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is buddhists suppose to dress a different way in america
HollyRose1
Explorer
in Sanghas
i heard we are suppose to make are self modest i try and i think i do dress modestly and i where my mala and buddha in pendent to be known but do i have to wear the robe and cut my hair
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I can understand why monks wear what they do...
If people want to express their beliefs through clothing, that's great. For me in Australia I wear whatever.
I think it's a personal choice. Clothing for me is in the same category as the car I drive, my tastes in food or going to my favourite beach. Doesn't really have anything to do with spiritual awakening.
But that's just me
, I think all religious attire looks great! I like the zen robes 
or the Sikhs head gear! It's great!
I wear black shirt and black trouser every weekdays for work. :P I wish I could wear different some time.
Dress as you normally would. Wearing your mala while in public is a personal choice.
I've been a lay buddhist for 7 years now and I've worn nothing but just normal clothes. I don't wear mala beads and all these accessories that are not needed. I do wear the pendant I was given when I took the 8 lifetime precepts, but I wear it under my clothing.
@HollyRose1
It varies greatly depending on linage, school, teacher and whether you are layperson, lay minister or someones personal disciple.
Within training centers, retreats, festivals you will often find some conformity in meditation clothes (everything from modest & not too distracting right up to full robes) but seldom does such a requirement stray into the world.
But....
I think that I have usually seen much more tenacious attachments connected to
"special referential Buddhist clothing" representing a practice,
than in any modest worldly clothing performing the same function..
The only thing I have heard is to wear comfortable clothing when meditating. Also shoes off in the zen center.
Also in Thai Theravada temples. I got yelled at one time for wearing my shoes into a Thai temple's outhouse!
Don't worry about changing things in that way to be "more Buddhist" especially if you aren't even sure which tradition you want to follow. Practice and study, and the changes you need come in time on their own. Trying to force them will not work anyhow. Just wear what you usually wear, unless you are a hooker. Then you might want to investigate not your clothing choices but your profession, in regards to Buddhism. Otherwise, it doesn't matter.
No. Most Western Buddhists wear ordinary clothes. However, if you're attending teachings by a monk, women should wear loose-fitting clothes, or cover up with a shawl, or loose jacket. This is how we were instructed when attending teachings at a Buddhist monastery in the US. It's to avoid causing a distraction to the abbott who was providing the teachings. We were told it was out of respect for his vows. Maybe if more Buddhists in the West received this simple instruction, there would be fewer problems of teacher misconduct.
Religion is a private matter. Public display should be banned. It may offend people. Buddhists should know better.
oh my
If we banned public displays of everything private, we'd also have to hide in the closet all day long.
Yes, @how, come out of the closet! (sorry, couldn't resist).
@vinlyn
I'll wait for betaboy to advise me as to what kind of dress would be best for such an event.
Most Western Buddhists wear ordinary clothes. However, if you're attending teachings by a monk, women should wear loose-fitting clothes, or cover up with a shawl, or loose jacket. This is how we were instructed when attending teachings at a Buddhist monastery in the US. It's to avoid causing a distraction to the abbott who was providing the teachings...
This instruction has a double message I think.
1. don’t dress in a way that will awaken the beast in the monk
2. all it takes is a tight blouse and lipstick
And moreover it’s a fact (so I’m told, ahum) that a man’s sexual fantasy isn’t stopped by a shawl.
Sensitivity increases when to the level of exposure decreases. I’m pretty sure that I’m not the only person who noticed that in a retreat or a sesshin.
I think the “Buddhist” thing to do is to dress for the occasion without worrying too much about how good or how silly “I“ look.
You wouldn’t dress like you’re going to a party when you’re supposed to work in the garden or vice versa.
So if it would be my job to describe the dress-code for a Buddhist gathering it would be to wear practical clothes and to trust on your natural beauty to shine through.
@Zenff
Well I can attest to having short skirted folks (a la commando fashion) show up for public meditation instruction where their attempts at cross legged positions etched images in my brain that 30 years later are still too easily accessible.
But.... if we are going to get practical about the dangers of awakening the beast.. the sexual orientation of the monk is also something not to take for granted.
I have seen monks who were publicly gay before ordination, housed together, without oversight, by the same masters who would never dream of allowing such a thing to happen had those monks been of mixed genders.
So either those masters were too naive to deserve the title of master or their real concern was actually about the perception of a monks reputation.
Either way....
Frumpy, non defining, easy to move about in, asexual clothing for anyone addressing any celibate is a kindness of intent..
thank you all for the insight it was really helpful the reason i asked was i found my self really happy , humble and at peace believing and practicing Buddhism. everyone i know said you will feel spiritually mentally and physically happy and i never understood until i started researching religion for myself and the morals and the lessons of the teachings that i found in Buddhism made me feel more alive then i ever was .....Buddhism gave me more peace of mind of focusing on the present..... i found my grades getting better along with a more better social life.....confident s in my self and not focusing on the past and future gives me the feeling of being at one with my self and others thanks everyone
@HollyRose1. I am happy to hear that you feel your life has become better due to your interest in Buddhism.
Look, @HollyRose1, there is no Buddhist way to do anything in life.
Not, at least, in the dress code department, unless as has been so rightly explained by others above, you are visiting a monastery or going on a meditation retreat.
Buddhist people don't dress differently, nor do things differently than the rest of mortals.
I don't believe in the "look at me, world, I'm dressed like this because I'm a Buddhist" thing.
I carry my mala around my wrist, and Buddha and Kuan Yin pendants unobtrusively around my neck (along with several jade and dragon trinkets) simply because I like them, not to draw anyone's attention to the fact that I'm a Buddhist.
You can dress any way you like. At least, I do.
I haz T-shirt
Agreed. When I wear my Buddha pendant, it's usually under my shirt, because it's just there as a point for me to focus on at times. Most people never see it.
Same with me, @vinlyn. My Buddha and a Kuan Yin pendants normally can't be seen (depends on the cut of the shirt), but I wear them for myself, like you say, as a point for me to focus.
Sometimes I touch the Buddha and do some deep breathing.
Or to ground myself when I wander off reality...
But do wear sensible shoes. That's very important.
I hope if there is such a thing as Buddhist clothing for the laity, that more attention would be placed on addressing the ego supporting it than the clothing itself..
I think we're supposed to cover our privates and squeezables, at least.
And our arses. Always cover your arse!
There's no specific dress code. Personally I wear jeans, a t-shirt, and a pendent. That's about it.
I wear 21 small brown beads on my wrist on the thread given to me by Lama Zopa Rinpoche. It reminds me of my vows throughout the day. Although occasionally it is visible to people nobody ever comments. I think they just figure it is the old hippy coming out in me.
It's a personal choice in my opinion but I really think it's wise to wear what your area wears. Don't go wearing sheer tops in Russia, but overall just be yourself. I think personal style is okay to have, express yourself.
I stick to jeans and a tee-shirt. Then again, that's the standard IT ensemble, sooo...
Suddenly, in my little off-the-shoulder fuchsia-pink lamé and sequin cat-suit, I feel so over-dressed.....!