What Do Robes Represent?

An email apology:

Dear Si’Ann (sic),

Referring to our tele-conversation,
our sincere apologies for any misunderstandings or miscommunication if any.
May you be well and happy.

___,
President of ___

My email reply:

To ___,

It is really incredibly simple… Once again, all notices of fund-raising activities (including robe-offering) of all organisations must state where the proceeds (robes/money) go to. This is the policy for transparency that all readers [of the Buddhist newsletter I run] will appreciate. We reserve the right to ask for the inclusion of appropriate information. Apologies for seeing the need to drive the above across strongly, as it was not ‘heard’ despite repetition in written and spoken words many times. This will be the last formal response on this issue. For future dissemination of your organisation’s notices, the very next one (whether it includes robe-offerings or not) must state the above. Response to the above is appreciated only by email, as such matters need to be properly recorded. If there is no reply to your replies to the above, please re-read this mail mindfully, as it probably means the above is not adhered to.

Namo Amituofo
May the true Dharma spread far and wide and last a long time.

Further reflections:

I didn’t appreciate the continual refusal to include a note on where the money (from the robe-offerings) go to, while demanding that I disseminate such an incomplete activity notice. I didn’t need explanations to me by phone. (The president traced my contact number.) What I wanted was an explanation to readers. The president also tried not to reveal the name of the anonymous person I previously corresponded with on the issue. After repeated asking, a name was given. This person (who was rude and sarcastic) might be the same person as  ‘they’ are using the same email address? If they are the same person, is there intention to hide something? The conversation went around in so many circles that I decided to raise my voice – to make sure the above was clearly heard once and for all.

Increasingly gone are the days when robe-offering is to offer a monastic a robe because he needs a robe. Robe-offering is increasingly becoming symbolic only – in some places. The robe is increasingly becoming a token to represent money instead of dedicated Dharma practice? Money is donated by devotees to buy a robe (that is often pre-prepared) and it is ritually passed to a monastic. One monastic can receive many robes – that he will never use in his lifetime, while the robes might be given to other monastics overseas, or….? But where does the excess money go to? Even if it is seen as alright (unless it is seriously frowned upon in the Vinaya?) to use robe-offerings as a means to raise funds for worthy causes, these causes should be clearly stated – so that donors know what they are giving for and decide if the cause is worth supporting. What audacity too, to press the voluntary service I run, to meet unreasonable demands. The newsletter had also been helping this organisation free of charge many times, and this organisation had never contributed anything practical to the survival of the newsletter. (TheDailyEnlightenment.com is an independent service not run by any Buddhist organisation.)

As the editor, I have the right and responsibility to protect readers from possible corrupted use of funds contributed in good faith. This is especially important as some big charities were found to be misusing funds. Sure, it’s just a small centre, so the president said. But what does that mean? That I should take the robe-offering notice less seriously? All I wanted is that a spade be called a spade. (E.g. ‘This robe-offering is for donating robes to monastics?’ E.g. ‘This robe-offering is for fund-raising to help run the centre?’) Is that too much to ask for? If there is reluctance to comply to something so simple, I seriously doubt the centre’s willingness to publicly account for the gathered funds. The president even slipped and said the organisation is a registered company, before correcting that it’s a registered society. Traditions might change in practice for practical reasons, but truth is always cherished and should be sought and upheld. Please have the wisdom to ask where your donations go to when you contribute to charities – because this protects the integrity of the organisation and the good will of other donors. Do remember this – monastic robes represent the noble and sincere quest for truth and goodness. It is irresponsible as donors to give blindly too. (The president’s apology is actually inadequate as long as the policy is not adhered to in practice.)

