Monk's robes

[Tagaa]

This came up in conversation a few days ago. No one I ask seems to know the answer.

What happens to a Monk's robe when it gets old & worn?

What happens to a the robe when the Monk is only a Monk for a few days, a month or a year?

Is there a ceremony? Are they burned? Are they just discarded with the trash?

I know the ceremony for a U.S. flag. Is there such a thing for the robe?

Just curious.

Tagaa

[noahvail]

My wife tells me no ceremony, they're just tossed in the trash when no longer useful.

[mikebell]

Can be cut up and used as dusters. Brother-in-law all but bankrupted the family to enter the monk-hood so he could smoke all day not just during breaks from work. He stuck it four months. No refunds from the Wat they were too busy gold-leafing a complete wall.

[hookedondhamma]

I've never seen them burned, but have seen closets full of them. Sometimes they're used for walls of monks huts.

the more astute monks will repair the ones that are worn down. Most of the time however they just buy new ones instead.ฝ

I've never seen a ceremony. They're wrapped around old trees sometimes as well, used for makeshift ceilings, made into shoulder cloths, etc.

Edited May 23, 2015 by hookedondhamma

[connda]

After I ordained and then 'disrobed', I gave the robes back to the wat where I originally ordained (I stayed elsewhere after my ordination during the Rain Retreats). The robes are washed, refolded, and given to young men entering the Sangha who may not be able to afford to buy robes themselves.

The Vinaya itself talks about how monks are to accept and 'determine' (mark) new robes that are given to them. New robes are not difficult to come by as many lay people consider it good merit to give a monk a robe. There is a tad bit of discussion of what is done with 'wore-out' robe. Typically they were used for carpets, curtains, covering, or put to other uses. But the bottom line is that once the monk has put the robes aside and no longer uses them as robes, they are again just pieces of cloth.

Hope this helps!

Edited May 27, 2015 by connda

[Para]

After I ordained and then 'disrobed', I gave the robes back to the wat where I originally ordained (I stayed elsewhere after my ordination during the Rain Retreats). The robes are washed, refolded, and given to young men entering the Sangha who may not be able to afford to buy robes themselves.

The Vinaya itself talks about how monks are to accept and 'determine' (mark) new robes that are given to them. New robes are not difficult to come by as many lay people consider it good merit to give a monk a robe. There is a tad bit of discussion of what is done with 'wore-out' robe. Typically they were used for carpets, curtains, covering, or put to other uses. But the bottom line is that once the monk has put the robes aside and no longer uses them as robes, they are again just pieces of cloth.

Hope this helps!

I did the same after disrobing. Whilst I really wanted to keep my robes I made merit by leaving them for the new generation.

[Brucenkhamen]

When I ordained I was given robes that were far too big for me. My guess is when buying the robes the monk shop owner was told it was for a farang and as all Thais know farang are tall and fat so that's what I got. When one of the other monks disrobed he gifted me his used but much smaller, lighter, and easier to tie on robes, what a relief even though there were a few patches and worn bits.

So if robes are still in a useable condition I think they are passed on to a monk that can use them. My guess is once robes are past their use by dates though they are cut up for rags etc, I see lots of robe coloured cloth around the monastery used for various tasks.

[Para]

When I ordained I was given robes that were far too big for me.

I'm 6ft and my robes were always too small!