Tomoe Katagiri

Study of the Okesa,

Buddha’s Robe

CopyrightFirst edition 1986Third edition 2015

Buddha’s Robe

Introduction

Eshun Yoshida Ro-shi(1907-1982) transmitted thetrue teaching of the Buddha as transmitted through Eko-

Hashimoto Ro-shi. HashimotoRo-shi’s teaching, following thenyoho- tradition of authentictransmission, penetrated EshunYoshida Ro-shi’s whole life. Shevowed to guide many people andherself to attain Buddhahoodthrough sewing and wearing thenyoho- okesa. Her desire anddevotion were boundless, andshe came to San Francisco ZenCenter twice, in 1970 and 1971.She led practitioners in makingthe okesa according to the nyoho-

tradition. At that time TomoeKatagiri started the practice ofokesa sewing under the guidanceof Eshun Yoshida Ro-shi, fromwhom she received the sevenrow okesa in 1980 at Kaizenji in Japan where Eshun YoshidaRo-shi was abbot.

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Tomoe Katagiri has taught nyoho- okesaand rakusu sewing at the Minnesota ZenMeditation Center and other Zen centersin the U.S. and other countries.

The section on nyoho--e was written by Tomoe Katagiri and edited by Yu-ko-

Conniff and Willa Hathaway. Sewinginstructions were compiled and editedby Tomoe Katagiri from Eshun YoshidaRo-shi’s instructions. Drawings weredone by Tomoe Katagiri, Janith Hatch,Michael Danio, and Amy Kirkpatrick.Calligraphy by Janith Hatch. Layout anddesign by Ejyo Katagiri.

The instructions in this booklet are bestused with a teacher’s guidance.

Deep appreciation to:Eshun Yoshida Ro-shiDainin Katagiri Ro-shi

and to:Yu-ko- ConniffMichael DanioJanith HatchWilla HathawayEjyo KatagiriTom RauschkeRosemary TaylorKyoku WalenLynn WarkovJisho WarnerCynthia WetzellKaaren WikenSho-ken WinecoffRosan Yoshidaand others who have helped in various ways.

In gassho,

Tomoe KatagiriMinneapo l i s , Minneso taFa l l 2000

Nyoho- -e , Traditional Buddha’s Robe6 Three Nyoho-s6 Tai of Nyoho- (the rule of the material)8 Shiki of Nyoho- (the rule of the color)9 Ryo- of Nyoho- (the rule of the size)11 Dankyaku11 Tie and Hook11 Classification of the Okesa into Four Types 19 San-ne21 Rakusu21 How to Wash an Okesa22 How to Wear an Okesa22 Taking Care of the Okesa23 Ten Excellent Merits28 Notes to Text 29 Bibliography

Okesa33 The Way of Finding the Size of the Okesa37 Cutting the Pieces for the Okesa39 Sewing the Pieces Together 40 Sewing the Strips Together41 Marking the Kagami42 Marking and Attaching the En

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Table of Contents

46 Finishing the En Corners50 Joro- Attachment51 Lining Attachment for a Nine-or-More-Row Okesa53 Ties55 Daiza58 How to Assemble the Ties59 Attaching the Daiza60 How to Fold the Okesa

Zagu65 Introduction68 Layout and Dimensions69 How to Sew the Zagu70 How to Fold the Zagu

Sho- - san-e , Three Miniature Okesas73 Introduction76 Various Sizes82 Instructions

Rakusu87 Introduction88 Alternative Dimensions89 The Rakusu: Main Part

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Table of Contents continued

90 Layout91 Sewing the Kagami92 Marking the Cho- and Tan94 Pinning and Stitching the Cho- and Tan with the Kyakushi Stitch97 Assembling the Vertical Strips105 Marking and Basting the Kagami106 Sewing the En107 Method 1 Assembly108 Pinning and Basting the En111 Sewing the En Corners with the Kyakushi Stitch113 Method 2 Assembly116 Putting the Kagami into the En117 Sewing the En to the Kagami118 Sewing the Middle (Third) Seam118 Joro- Attachment119 Marking, Folding and Stitching the Saos120 Marking, Stitching and Folding the Maneki 121 Putting the Saos into the Maneki 122 Securing the Maneki with the Pine Stitch123 Attaching the Saos to the Rakusu124 How to Fold a Rakusu125 Okesa and Rakusu Case; Finding the Right Size126 Simple Method128 Japanese Traditional Method

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Table of Contents continued

Nyoho--e

About 2500 years ago ShakyamuniBuddha was at Rãjagrha, a favoriteresort of his and the capital of thekingdom of Magadha. At that time,Buddha’s disciples wore the sameclothes as students of other teachers,so it was very difficult to distinguishbetween disciples of Buddha andother adherents. Many of themwrapped their bodies with largeor small squares of fabric, somewhite, some made of bright colorsand some with decorations.

One day Bimbisãra, the king ofMagadha, noticed a man wholooked like a Buddhist monkstanding by the road in the dis-tance. The king was getting off hiselephant to bow to the Buddhistmonk when he noticed that theman was not a Buddhist monkbut a Brahman. So he askedShakyamuni Buddha to makeclothes for his disciples that weresymbolic of their practice. One

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day when Shakyamuni Buddha was on hisway from Rãjagrha to the south to teachwith his disciple Ãnanda, he stopped to takea look at a rice field and noticed its foot-paths were formed in a marvelous orderand neatness. The rice plants were growingtogether peacefully with other creatureswithout any discrimination. ShakyamuniBuddha pointed to the rice field and askedÃnanda if he could create a Buddhist robefor the disciples of Buddha that had thesame pattern as those rice fields. Ãnandasaid that he could and went back toRãjagrha for the purpose of making this robe.When Shakyamuni Buddha came back toRãjagrha many of his disciples were alreadypracticing with the robe that took its patternfrom the rice fields. This robe was made oflong and short pieces of discarded fabric,dyed and sewn together. ShakyamuniBuddha respected the wisdom and intelli-gence that was revealed in the robe Ãnandacreated. Ãnanda had understoodShakyamuni Buddha’s intention verydeeply even though he had not told himhow to make such a robe. At that time

Shakyamuni Buddha decided that fromthen on all his disciples would wear thisrobe (okesa in Japanese, kasãya in Sanskrit).

There are three considerations concerningthe wearing of the okesa for a disciple ofBuddha. The first is its practical use asclothing, the second is its ceremonial use as a religious garment, and the third isreceiving it as the Buddha’s body and mind.In India the okesa was used practically asclothing and as receiving the Buddha’sbody and mind. In Japan, however, its practical use disappeared, and only its usesas a ceremonial garment and as receivingthe Buddha’s body and mind remained. The formless teaching of the Buddha iscontained in the form and shape of the okesa.The okesa that is made in the traditionalway and is one with Buddha’s teaching iscalled nyoho--e.

The okesa is a big rectangular cloth thatBuddhist monks wrap around their bodies.In the history of the various Buddhist schoolsthe okesa has changed over time into many

different forms. However, the okesato be discussed here is the originalone, nyoho--e, which has been handeddown from India to China andJapan without changing its originalteaching and form.

nyo Nyo is used as “as-it-is-ness”in the sense of showing thelaw or truth as it really is.

ho- Ho- means law, truth, or the Buddha’s teaching, or principle.

e E means robe, clothes.

When all three are put together it means that the law, or theBuddha’s teaching, is representedas it really is by means of one’sclothes or robe.

The First Patriarch, Bodhidharma, camefrom the west and stayed at ShaolinTemple, awaiting an opportunity topropagate the teaching. He sat gazingpatiently at a wall until Hui-koappeared in the last month of the year.Bodhidharma knew that here was a

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vessel of the Supreme Vehicle, guided him, and latertransmitted to him both the robe and the teaching.His descendants spread throughout the world, andthe True Law has been handed down to this day.1

Nyoho--e was transmitted from ShakyamuniBuddha to Bodhidharma in India, and inChina from Bodhidharma to Taiso Eka Zenji(Hui-ko), from Eka Zenji to Dai-i Do-shinZenji (Tao-hsin), from Do-shin Zenji toDaiman Ko-nin Zenji (Hung-jen), from Ko-

nin Zenji to Daikan Eno- Zenji (Hui-neng),the Sixth Patriarch, and on through succes-sive Buddha’s disciples to Tendo- Nyojo-

Zenji (Ju-ching), Eihei Do-gen Zenji’steacher. Do-gen Zenji transmitted it to his descendents in Japan.

Recently, in May of 1971, the nyoho--ewas brought by Eshun Yoshida Ro-shi to San Francisco Zen Center. It was a greathistorical event in the transmission ofBuddhism to the United States. Yoshida Ro-shi was a disciple of Eko- Hashimoto Ro-shi, who died on July 10, 1965. She died at the age of seventy-five onDecember 26, 1982.

Do-gen Zenji, at the age of twenty-five, wasat Tien-tung-shan in China, doing zazenwith many monks, when at the end ofmorning zazen he saw that a monk who satnext to him held up the okesa with bothhands, put it on his head, and with gasshorecited the verse of the okesa:

Great robe of liberation!Virtuous field far beyond form and emptinessWearing the Tathagata’s teachingWe vow to save all beings.

After the monk chanted this verse threetimes he put on the okesa. Do-gen Zenji hadnever seen this great practice before; hewas deeply impressed and even shed tearsfrom a mingled feeling of joy and sorrow.He talks about this in the last part of the“Kesakudoku,” saying that his robe’s collarwas wet from the tears.

When I was in Japan I read the Ãgama-sutras andfound the verse of the kesa; I also found that beforeone puts on the kesa they should put it on theirhead. I had not known when and how it correctlywas to be done as I had asked my master and friendsbut none of them knew. I felt very sorrowful that

such a long span of time had passedwastefully without knowing how tohandle a kesa in spite of having been atHieizan for three years and at Kenninjifor nine years. Now, I fortunately couldsee and hear with my own eyes and earsthe manner in which to wear the kesadue to good deeds accumulated in previ-ous existences. I was grateful and thank-ful. If I had stayed in Japan, I would nothave had a chance to see this greatscene. I took pity upon the people in mycountry because they could not see it.2

At this time, Do-gen Zenji quietlyvowed to become a direct discipleof Bodhidharma, correctly trans-mitting the teaching of ShakyamuniBuddha. He vowed to see, listen toand wear Buddha’s pure directteaching. He vowed that all sentientbeings would attain Buddhahoodthrough seeing and wearing thenyoho--e, and through listening to the verse of the okesa. After hewent back to Japan he stronglyrecommended to people that they wear the nyoho--e and by his

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earnest vow many lay people and monksbegan to wear it.

Do-gen Zenji teaches us about the merit ofthe okesa in the Sho-bo-genzo- “Kesakudoku,” orthe merit of the okesa, and “Den-ne,” or thetransmission of the robe. He says we shouldunderstand that the okesa is the Buddha’sbody and Buddha’s robe. Since the okesastores the Buddha’s pure teaching and thetruth of life, it affects us in different ways,according to the circumstances of time andplace. It is different from the usual clothesthat we wear in our daily life; it is universal.When we assimilate it, the okesa worksupon us as Buddha-dharma, and we canaccept a okesa as the Buddha’s body andmind, and as a living teacher instead ofunderstanding it through theoretical study.Do-gen Zenji suggested to us that if we wantto practice zazen, we, as a disciple of Buddha,should first receive the okesa through theceremony of receiving the okesa (okesa-juji shiki)and through the ceremony of receiving theprecepts (jukai). Then we can practiceBuddha’s zazen wearing the okesa. For a disciple of Buddha this is desired for anundeviating practice. It is said that if we

receive Buddha’s teaching firmly believingthat an okesa is Buddha-nature and not just a piece of fabric, then when we putthe okesa on our body, our eyes becomeBuddha’s eyes, our ears become Buddha’sears and our nose becomes Buddha’s nose.We cannot understand this unless we throwaway materialistic views of the okesa. DaininKatagiri Ro-shi uses the example of a ten-dollar bill to illustrate the same idea.

A ten-dollar bill is just a sheet of paper, but if webelieve in its value and know how to deal with it, it works as money and helps our lives.

When doing zazen for even a minute weare Buddha. Do-gen Zenji mentioned thesame teaching concerning the okesa in“Kesakudoku.” The okesa is Buddha’s robe,the robe is Buddha’s body, Buddha’s body isBuddha-dharma, and the Buddha-dharmais the okesa itself. The same idea is appliedto the meaning of the okesa, o-ryo-ki, and theso-do-, the place where we practice zazen. Interms of the external representation, the so-do-

is regarded as housing, the okesa as clothing,and o-ryo-ki as food. Each of them has a different form, but they are exactly the same

teaching. There are three indispens-able things in our life: clothing,food, and housing. For one’s lifeto conform to Buddhist practice,one wears the okesa as clothing,uses o-ryo-ki for eating and uses theso-do- for housing. This follows thediscipline conforming to theBuddha’s direct teaching, nyoho-. Forthis reason, Do-gen Zenji says in the“Kesakudoku” that for one thou-sand years following ShakyamuniBuddha’s entering nirvana, Buddha’sdisciples, monks and lay peoplewore the nyoho--e in India and China.In Japan, a country far from India,the Buddha’s disciples who becamemonks shaved their heads, but hadnot received nyoho--e, even thoughthey had the appearance of amonk. They did not know how to correctly transmit, receive andwear it nor that the okesa is madefollowing three direct teachingsof Buddha: tai, the material; shiki,dyeing color; and ryo-, the size.

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Three Nyoho-s

How to take care of our life as a disciple of Buddha is a great problem for us and agreat practice for us. If we always put our-selves into a modest life as a disciple ofBuddha, naturally this modest attitude willappear in our clothing, food and housing.However, we are prone to the excessivepursuit of fine material, beautiful colorsand unique style. This sense of seeking afterbeauty is not wrong; however, it ofteninvites jealousy, contempt, stealing and thedesire for luxury. In order not to causeeven a little trace of these mistakes to arise,disciples of Buddha needed to take themost faithful care regarding the design,material, color and size of their clothing, so as to embody the formless Buddha’steaching in the form of the okesa.

The okesa is made following three impor-tant fundamental rules of Buddha’s teach-ing concerning the material, color and size.When we make a okesa following thesethree nyoho-s the okesa becomes nyoho--e. For a disciple of Buddha, these three nyoho-s arecontained not only in the okesa, but also inevery aspect of practice. These three nyoho-sare the basic attitude toward life.

Tai of Nyoho-( the ru le of the mater ial )The tai of the okesa is a the fabric that isneeded to make it. In the “Kesakudoku” Do-gen Zenji says that the best material iscalled funzo-. There are between four and tendifferent types of funzo-: material that hasbeen chewed by cattle, material that hasbeen chewed by mice, material burned byfire, and material from the clothing orshrouds of the dead. These are perfect asokesa material.

