Key points of Sanshin’s sewing practice
The nyoho-e movement started in Japan's Edo period (1603-18968) and the tradition was revived by Kodo Sawaki in the 20th century. As his dharma descendents, we must accurately preserve, articulate and transmit that legacy. Sewing practice is open to both those on the path to receiving the precepts and those who are simply interested in participating by working with others on communal projects. The experience of sewing is greatly enhanced by becoming very familiar with the resources available from the Sawaki Nyoho-e Treasury, since there’s much more to the practice than the creation of the physical robe itself.
“The religious life is solely dependent on one’s attitude,” Kosho Uchiyama wrote in the foreword to Great Robe of Liberation: A Study of the Kesa by Echu Kyuma. “Attitude changes everything.” To that end, at Sanshin we adhere to these key points of practice related to our dharma sewing activities.
“The religious life is solely dependent on one’s attitude,” Kosho Uchiyama wrote in the foreword to Great Robe of Liberation: A Study of the Kesa by Echu Kyuma. “Attitude changes everything.” To that end, at Sanshin we adhere to these key points of practice related to our dharma sewing activities.
- The main text for Sanshin’s sewing practice is Study of the Okesa, Nyoho-e, Buddha’s Robe by Tomoe Katagiri. However, our practice also reflects sewing instructions from Echu Kyuma’s book supervised by Kodo Sawaki cited above, and the customs of Antaiji’s sewing practice.
- Before laypeople receive the precepts (jukai or zaike tokudo) at Sanshin, they sew blue rakusu. Before novices undergo shukke tokudo, they sew black 7-row okesa, black zagu, black rakusu, and black book wraps (kohonbukusa). Before dharma transmission, novices sew brown 7-row okesa, brown 9-row okesa, two zagus and brown rakusu.
- We sew robes under the guidance of an experienced teacher of dharma sewing and don’t undertake these activities on our own and unsupervised. We follow the sewing teacher’s instructions carefully in order to comply with Sanshin style.
- We sew robes in accordance with the nyoho teachings about tai (体 material), shiki (色 color) and ryo (量 size).
- Rakusu and okesa are made in kassetsu-e (割截衣) style. Rakusu do not include a ring.
- We understand robes to be Buddha’s body and mind, nothing other than buddhadharma itself. Thus we don’t make changes to their style or construction based on convenience, creativity or personal taste.
- Before beginning a sewing session, we put on rakusu (if we have them), stand before an altar, light a candle, offer incense and make three bows. At the end of the session, we again make three bows to close the practice.
- While sewing, we maintain our dignified deportment (威儀即仏法 igisokubuppo) and our concentration. We keep silence so that we can chant inwardly namu kie butsu (returning to Buddha) with each stitch. We understand that just as the robe and the dharma are not two, our sewing practice and zazen are also not two, and we bring the same attitude to each.
- We understand that sewing is a practice in itself, not a process to be gotten through as quickly and effortlessly as possible in order to end up with a finished product.
- We wear robes only after receiving them during an appropriate ceremony (ju-e sahō).
