During preparation, what is divested from the candidate?

• A. All clothing
• B. All metallic substances
• C. All leather items
• D. Nothing is removed

Answer: (B)

During preparation, the emphasis is on removing all metallic substances from the candidate. This act symbolizes placing worldly possessions and status aside, framing the ceremony as a level field where no metal or adornment can distinguish one participant from another. The ritual focuses on equality and humility, using the absence of metal to remove distractions and to emphasize inward preparation rather than outward appearance.

Clothing and leather items aren’t the point of this divestment, and the candidate remains clothed in simple attire appropriate to the rite. The instruction isn’t that nothing is removed, nor that every item like leather must go away. The specific removal of metal items is the practiced norm because metal is traditionally associated with wealth, weapons, and tools—elements the ritual seeks to temporarily suspend as part of a transformative experience.