Indians throw this cloth in the streets and in thefields just as they do excreta. It is called pãmsula.Monks pick up such cloth and wear it after havingwashed it and sewn the various pieces together.Although some of this cloth is cotton and some silk, no discrimination should be made between the two. We should deeply reflect on the meaning of pãmsula, funzo-.

A monk once asked a famous Zen master, “Was the Kasãya that was transmitted to the PatriarchHui-neng at midnight on Mount Huang-mei made ofcotton or silk?” The master answered, “Neither cottonnor silk.” We should realize that this statement thata kasãya is made of neither silk nor cotton is anexcellent teaching of the Way.4

In order for the okesa material tobe free from the thought of evil andattachment, the material, donor,and receiver must be perfectly cleanspiritually and physically. We shouldnot make distinctions about thematerial such as that linen is betterthan cotton, cambric is good, silkand wool are not good, this material is worthless, or this material isacceptable. Senryu- Kamatani Ro-shisays the following in his book,Teisho- Kesakudoku: “The true meaningof funzo- is ‘sweepings.’ Funzo--e isthe okesa made from cast-off ragsthat were collected from garbageand from the streets. The unusablepart was sorted away and theusable parts kept, washed anddyed into a darkish color, thensewn together into the rice-fieldpattern. You might feel it is dirtybecause the funzo--e was madeentirely from material picked upfrom the garbage, but it is not; itis completely free from attachmentssuch as love and hate. Nobody cancreate passion toward it, because

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there is no value or quality to measure. If people had any attachment to it, theywould not have discarded it as garbage.”5

It is difficult to determine what is good and what isevil. Laymen say it is good to wear luxurious silks,embroidered garments, and brocades; and bad towear tattered and discarded rags. But in Buddhismit is the opposite: tattered robes are good and pure,richly embroidered garments are evil and soiled. The same applies to all other things as well.6

The Madhyam-agama-sutra states, “Virtuous men!Suppose that someone acts purely but speaks andthings impurely. If a wise man sees this andbecomes angry, it is necessary for him to eliminatehis anger. Suppose again that someone acts impurelybut speaks and thinks purely. If a wise man sees thisand becomes angry, it is necessary for him to eliminatehis anger. How can he do this? Virtuous men! Hecan do so by following in the footsteps of a solitarymonk who picks up discarded cloth to make himselfa pãmsula. Like the monk, if he finds the clothsoiled with excreta, urine, nasal mucus or anythingelse impure, he should pick it up with his left handand, stretching it out with his right hand, tear offthe unsoiled and holeless parts.

“Virtuous men! If someone acts impurely but speakspurely, do not think about his impure actions; rathersimply think about his pure speech and thought. If a wise man sees such a person and becomes angry, he should eliminate his anger in the way I have described.”7

There are three types of okesa. The first typehas been explained; it is made from dis-carded cloth. The second type of okesa ismade from the feathers of birds or the furof animals. If practitioners are unable toget hold of the first type of okesa, funzo--e,they should make this second type. “Thethird type of okesa is made of worn-outcloth that has been resewn. Monks shouldnot wear a okesa made of fine materialprized by the ordinary world.”8

In this modern age in Japan nobody throwsaway funzo-s in the field or on the street asthe people in India did. Even if you went toa dump you would be unable to find anyfunzo-s, but in our day they could be foundat a rummage sale or at a Goodwill store.When we have to buy the material, thesame consideration of mind is needed asthe spirit with which the funzo- material is

collected. According to conditionsand circumstances we should tryto find less expensive material soas to refrain from luxury. Whenwe offer or are offered material,we have to deal with it with apure mind free from fame,wealth, love and hate as regardsthe material, donor and receiver.If the offering is not enough tomake an okesa, we should devise away to use it, such as addingother material. We should try todo our best to receive the offeringof the donor’s faith, whatever it is.This attitude means to be devotedto the Buddha’s way.

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Shiki of Nyoho-( the ru le of the co lor)Color that doesn’t create sensual desire is in accord with nyoho-. We create aestheticimpulses from the five primary colors:blue, yellow, red, white and black.Therefore, we refrain from using these colorsin the okesa. The color that conforms to theokesa is modest and does not create a feelingof luxury, greed, or jealousy in the humanmind. At the same time this modest colorshows the difference between disciples ofthe Buddha and lay people. The point is torefrain from using people’s favorite colors,such as bright colors, because then our lifeis free from greed, anger, and self-delusion.For this purpose the okesa material is dyedto an impure or blended color. A primarycolor and two or more different colors areblended to create a dull color that is hardto define. This blending of colors is the ruleof dyeing.

Roughly speaking, blended colors aregrouped into three: a blueish group, a reddish group and a yellowish group. Theblueish group consists of a pine leaf-likecolor (dark green), greenish rust and

blueish black. In the “Kesakudoku,” Do-genZenji says that the okesa the patriarchstransmitted from Bodhidharma was blueishblack, and it was made from rough linenmaterial. Senryu- Kamatani Ro-shi says in hisTeisho- Kesakudoku that the okesa Do-gen Zenjireceived from Nyojo- Zenji was also thesame color, blueish black.

Do-gen Zenji says in the “Kesakudoku” thatShakyamuni Buddha always wore a reddishblack okesa. Generally speaking, the reddishblack color is called kasãya in Sanskrit, andokesa in Japanese. The word okesa is derivedfrom this reddish black color, because thiswas a typical color used for the okesa inIndia. Kamatani Ro-shi says in his Teisho-

Kesakudoku that in India monks dyed theirokesa material into reddish black using thejuice made from the bark and nuts of thegandha tree. Gandha trees have been grow-ing here and there in India since the timeof Shakyamuni Buddha. The dye obtainedfrom the gandha trees was easy to get andhandle and didn’t harm the fabric. Each ofthe monks had to dye their own material,

and even though there was a cer-tain method of dyeing, it resultedin many different tones.

According to Buddha’s teaching,the color of the Buddhist robe mustbe a suitable color for practice.Nyoho- color has to be that whichis free from the expression of fameand reputation. Also dyeing thecloth into the okesa color meansthrowing one’s body, mind andthought into the Buddha-dharma.

There is another ceremony ofdyeing before a Buddhist practi-tioner receives a okesa that hasalready been dyed into the okesacolor. This is called tenjo- inJapanese. The tenjo- ceremony isnecessary when the okesa is madefrom new material, but it is notnecessary when the okesa is madefrom used material. Ten means dotor stain, and jo- means purity or

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chastity. Tenjo- means to reform an ordinarysense of value about clothing, food andhousing and to be free from attachment toit. Tenjo- is the ceremony of purification inwhich small dotted stains are put on theokesa or zagu. It is said in Study of the Kesa,compiled and edited under the supervisionof Echu Kyuma Ro-shi, that in the beginning“small dots were put on Buddhist belong-ings as a mark to distinguish them fromthe other monks’ belongings.” This changedinto the meaning of purifying a new okesaor zagu, and today the idea of them as dis-tinguishing marks has disappeared. As weknow, Buddhist life makes a point of poverty;however, the offering of the material for theokesa was not always used material, sometimesit was new material. As a Buddhist, to takethe new material for granted because it isnot discarded fabric is not a desirable thing.Also we should reflect on how to use thenew material with a modest attitude so asnot to become self-indulgent. In this sense,the tenjo- ceremony symbolizes that thematerial is no

longer new. Ryo- of Nyoho-( the ru le of the s ize)The rule of the size concerns the lengthand the width of an okesa. There are manydifferent body shapes, so it is hard to standardize the size of an okesa. To wear anokesa practically in the proper way and in a well-kept manner, the okesa was madeaccording to individual size through indi-vidual body measurements.There are two ways of findingthe size of an okesa throughone’s body measurements: adirect way and an indirectway. These two ways areexplained in Ho-buku-kakusho- by MokushitsuRyo- yo- Zenji. The directway is by putting okesamaterial on a personwho is going to wearit, and finding the size ofthe okesa from the amountof material needed.The person hangs thematerial vertically

from the top of the shoulderdown their back to the ground.The end of the material shouldcome three inches, or the width offour fingers, above the ankle. Thefabric’s length, from the top of theshoulder to three inches above theankle, is the okesa’s width.

To determine the length of theokesa one grabs the material onthe top corners and drapes it overtheir shoulders from behind,bringing their fists together infront of them.

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The indirect way of finding the correct okesasize is to calculate the size using parts ofthe body as basic units of measurement.The distance from the elbow to the tip ofthe middle finger or from the elbow to thetip of the middle finger of a fisted hand arethe two basic units of measurement. Theelbow measurement is called the chu- size orchu-ryo- in Japanese, and it is used to determinethe okesa’s length and width. Basically, threetimes the chu-ryo- measurement is used as thewidth and five times is used as the length.For determining smaller units of measure-ment the distance between the stretchedthumb and stretched middle finger, the

width of the finger, and the width of a grainof wheat or a pea are used.

Nyoho--e is often interpreted as the okesa thatShakyamuni Buddha and his disciples wore,but nyoho--e is also the okesa made correctlyfollowing the rules concerning material,color, size and sewing according to theteaching of the Dharma.

Each row is made of one short piece andtwo long pieces. The overlapped partswithin each row and between rows arecalled the yo-. The top yo-s always cover thenext lower piece and the central rows coverthe outer rows. This construction symbolizesthe water flowing smoothly in the ricefields, from the center to the right and leftsides, and from the top to the bottom.

taku-shu or cho--shuken-chu-nobe-chu-

DankyakuThere are three dankyaku measure-ments. (See illustration below.)Ian Kishizawa Ro-shi says inKesakudoku Ko-wa that the longsquare symbolizes wisdom orrealization of truth and the shortsquare symbolizes delusion.There are more wisdom squaresthan delusion squares, and thewisdom squares separate thedelusion squares.

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Classification of the Okesa into Four TypesOkesa are classified into four types accord-ing to how the material is cut and sewntogether. They are called kassetsu-e, deccho--e,shoyo--e or kussho--e, and man-ne.

Kassetsu-e is the most common style. It ismade from long and short square piecesoffered by many donors, or it is made frombrand new material that is cut into long andshort pieces. Cutting a large piece of materialis symbolic of using discarded fabric and to cut a large piece of material into smallpieces means to emancipate us from strongattachment. Each row of the okesa is sewntogether with two or more long pieces anda short piece. Some rows have a short pieceon top and a long piece on the bottom, andothers have a long piece on the top and ashort piece on the bottom. This constructionmeans Buddha-nature is neither big norsmall, neither long nor short. A short piecedoes not always take a higher place on thetop, and we cannot judge that the top ismore important because it is in a higherposition or the bottom is less important

Tie and HookOriginally the okesa did not have ties andhooks. It is said in Dharmagupta’s versionof how the okesa was created that one ofthe Buddha’s disciples told ShakyamuniBuddha that when Shariputra was on hisway to visit a layman’s home, his okesa wasblown off his body onto the ground by thewind. Then Shakyamuni Buddha decided toput ties and a hook on okesas because thiswould prevent them from slipping downfrom the shoulders.

Dankyaku

Dankyaku

Yo

Joro

Yo

Daiza

Ties Tie

3 ch

uryo

s

Joro

Daiza

Dan

kyak

u

5 churyos

Dankyaku

because it is in a lower position.Buddha-nature really permeateseverywhere. What is short is shortof itself; what is long is long ofitself. There is no difference betweena long piece and a short piece.

Deccho--e is made when there is aninsufficient amount of material to make a kassetsu-e. Yo-s are madefrom different pieces of fabric andare sewn onto one okesa-size pieceof fabric.

Sho-yo--e or kussho--e is made fromone large piece of fabric. The yo-sare folds of the okesa-size fabricitself. I have never seen a kussho--e,so I hesitate to talk about it.

Man-ne is an okesa that does nothave any rows or yo-s; it is just likea big frame of a rice field withouta foot path between the fields.

We make one of the four types ofokesa following the Buddha’steaching of the rule of the material,

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the rule of the color and the rule of thesize, depending upon the amount and condition of the material allotted to us.

When we sew any of the okesas it shouldalways be sewn with a kind of backstitchcalled kyakushi in Japanese. We use runningstitches for general hand sewing, but theseare different from the stitches used on okesas. The kyakushi stitch is similar to thebackstitch and takes a lot of time, becausefor every stitch that goes forward, the nextgoes downward.

Senryu- Kamatani Ro-shi says in this bookTeisho- Kesakudoku that the kyakushi way ofsewing, back and forth with every stitch,shows us the truth of Buddha’s teaching.Immanent in the kyakushi stitch is the practice and teaching of “eko hensho,” “Justturn your light inward and reflect.” Thisway of sewing is a stitch forward, and thenone backward. We do it this way over andover again. If one has some time for sewingand the vow to make the okesa with deepconsideration and full devotion for everystitch, even an unskilled person can make anokesa. I remember that in 1971 ten children,

ages eight to eleven, made their own rakususwith their parents. (The rakusu is a smallversion of the okesa, primarily for lay people.)

When I practiced okesa sewing under EshunYoshida Ro-shi, I was taught the followingsewing manner. At the beginning of eachsewing session, we light a candle and offerincense on the altar. Then we bow in frontof the altar three times. After that we beginwith the same mind as when we do zazen,and with every stitch we recite in silenceone of the verses of the Triple Treasure, “I take refuge in the Buddha.” After sewingwe again bow three times.

Ian Kishizawa Ro-shi says in his bookKesakudoku Ko-wa that there is a rule for thelength of time for sewing the okesa (a lawmade by Shakyamuni Buddha). An okesaof nine rows is to be made in five days, an okesa of seven rows is to be made in fourdays and an okesa of five rows is to be madein two days. However, Do-gen Zenji says inKesakudoku that this rule concerning thenumber of sewing days is no longeradhered to.

Senryu- Kamatani Ro-shi says thatwhen sewing an okesa, it is best todo so in a specific length of time.If one starts making an okesa, oneoften has a tendency to becomeinsistent and thoughtless becauseof the desire to finish it as soon aspossible and to ignore other tasksor duties that one has to carry out.During the sho-bo-* period, monkstook many days to sew an okesa; itwas an obstacle to the practice of

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others in the Sangha life, so the sewing timewas limited. During the mappo-* period, inthe present time, it is a little difficult tofollow this law, unless one can sew the okesain the time permitted without disturbingothers. One should try one’s best to do itwithin the time permitted.Your faith inmaking the okesa is very important and oneshould not be neglectful or misunderstandthat “I do not have to hurry or I do nothave the time now.” When you awaken tothe thought of making an okesa, just find

the sewing time and do it with a vow tocomplete it with a calm mind. Then youhave to receive the okesa that you havemade by yourself from your teacher in the okesa-receiving ceremony.

* Three periods after the Buddha’s death: sho-bo- period, the period of the correct doctrine, is theperiod when Buddhist doctrine, practice and enlightenment all exist (for 500 to 1000 years); zo-bo-

period, the period of the semblance, is the period when both doctrine and practice still exist, butthere is no longer any enlightmnment (for 1000 years); mappo- period, the period of decay and termination, is the last 10,000 years, when the doctrine itself vanishes.

