Today, Buddhist monks no longer patch their robes together from discarded cloth; they use donated or purchased cloth, according to Buddhism Zone. While they no longer use plant-based dyes, they still retain traditional color. In the Theravada Buddhism tradition, monks continue to wear bright orange or saffron robes to emulate the Buddha. Not just anyone can wear a saffron robe; they are reserved for ordained monks only.
To Theravada Buddhists in Thailand, the color represents the light shining in darkness, according to Buddhism Zone. It also represents peace, the divine nature of the wearer, and the purity of their path to enlightenment. According to My Modern Met, the color symbolizes perfection, illumination, and the quest for knowledge. Though orange is not the only color worn by Buddhist monks worldwide, it is among the most historic, dating back to before the time of Siddhartha Gautama, the Buddha.
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