The Robe Moves North: China, Japan, Korea
Buddhism spread into China, beginning about the 1st century CE, and soon found itself at odds with Chinese culture. In India, exposing one shoulder was a sign of respect. But this was not so in China.
In Chinese culture, it was respectful to cover the entire body, including the arms and shoulders. Further, China tends to be colder than India, and the traditional triple robe did not provide enough warmth.
With some sectarian controversy, Chinese monks began to wear a long robe with sleeves that fastened in the front, similar to robes worn by Taoist scholars. Then the kashaya (uttarasanga) was wrapped over the sleeved robe. Colors of robes became more muted, although bright yellow -- an auspicious color in Chinese culture -- is common.
Further, in China monks became less dependent on begging and instead lived in monastic communities that were as self-sufficient as possible. Because Chinese monks spent part of every day doing household and garden chores, wearing the kashaya all the time was not practical.
Instead, Chinese monks wore the kashaya only for meditation and ceremonial observances. Eventually, it became common for Chinese monks to wear a split skirt -- something like culottes -- or pants for everyday non-ceremonial wear.
The Chinese practice continues today in China, Japan, and Korea. The sleeved robes come in a variety of styles. There is also a wide range of sashes, capes, obis, stoles, and other accouterments worn with robes in these Mahayana countries.
On ceremonial occasions, monks, priests, and sometimes nuns of many schools often wear a sleeved "inner" robe, usually gray or white; a sleeved outer robe, fastened in the front or wrapped like a kimono, and a kashaya wrapped over the outer sleeved robe.
In Japan and Korea, the outer sleeved robe is often black, brown, or gray, and the kashaya is black, brown, or gold but there are many exceptions to that.
The Robe in Tibet
Tibetan nuns, monks, and lamas wear an enormous variety of robes, hats, and capes, but the basic robe consists of these parts:
• The dhonka, a wrap shirt with cap sleeves. The dhonka is maroon or maroon and yellow with blue piping.
• The shemdap is a maroon skirt made with patched cloth and a varying number of pleats.
• The chogyu is something like a sanghati, a wrap made in patches and worn on the upper body, although sometimes it is draped over one shoulder like a kashaya robe. The chogyu is yellow and worn for certain ceremonies and teachings.
• The zhen is similar to the chogyu, but maroon, and is for ordinary day-to-day wear.
• The namjar is larger than the chogyu, with more patches, and it is yellow and often made of silk. It is for formal ceremonial occasions and worn kashaya-style, leaving the right arm bare.