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Seven-row kasãya, shichijo--e or uttarasanga, kassetsu-e style

Seven-row kasãya, deccho--e or cho-yo--e style

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Nine row kasãya, kujo--e or sanghati,kassetsu-e style

Man-ne or patta

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Five-row kasãya, gojo--e or antaravasa,kassetsu-e style

Five-row kasãya, sho-yo--e or,kussho--e style

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Five-row kasãya, meshi-nui style(Meshi means horse’s teeth. The stitchesgo in the manner of a horse’s teeth.)

Seven-row kasãya, cho-soku-nui style(Cho-soku means bird’s feet. The stitches goin the manner of a bird’s footprint.)

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Twenty-five-row kasãya, nijugojo--e or sanghati,kassetsu-e style

Rakusu

San-ne ( three regulat ion garments of Buddha ’s d isc ip les )There are three kinds of okesas.The first one is made with fivevertical rows, each with one shortpiece and one long piece. This iscalled a five-row kesa, gojo--e inJapanese. The second one is madefrom seven vertical rows, eachwith one short piece and twolong pieces. This is called a seven-row okesa, shichijo--e in Japanese.The third one is made from ninevertical rows, each with one shortand two long pieces. This is calleda nine-row okesa, kujo-e inJapanese. Okesa with nine or morerows are called dai-e in Japanese.Dai-e are made with 9, 11, 13, 15,17, 19, 21, 23, and 25 rows; the25-row okesa is the largest. Daimeans large or big in Japanese;this “large” does not refer to thelarge SIZE of the okesa, but to thelarge NUMBER of rows.

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From the sho-bo- period to the present mappo-

period, in Southeast Asia and India, monksreceive only these three kinds of okesas, andthey have no other possessions except theo-ryo-ki, the Buddha bowl.

Shakyamuni Buddha felt that the way ofmonks was different from that of otherpractitioners. The practice of Buddhism liesbetween the extremes of asceticism andhedonism. Also, Shakyamuni Buddha feltthat monks should cover the parts of thebody that give rise to the impulse of sensualstimulation in others. Followers of Jainismpracticed without any clothes for the purposeof being free from their sensual and otherworldly desires; therefore they did not feelshy because of their nakedness. They may befree from sensual desire; however, the nakedbody unconsciously may hinder others byevoking sensual desire in ordinary people.To make others feel shame is a careless act.Shakyamuni Buddha felt that regardless ofwhether other people were present or not,monks should cover the parts of their bodiesthat could cause others to feel shame, andthat they should wear the okesa as their

clothing. In order not to be greedy they areto keep only three okesas. Having three okesas,we are taught not to pursue more than isnecessary for complete knowledge.

Monks have to carry the san-ne and o-ryo-kiwith them wherever they go. To leave thesan-ne behind is an infraction of the precepts.Do-gen Zenji strictly admonishes us not towear the okesa unless it is in good repairbecause to do so is the extinction of theBuddha-dharma, Buddha’s teaching. Weshould not forget this mind of Do-gen Zenji,which is bent on the right way. The awarenessof the treasure of being disciples of Buddha,Buddha containers, is cultivated by wearingthe okesa. Out of compassion, so as not tobreak the rule, monks should not leave thesan-ne behind. The tradition of the sho-san-newas started in the time of Keizan Zenji(1269-1325, founder of So-jiji temple inJapan.) Sho- means small, and sho-san-ne is aminiature size san-ne. Monks carry sho-san-newith them instead of the san-ne when theytravel. When they are not traveling it isplaced on the altar. There are many kinds ofchores in a monk’s daily life, such as cleaning,

making firewood, working in thekitchen, gardening, and so on.When monks are doing theirchores they wear the five-row okesaas a work robe, because it was theclothing of Buddha’s disciples inIndia. The traditional custom ofwearing the five-row okesa forphysical labor has been kept inChina and Japan. Also the five-rowokesa is worn when traveling andwhen monks stay in their rooms.In Japan, Korea and the West, thesmall version of the five-rowokesa, the rakusu, may be worn forworking and traveling. Man-ne canbe worn as a substitute for thefive-row okesa. The seven-row okesais worn when participating inpublic activities such as services,chanting sutras, listening to lectures,begging, sitting zazen and eatingmeals. To enter these activities iscalled nyu-ju- in Japanese. Because theseven-row okesa is worn duringnyu-ju- it is also called nyu-ju--e. Dai-esare worn when teaching, doing

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takuhatsu, conducting ceremonies, and whena priest is asked to give a lecture to theemperor at the palace. The practice oftakuhatsu may seem to be only a beggar’sactivity, but the true meaning of takuhatsuis a most important way of teaching people.When monks go to towns or villages fortakuhatsu, people’s eyes fall upon their okesa.Looking at the forms of the okesa makes adeep connection with Buddha-dharma. Itcan be said that to see the okesa is to sowthe seed of deliverance, as it is the comingtogether of conditions, teaching unsurpassedenlightenment. Also takahatsu teaches us“giving,” which is the first of the SixParamitas, or perfections. These are the reasons why the dai-e is also worn when a monk is doing takahatsu.

Each of the three okesas also has other uses.When the temperature is warm, the five-rowokesa is worn next to the skin; as the temperature gets colder, the seven-row okesa is worn on top of the five-row okesa.When the temperature gets very cold, thedai-e is worn on top of the seven-row okesa.It is said that on a very cold evening in

December, Shakyamuni Buddha was wearingonly a five-row okesa. During the night thetemperature became colder, so he put theseven-row okesa on top of the five-rowokesa. By daybreak it was very difficult tokeep warm with only two layers, so he puton a nine-row okesa. It was at this time thatShakyamuni Buddha said that duringextremely cold weather monks who cannotwithstand the cold may wear these threeokesas on top of each other.

The custom of wearing the five-row okesanext to the skin as an undergarment hasbeen changed in China and Japan, becauseof the different climates. Monks in thesenorthern countries have worn monk’sclothing such as the koromo or other clothesbetween their skin and the okesa.

Rakusu

A rakusu is made from the basicstructure of the five-row okesa, soit is a kind of okesa. It has a liningand is made from five verticalrows, each with one short pieceand one long piece, using thenyoho- material, color and way ofcutting; however, it doesn’t follownyoho- size. Therefore, strictlyspeaking, to call it nyoho--e is notcorrect; however, we must notcling too much to form. We needto receive it in the correct way,through the receiving ceremonyand precepts ceremony, and thentreat it the same as we treat anokesa. Ian Kishizawa Ro-shi says in his book Kesakudoku Ko-wa that in the middle of the nineteenth century, in the Meiji Restorationin Japan, the government and thepeople simplified many things. Atthat time the rakusu was created.

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How to Wash an Okesa

Senryu Kamatani Ro-shi says the followingin his book Teisho- Kesakudoku:

The way of washing okesa is quite differentfrom washing other clothes. As Do-gen Zenjisays in Kesakudoku, when we wash theokesa we totally have to treat the okesa asBuddha’s body from the beginning to theend. There are two kinds of substances thatcan be used for cleaning: lye water madefrom the ash of burned clean grass or wood(people soak the ash in water, then leach outthe ash). This was the best cleaning substancelong ago. The other substance is fragrantwater which is made by putting incense (notstick incense but a piece of aromatic woodsuch as sandalwood, china berry or aloeswood) into boiling water. At the presenttime, we do not have to make lye or fragrantwater because there are many good cleaningsubstances, and we can choose a suitable onefor the okesa. First, prepare a clean tub. Thenprepare a clean clothes line. Pour boiled lyeor fragrant water into the tub and soak theunfolded okesa in the water. Then wait forthe water to cool (about two hours). Afterthe water has cooled, empty out the water

and then pour clean water into the tub. Washthe okesa with both hands by dipping itinto and out of the water without squeezingit. Then change the water. Repeat this manytimes until the water becomes clean. At thefinal washing, the okesa is purified by usingcold water containing a piece of aromatic wood.

Dry the okesa on a clean and purifiedclothes line wiped with the fragrant water orspread the okesa on a clean and purifiedboard wiped with fragrant water.

After it has dried, fold it in the correct wayand put it in an elevated place. Offer incenseand flowers to the okesa and walk withgassho around it clockwise several times. Thiswalking shows the highest respect to Buddha.Then do three or nine kneeling bows to theokesa. Receive the okesa with both hands,and put it on your head. Recite the verse ofthe okesa three times with gassho. Then putit on while kneeling or standing, so as not totouch the okesa on the ground.

How to Wear an Okesa

Shakyamuni Buddha admonishesus in a law (Dharmagupta’s versionof one of four Vinaya) about howwe should properly wear an okesa.The first prerequisite is that theokesa needs to be large enough tocover at least the navel and bothknees, about one third of thebody. Since the monks in Indiawear nothing underneath theirfive-row okesa, the okesa must bethe proper length and worn correctly. Second, as practicalclothing, it has to be the correct sizefor each individual. Third, it has tobe worn correctly, not carelessly.

At the end of morning zazen,monks gassho to the okesa, take itout of the case, hold it up withboth hands, and put it on theirhead. Then with gassho they recitethe verse of the okesa three times,and then they put the okesa on.Every time we are going to wear aokesa we do the same thing.

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When wearing an okesa we should be carefulnot to sit or step on it. Also make sure thebottom hem is straight when you arestanding and sitting so that the okesa properlycovers your front. If you wear no clothingunder the okesa, of course your navel andboth knees should be covered.

There are two ways of wearing an okesa.Ordinarily, the okesa is worn so that one’sleft shoulder is covered, leaving the rightexposed. This is the method most oftenused when wearing the okesa. In China,Japan and the United States, monks wearthe koromo and laypeople wear clothes underthe okesa, so one’s bare shoulder does notshow. In India clothes are not worn underthe okesa so the right shoulder is exposed.This style is the form used in serving, andshowing respect to seniors in India. If theright arm is free from the okesa or clothing,it indicates that one is ready to serve at anytime. This also makes it convenient formonks to work. The other way of wearingthe okesa is to cover both shoulders. In thelatter case, however, even though the

shoulders are covered, the upper part ofthe chest may or may not be exposed. Thisway is used by the Tathagata and elderlysenior monks. A monk should not use thismethod when he or she is in the companyof seniors. When a senior monk conducts animportant ceremony the okesa is worn inthis way. Do-gen Zenji advises us about theway of wearing an okesa in the Kesakudokuas follows:

There are many other ways of wearing an okesa.In order to learn, the best way is to closely askthe teacher, who correctly transmitted theteaching of Shakyamuni Buddha, again andagain until you understand it.

When we are not wearing theokesa, we should put it in a case orwrapper (fukusa in Japanese), andput it on an altar. When carryingit we should also put it in a case,and keep it separate from otherclothes.

As disciples of Buddha, we shouldnot forget that a rakusu or o-ryo-ki isBuddha. People forget that theyare Buddha and put them in thewrong place because they do nothave the Buddha’s image on them.This is regrettable as disciples ofBuddha, and we need to be moremindful. Even if you cannotunderstand that the okesa isBuddha, just believe it and hon-estly treat it as such. Doing this iscalled sangaku gubu; literally, sangakugubu means “to learn zazen withconcentrated reflection.” However,to learn zazen is not to try tounderstand it through our head.

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It is beyond understanding or not under-standing: just believe it and try to practiceas Shakyamuni Buddha taught.

If our okesa needs mending we should repairit immediately. To wear an okesa withoutmending is the same as not wearing it atall. Furthermore it is an infraction of theprecepts, which means a lack of reflectionon the part of Buddha’s disciple. Ejo- Zenjiasked Do-gen Zenji about what to do withwornout okesas in the Zuimonki. “If a monkrefuses to throw away an old, mended robe,it looks as though he is coveting it. If hethrows away an old robe and acquires anew one, he seems to be attached to thenew. Both views are wrong. What attitudeshould one take?” Do-gen Zenji answered,“If you can free yourself from both cov-etousness and attachment, neither will bewrong. Wouldn’t it be better, though, tomend a torn robe and use it for a long time rather than long for a new one?”

Ten Excellent Merits

The Buddha has said, “If one shaves theirhead and puts on a kasãya, they will be protected by all the Buddhas and veneratedby celestial beings.” From this, it can beclearly understood that when we shave our head and put on a kasãya we will beprotected by all the Buddhas. Through thisprotection we can completely realize themerit of the supreme Bodhi-wisdom,being venerated by both celestial beingsand human beings. The Buddha once toldthe Bhiksu Jnanaprabha,

The kasãya of the great virtuous fieldis endowed with ten excellent merits.Worldly clothing often increasesour defilements, but the Tathagata’srobe does not. A kasãya has the following merits:9

(1)The robe prevents us from beingashamed and allows us to completerepentant life. It becomes the fieldbringing virtue to us.

Taking Care of the Okesa

(2)The robe protects us fromcold, heat, and poisonousinsects. By increasing thestrength of Bodhi-mind, itleads us to the ultimate identity.

(3)The robe manifests ahome-leaver and removesgreed. In freedom from thefive perverted views, it leadsus to the correct practice.

When we see the appearance ofa monk, we do not think of doinganything with an unwholesomemind. The okesa influences notonly the person wearing it, butalso others who see the personwearing it. The okesa-wearing figureof a monk inevitably evokes asense of the spiritual joy frommerging with Buddha’s teaching.The monk’s carriage, shaved headand wearing of an okesa, are the manifestation of unsurpassedpenetrating and perfect Dharma.10

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(4) If the robe is respectfullyaccepted as a precious banner andpaid homage to with bowing, itgives rise to the virtue of theBrahma King.

It is said Brahma is the highest realm inthe Rupadhatu, the world of form that isfar better than the world of desire we livein. The inhabitants who live there are beyondmaterialistic desires, specifically carnaldesire. They live only on spirituality, that is,in the state of purity and serenity. Brahmais the chief of the first Dhyana heaven inthe Rupadhatu. It is said we can be rebornas the Brahma. The idea of being reborn asBrahma seems desirable, but strictly speak-ing both Brahma and the human world arethe deluded world, after all.11

(5) If a disciple of the Buddha wearsthe robe, whenever he thinks of itas a stupa, it will bring virtue intobeing, remove karmic hindrances,and create awareness among humanand celestial beings.

(6) A true monk is well ordered by virtue of wearing the robe withrespect, for his actions are not disgraced by worldly desires.

By wearing dull-colored clothing,monks are kept away from the five desires(the five sense objects).When one becomesfreed from the sense objects, the attach-ment to them disappears naturally. The dullblended color used for the okesa is basedon the Buddha’s compassion, which leadsto no stimulation of the five senses thatwould create attachment to its color. Thesame applies to a way of selecting okesamaterial and size.12

(7)The robe is so adorned that theBuddha names it as a good field, forthis is the best way for the benefitand comfort of all beings.

