Buddhist Tartan?

[Fox]

The only thing I have with it, is calling it "The Buddhist Tartan." This is one temple from one Tibetan sect and their lay supporters. While I think it's great, Buddhism is far to big and diverse to be blanketed in one tartan. This temple, the Tibetans and even the D.L. are not all of Buddhism.

[Bugbear]

True, but that's all they got. Well, they did talk about the saffron, being ok. I've lost touch with all my Buddhist friends, so I can't ask them. Guess that's the way it goes... Oh, guess they also have that five element tartan too, that was more of the Buddhist tartan. Three ain't bad.

The only thing I have with it, is calling it "The Buddhist Tartan." This is one temple from one Tibetan sect and their lay supporters. While I think it's great, Buddhism is far to big and diverse to be blanketed in one tartan. This temple, the Tibetans and even the D.L. are not all of Buddhism.

[gilmore]

The only thing I have with it, is calling it "The Buddhist Tartan." This is one temple from one Tibetan sect and their lay supporters. While I think it's great, Buddhism is far to big and diverse to be blanketed in one tartan. This temple, the Tibetans and even the D.L. are not all of Buddhism.

That's true. It is a Buddhist tartan, not the only possible one.

In fact the one for lay people shows some features that are more unique to vajrayana. The five colors of the Tibetan spectrum---red, blue, green, yellow and white---represent the five afflictive emotions that can be transformed into the five wisdoms through the practice of tantra. For some reason this was chosen rather than a white- or white and dark red-themed tartan that would use the colors of the lay yogins in Tibetan Buddhism. Perhaps it was so that non-yogin lay people would appropriately wear it. The various shades of red of the monks' and nuns' tartan represents the freshly dyed saffron of the renunciant's robes, whose vows are not the tantric ones.

As was noted, in some parts of the Buddhist world, saffron and dark red are never worn by lay people. In some parts, such as SE Asia, the practicing lay people wear white. In China the ordained wear gray and yellow, in Japan there is black, brown and gold, and a host of other color combos. So, there could be all sorts of Buddhist tartans. But this is the only only identified as such so far, that we know of.

[PiobBear]

Originally Posted by Fedgunner View Post
Not to be a tosser here...

In another forum, I was informed that anyone who was not a protestant, observed wearing a saffron kilt (In Ireland) would bring forth calls for blood.

I hurt some feelings when I complained.
I wonder if those individuals have met any members of the Irish Air Corps Pipe Band?

http://www.iacpb.org/home.htm

These gents seem to play a lot "south of the border" with no problems.

No doubt there are more than a few RCs in their ranks. You might mention to these individuals that pipers in the Defence Forces of the Irish Republic wear saffron.

I wonder if the informant is aware that the saffron kilt of Ireland was first conceptualized as a symbol of Irish nationalism by none other than Padraig Pearse, who on Easter Sunday 1916 stood on the front steps of the GPO in Dublin and proclaimed the birth of the Irish Republic?
What about the saffron kilts of the 16th Irish Division; the Irish Brigade of WWI, who fought at the Somme, Ypres, Beaumont Hamel, and Messines?