Editor’s Note
One should consider how to transform from clinging on to the predisposition of judging a person by one's attire, to exploring other aspects which concern the robe of the field of merit, the robe of shame and remorse, and the robe of endurance. The latter involves not only learning about the art of fashion, but is also a major topic of study in Buddhism, including the following that most people could not imagine: the most beautiful clothes is actually the prisoners' clothes!

The offering of four requisites refers to providing the Buddha and the sangha with the four daily essentials, viz. “clothing”, “food”, “lodging” and “medicine”. “Clothing” solves the problems of suffering from the cold and being bitten by mosquitos and insects. “Food” solves the problem of suffering from hunger. “Lodging” solves the problems of suffering from exposure to the elements and attacks by animals. “Medicine” solves the problems of suffering from illness. Through the offering of four requisites, the Buddha and the sangha are able to take care of their physical body, cultivate their practices and propagate the dharma to benefit sentient beings. Therefore, when we carry out the four requisites offering, we are safeguarding the triple gem and Buddhism.

With the above knowledge, we can broaden our understanding on offering of four requisites, as explained in the following paragraphs. Offering is the same as giving. Offering applies when the receiving parties are the triple gem, our elders or our equals; whereas giving applies when the receiving parties are our minors. Besides being a virtue, offering (giving) is also a practice that a practitioner should cultivate. In addition to accumulating blessings in the mundane world, it can also accomplish the supra-mundane wisdom (the paramita of giving). Thus, in performing offering, we should not focus on just “clothing”, “food”, “lodging” and “medicine”, but ought to recognise that in addition to the materialistic offering of wealth, there are also the non-materialistic offering of dharma and the spiritual offering of no-fear, so that we are on the right path towards the accomplishment of the paramita of giving. (Please refer to the write-up on accomplishing the paramita of giving in my book Nothing is Indestructible.)

“Robes”, Civara in Sanskrit, refers to the three regular garments of a monk, viz. Sanghati, Uttarasanga and Antaravasaka, as well as the inner garments, mat, towel, shawl, etc. It is required to dye the Sanghati, Uttarasanga and Antaravasaka into impure colours such as green, black and brown, instead of proper green, yellow, red, white and black colours which are usually worn by the house holders. These impure colours give them the name “Kasaya”, meaning “bad” or “spoilt” colours. Sanghati is a robe with at least nine strips of rectangular patches sewed on it. Hence it is also called a nine-strip robe. Uttarasanga is also a robe but with at least seven rectangular patches sewed on it. Hence it is also called a seven-strip robe. Antaravasaka is a skirt-like robe with at least five rectangular patches sewed on it. Hence it is also called a five-strip robe. Today, the “offering of clothing” of the offering of four requisites generally refers to the offering of Kasaya.

As the sangha are also called “monks of the field of merit”, the Kasaya worn by them are also called the “robes of the field of merit”. As the Kasaya is worn by those who earnestly seek liberation, it is also called the “robe of liberation”. Furthermore, as the Kasaya is sometime made from pieces of cloth used to wrap corpses discarded at the graveyards, or rags disposed of by others, it is also called the “robe of cast-off rags”.

As the Kasaya is used to cover the body to avoid embarrassment, just like having shamefulness and remorsefulness would prevent one from harbouring evil thoughts, it is also called the “robe of shame and remorse”. In addition, as the Kasaya protect one from the sufferings of being bitten by mosquitoes and insects and being exposed to the cold environment, just like the mind of endurance of a practitioner helps him to fend off all external impediments, the Kasaya is also called the “robe of endurance”. The Chapter on Venerable of the Lotus Sutra states, “The robe of the Buddha is the mind of gentleness and endurance.” Based on the minds of shamefulness and endurance, when performing the offering of “clothing”, Buddhist practitioners can practise the following contemplation: “By dignifying the physical bodies of the Buddha and the sangha with ‘clothing’, I wish for the karma of having a dignified physical body; and by relieving the physical bodies of the Buddha and the sangha from the sufferings of being bitten by mosquitoes and insects and being exposed to the cold environment with ‘clothing’, I wish for the karma of having a dharma body without suffering.”