Chapter 11: How to wear the kesa
As Buddhism spread and the robe was transmitted to such places as China and Japan—places with their own topography, climate, and customs—the original intention of the robe as a practical garment came to be misunderstood, so that it came to be thought of as merely one part of a monk’s costume.
The kesa has one very particular feature compared to individually fitted Western clothes: it’s just a rectangle. But to wear a rectangle, one must wear it well. What does that mean?
In the Dharmaguptaka Vinaya, we find the “Precepts of Properly Wearing the Three Robes” (Seiseijakusannekai). In the vinaya as well, the Buddha repeatedly cautions monks about the importance of taking care of their personal appearance.
The first condition is to “cover the three wheels.” That is, at minimum, the kesa absolutely must hide both knees and the navel (about a third of the body). The second condition is that the kesa must be worn pragmatically. If it becomes a costume, then one starts imagining ways of adorning it or wearing it differently. But because the kesa is ultimately a practical garment, it must be worn as such. The third condition is keeping one’s personal appearance in good order. A slovenly appearance is unacceptable.
To uphold these conditions is to naturally wear the kesa properly.
Of course to do that, the kesa itself must be one that conforms to the dharma. In particular, the overall shape and the placement of the ties play important roles. Let us consider, then, the proper way of wearing and using the kesa.
Consider the following illustrations.
The kesa has one very particular feature compared to individually fitted Western clothes: it’s just a rectangle. But to wear a rectangle, one must wear it well. What does that mean?
In the Dharmaguptaka Vinaya, we find the “Precepts of Properly Wearing the Three Robes” (Seiseijakusannekai). In the vinaya as well, the Buddha repeatedly cautions monks about the importance of taking care of their personal appearance.
The first condition is to “cover the three wheels.” That is, at minimum, the kesa absolutely must hide both knees and the navel (about a third of the body). The second condition is that the kesa must be worn pragmatically. If it becomes a costume, then one starts imagining ways of adorning it or wearing it differently. But because the kesa is ultimately a practical garment, it must be worn as such. The third condition is keeping one’s personal appearance in good order. A slovenly appearance is unacceptable.
To uphold these conditions is to naturally wear the kesa properly.
Of course to do that, the kesa itself must be one that conforms to the dharma. In particular, the overall shape and the placement of the ties play important roles. Let us consider, then, the proper way of wearing and using the kesa.
Consider the following illustrations.
Wearing the Kesa across Both Shoulders
1. The bottom edge of the robe remains level
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2. The lower corner of the robe comes to the front.
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Wearing the Kesa across One Shoulder
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Other Cases
Takuhatsu
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Kinhin
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Zazen
Sleeping. (An illustration of the robes used in concert: On top of the 7-panel robe, the zagu; the monk is wearing the 5-panel robe; and the large robe is used as a pillow. The right hand is under the head, while the feet are stacked.)
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As seen in these illustrations, there are various ways of wearing the kesa. As Dogen wrote, “putting on the kesa with the right shoulder exposed (hendanuken) is the ordinary method; wearing it on both shoulders is the way of buddhas and seniors.” Exposing the right arm makes it easier to do work and demonstrates to seniors that one is ready to be of service. In other words, it is an appearance that shows respect.
These days, underwear, kimono, koromo, and so on amount to a lot, so wearing the kesa over just one shoulder may not have that same visual effect it once did. Worn over both shoulders, the kesa clearly reveals its rice-field pattern; when a senior is not around, it is acceptable to wear the robe over both shoulders during the normal activities of the day (see previous illustration).
Dogen Zenji took a stricter stance, stating, “Only a robe of sixty panels or more should be worn over both shoulders.” Sixty panels, in this case, refers to a fifteen-panel kesa (which is made of sixty dankyaku).
So the kesa might be worn over both shoulders or over just the left shoulder—this is true for all three robes. However, as was explained in Chapter 2, the three robes each have their own special name and function. Special cases aside, the functions of the three robes are as follows.
Antarvasa (5-panel robe)
The 5-panel robe is worn when working, when traveling, and when alone in one’s room.
Uttarasangha (7-panel robe)
The 7-panel robe is worn when you are training in the company of the monastic assembly: listening to a talk, giving a talk, eating, or sitting in zazen.
Samgyati robe (9 to 25-panel)
The large robe is worn when you are in a royal palace or among laypeople in a town, when you are on takuhatsu, or when you are serving as a preceptor.
In a special case—for example, in a disaster in which two out of three robes are lost and only a five-panel robe remains—one may use that remaining kesa in the place of those that were lost. Similarly, if it is cold, it is acceptable to wear all three robes, layered.
In Shobogenzo Kesa Kudoku, Dogen Zenji recorded how, under Nyojō Zenji, he first encountered the correct ritual for wearing the kesa and was moved by it: “My body was filled with delight, and tears of joy silently fell and moistened the lapel of my robe.”1 In the zazen hall, when the bell struck marking the end of morning zazen, everyone placed their kesa on top of their hands, put their hands in gassho, and chanted the robe verse three times:
How great the robe of liberation is!
It is the formless robe and the field of happiness.
Respectfully wearing the Tathagata’s teaching,
I vow to save all living beings.2
He then described in detail how the monks would actually put on the robe, wearing it to expose the right shoulder.
How to Wear the Kesa across One Shoulder
1. Kneeling, take the kesa in both hands, place it on the head, and silently recite the robe verse.
2. With the front tie on top, place the folded kesa over your left shoulder and open it behind your back.
3. Taking the upper corner with the right hand and the lower corner with the left hand, pull the kesa open wide, folding the upper hem slightly inward.
4. Fasten the ties in front of the chest.
5. Toss the right corner over the left shoulder. Gripping it so as not to drop it, tuck it into the robe already there.
6. After putting on the kesa, the hem should be parallel with the ground.
7. When sitting, be sure not to sit or kneel on the kesa.
8. The hem should be horizontal when you sit as well.
How to Take Off the Kesa
1. Unfasten the ties and release your right arm.
2. Behind your back, turn the inside of the kesa so it faces out, then fold it into eighths (folding it in half around your body three times).
3. In front of your chest, fold it in two, then fold it again in thirds.
4. With the front tie on top, insert the kesa into its case, then place it securely in a high place.