The deluded world is based on ignoranceas the bedrock of the five desires and thefive hindrances. The five desires are thedesires for property, carnality, food, fame,and sleep. These may be called the faculty

of instinct inherent in all livingbeings. Hindrance means that whichconceals the virtuous function of mind and heart. The five are(1) covetousness, the more oneeats the more rapacious he is; (2) anger, harping tediously on a trivial matter with anger andbecoming blind to true reality; (3) sleep; (4) doubt; (5) drowsinessor torpor, being so tediously anxiousabout one’s mistakes that one feelspitiful and ashamed, and neglectsthe day-to-day work that one hasto fulfill. Ignorance is the root of these five desires and the fivehindrances, which make one’sunderstanding of reality obscureor cloudy.

Since the okesa is called fukuden-e,or “the robe of the field of virtue,”we are naturally blessed with virtuous qualities if we wear itevery day.13

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(8)The supernatural power of therobe is inconceivable and plants thepractice of Bodhi.

By putting on an okesa, our delusionsare cut off and, therefore, we no longerproduce further suffering. Then unwholesomemind disappears by means of the virtue ofthe practice of wearing the okesa. Learningthe precept of the ten excellent doings ispracticed by keeping the Ten GraveProhibitory Precepts. All of our good deeds grow in every moment by the merit of the okesa.14

(9)The sprout of the Way growslike a young plant in spring; thesubtle result of the Bodhi resemblesfruits in fall.

Since the okesa is wholly filled with theThree Pure Precepts, it is free from all evil,and it always works for goodness. Muchvirtue or merit originates from the okesathat you wear. The okesa strengthens thepractice of cultivating the Six Paramitas:giving, keeping the precepts, patience,

devotion, meditation and wisdom. Whenwe perfectly practice the Six Paramitas wecan save all beings including ourselves. Sothe okesa can be called a field of virtue.15

(10)The true steadfast vajra armoris unable to be damaged by the poi-sonous arrow of defilement.

This means when we put the okesa on,we are never harmed by any kind of perse-cution or hindrance from the externalworld, nor can any kind of delusion passthrough the strong armor of the okesa. Byputting on the okesa we become free fromthe five desires, and then we can practicethe Bodhisattva’s way perfectly. The erro-neous mind becomes tranquil, we do notmiss awareness of ourselves, and we areperturbed by nothing at any time or anyplace. We never become unsettled from ouroriginal self.16

Immeasurable merits are containedin these ten excellent benefits.Senryu Kamatani Ro-shi says thefollowing in the Teisho- Kesakudoku:

Do-gen Zenji says in theKesakudoku that we shouldcarefully study and learn about theten excellent merits of the okesa.However, we should not say “Iunderstand well” after reading itonly a few times; we should notleave the reading or studying of iteven if we feel it is difficult tounderstand. To understand the truevalue of okesa is not an easymatter, so we cannot master it overa short period of time. We shouldseriously consider each word and verse.17

Do-gen Zenji says, “I could continuetalking about the merit of the okesaforever, and the merit would notbe exhausted. In my entire life Icould not fully express it. It is thatvast and boundless. Even though

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you have read “Kesakudoku” or sutrasmany times, every time you read you willfeel the teaching is fresher and yourunderstanding will become deeper anddeeper. The same thing can be said aboutzazen or other practices.”

These are Do-gen Zenji’s most vehementwords. The okesa does not become worthy of respect nor do its benefits increase ordecrease by practice. The benefits comefrom the attributes of the okesa itself. Weshould not forget this and should believe it is so. How we can smoothly becomeBuddha, how we can reach supreme perfectBodhi, is inevitably realized by wearing theokesa. Do-gen Zenji says, “I have never heardof any person, in the past or present, whohas realized Buddha without wearing aokesa; anyone can become a Buddha.” So, Do-gen Zenji honestly recommends that wewear the okesa, which has been transmittedto us from Shakyamuni Buddha through successive ancestors.

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Notes to Text

1. Reiho- Masunaga, A Primer of So-to-

Zen, (Honolulu: East-WestCenter Press, 1971) p. 63.

2. Do-gen Zenji, Sho-bo-genzo-,“Kesakudoku.”

3. Yu-ho- Yokoi, Zen Master Do-gen,(NY, Tokyo: Weatherhill, 1976) p. 94.

4. Ibid.5. Senryu- Kamatani Ro-shi,

Sho-bo-genzo- Kesakudoku,“Kesakudoku Teisho-,” ed.Eshun Yoshida Ro-shi, recordedby Ryu-myo- Yoshida, (Kaizenji, 1976).

6. Reiho- Masunaga, A Primer of So-to-

Zen, op cit., p. 71.

7. Yu-ho- Yokoi, Zen Master Do-gen, op cit., pp. 104-105.

8. Ibid., p. 99.9. Do-gen Zenji, Sho-bo-genzo-, “Merit ofKasãya.”(This footnote applies to all ten excellent merits.)

10. Ian Kishizawa Ro-shi, Sho-bo-genzo- Ko-wa, “Kesakudoku Teisho,”recorded by Cho-shin Kadowaki, ed. Shu-ken Fukuyama.

11. Senryu Kamatani Ro-shi, Sho-bo-genzo-

Kesakudoku, “Kesakudoku Teisho-,” op cit.12. Ibid.13. Ian Kishizawa Ro-shi, Sho-bo-genzo- Ko-wa13. Ibid.

14. Ibid.15. Ibid.16. Ibid.17. Senryu- Kamatani Ro-shi, Sho-bo-genzo-

Kesakudoku, “Kesakudoku Teisho-,” op cit.

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Bibliography

Eihei Do-gen Zenji, Sho-bo-genzo- “Kesakudoku” (TheMerit of Kasãya), Sho-bo-genzo-

“Den-ne” (The transmission ofthe Robe), trans. Yu-ho- Yokoiwith Daizen Victoria,(Weatherhill, 1976).

Koun Ejo- Zenji, “Zuimonki,” in A Primer of So-to- Zen, trans. Reiho-

Masunaga, (Honolulu: East-West Center Press, 1971).

Yoshihiro Inoue, Genshi-So-e no Kenkyu, (Study of the Origin ofGarments of Monks), ed. andpub. by Yoshihiro Inoue, 1935.

Senryu- Kamatani, Sho-bo-genzo- Kesakudoku,“Kesakudoku Teisho-,” ed. Eshu Yoshida,recorded by Ryu-myo- Yoshida, (Kaizenji, 1976).

Ko-fu- Kawaguchi, So-to--shu- no kesa-chishiki, (Knowledge of So-to--School Kesa), articles on the “Shu-ho-,” vol. 556-569(1982-1983).

Ian Kishizawa, Sho-bo-genzo- Ko-wa,“Kesakudoku Teisho-,” recorded by Cho-shinKadowaki, ed. Shu--ken Fukuyama,(Daiho-rinkaku, 1972).

Gakusui Nagahisa, “Kesa Itto-roku,” article on monthly reading of “Shuho-,”So-to- School Headquarters.

Ko-do- Sawaki, Sho-bo-genzo- Ko-wa, “Kesakudoku,” (Daiho-rinkaku, 1964).Sho-bo-genzo- “Den-ne,” (Daiho-rinkaku,1964). Editorial supervisor, Kesa no Kenkyu-

(Study of Kesa), ed. Kyu-ma Echu,(Daiho-rinkaku, 1967).

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Elbow Length Size (Chu- s ize)

The length of one elbow variesaccording to the individual and ismeasured separately for each per-son. It is the distance from yourelbow to the tip of your middlefinger. This length is the basic unitof measurement. (It does notmatter whether measurements are taken with a metric or inchruler.) The elbow measurement(chu- size) is used to calculate the okesa’s length vertically and horizontally.

The method for calculating themeasurements of okesas is as follows:

Nine (or more) Row Okesa (Dairyo- Okesa)

Horizontal measurement = (one elbow length) x 5Vertical measurement = (one elbow length) x 3

Seven Row Okesa (Chu-ryo Okesa)

Horizontal measurement = [(one elbow length) x 5] minus [(5 elbow lengths) divided by 20]Vertical measurement = [(one elbow length) x 3] minus [(3 elbow lengths) divided by 20]

Five Row Okesa(Sho-ryo Okesa)

Horizontal measurement = [(one elbow length) x 5] minus [(5 elbow lengths) divided by 10]Vertical measurement = [(one elbow length) x 3] minus [(3 elbow lengths) divided by 10]

The Way of Finding the Size of the Okesa

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Yo- and En

The yo- is the overlapped area oftwo sewn pieces. The finishedoverlap is two or three fingers’width, 1.5" or 2.25" (1 sun or 1 sun, 5 bu in Japanese traditionalmeasurements).

The en is the border around theedge of the okesa. The finishedwidth of the en is the same as the yo-.

For strength, all ens should not benarrower than 2 finger widths, 1.5".

Dankyaku

Dankyaku are the finished horizontal and vertical measurements of the short (tan) and long (cho-) pieces. These are the finished measurements that appear between the stitching of yo- and yo-, or yo- and en. (See figure 1.)

Horizontal finished measurements for the dankyaku are the same for both cho- and tan pieces. The method for determining the horizontal dankyaku are as follows:

Nine Row Okesa[(one elbow length x 5) minus [(yo- x 8) + (en x 2)]] divided by 9

Seven Row Okesa[(one elbow length x 5) minus (5 elbow lengths divded by 20) minus [(yo- x 6) + (en x 2)]] divided by 7

Five Row Okesa[(one elbow length x 5) minus (5 elbow lengths divided by 10) minus [(yo- x 4) + (en x 2)]] divided by 5

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Vertical finished measurements for the cho- and tan dankyaku are as follows:

Tan (Short) Dankyaku

Nine Row Okesa[(one elbow length x 3) minus (4 yo- + 2 en)] divided by 5

Seven Row Okesa[(one elbow length x 3) minus [(3 elbow lengths) divided by 20] minus (4 yo- + 2 en)] divided by 5

Five Row Okesa:[(one elbow length x 3) minus [(3 elbow lengths) divided by 10] minus (2 yo- + 2 en)] divided by 3

Cho- (Long) Dankyaku

Nine Row Okesa:2 short dankyaku + 1 yo-

Seven Row Okesa: 2 short dankyaku + 1 yo-

Five Row Okesa: 2 short dankyaku + 1 yo-

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Figure 1Use figure one on the right as a work sheet. Draw a picture of the okesa andwrite the actual measurements on it.

A. Seven row okesa horizontal measurement

B. Seven row okesa vertical measurement

C. Horizontal dankyaku measurement

D. Tan (short) dankyaku measurement

E. Cho- (long) dankyaku measurement

F. Yo- 1.5” (2 fingers width) or 2.25” (3 fingers width)

G. En 1.5” (2 fingers width) or 2.25” (3fingers width)

* Yo- and en widths are the same for nine, seven and five row okesas.

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A. Horizontal measurement

B. Vertical measurem

ent

Horizontal Dankyaku

Cho

D

anky

aku

Tan

D

anky

aku

E

D C

D

F

D

G

Dankyaku Measurements

Cho- (Long rectangular piece): (18 pieces for nine row, 14 pieces for seven row, 5 pieces for five row)

Horizontal cut size = horizontal dankyaku + 2 yo- + 2 seam allowances*Vertical cut size = long dankyaku + 2 yo- + 2 seam allowances

Tan (Short rectangular piece):(9 pieces for nine row, 7 pieces for seven row, 5 pieces for five row)

Horizontal cut size = horizontal dankyaku + 2 yo- + 2 seam allowancesVertical cut size = short dankyaku + 2 yo- + 2 seam allowances

En (Cut size for 2 horizontal and 2 vertical strips):Width = en width (11⁄2" or 21⁄4") plus 2 seam allowancesHorizontal length = okesa’s horizontal length + 2" or 3" for corner foldingVertical length = okesa’s vertical length + 2" or 3" for corner folding

Ties Finished size: About 3⁄8" by 21" or 22".Cut size: Add 1⁄4" or 1⁄2" seam allowance to each side of width, and also on each endof length. (3⁄8" + 2 seam allowances by about 22" + 2 seam allowances.)Make three ties. (Longer length is suggested for heavier fabric.)

Daiza Finished size: 3 3⁄4" by 3 3⁄4"Cut size: 3 3⁄4" + 2 seam allowances or about 5" by 5"Make two daizas.

Joro- Finished size: 11⁄2" by 11⁄2"Cut size: Add seam allowances on each side = 2 1⁄2" by 2 1⁄2"Make four joro-s.

*Seam allowance = 1⁄2" or less per seam allowance, adjust as needed

37

Cutting the Pieces for the Okesa

Cut s ize for 9 Row, 7 Row and 5 Row Okesas

Determin ing the cut s izes

Cho- Cho- Cho- Cho- Cho-

Cho- Cho- Cho- Cho- Cho-

Cho-En cut to size * Ties

4 Joro-

2 Daiza

(5" x 5")

En cut to size *En cut to size *En cut to size *

Cho-

Cho-

Cho-

Tan

Tan

Tan

Tan

Tan

Tan Tan

Save for making

repairs to your okesa

or zagu

Horizontal dankyaku cut size

Cho- vertical dankyaku cut size

Tan vertical dankyaku cut size

=

=

Figure 2Lay out on 45" width fabric. The layout is flexible, this is justan example. It is determined bythe width of the cho- and tan cutsize and the width of the fabric.You can also adjust the seamallowance.

38

The method of sewing together atop piece and a middle piece isthe same as for rakusu sewing.Please see the rakusu instructions,figures 4 to 8.

39

Top Piece

Bottom Piece

Cho- Dankyaku

Middle Piece

1. Top edge yo- (stitch line)

2. Bottom line (fold)

3. Seam line

* *

* *

* * Remainder is seam allowance to go inside of yo-

ExampleAttaching middle and bottom pieces

(1) Measure and mark the cho- dankyakusize down from the yo-’s bottomedge fold of the upper piece.

Draw a horizontal line for thetop edge of the yo- stitch line,using the cho- dankyaku measure-ment. This line will be the yo- linebetween the middle piece and thebottom piece.

(2) Measure and mark the yo-’s bottomfold line. This line will becomethe bottom of the yo-, the fold line.

(3) Mark the seam line on the top edgeof the bottom piece, 1⁄2" or lessfromthe edge.

Sew together the middle piece andbottom piece.

Figure 3Sewing the Pieces Together

The method of sewing togetherthe strips is similar to the wayshown in the rakusu instructions,figures 11 - 15. The center stripand the next strip should bemarked as shown on the right.

Next Strip (#3)

(1) Seam line.

(2) Tan dankyaku measurementdown from the yo- fold line.

(3) Tan dankyaku measurement upfrom the middle yo- stitch line.

Mark 2 and 3 across the yo-.You use these markings for aligning the yo- for the adja-cent center strip (#4).

403.4.

2.3.

1. 1. 2.

Next strip #3

Center strip #4

Center Strip (#4)

(1) Fold line.

(2) Yo- stitch line.

(3) Tan dankyaku measurement from the top yo- fold line.

(4) Tan dankyaku measurementfrom the middle yo- stitch line.

Mark 3 and 4 across the yo-. You use these markings foraligning the yo- from the adjacent (#3) strip.