Origins of Robe-Offering:

(From http://www.buddhamind.info/leftside/lifesty-2/kathina.htm)

According to the scriptures, a group of thirty bhikkhus (monks) were journeying together with the intention of spending the retreat season with the Buddha. However the Vassa began before they reached their destination and it was required that they stop travelling. Accordingly, although they lived harmoniously during the retreat, the bhikkhus were unhappy at not being able to be with the Master. When they were allowed to travel again, the bhikkhus continued on to see the Buddha. Hearing of their unhappy sojourn, he decided to cheer them up by allowing them to roam freely after the Rains Retreat to gather cloth for robes. The Buddha knew that nothing is so uplifting as sharing and generosity, and so then established a procedure whereby the bhikkhus could agree among themselves to make a gift of the cloth so acquired to one of their number. And so, when they had enough cloth, the bhikkhus set about sewing a robe. In those days the method used involved spreading the pieces of cloth on a frame and stitching them together. This frame was called a Kathina.

Robe-Offering Today:

From that time until now, lay supporters have made a point of offering cloth at the end of the Vassa; it being allowed that this offering can take place at any time during the four weeks following the end of the retreat. The Sangha are not allowed to request the offering, so it is important that the initiation of the offering and its organisation be done entirely by the lay people. Actually, the ceremony is held in such high esteem that it is rare that the Kathina doesn’t take place and supporters will usually agree on a date with the abbot of the monastery well in advance. The cloth, according to the Buddha’s advice, must be offered to the whole Sangha, not to any particular individual, so that the bhikkhus have to formally agree as to which of them should receive the cloth. About three metres of cloth are needed: enough to make up at least one of the main robes. Once the cloth has been offered, the entire community tries to take part in the activity of sewing the new robe, it being stipulated that this robe be cut, sewn and finished before the dawn of the next day. Until recent times finishing always involved dyeing the robe as well, and even today, in traditional forest monasteries in Burma and Thailand, white cloth is given and whilst some of the bhikkhus are cutting and sewing, others are preparing the bath of natural dye.

Robe-Offering Ceremony:

Usually one person has undertaken the task of co-ordinating the occasion; this work may have started as far back as the Kathina of the previous year. Although all that is required is enough cloth to make up one robe, it’s usually the case that all sorts of things are offered: everything from socks to tools to stamps and winter fuel. On the day of the festival people begin arriving at the monastery early – some may have come the night before. Bhikkhus and nuns from other monasteries will have been invited and be gathering also. By about 10:00 a.m. everyone is beginning to settle and at around 10.30 a.m. a meal is offered to the Sangha and then everyone helps themselves to the remainder of the food. About 1.00 p.m. the ceremonial offering of cloth and requisites takes place with one donor leading the assembly of lay people in taking the Refuges and Precepts and then announcing the offering using the following formula. This would be done in both Pali and English.

“May we venerable Sirs,
present these robes together with the other requisites to the Sangha.
So, Venerable Sirs, please accept these robes and the other requisites from us,
for our long-lasting welfare and happiness.”

The cloth is formally presented to two bhikkhus who have been agreed upon by the Sangha. In turn they announce the donation of all the Kathina offerings and then nominate one senior and well-respected member of the community to receive the robe once it has been made up. The unanimous agreement in silence by the Sangha is strengthened by the collective utterance of “Sadhu” (it is well). At this point some of the bhikkhus leave and begin cutting the cloth. Later, others will join them. The formal Sangha Act (Sangha Kamma) of receiving a Kathina offering will be completed later in the evening (sometimes very late depending on whether or not the sewing goes smoothly) when the finished robe is ceremonially presented to the appointed bhikkhu. Part of the acknowlegement of the offering by the two appointed bhikkhus:

Kale dadanti sappañña vadaññu vitamacchara
Kalena dinnam ariyesu ujubhutesu tadisu
Vipassannamana tassa vipula hoti dakkhina.
Ye tattha anumodanti veyyavaccam karonti va
Na tena dakkhina una tepi puññassa bhagino.
Tasma dade appativanacitto yattha dinnam mahapphalam
Puññani paralokasmim patittha honti paninan’ti.

Those who are wise, generous and free from selfishness give at the appropriate times.
Then what is given to those who are worthy and morally sound
is an offering of great purity and substance.
Those who likewise show appreciation or perform acts of service
make no lesser offering and they also share in this merit.
Thus in giving, the heart is unbounded,
what is given is of great fruit and those meritorious deeds
bring about good fortune in the life to come.