Everything we wear says something about us—how we see ourselves and want others to see us. Zen reminds us that the clothes don’t make the man or woman. Underneath the outer trappings, we’re all naked and divine.
Once, when the zen master Ikkyu was invited to a banquet, he showed up wearing his tattered traveling robe and straw hat. He was mistaken for a beggar and sent to the backdoor, where he was ushered away from the feast.
The next time he received an invitation, Ikkyu appeared in his ceremonial robes. Upon being served, he removed the robes and set them before this tray.
“What are you doing?” the host asked. “The food belongs to the robes, not me,” said Ikkyu on his way out the door.
We all don a uniform when we dress ourselves in the morning—even those people who wear the robes of zen monks. What does your dress say about you?
Whatever the message, remember: Beneath it all, we’re of the same flesh.