Figure 4

Sewing the Strips Together(Seven Row Okesa)

Cho- Dan- kyaku

Dan- kyaku

Tan Dan- kyaku

Tan Dan- kyaku

Tan Dan- kyaku

Tan Dan- kyaku

Tan Dan- kyaku

Dan- kyaku

Strip #1 #2 #3 #4 #5 #6 #7

En inside line

En outside line

Beneath en piece, en width

Remaining fabric, seam allowance

41

Marking the Kagami

Sew together all the strips. Nowyour okesa has become a big piece,a kagami.

Lay out the kagami and mark itsfinal size:

(1) Mark the correct dankyakuhorizontal measurements,measuring from the last verticalyo-s and add en width foren placement.

(2) Mark the correct tan dankyakuby measuring from the top yo-

lines, and add en size for thetop edge en placement.

(3) Mark the correct tan dankyakuby measuring from the bottomyo- line, and add en size for thebottom edge en placement.The remaining fabric goesinside, underneath the en.

Figure 5

Figure 6Marking and Attaching the En

Mark the seam line on the longedge of the en. Measure en widthfrom the seam line. Mark your en width on all four horizontaland vertical en pieces.

42En

About 1⁄2"

Rest

Width

Front side as you wear it

Inside as you wear it

Horizontal side

Vertical side

Figure 7Okesa En Attachment

You should have two vertical sideen pieces and two horizontal sideen pieces.

When you have attached the en,three rows of stitching will showon the outer, front side and onlytwo rows of stitching on theinner, back side. There will be onerow of stitching diagonallythrough the corners, visible onthe front and back.

43

Figure 8Measure, mark, fold and press oneseam allowance along the lengthof each en piece.

Pin the en right side up to the backside of the kagami along the finalsize mark. It is best to start pinningfrom the center of the en length.The en should extend beyond thelength of the kagami at both ends.Using the kyakushi stitch, sew theen through the fold to the kagami,right up to the corner.

The front side of the kagamishows the back side of the kyakushistitches, but this will be coveredby the en when the en is foldedover to the front side of the kagami. The seam allowances goesunder the en when it is folded.

Figure 8 (cont)

44

En right side

Seam allowance

Width

Press

Seam allowance

En right side

Kagami backFinal corner

Final edge

Fold line

Fold line

Fold the en to the right side of thekagami along the final size markand press. The kagami back shouldnot be visible above the en edge fold.

After you fold the en, the first rowof kyakushi stitches do not show onthe kagami back. They are hiddeninside the fold.

Measure the en width and fold theother edge excess under. Pin this enedge to the kagami and sew the edgewith the kyakushi stitch. Start andstop about 6" from the corner toallow for folding. These stitchesappear on the back side of the kagami.

Measure and mark a line along the

45

En right side

Kagami

right side

Folded-over edge of kagami back

Fold

Width

Kagami right sideEn

middle of the en width and pin onthe middle line mark. Start and stopsewing about 6"from the corner.These stitches also appear on theback side of the kagami.

Figure 9

Finishing the En Corners

Once you have attached all four ensto the kagami (sewing each en all theway to each corner) and ironed theouter en seam allowances inward,you can begin to fold the ens.

Note: These directions are for theright side top and left side bottomcorners. The left side top and rightside bottom corners are folded inthe opposite directions.

Tip:The horizontal en always overlays the vertical en.

1. Do a preliminary fold of the ensto see where the corner fold linewill go. Lay the okesa front side upand spread out the horizontal andvertical ens. Make sure the horizon-tal en is the bottom-most layer.

2. Fold the vertical en in.

46

Lay okesa right side(front)up and spread outthe corner ens.

Inside of en

Horizontal en

Front of kagami

Horizontal en

Vertical en

Vertical en

21

Right Side Top and Left Side Bottom Corners

47

En width

Horizontal en

Horizontal en

Horizontal en

Vertical en

3

4

Vertical en

Vertical en

5

Figure 9 (cont)

3. Fold the horizontal endown. Put a pin in theoutside corner to markthat spot.

5. Unfold those pre-liminary folds and laythe ens flat again. (Seecorner illustration #1).Then open the verticalseam allowance byfolding it towards thekagami.

4. Draw a line from that outside cornerto the place where the two en piecescome together, using either a markingpencil or a hera.

Note: At this point, you can either cutthe excess fabric about 1⁄2" outside themarked line, or wait and cut the excessonce all the folds are completed. (Theseinstructions illustrate the process tofollow when waiting to cut the excessonce all the folds are completed.)

48

Figure 9 (cont)

Horizontal en

Horizontal en

Vertical en

6

7

7. Fold the vertical en over thekagami (making sure the end of thehorizontal en is folded in too).

Tips: It helps to fold the top ofthe vertical en on the diagonal justa bit, to allow more room for thehorizontal en to lie flat.

Pin the vertical en in place, putting the pin in through the back of the en.

6. Open the horizontal seamallowance by folding it towards thekagami (making sure the top of thevertical en is folded in too).

8

Horizontal en

Horizontal en

8. Fold the cornerof the horizontalen down and indiagonally, to forma triangle shape.

49

Figure 9 (cont)

9

Horizontal en

10

Horizontal en

9.To remove some of the extrabulk, you can cut the extramaterial from the vertical andhorizontal ens. Draw a line atleast 1⁄2" from the folded edgeof the triangle on the horizon-tal en, and a matching diagonalline on the vertical en, asshown.

10. Fold the horizontal endown over the vertical en.

11. If necessary, adjust the fabric of thecorner to fit snugly and neatly, and thencrease the folds firmly into place. Pin orbaste, and then sew the corner.

Finish all en rows of stitches to the corners, beginning with the inside line.

Joro- AttachmentMark and press joro-s to their 11⁄2" finishedsize. Position them on the okesa so thatthe joro-s overlap the ens by about 1⁄4". Pin and sew.

50

Lay okesa front side up and spread out the corner ens.

Inside of en

Horizontal en

Front side of kagami

En width

Remove En width

En width

Horizontal en

Horizontal en

e

e

1

3

2

4

Left Side Top andRight Side Bottom CornersFigure 10

51

Horizontal en

Fold vertical en forward over kagami so that vertical en now has its outside facing you, and baste or pin in place. Then fold horizontal en over.

Horizontal en

Vertical en

Vertical en

5 6

Then fold horizontalen over.

Figure 10 (cont)

Figure 11When folding the horizontal enover, tuck the corner under to makea diagonal line. Tack along the edgeseveral times almost to the tip ofthe corner, to hold the material in place. Sew the diagonal line in place, and sew the unfinishededge of the corner.

Remove any basting stitches that show.

Finish all en rows of stitches tothe corners, beginning with theinside line.

Joro- AttachmentMark and press joro-s to their 11⁄2"finished size. Position on the okesaso that the joro-s overlap the ens byabout 1⁄4". Pin and sew.

Orient the lengthwise grain of thefabric vertically.

52

Horizontal en

Corner of horizontal en

Vert

ical

en

Kagami front side

En

En

Joro-

Kagami front side

Tack severaltimes throughto the otherside.

For sewing a nine-or-more-rowokesa a lining is attached to theback side of the kagami.

Method 1

Begin when your kagami is completed but the ens are notattached to it. You should have twohorizontal ens and two vertical ensand a lining piece larger than thecompleted size of the okesa by notless than 1⁄2" nor more than 1" allaround. If you need to piece thematerial together to make a largeenough lining, join the piecestogether as you would the kagami— creating long yo-s.

Lay the kagami back side up on alarge flat surface. Spread the liningover it, front side facing up, so that

53

it covers the kagami completely. Pin themtogether. Using your fingertips to feelwhere the yo-s are, measure out the appro-priate dankyaku length from the last yo-s (seeinstructions for dankyaku length), add widthof en for the en placement, and mark thecompleted (final) okesa size on the lining.

Sew the lining to the kagami. Begin about 1⁄3 of the way down from the top and sewto about 1⁄3 of the way up from the bottom.The place to sew is on the kagami yo-s. You maysew on every other yo- line; it is not necessaryto sew on every yo-. Sew from the liningside through one layer of the kagami yo-. Thestitches should not be visible on the front;

check often to be sure. Try to insert a yardstick inside the vertical yo- of the kaga-mi, then sew the lining and yo- togetherusing a longer needle. The yardstick is veryhelpful to keep the stitches from showingon the front side of the okesa. The stitchesshowing on the lining side should be tiny,about 1⁄8" or 1⁄4"; but the stitches withinthe yo- can be long, about 1", so that thetiny lining stitches are spaced far apart.

Attach the en on the final okesa outer sizemark. Sew through the okesa kagami and thelining. The seam allowance material of theokesa and lining should stay inside of the en.

Lining Attachment for a Nine-or-More-Row Okesa

Lining Instructions(cont.)

Method 2

With this method the ens arealready attached and your okesashould be completed, except forjoro-s and daizas. This method alsouses one large piece of lining. Thelining cut size is the same as inMethod 1 (larger than 1⁄2" or 1"all around for the seam allowance).

Tuck (fold) the lining’s seamallowance under on all four sides to the okesa’s final size. Lay theokesa backside facing up on a largeflat surface. Spread the lining outface up; the insides of the okesaand the lining face each other.

Pin the edges of the okesa and liningtogether. Sew using small hiddenstitches on the lining side alongthe edges of the okesa. Then puton the joro-s and daizas.

54

Method 3

This method is used when you have manysmall pieces of lining material. Put liningsbehind each of the tans and cho-s. This methodis also for an okesa that is completed, exceptfor joro-s and daizas.

Cut cho- and tan lining pieces, adding 1⁄2" onto the cho-’s and tan final sizes. Tuck the seamallowance under so that the finished liningpiece is 1⁄8" smaller than the cho- or tan size.

Pin the lining to the cho- or tan on the backside. Then sew using very tiny runningstitches. Sew the very edge of the lining andokesa together. Since you fold the liningabout 1⁄8" smaller than the cho- and tan size,there is a tiny space, about 1⁄16", betweenthe edge of the yo- and the edge of the lin-ing. (The original idea of 1⁄16" came fromthe width of a grain of barley.) The frontside of the okesa will show the runningstitch line. Then put on the joro-s and daizas.

Ties

3 ties are needed. Finished widthis about 3⁄8".

Cut size is about 21" or 22" by1" or 11⁄2".

For heavier fabric, the longer sizeis suggested.

55

Tie 1Fold seam allowances in, fold and sewusing the hidden stitch only along the longside. Leave both of the ends open.

Tie 1 will be fixed on the daiza that will beput on the right (front) side of the okesa.Both ends will hide inside the daiza,between the okesa and the daiza. To makethe inside of the daiza smoother we do notfold and sew the ends of this tie.

Tie 2Fold seam allowances. Sew three sides, thelonger and both short sides, using the hiddenstitch. Four sides of the tie are closed upby the hidden stitch and the fold.

Tie 2 will be attached to Tie 1.

Hidden stitch

FoldAbout

3⁄8"

Hidden stitch

Fold

s

56

Tie 3

Sew the longer side and one of the shortersides, and leave the other side open.

Tie 3 is fastened by one end to thedaiza, that will be put on the back side ofthe okesa. It is the open side that is putinside of the daiza.

s

Hidden stitch

Fold

Daiza

2 pieces are needed, finished size 33⁄4" by 33⁄4".Cut size 41⁄2" by 41⁄2".

(1) Mark 3⁄8"- 1⁄2" for the tie hole on the center of the daiza.The finished width of the tie is about 3⁄8".

(2) Mark Daiza as shown.

57

Leng

thw

ise

grai

n of

fabr

ic

3⁄4"

3⁄4"

3⁄4"3⁄4"33⁄4"

41⁄2"

33⁄4"

1⁄2"

tie hole

Front side

L

Leng

thw

ise

grai

n of

fabr

ic

Patch basted on

Cut for tie hole

Back side

(3) Baste a patch to the back of the daiza, covering the tiehole. The grain of the patch should be at right anglesto the grain of the daiza material.

(4) Cut the slot for the tie hole.

(5) Sew around the tie-hole cut using buttonhole stitches,sewing through both layers of fabric. See illustrations12a and 12b on the next page.

Figure 12

Figure 13Wrap the end of Tie 3 with a small piece of fabricabout 2"by 2", and wrap both edges of Tie 1with another piece of fabric the same size. Foldthe pieces of fabric to make a triangle shape. Putthe unfinished ends of the ties into the trianglepieces and then wrap the tie with the triangle.This looks just like a tie lady wearing a trianglekimono. Pin and baste the triangle piece and thetie(s) together. Put the triangle piece on thewrong side of the daiza. The tie sticks outthrough the hole on the right side.

58

Baste triangle piece and tie together.

12

3 3 5 71 8

9

2 4 6

Figure 12a + 12bButtonhole stitch

Figure 14Sew the daiza and the triangle piece togetherusing kyakushi stitches. Notice that the end of thetriangle piece should reach the inside squaremark, but not the outside square mark.

Fold the edges of the daiza and make the finishedsize 33⁄4" by 33⁄4".

59Sew daiza & triangle piece and tie

Sew daiza & triangle piece and tie

Triangle piece does not extend beyond this line

Make sewing look nice

60

Figure 15Illustration from Kesa No Kenkyu-

Edited by Echu KyumaPublished by Daihorinkaku

How to Assemble the Ties

This illustration is for the outside tieover the left shoulder.

(1) On the front, the outside, of theokesa, on the left shoulder side, thecenter of the daiza (the tie hole)should be placed at the intersectionof 1⁄3 (from the edge) of the okesa’shorizontal measurement and 6"below the lower edge of the en.

On the back side of the okesa, on theright shoulder side, the center of thedaiza (the tie hole) should be placedat the intersection of 1⁄3 (from the edge) of the okesa’s horizontalmeasurement and 3" below the lower edge of the en.

(2) Sew two rows of stitching aroundthe daiza on the okesa and also diagonallines at the corners, using the kyakushistitch. The stitches start and endinside of the daiza, so the knots willnot show outside, but will hide insidethe daiza.

This is the final sewing. Now iron theokesa at a medium temperature. First iron the ens and yo-s, then iron

61

1⁄3 of horizontal width

On front side of kesa Left shoulder side, looped ties

On back side of kesa Right shoulder side, single tie

6" 3"

Figure 16Attaching the Daiza

the kagami the top to bottom, middle toouter edges, so that you do not ironagainst the yo- edges. Fold the okesa in theproper way. (See figure 19.) If you foldyour okesa improperly,you will have troubleputting it on whenyou wear it.

62Half of horizontal size minus 1⁄4" Half of horizontal size plus 1⁄4"

Fold

half+ 1⁄2" half – 1⁄2" half – 1⁄2" half + 1⁄2"

Fold Fold

Front side

Back side

2 3

1

4

Figure 17

How to Fold the Okesa

The okesa is always folded with theback side (the inside) facing out.

