大宋僧史略 1.40

1.40

According to records, during the Han and Wei eras, those who went forth mostly wore saṃghāṭīs made of red cloth. This was because there were no woven silk fabrics in the Western regions, and they also valued the colors of red dye (mulan) and gandha; hence they wore cloth dyed red. The colors of robes in the Western regions also differed according to the school: the Sarvāstivāda wore black robes; the Dharmaguptaka wore deep red robes; the Mahīśāsaka wore blue-green robes. Those wearing red cloth were monks of the Dharmaguptaka who had arrived first in the Han land. Later, under the Liang, Dharma Master Huilang constantly wore blue-green patchwork. Master Baozhi made a prophecy beforehand, saying: 'At the Xinghuang Monastery there will be a blue-robed bodhisattva who will broadly propagate the Mahāyāna.' When Lang appeared, it indeed matched his words. A broad explanation of robe colors is found in the Scripture on the Clothing of Deportment of the Five Schools. Nowadays, south of the Yangtze, they mostly wear black and red robes, occasionally with mixed blue-green and yellow, called 'yellow-brown' or 'stone-lotus brown.' In the Eastern Capital and the Guanzhong regions, brown robes are favored; in Bing Prefecture and You Prefecture, black is favored. Wearing black, however, is most contrary to the Dharma. Why? Black is a superior dye, a primary color, one of the five cardinal colors. To the question: 'What does a zhi (monastic) robe look like?', the answer is: 'It is purple with a light black tone; it is not a primary color.' In the Kaogongji, dipping three times produces xian (light red); five dippings produce zou (purplish-red); seven dippings produce zhi (blackish). Dipping it again into black makes zou, which is the color of a sparrow's head; dipping it again makes zhi. Thus we know that zhi originally derives from deep red; it is the purplish-red of a sparrow's head. Therefore, the nun Jingxiu saw the color of the robes of the holy assembly to be like ripe mulberries—that is, light red and deep black. Today the robe color of bhikṣus in Moling (Nanjing) imitates the zhi robes of India. Furthermore, under the Later Zhou, out of aversion to hearing the prophecy concerning 'men in black robes,' they completely abolished black robes and wore yellow robes; this began with the Zhou. In addition to the three robes, there is the yenapo, shaped like a shoulder-covering robe; it appears in the Record of the Western Seas Sent Home. When lecturers allow themselves, they wear it: if one masters the lecture of a single text, one drags one strip; if one lectures on two or three texts, one drags accordingly to the number of lectures; such is the napo. Furthermore, when palace women of the Later Wei saw monks performing the pravāraṇā (reflection), baring the right shoulder, they donated a shoulder-covering garment, termed the 'half-shirt' (pianshan). It preserved both flaps, collar, and sleeves, losing the original form of the saṃkakṣikā; this began with the Wei. Furthermore, on their feet they wear socks or slippers, yuqian sandals, or short boot-like shoes. The Record Sent Home says: 'In the Western Regions there are those who hold bamboo parasols or umbrellas.' When the eminent monk Huishao of the Liang received invitations, he would carry a staff and wear a bamboo hat himself. Today monks extensively wear bamboo hats, Chan masters wear palm-bark hats, and they carry water flasks, water filters, tin staffs, razor knives, small axes, and needle cases; these are all requisites. Recently there are those who wear white robes; this is a grave transgression. The Buddha prophesied that when the kāṣāya turns white and cannot receive dye, will it not be this? If there are discerning and Dharma-compliant monastic leaders who seize them and destroy their color, they are truly powerful and superior people who protect the Dharma. Formerly, at the end of the Tang, Chan Master Guanyin of Yuzhang saw that southern Chan pilgrims mostly wore white patchwork robes; he always filled jars with dye and urged them to dye them. Today everyone in the realm calls yellow patchwork robes 'Guanyin patchwork.' This master had studied early on and had a heartfelt concern for protecting the Dharma, and he is praised to this day.