Series | Studi e ricerche
Edited book | In limine
Chapter | Tra la pelle e il mondo

Tra la pelle e il mondo

Il vestiario del Buddha come strumento di codifica identitaria e di gestione delle pratiche monastiche

Abstract

What does it mean to wear the Buddhist robe? As a symbolic act that both defines an individual's social status within a group and conveys specific values, there is more in the act of wearing a garment than just covering an otherwise naked body. In Buddhist texts, the imagery of the robe becomes an institutional device capable of structuring the identity of the individual and of the saṅgha, the Buddhist community. An analysis of the narrations on the different robes wore by the Buddha contained in these texts demonstrates the continuous work of authors and editors in developing and disseminating rules of deportment, standards of conduct, and values for the bhikṣu through textual models.


Open access | Peer reviewed

Submitted: April 21, 2017 | Accepted: May 9, 2017 | Language: it

Keywords BuddhaBuddhist RobeDressBiographyPāṃśukūla


read this chapter