63

hal

f of

len

gth

+1"

ha

lf o

f le

ngth

–1"

Fold

8 9 10

765

The zagu (nishidana, in Sanskrit) isused as a mat to protect the okesafrom dirt when the monk sits orbows. It is also used to protect hisor her health when sleeping. Sinceancient times the custom in Indiahas been to walk in homes withshoes on and to sit on dirt floors.Thus everyone, regardless ofwhether they were monks orordinary people, always had tocarry mats to sit upon.

One day when Shakyamuni Buddhawas staying at Rajagrha, he walkedinside the monastery to inspect it.He noticed many sleeping matswere scattered in the alley. Mostof them were filthy and wet fromrain. At that time ShakyamuniBuddha established the zagu as the monks’ mat, for it was easy to carry on their shoulders ortheir arms.

67

We use the Buddha’s forearm (elbow size),which fits everyone, for the zagu measure-ment. The Buddha’s elbow length is 2 shaku4 sun. The zagu size is two elbow sizes (4 shaku 8 sun) long, and one and a halfelbow sizes (3 shaku 6 sun) wide. Our zagu’slonger sides are 36” and the shorter sidesare 27".

When the zagu is made from new fabric wesew a piece of used fabric in the center.This is the rule. The square patch is calledtekko, in Japanese, and one’s individualelbow size is used as the tekko’s measurement.

The rules of the color and the material arethe same as for the okesa, but it does nothave to be the same material as the okesa.Also each okesa does not need its own zagu.The Buddha taught that for very big peoplethe zagu may be larger.

Introduction

Finished Size Cut Size # of Pieces

Kagami 21" by 30" 22" by 31" 1 Piece

En 27" by 3" 28" by 4" 2 Pieces

En 36" by 3" 37" by 4" 2 Pieces

Joro- 3" by 3" 4" by 4" 4 Pieces

Back Facing 27" by 36" 28" by 37" 1 Piece

Tekko 18" by 18"* 19" by 19" 1 Piece

The seam allowances are approximate; it is not necessary toget them exactly the same as the above.

Everything should be laid out with the longer lengths following the grain of the fabric (lengthwise).

* (or) one elbow length by one elbow length.

68

30"

3"

36"

27"

21"top

side

bottom

grai

n of

fabr

ic

(len

gthw

ise)

Tekko

Kagami

3"Layout and Dimensions

(1) Baste the kagami on the centerof the back facing.

(2) Put the ens around the backfacing in the same way as foran okesa. Sew the en and backfacing together, using thekyakushi stitch.

(3) Next sew the inside line onthe en, then the middle line.

(4) Put the joro-s on.

(5) Put the tekko on the kagami inthe center; then sew thetekko, kagami and liningtogether by kyakushi stitches.

69

How to Sew the Zagu

70

half of width –1⁄4"

half of –1⁄2"

width

half of +1⁄2"

width

half of width+1⁄4"

fold toward you fold toward you

f

fold toward you

back side up

Side underneath showing about 1⁄4" more than side on top

1 2 3

How to Fold the Zagu

71

half of length – 1⁄4"

half of length +1⁄4"

half of length –1⁄4"

half of length +1⁄4"

fold

up

tow

ard

you

m

4 5 6 7

flip over

fold

tow

ard

you

Each fold-over is brought close to the opposite edge, but not flush.This is to allow room for the fabricinside the fold. Bring the upperedge over to about 1⁄4" to 1⁄2" shy of the edge underneath.

Three Miniature Okesa

Introduction

Sho--san-e are three miniature sizeokesas: five, seven and nine rows.A little history of the sho--san-e isgiven in the chapter “Nyoho--e.”“Sho-” means small, “san” meansthree, and “e” means okesa inJapanese.

The following instructions weregiven by Eshun Yoshida Ro-shi:

The size, color and material of thesho--san-e follow the rule of theokesa . The basic size of the okesa isfive arm lengths for the horizontalwidth and three arm lengths for

75

the vertical length. The sho--san-e followsthis same ratio (5 to 3). See figures 1 and 2 for exact measurements. (Note that 5⁄16",0.8 cm or 2 bu are used for en, yo- and joro-

of any sho--san-e.)

Since the sizes of the sho--san-e are verysmall, there is no middle line sewn on theen and no daizas or ties are sewn. A lining isplaced on the nine row miniature okesa.

Monks carry the sho--san-e with them when they travel. Therefore, the sho--san-edimensions are a handy carrying size.Figures 1 and 2 offer two different sizes forthe five, seven and nine row miniature

okesas. There may also be other sizes. Thelarger size in figure 1 is that given by EshunYoshida Ro-shi. The smaller size in figure 2is the size Dainin Katagiri Ro-shi madewhile he was in Eiheiji Monastery in Japan(1947). The measurements are transferredfrom an ancient Japanese measurementsytem (bu to inches and metric). See the following figures.

76

Tan

D

anky

aku

Tan

D

anky

aku

Cho-

Dan

kyak

u

15⁄8"

(11 bu)

311 ⁄1

6" (2

3 bu

)

15⁄8"

(11

bu)

15⁄8"

(11

bu)

61 ⁄4

" o

r 15

.6 c

m (

41 b

u)

10" or 25.4cm (67 bu)

Dankyaku 15⁄8" (11 bu) Tan Dankyaku 15⁄8" (11 bu) Cho- Dankyaku 311⁄16" (23 bu) Joro-, En, Yo- 5⁄16" (2 bu)

Dankyaku

Five Row Miniature Okesa Larger size

77

Dankyaku

Cho- D

anky

aku

Tan

D

anky

aku

Cho- D

anky

aku

11⁄16"

(7.3 bu)11⁄16"

(7.3 bu)

21⁄16

"

(14

bu)

7 ⁄8"

(6 b

u)

7 ⁄8"

(6 b

u)

Dankyaku 11⁄16" (7.3 bu) Tan Dankyaku 7⁄8" (6 bu) Cho- Dankyaku 21⁄16" (14 bu) Joro-, En, Yo- 5⁄16" (2 bu)

61 ⁄4

" o

r 15

.6 c

m (

41 b

u)

10" or 25.4cm (67 bu)

Seven Row Miniature Okesa Largersize

78

3⁄4"

(5.2 bu)

7 ⁄8"

(6 b

u)

7 ⁄8"

(6 b

u)

7 ⁄8"

(6 b

u)

Dan- kyaku

Tan

D

anky

aku

Cho- D

anky

aku

Cho- D

anky

aku

21⁄16

" (1

4 bu

)

21⁄16

" (1

4 bu

)

Dankyaku 3⁄4" (5.2 bu) Tan Dankyaku 7⁄8" (6 bu) Cho- Dankyaku 21⁄16" (14 bu) Joro-, En, Yo- 5⁄16" (2 bu)

61 ⁄4

" o

r 15

.6 c

m (

41 b

u)

10" or 25.4cm (67 bu)

Nine Row Miniature Okesa Larger size

79

Tan

D

anky

aku

Tan

D

anky

aku

Cho- D

anky

aku

11⁄8"

(7.6 bu)

27 ⁄1

6" (1

6 bu

)

11⁄16

" (7

bu)

11⁄16

" (7

bu)

41 ⁄2

" or

11.

4cm

(30

bu)

Dankyaku 11⁄8" (7.6 bu) Tan Dankyaku 11⁄16" (7 bu) Cho- Dankyaku 27⁄16" (16 bu) Joro-, En, Yo- 5⁄16" (2 bu)

Dankyaku

77⁄16" or 19cm (50 bu)

Five Row Miniature Okesa Smallersize

80

Dankyaku

Cho- D

anky

aku

Tan

D

anky

aku

Cho- D

anky

aku

11⁄16"

(5 bu)

11⁄16"

(5 bu)

15 ⁄1

6"

(9.2

bu)

1 ⁄2"

(3.3

bu)

1 ⁄2"

(3.3

bu)

Dankyaku 11⁄16" (5 bu) Tan Dankyaku 1⁄2" (3.3 bu) Cho- Dankyaku 15⁄16" (9.2 bu) Joro-, En, Yo- 5⁄16" (2 bu)

41 ⁄2

" or

11.

4cm

(30

bu)

7 7⁄16" or 19cm (50 bu)

Seven Row Miniature Okesa Smallersize

81

1⁄2"

(3.3 bu)

1 ⁄2"

(3.3

bu)

1 ⁄2"

(3.3

bu)

1 ⁄2"

(3.3

bu)

Dan- kyaku

Tan

D

anky

aku

Cho- D

anky

aku

Cho- D

anky

aku

15⁄16

" (9

.2 b

u)

15⁄16

" (9

.2 b

u)

Dankyaku 1⁄2" (3.3 bu) Tan Dankyaku 1⁄2" (3.3 bu) Cho- Dankyaku 15⁄16" (14 bu) Joro-, En, Yo- 5⁄16" (2 bu)

41 ⁄2

" or

11.

4cm

(30

bu)

7 7⁄16" or 19cm (50 bu)

Nine Row Miniature Okesa Smallersize

Instructions

Material: A thin fabric in an okesacolor (eshiki, blended color). For sho--san-e the Deccho- style is oftenused. (See chapter on “Nyoho--e”.)In this method the yo-s are madefrom different pieces of fabric andsewn onto one piece of fabric inthe sho--san-e size fabric usingkyakushi stitches.

(1) Cut the fabric to the final sho--san-e size adding small seamallowances for four sides. Pleaseremember when figuring outthe seam allowance that your yo- width is only 5⁄16".

(2) Mark the en inside and outsidelines and all yo-s on the sho--san-efabric piece which you just cut.

(3) Cut the horizontal and verticalyo- pieces adding small seamallowances. Also cut the ens andjoro-s adding small seamallowances for the four sides.

82

Yo-

Yo-

Yo- Yo-OverUnder

(4) Fold all of the yo-s’ longer sides to theproper width (5⁄16", 0.8 cm or 2 bu).Do not fold the shorter-side edges.Place the folded short yo-s on the horizontal yo- marks. Pin or baste the yo- on the sho--san-e. Sew the very edge ofthe folded yo- using Kyakushi stitches.Sew all of the horizontal yo-s onto thesho--san-e fabric piece.

(5) Vertical yo-s are used the same way.Place the shorter side edges of thehorizontal yo-s underneath the verticalyo-s. The vertical yo-s go over the horizontal yo-s.

(6) Attach ens and joro-s. There is no needto sew a middle line on the en.

(7) A lining is put on the nine row. Seethe lining instruction Method 2.

(8) Fold each sho--san-e back side out inhalf, vertically; and in half again vertically; and then fold horizontally.

(9) Make a sho--san-e case. Put the threesho-san-e together in one case. See okesaor rakusu case instructions.

(10) Put the sho--san-e in its case on youraltar when you don’t carry it with you.

83

84

Introduction

Sewing a rakusu is not a difficulttask, but it will require time,patience, and care. You will need apiece of blended colored fabric(very dark brown, dark green,reddish black, bluish black, etc.)about 48" long by 15" wide, apiece of whitish fabric 14" longby 81⁄2" wide for backing and anon-fusible interfacing. 100%cotton is best for both of these oryou can use a cotton/syntheticblend, or any lightweight fabricthat keeps a crease when you ironit. You will also need a 15" squareof fabric for your rakusu case. Ifyou do not have any suitable newor old fabric for this purpose, youcan add 15" to your rakusu fabriclength. For information about thecase and lining, see rakusu or okesacase directions, page 115.

All measurements are given in inches, butan alternative set of metric measurementsis included on page 78. The metric mea-surements make a larger rakusu. It isimportant not to waste fabric; the smallersize fully utilizes the standard fabric widths.One can get three rakusus from a piece of45"wide by 48" long fabric, or 21⁄4 from a 36" wide by 48" long piece of fabric.

You will also need a sewing needle (compatible with the fabric and longenough to handle easily), thread (of a color similar to the blended color), scissors,ruler, marking chalk and quilting pins.Originally, thread was dyed at the sametime as the fabric. Now, you may use aslightly different shade so you can see thestitches better. However, the stitching on a rakusu is not intended for decoration orexpression of personality.

Whenever you are not working on yourrakusu all of your fabric should be keptwrapped in a cloth. Care must be taken tokeep the rakusu fabric clean during sewingand transport.

Making a rakusu may take about forty to sixtyhours, depending upon your sewing skill.

Before starting, read through the instructionsto get an idea of what you will be doing.Before cutting pieces of fabric or sewing, itwould be a good idea to read a few sentencesahead in the instructions to make sure youunderstand the step completely.

87

88

Alternate Dimensions(F in ished s ize of rakusu)

Standard Standard Large Young child Young childin INCHES in BU METRIC in BU METRIC

Cho- 4" by 11⁄2" 22bu by 10bu 9.5cm by 3.5cm 20bu by 8bu 7.5cm by 3cm

Tan 15⁄8" by 11⁄2" 11bu by 10bu 4.5cm by 3.5cm 8bu by 8bu 3cm by 3cm

Yo- 3⁄4" 5bu 2.5cm 4bu 1.5cm

Sao 11⁄2" by 35" 10bu by 233bu 4cm by 95cm 7bu by 180bu 2.7cm by 68cm

En 11⁄2" 10bu 4cm 7bu 2,7cm

Maneki (folded) 31⁄4" by 33⁄4" 23bu by 25bu 11cm by 10cm 23bu by 18bu 8.5cm by 7cm

Joro- 1" by 1" 7bu by 7bu 2.5cm by 2.5cm 5bu by 5bu 2cm by 2cm

Bu is an old-fashioned Japanese measurement. Standard size rakusu sizes were transferred from bu to inches.10bu = 1sun100bu = 10sun = 1shaku3⁄4" = 5bu11⁄2" = 10bu = 1sun3" = 20bu = 2sun15⁄8" = 11bu = 1sun 1bu

The RakusuMain Part

89

Sao Sao

En

En

En En

Joro

Yo Yo

Yo

Yo Yo YoCho (a)

Cho (e)

Cho (c)

Cho (b)

Tan (b)

Yo

Yo

Cho (d)

Tan (d)

Tan (c) TanTan

Joro

Joro Joro

Yo

This figure is not drawn exactly to scale.You must rely on the measurements foreach piece. If the fabric you have chosenhas a very coarse weave, you may need tocut the pieces slightly larger to achieve theright size in your finished rakusu.*Lay out your pattern lengthwise on the fabric.

90

En

Sao

Sao

Cho Cho Cho Cho Cho Tan Tan Tan Tan

Maneki

Tan

Joro

Joro

55⁄8"

(3.8 sun)

281⁄8"±

(13.8 sun)

48"±

(32 sun)

36"±

(25 sun)

167⁄8"±

(11.1 sun)33⁄8"± (2.25 sun)

33⁄4"±

(2.4 sun)

33⁄4"±

(2.4 sun)

33⁄4"±

(2.4 sun)

33⁄4"±

(2.4 sun)

91⁄2"

(6.4 sun)

15"±

(10 sun)

Figure 1

Layout

Sewing the Kagami

(1) To begin, check the coloredfabric to be sure the grain isstraight. On close examination,you should see the warp and weftthreads perfectly perpendicular toeach other. If the threads arecrooked, grasp the corners of thecloth and pull on the diagonal, inthe direction required to straightenthe grain. Next, lay out the fabricand iron it smooth.

