（3）Instruments Used by the Monastics in Their Daily Practices
　　There are certain requisites that a monastic will always carry as instruments of daily practices—the “triple robe” (tricivara), the alms-bowl, the staff (khakkhara), and the prayer beads.
◎“Triple Robe” and Alms-bowl

　　The triple robe and the alms-bowl are a monastic's most important requisites, for he/she can never be found without them regardless of his/her whereabouts. The so-called “triple robe” consists of the garment (antaravasaka) for sleeping and working, a robe (uttarsanga) for worshipping and listening to the Dharma, and a robe (sanghati) for formal Dharma services or functions.
　　The triple robe is also known as the “garment of the field of merit” because it is made with cloth cut in the pattern of paddy fields to signify the planting of merit field by lay practitioners in making offerings to the monastics. The monastic robes (kasaya) are symbols of a person who has renounced home life to become a fully ordained monk or nun.
　　The alms-bowl is a monastic's utensil for food and drink. It is also called the vessel for accepting or collecting since it is the bowl that receives offerings made by others.
　　Both the triple robe and the alms-bowl are symbols of the Sangha's purity symbolizing the virtues of a practitioner. The so-called “Transmission of the Robe and the Bowl” refers to the transmission of the triple robe and the alms-bowl, with the extended significance of the transmission of the Dharma from the teacher to the disciple.

The Thousand-Buddha Robe (kasaya)／China	Female students of Fo Guang Shan Monastic College on their alms-round to collect alms.

◎Staff
　　The staff (khakkhara) is an instrument carried by a monastic who in the ancient time would use it to scare away snakes and poisonous creatures, and to announce his presence when seeking alms. It is capped with metal loops and rings, so a jingling sound will be heard when shaken.

Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva holding the Sounding Staff	By wearing the prayer beads, we remind ourselves to be diligent in reciting and beholding a Buddha's name and his virtues.

◎Prayer Beads
　　The prayers beads or mala beads are usually worn around the wrist like a bracelet. They act as a counter for those chanting or reciting a Buddha's name. A strand of prayer beads usually has either 108, 54 or 21 beads. However, the number of beads is not really that important in comparison to the sincerity of the reciter, whose attentiveness is the key to fulfilling his/her wish.
　　By wearing the prayers beads around their wrists, the practitioners' main purpose is to remind themselves to be diligent in reciting and beholding a Buddha's name as well as practicing the Buddha Path in their daily lives.

C. Further Readings
　　Do you now have a basic understanding of the Buddhist sutras and Dharma instruments? If you wish to learn more about Buddhism or anything Buddhist, please turn your attention to the “Illustrated World Buddhist Arts, Selected Edition,” which is full of pictures and informative articles, and the “Fo Guang Textbooks” for an in-depth, yet simple, explanation of the studies of Buddhism.

Illustrated World Buddhist Arts, Selected Edition	Fo Guang Textbooks