| you ever wondered why the robes worn by the | | | | indigenous plants used to dye them. For example, the |
| Buddhist monk’s were yellow or orange? How | | | | dull yellow color often used on the streets of Bangkok, |
| did they choose and dye the materials they have? | | | | and elsewhere in Thailand, are used by the Buddhist |
| Have you ever wanted to dye cloth similar to the | | | | monks of Thailand because it is a tone achieved from |
| Buddhist ideal? | | | | the heartwood of the indigenous Jack-fruit tree. |
| The Man, who would become Buddha, was born a | | | | To achieve any natural Buddhist inspired color, you |
| son of the Shakya clan and grew to manhood in an | | | | would first prepare the robe placing it in a vat of hot or |
| entitled and sheltered life during the 6th century BCE in | | | | cold water with a solution made from a concoction of |
| India. Early encounters with sickness, old age and | | | | cow dung, red earth, or selected plant parts i.e.: root, |
| death shattered his complacency and made him | | | | bark, wood, flowers. |
| question the privileged experiences and assumptions | | | | - To achieve a dull yellow, the jack-wood tree is cut |
| of his life. He renounced home and family in order to | | | | into slices and boiled in water until the solution is dark |
| devote himself to answering the questions of suffering | | | | brown in color. The wetted robe is then placed in the |
| and, as was the custom, traded his fine clothing away | | | | second solution, and left there until the desired |
| for that of a mendicant seeker. | | | | ‘dirty’ yellow pigment is achieved. |
| Legend dictates the original robe used by Buddha was | | | | - To achieve a warm orange, you would use the |
| actually made from many scraps of cloth sewn | | | | Sindurey plant of Nepal, or roucou and annatto seeds. |
| together. It was sewn into the pattern of the paddy | | | | - Hues of reds are achieved with yellow raspberry |
| fields of Magadha in the Northern part of India. This | | | | plants or rambai wood, and annatto seeds. |
| has changed over the years, today’s Buddhist | | | | It is important to note, these plant origins may be |
| disciples must wear the robe, always look neat and | | | | difficult to find in our Western world. Many of the |
| well covered. According to Buddhist’s | | | | plants we in North America can use are found as |
| regulations set down in the monk’s book of | | | | weeds. These weeds can be found anywhere, along |
| discipline, their robes must be naturally dyed and made. | | | | roadways, fields, woods and forests. It is best to bring |
| There should be no whites or bright colors, but there is | | | | a plant reference guide to find the proper plant for the |
| no specific color choice. Early Buddhist religious | | | | dye color required. |
| authorities have interpreted the instructions that the | | | | - Yellows: Scotch broom, saffron and safflower. |
| robe, when made, should be dyed a color between | | | | - Yellow-tan: Agrimony, goldenrod and sumac |
| yellow and red. Every Buddhist sect around the world | | | | - Yellow-gold: Smartweed, privet, marigold and St. |
| has different colored robes due to the different | | | | |