(2) Using a dressmaker’s chalkpencil, mark the pieces on thefabric as shown in figure 1.

91

You should end up with the following pieces:

5 Cho- (Long) 33⁄4" x 55⁄8" 5 Tan (Short) 33⁄4" x 33⁄8" 1 Maneki 71⁄2" x 91⁄2"2 Sao 33⁄4" x 36" 1 En (Border) 33⁄4" x 48"4 Joro- (Reinforcing) 11⁄2" x 11⁄2"

1 back facing (white or light blended color) about8"or 81⁄2" x 111⁄2"

1 Interfacing about 9" x 13"1 Maneki interfacing 3" x 8"2 Sao interfacing about 11⁄4" x 36"

(See note on figure 1.)

Marking the Cho- and Tan

(3) It is easiest to make the frontcenter section of the rakusu first.You will be sewing each tan to acorresponding cho, then takingthese strips and sewing them side by side to make thefront center section. It is impor-tant to make each seam correctly.

(4)Take 2 cho and 2 tan, and lightlydraw the seam lines on the right(front) side of the fabric, followingthe grain, as shown in figure 2.Always measure the 1⁄4" line first,then measure the 3⁄4" line fromthe 1⁄4"line. We will refer to these2 cho/tan sets as strips (b) and (d).See figure 16 for their final locationand relation to each other. On the3 remaining tan/cho sets, whichwe will refer to as (a), (c), and(e), draw the seam lines as shownin figure 3.

92

right side Cho

(b) (d)

right side Cho

(a) (c) (e)

right side Tan

(b) (d)

3⁄4" (5 bu)

1⁄4" (2 bu)

1⁄4" (2 bu)

3⁄4" (5 bu)

1⁄4" (2 bu)

1⁄4" (2 bu)

right side Tan

(a) (c) (e)

Figure 2 Figure 2

93

(a) (b) (c) (d) (e)

Figure 4

(5)Take the cho and tan for set (b), put the wrong sides of the fabric together, andpin the cho to tan, matching the chalk lines as shown in figure 5. You should pinperpendicular to the chalk lines, catching only a small bit of the material, andyour pins should be fairly close together. This will prevent the material frompuckering, resulting in a smooth finished rakusu.

(6) Using the kyakushi stitch, as shown in figure 6, stitch the cho and tan togetherright on the chalk line. The stitches should be very small (less than 1⁄16") and veryclose together (about 1⁄8") extending the entire width of the material.They are per-pendicular and very close together. Refer to figure 6 for illustration. The fold willcurl up later if your stiching is too far from the edge.

While sewing, you should chant silentlywith each stitch,

“I take refuge in the Buddha” or

“Namu kie Butsu.”

Your objective is not to finish the rakusuquickly but to proceed with each step in deep mindfulness.

94

right side Cho-

(b) (d)

Stitch here

7

Tan

w

1

2 4 6

3 5 7

8

8 6 4 2

T

wrong side of fabric

right side of fabric

less than 1⁄16"

less than 1⁄8"

knot

Pinning and Stitching the Cho- and Tan with the Kyakushi Stitch

Figure 6

Figure 5

Figure 7

Knotting the Thread

Before beginning, knot one end ofthe thread by wrapping the threadaround your index finger (b) androlling it off between thumb andindex finger (c, d) while pullingit tight into a tiny ball (e). It helpsto moisten the thread end first.

To finish off the hand sewing witha knot, lay the needle on top ofthe last stitch, wrap the remainingthread a few times around theneedle (g), and pull the needleout (h), while pinching the knotarea between the thumb and forefinger.

To finish off the hand sewingwithout a knot, take a small backstitch (i), then reverse directionand sew back over the line ofstitching for a few stitches (j).Tuck the thread under (k), andtrim off the excess. This type of finishing may be desirable to avoid a lumpy knot.

95

g

ab

c

de

f

h

i

j

k

(7) Fold the tan up and fold thecho under on the 1⁄4"chalk line, asin figure 8. Pin and stitch veryclose to the fold line. The foldwill curl up later if your stitchingis too far from the edge. Repeatthis procedure with cho/tan set (d).Take care that your fold lines arecrisp; when you open a seam,flatten it out and crease along thestitch line with your fingernail.This is quite important; if you don’t,your yo (the space between thestitching lines, see the completedrakusu, pg. 86) will pucker and yourcho or tan will become shorter andnot fit properly.

(8)Take the tan and cho for set (a),with the wrong sides of the fabrictogether, and pin the tan to the chomatching the chalk lines as shownin figure 9. Stitch on the line, thenfold the cho up and fold the tanunder on the 1⁄4" chalk line, as infigure 10. Pin and sew, followingthe same directions as for strips(b) and (d). Now, repeat the processon tan/cho sets (c) and (e).

96

Figure 8

Figure 9

Figure 10

right side Cho

(b) (d)

right side Tan

(b) (d)

right side Tan

(a) (c) (e) right side Tan

(a) (c) (e)

right side Cho

(a) (c) (e)

wrong side Cho

(a) (c) (e)

2nd stitch line

1st stitch line

(c)

1st seam line

Fold line

1

**A B

97

(c) (d)

1st seam lineFold line

1st stitch line

1st stitch line

1

12

2nd stitch line fold *

*

*A a

b*

B

15⁄8"

(11 bu)

3⁄4"

(5 bu)

1⁄4"

(2 bu)

1⁄4"

(2 bu)

Figure 11

Assembling the Vertical Strips

(9) Now you are ready to jointhese vertical strips together,sewing them side by side. Beginwith pieces (c) and (d) [or (c)and (b)]. Mark the seam lines oneach piece as shown in figure 11.From the fold of the seam on (c),measure down 15⁄8". From thefirst stitch line on (d), measureup 15⁄8". These reference points (* on diagram) must match up as you sew (c) to (d) in the same way the cho and tanwere sewn together.

Figure 12Pin, matching the reference pointsA* and a*B* and b*

Pin from the center toward bothends. Don’t be concerned if theends don’t line up evenly; this isnormal.

98

1st seam line

Fold line

(c)

1st seam line

Fold line

A B

(c)

A B

Figure 13Sew on the first seam line.

Fold (d) up and fold (c) underthe 1⁄4" chalk line. Pin and stitichvery close to the fold line.

99

(c)

A B

(c)

(d)(d)

(c)

A B

100

(b) (e)

Seam line

*

Fold line Fold line1st seam line 1st seam line

from fold

*

*

*

15⁄8"

(11 bu)

11⁄2"

(1 sun)1⁄4"

(2 bu)

1⁄4"

(2 bu)

3⁄4"

(5 bu)

3⁄4"

(5 bu)

3⁄4"

(5 bu)the restthe

restthe rest11⁄2"

(1 sun)the rest

(d)(c)

15⁄8"

(11 bu)

*

**

Figure 14

(10) Mark 2 chalk lines on (d):first, 11⁄2"to the right of the foldof (c), then 3⁄4"from the first line.On (e), mark a chalk line 1⁄4" fromthe left edge, and mark a referencepoint (*) 15⁄8" down from thefold. Matching this referencepoint to the upper stitch line on(d), you can sew (d) to (e), asstrips (c) and (d) were sewntogether. See figure 14.

(11) Mark 2 chalk lines on the leftedge of (c): first, 11⁄2" from thefirst row of stitching that connects (c) to (d), then 3⁄4" from the firstline. On (b), mark a line 1⁄4" infrom the right edge, and a referencepoint (*) 15⁄8" up from the firststitch line. Match this referencepoint on (b) to the fold of theseam on (c), and sew (c) to (b), as strips (c) and (d) were sewntogether. See figure 14.

101

102

(a)

Fold line Fold lineSeam lineSeam line

15⁄8"

(11 bu)

1⁄4"

(2 bu)3⁄4"

(5 bu)

3⁄4"

(5 bu)

the rest 11⁄2"

(1 sun)

(b)

**

(e)(d)(c)

*

Figure 15

(12) Mark 2 chalk lines on theleft edge of (b): first, 11⁄2" to theleft from the fold of (c), then 3⁄4"from the first line. On (a), mark a chalk line 1⁄4" from the rightedge, and mark a reference point(*) 15⁄8" down from the fold.Matching this reference point tothe upper stitch line on (b), youcan sew (b) to (a). See figure 15.

Remember: The horizontal foldlines (horizontal yo- line) shouldform a straight line across thefront of the kagami.

103

Inner perimeter of kagamiBasting stitchInterfacingBackfacing (backfacing is underneath interfacing, about same size as kagami piece)

11⁄2"

(10 bu)11⁄2"

(10 bu)

*101⁄2" more or less*6

7⁄16 " more or less

(a)15⁄8"

(11 bu)

(b)

(e)15⁄8"

(11 bu)

(d)

15⁄8"

(11 bu)

(c)

Figure 16 * according to actual dimensions of your kagami

104

105

(13) The top and bottom edges of this center section will not bestraight across. From the fold ofthe seam joining pieces (a) and(b), draw a line 11⁄2" to the left,and from the fold of the seamjoining pieces (d) and (e), draw a line 11⁄2" to the right. Measureup 15⁄8" from the upper stitchlines on (a), (c), and (e), and drawa horizontal line. From the foldson (b) and (d), measure down15⁄8" and draw a second horizon-tal line. You have now marked off the inner perimeter of the centersection, which should measureapproximately 67⁄16" x 101⁄2".Carefully press flat. See figure 16.

(14) Press the back facing and interfacing.Then lay out the back facing, place theinterfacing on top of it, and place the kagamion top of the interfacing, right side up.Smooth the pieces out, then find the center of the kagami. Put a pin there.

(15)Then very carefully smooth the fabricfrom the center to the edges, checking thatthe facings are flat and the grain is straight.Place pins as shown in figure 16. Once all issecurely pinned, you may baste all threepieces together around the perimeter,keeping your stitches slightly outside of thechalk line. Use large stitches, about 1⁄2"– 3⁄4"in length. This basting will keep the kagami,interfacing and back facing straight andcentered as you attach the en. The bastingstitches will not show when the rakusuis finished.

Marking and Basting the Kagami

106

left side as you face

Rakusubottom side right side top side

463⁄8"

Isosceles triangles Right-angle trianglesStraight grain

3rd corner 4th corner 1⁄2 of 1st corner2nd corner1⁄2 of 1st corner

67⁄16"

(43 bu)67⁄16"

(43 bu)11⁄2"

(10 bu)11⁄2"

(10 bu)

11⁄2"

(10 bu)

31⁄2" ±

11⁄2"

(10 bu)

1⁄4"±

1⁄4"

the rest

1⁄4" 101⁄2"

(70 bu)101⁄2"

(70 bu)3"

(20 bu)3"

(20 bu)3"

(20 bu)

Figure 17 Sewing the En(Use e i ther Method 1 or Method 2 )

Method 1

* Measurements are approximate andshould be replaced by the actual dimensions of your kagami.

107

Method 1Mark on the wrong side of thefabric. This drawing is not to scale.Measurements are approximateand should be replaced by the actual dimensions of your kagami.

(15) Smooth out or iron the en piece flat.Lay out the guide lines as in figure 17. Allmeasurements will be derived from theactual dimensions of your kagami, so themeasurements given on the diagram areapproximate only. Measure your kagami onthe chalk line you drew in step 13 and usethese dimensions for your en.

Precision in measuring is extremely important in this step. Please check and recheck all measurments.

Figure 18(16) Step 1. First corner: Sewends together, starting at point(A), where the lines meet, andending at point (B).

Figure 19Step 2. How to sew all corners:Use basting stitch. First pin andthen sew all 4 corners of the en,slightly outside of the markalways beginning at point (A) andending at point (B). See figure 20.

Leave a loop of thread about 1⁄2"at the middle. See figure 20.

108

wrong side of En3"

(A)

(B)

11⁄2"

Ending of en

Beginning of en

Right side

marked side is wrong side

(A)

(B)

Method 1 (cont.)Pinning and Basting the En

Figure 20Use a basting stitch, and leave aloop at the middle (tip) as shownin figure 19. Knot your threadbefore beginning to sew andwhen finished basting.

Figure 21Corners 2, 3, and 4.

109

Folded edge

Start where lines meet

Stop where lines meet

1⁄16"

Loop of thread

Start where lines meet

Stop where lines meet

Baste

Marked line

(A)

(B)

Method 1 (cont.)

Figure 21a1st corner3rd corner

1st corner: shorter side of en (67⁄16"side)faces you.The right side flapis folded toward you. Left side flapis folded to back, away from you.

---- Basting stitch____ Marked line (fold on this line)

Figure 21b2nd corner 4th corner

Figure 21c(17) Fold each corner following thediagram. Fold on the marked line sothat the basting stitches will goslightly inside of the corner line.

The 1st corner and the 3rd cornerare shown in figure 21a. The rightflap is folded toward you and theleft flap is folded to the back side.The 2nd corner and 4th corner areas shown in figure 21b.

Fold and iron all the corners. Irononly on each corner; do not iron onthe marked line of the en. The warmtemperature might stretch the fabricand alter the length of the en.

110

Basting

Folded

Marked

IronFlapIron

Do not iron

I

Method 1 (cont.)

Insert both your thumbs inside thecorner, underneath the triangularflaps, with your 4 fingers on theoutside. The flaps are supportedfrom the outside by the 4 fingersand inside by the thumbs. Thenturn the corner inside out. Pin on the corner line. The inside triangular part, together with the pinned side, must stay foldedtoward you. The piece folded tothe back side must stay on theopposite side of the right corner.Each half of the corner shouldhave a triangular flap inside, sothe fabric layers become even.

111

Inside has flap

En inside line

Ironed part (corner line)

Seam allowance

En inside line

Toward the back side of the en

Tow

ard

the

fron

t si

de o

f th

e en

Flap

Seam allowance

Figure 21dSewing the En Corners with the Kyakushi Stitch

Method 1 (cont.)

Figure 22(18) Beginning with the first corner,and sewing toward the outsidecorner, sew all corners using thekyakushi stitch. Start your stitchabout 1⁄8" from the inside-of-enfold line and end about 1⁄8" fromthe other inside of en fold. As yousew each corner, turn and re-holdthe corner, continuing the kyakushistitch on the other side of thecorner. Finish each corner.

When you sew on the corner line, put thefingers of your other hand inside underthe triangular part, so you won’t sew thetwo sides of the corner together. You willbe sewing the triangular part on that sideto the seam. The stitch lines illustrated inthe diagram are on the top edge of eachfold. You made the first corner by stitchingtogether the two ends of the En. No iron-ing is suggested. See figure 22.

Go to figure 26.

112

back side of En (inner side,

worn next to chest)

1st corner

2nd3rd

4th

Side corners overlap the top and bottom

front side of En

1st corner

2nd 3rd

4th

Top and bottom corners overlap the sides.

w

h

Method 1 (cont.)

