maroon.

mugzy

So basically it's okay for someone to wear robes for practice, as long as they were not specifically designed for monastics? And @SherabDorje I see where you're going with the no yellow/maroon, but as you can see here at Monks and Nuns Robes, Burmese monks wear a robe that is completely maroon.

I just wanted something basic for practice, nothing elaborate and nothing that would cause me to offend anyone by wearing something inappropriate for a lay practitioner. So say I went to a dharma center or temple wearing it, I wouldn't be confused for a monk.

SherabDorje

I would say it's possible to wear anything you want to for practice at home, or of course nothing.

I myself would be more circumspect at a dharma center or temple, especially in the USA. In the dharma centers I've been to, no one but the monks have been wearing robes. At the very least you could be thought to be being presumptuous or something.

May I suggest nursing/medical scrubs as an alternative? They're very comfortable, especially if you wear them a size too large. If you shop around, you can get a good retail price (like less than $15 or sometimes $10 for a set), and they work very well. Lots of nurses and doctors wear them around the house, for pajamas, and so forth, so I think they'd also be comfortable and appropriate for a group sit. Not to mention a whole lot less expensive than having something made.

IronRabbit

http://www.buddhasrobeissewn.org/
http://www.ehow.com/how_8123279_make-buddhist-monks-robe.html
http://www.ehow.com/how_4745950_zen-buddhist-robe.html
http://www.ehow.com/how_7835466_make-asian-monk-robes.html
http://www.folkwear.com/asian.html

mugzy

I myself would be more circumspect at a dharma center or temple, especially in the USA. In the dharma centers I've been to, no one but the monks have been wearing robes. At the very least you could be thought to be being presumptuous or something.

Yes I do not want to appear presumptuous or offensive. I have seen lay practitioners wearing different styles of robes at some dharma events, and they looked very different from the monastics. This is why I wanted to know if there were specific requirements for this kind of garment.

@Iron_Rabbit thanks for the links!

Sumaruff

This might help: http://www.kwanumzen.org/?s=robe

mugzy

@Sumaruff Wow that is awesome! Thanks a lot!

Talisman

Doesnt Vimilikirti wear the white robe?

Sumaruff

@mugzy Cheers mate.