113

left side as you face

Rakusubottom side right side top side

463⁄8"

Isosceles triangles Right-angle trianglesStraight grain

3rd corner 4th corner 1⁄2 of 1st corner2nd corner1⁄2 of 1st corner

67⁄16"

(43 bu)67⁄16"

(43 bu)11⁄2"

(10 bu)11⁄2"

(10 bu)

11⁄2"

(10 bu)

31⁄2" ±

11⁄2"

(10 bu)

1⁄4"±

1⁄4"

the rest

1⁄4" 101⁄2"

(70 bu)101⁄2"

(70 bu)3"

(20 bu)3"

(20 bu)3"

(20 bu)

Figure 23Method 2Mark on the right side of the fabric. This drawing is not to scale.Measurements are approximateand should be replaced by theactual dimensions of your kagami.

Step 1 Mark the en exactly as in figure 17,but on the right side of the fabric.Then turn the en over and mark achalk line along the entire lengthof the en right along the middle.Also mark lines across the ends,1⁄4" from each end.

Step 2First corner: Sew the ends togetheron the back side (with the rightsides facing in) using a runningstitch. Turn to the right side andcheck that the chalk lines make aperfect “X”. Then press the seamallowance open. Turn the wholeen to the right side.

Step 3Imagine that the “X” is laid overthe face of a clock. Fold and pressalong the 11 o’clock - 5 o’clock diagonal for corners 1 and 3. Foldand press the opposite diagonalon corners 2 and 4.

114

back side end

back side end

back side right side

Method 2 (cont.)

Step 1

Step 2

3rd corner 4th corner 1⁄2 of 1st corner

2nd corner

Fold line

1⁄2 of 1st corner

67⁄16"

(43 bu)67⁄16"

(43 bu)101⁄2"

(70 bu)11⁄2"

(10 bu)11⁄2"

(10 bu)1⁄4"± 1⁄4" 101⁄2"

(70 bu)3"

(20 bu)3"

(20 bu)3"

(20 bu)

Fold line Fold line

Step 3

Figure 24

Step 5On the front, the top and bottompieces overlap the side pieces. Onthe back it’s the reverse: the sidesoverlap the top and bottom.Return to figure 21d to sew thecorners. Then go to figure 26.

115

Step 4Fold the top of the en toward you along the chalk line. Fold the bottom of the en up along thechalk line. Fold the outside edgeof each side under (to the back)along the chalk line.

Fold backwardFold forward

Method 2 (cont.)

Front side of en

Step 4

Step 5

Figure 25

Figure 26

Putting the Kagami into the EnBoth Method 1 and Method 2

(19) Put the kagami into the en.Match the kagami’s corners and theen’s inside corners. Lightly pin thecorners. Fold the seam allowance to the inside of the en. Lightly pinthe en’s edge to the kagami throughthe backing material but notthrough the back edge of the en.Sew the very edge of the en usingthe kyakushi stitch through theinterfacing and the backing (white or light-blend fabric) but not through the other sideof the en. Use the same tiny kyakushistitch you used when sewing thekagami. See figure 26.

116

top side

right side left

sid

e

bottom side

117

Back facing

Interfacing

KagamiEn

Front side

Back side

Hidden sti

tching

(21) Turn the rakusu over again, sothat the front of the kagami is facingyou. Pin around the middle part tosecure all layers of the en. (See dia-gram.) Sew around the very outsideedge of the en, through both sides,using the kyakushi stitch. The stitchsize must be the same size as the choor tan’s stitch size. When you changethreads, pull the knot through to theinside of the rakusu so it is hiddenon the inside of the en. You shouldstart a new thread one or two stitchesback from the last stitch. Pull thisknot to the inside of the en too.

Figure 27

Sewing the En to the Kagami

(20) Turn the rakusu over so thatthe white or light-blend colorfabric (facing you) is in front ofyou, with the en encircling it butnot sewn down. Carefully fold onthe 1⁄4" line, seam allowance tothe inside, and pin as you did thefront side. The folded line willcover the back side of the kyakushistitch line. Sew the very edge ofthe en using the hidden stitch (seefigure 27) through the inner sideof the rakusu. The dotted line infigure 27 indicates the threadpassing beneath the surface of thefabric. Stitches do not show in thehidden stitch. Check to make sureno stitches show on the front ofthe rakusu.

Figure 28Sewing the Middle(Third) Seam

(22) Draw a middle line. Lightlypin on the line so the interfacingremains smooth. Sew throughboth sides on this middle line ofthe en using the kyakushi stitch. Seefigure 28 for front and back viewsof the stitching.

Figure 29Joro- Attachment

(23) Take the four joro- and markthe fold lines as shown in figure 29.First fold the top and bottomunder 1⁄4" each, then the sides. Thejoro- are positioned in each innercorner of the front of the en asshown in figure 28. The joro- mustbe pinned exactly to correspond

118front view

back view

11⁄2"

11⁄2"±

1⁄4"

about 1⁄4"

1⁄4"

1"

1"

1"

with the straight grain of the kagami.Using the kyakushi stitch, sew thejoro- through all the layers to theback, continually checking theback so the stitches which willshow, are kept very neat andabout 1⁄4"overlapping the en.Stitch to the very edge of the joro-.

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11⁄2"

11⁄2"

35"

1⁄4"

1⁄4"± 1⁄4"

rest

Interfacing

Center fold line

Center fold line

top folded

Interfacing

Fold lineFold line

side

fol

ded

Interfacing

bottom folded

Pocket

Stitch the 3 edges closed using the hidden stitch. Stitch slightly inside of the creased line.

Interfacing

Marking, Folding and Stitching the Saos

(24) You are now ready to stitch the saos, the straps.Both straps are sewn in the same way, so once you havefinished one, just repeat the process on the second. Thelength of the sao is determined by your height. The saofor an average-size person is 35" in length. Adjust that measurement either way so that the center of the rakusuis roughly midway between the top of your diaphragmand your navel.

Iron the sao pieces smooth and mark as shown in figure 30.Trim a little off one end to get the proper length, ifnecessary. Set the interfacing piece with one edge alongthe center fold line. Iron the 1⁄4" seam allowance overalong the top edge. Iron both ends over 1⁄4", and finallyiron the bottom edge up 1⁄4". See figure 31. Finally, ironthe sao in half lengthwise along the center fold line. Put the bottom corner seam allowance into the pocket.Stitch the 3 open edges closed, using the hidden stitch.

1.

3.

2.

4.

Figures 30 and 31

Marking, Stitching and Folding the Maneki

(25) Now lay out the maneki fabric.Mark a chalk line 5⁄8" in fromeach long edge, as in figure 32.Fold the maneki in half, and sewup the seam with a running stitchor a small basting stitch, as in figure 33. Rotate the seam to thecenter of the maneki, as in figure 34.Now turn the maneki right sideout, slip the interfacing inside andcenter it as in figure 35. Iron themaneki in half with the seam onthe inside, then turn both endsinside so that the maneki measures31⁄4" x 33⁄4" as in figure 36.

Maneki right side

33⁄4"

(25 bu)

31⁄4"

(23 bu)

Dotted lines indicate interfacing, which has been slipped inside.

Maneki wrong side

M

91⁄2"

(65 bu)

61⁄2"

(46 bu)

3

31⁄4"

(23 bu)5⁄8"5⁄8"

73⁄4"

(18 bu)

Wrong side

No crease

D l

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Figure 32 Figure 33 Figure 34

Figure 35 Figure 36

(26) Slip both saos into themaneki with the stitched edge ofthe sao facing the open end of themaneki. Note that in figure 37 thesao that appears closer in the pictureis the strap that runs down to therakusu on the inside (toward thecenter of the rakusu), and the saobehind it in the picture runsdown and attaches to the rakusu’soutside edge. Fold the manekiclosed and pin or baste it in thecenter of the sao. Stitch the 2 openends of the maneki closed with thehidden stitch, as in figure 38. Youonly need to sew through the manekifabric and not the sao fabric asyou sew this seam closed. Taketwo extra stitches directly overthe first and last stitches of thisseam, for reinforcement. Do notremove the pins, because themaneki and the sao are not sewntogether at this point; they areheld together only by the pins.

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Reinforcing stitches

outside

edge Sao

inne

rSa

o

Maneki right side

ManekiSao

Figures 37 and 38Putting the Saos into the Maneki

(27) Now you are ready to sewthe securing stitching through themaneki and sao. The stitch you willuse, representing pine needles, isdone with the same thread youhave used for the rest of the rakusu.When you are done, the pine stitchwill appear on both sides of themaneki. Pass the thread through theeye of the needle and knot it toitself, so you are sewing withdoubled thread for strength. In theprevious step, you pinned or bastedthe maneki in the center of the sao.Begin sewing with the side of themaneki where the inner sao is up,facing you as in figure 39. Comebetween the two Sao and push theneedle through both the inner saoand the maneki, hiding the knotinside. The needle should comeout at Point 1 on figure 39. Pullthe thread all the way throughand then push it back through atPoint 2, going through all the layersso that it emerges out the back.

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Begin here

Indicates thread passing under fabric surface (the other side of the maneki)

Maneki

Inner Sao 12

4

5

37

6

12

4

5

3

7

6

Push the needle back through tothe front at Point 1, then push itthrough at Point3 on the front.From here, push the needle throughPoint 1 again from the back. Pushthe needle through the front atPoint 4. Push the needle throughfrom the back again at Point 1. Pushback through at Point 5 from thefront, and return to the frontthrough Point 1. From here, pushthe needle through Point 6 to theback, then return to the frontthrough Point 7. Again, push theneedle back through Point 6, andpush the needle to the frontthrough Point 1, but not all theway. Tie a knot on the inside andclip the threads.

Securing the Maneki with the Pine Stitch Figure 39

Attaching the Saos to the Rakusu

(28) Take the outside edge saoand with its seam toward theinside, pin it to the upper leftcorner of the rakusu, the bottomedge matching the lower edge ofthe top en. Sew it to the rakusu asclose to the top as possible, usingthe kyakushi stitch. See figure 40.Sew the other end of this strap to the upper right front corner,keeping the seam on the insideand not letting the sao twist. Sewthe second sao in figure 41. Ateach seam at the beginning andend, and between inner sao andoutside sao edge, take two extrastitches directly over the first andlast stitches and between sao andsao for reinforcement.

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Sao

Upper right corner of Rakusu, wearer’s perspective

Reinforcing

Seam towards inside

Seam

Outside edge Sao

Inner Sao

Figures 40 and 41

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1 2 4 5

3

How to Fold a Rakusu

Okesa and Rakusu CaseFinding the Right S ize

Because of the personal size differences and the varying thickness of the material used in sewing the okesa or rakusu, the case must be custom fitted.

(1) Fold the okesa or rakusu in the proper way (see pages 60-61and 114).

(2) Lay the okesa or rakusu in frontof you with a long side towardyou. Measure the length ofthe short side.

(3) Use this measurement for finding the right size.

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Okesa caseFinished Square = Double the measurement of shorter side length PLUS 1"Cut Size = Finished Square Size PLUS 1" for two seam allowances.

Standard size rakusu caseFinished Square = 14" x 14" Heavier material 141⁄4" to 143⁄4"Cut Size = Finished Square PLUS 1" for two seam allowances.

Simple Method

(1) Cut a square piece of fabricfor the case. Cut a second piecethe same size for the lining. Youmay use a dark-blend color fabricfor the outside and a plain colorfabric for the lining, as long asthey are suitable practice colors.Thelining should be a very smoothfabric, such as silk or acetate. Seefigure 1. Mark a seam line all aroundthe case fabric on the wrong side,the size of the finished square. Pinthe two squares together, right sidesfacing each other (wrong sides out).

(2) Sew the two square piecestogether with a small runningstitch on the marked line aroundall four sides. Leave about 2" openin the middle of one side (not ata corner) to pull the fabric rightside out.

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Figure 1

wrong side fabric

Lining behind (same size) Cut size

Chalk line (finished sized)

Figure 2

wrong side lining

(3) Press so the edge of the lining is about1⁄16" inside. Take care to press the cornerssquare and neat. See figure 2.

Figure 3(4) Turn fabric right side outthrough the 2"opening. Hold thecorners with thumb and indexfinger as you turn the right sideout. While doing this, keep hold-ing the corner until a nice pointcomes out. Hidden stitch theopening closed. Fold the resultingsquare as shown in figure 3.

Figure 4(5) Press around the edges. Hiddenstitch the edges together on theoutside, joining 2 and 3, 3 and 4.Turn to inside and hidden stitchthe edges. Make a couple of extrastitches at the junction of the threecorners for strength. Rakusu casesrarely need a fastener, but youmay add string ties for okesa cases.Finish the cases with a blanketstitch or other stitching for extrastrength, if you wish. See figure 4.

127

Optional stitching

1

2

3

4 Lining side

23

24 4

case

128

Figure 1

Japanese Traditional Method

(1) Cut and mark your materialas you would for the previousmethod.

(2) Assemble the two pieces withthe right sides together. Pin twoadjacent sides together on themarked lines, making sure thatthe lines on the pieces match asyou pin. Sew on the pinned lines,using a running stitch. See figure 1 for finished seam.

marked seams

outside

C

B

D

A

lining

sewn seams

Figure 2(3) Turn your material so thatthe sewn (A) corner is at the bottom and the open corners are at the top.

The lining material should faceyou. Fold the lining back at the topcorner (C) to expose the cornerof the outside material. Bring the seams of the two side corners(B and D) together at this corner.Be sure to match the seam linesof the three corners with oneanother. As you fold the two sidecorners in, you will turn them sothat the outside of the materialshows. See figure 2.

129

C

BD

A

sewn lines

wrong side

right side

Figure 3(4) Place the corner of the liningon top. You now have a sandwichwith the two unsewn corners onthe outside and the two sewncorners on the inside. Pin thesetogether as shown in figure 3(pins 3 and 4).

130

12 3 4

5 6

(5) You will now have two loops of material on each side of the pinned area.One will consist of lining material and onewill consist of outside material. On oneside, pin the two loops of material togetheron the marked seam lines. Be sure that thelines match on all four layers of material(pins 5 and 6). On the other side, pin allfour layers together but leave the top lininglayer free, about 2", somewhere along theseam (pins 1 and 2). Do not leave the 2"space at the corner – it is too difficult todo the finishing step there. This provides ahole to turn the case inside out when theseam is finished.

If you have done the operation correctly,your material will form a square with thetail of the bottom corner hanging from it.See figure 3.

(6) Sew along the pinned seam line with a running stitch, being careful to sew only the layers that you have pinned together.

(7) Fold the seam allowance so that the corners will lie flat (do not trim the corners) and turn the case right sideout through the space you left in the lining seam. It should suddenly resemble a rakusu case.

(8) Using a hidden stitch, finish the seamin the lining.

(9) Press the case so that the seams lie flatand the top folds over neatly.

131