30

RAKUSU SEWING INSTRUCTIONS

white cloth for

preceptor to
write on

front
back

1. You will need:

2.
1 yard black cloth or Peacemaker Rakusu pieces (1.25 yard for tall people)
1/3 yard white cotton (smooth fabric, so that it’s easy to write on)
1/3 yard black or white interfacing
1 ring, plastic or light wood, 2” – 2.5” in diameter
1 length of green embroidery thread (several people can share 1 package)
black cotton thread with polyester coating
contrasting thread (like bright red) for basting
scissors (Fiskars brand is recommended)
glass head pins (so you can iron over them and not melt them)

3. If you choose to make a Peacemaker rakusu, you will ask family and friends to donate
swatches of cloth which will have some meaning for you (e.g., a wedding dress, a shirt or
skirt, a tie). This cloth must be dark so that it will not divert the attention of others in the
Zendo: to this end you will want to die with black dye the donated fabric as many times
as it takes to darken it appropriately.

4. Your rakusu is an intricate and individual piece of work and should be made without
rushing. Please allow yourself plenty of time to work on it with full attention. Enjoy making
it, particularly if you are not accustomed to sewing. See Treeleaf Zendo’s series of rakusu
sewing videos at http://www.treeleaf.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=1152 for help. It will
help you greatly in this project if you view all eight of the videos before you start on your rakusu.

31
 All seams are sewn with a “blind” or “hidden” stitch (barely visible); the pine needle stitch on the
tab is the only exception to this.

5. “One of the teachings in Zen is ‘Everything is mind’. I’ve never experienced this quite so
vividly as when I was sewing my first rakusu. At some point I realized that what was
there wasn’t just a needle and thread and some cloth, but my state of mind. My state of
mind was there facing me. My effort, intention, and concentration, my impatience,
frustration, and restlessness, my desire to just get it over with were right there before
me. It was as if all the ups and downs and configurations of my mind were there looking
back at me. So, when we sew a rakusu, not only do we get a rakusu made, but most of us
get a very tangible experience of our state of mind. Then we wear or rakusu on our chest,
and everyone else can see our rakusu-sewing state of mind.

One of the instructions for sewing the rakusu is to say a refuge silently with each stitch. As I
took a stitch I said, ‘I take refuge in Buddha’; another stitch, ‘ I take refuge in Dharma’;
another stitch, ‘I take refuge in Sangha.’ This is repeated over and over with the sewing.
Doing this brings the refuges to the breath, and the breath to the sewing. This way of
sewing, sitting still, trying to bring your complete attention to each stitch, and chanting,
brings forth a concentrated state. Sewing is itself a meditation practice which unifies body,
breath, and mind. Through the sewing and chanting we embody the refuges, we bring
Buddha’s teaching into our bodies. I think this is the first initiation”.
Excerpted from a Dharma talk by Taitaku Pat Phelan, Abbess of the Chapel Hill Zen Center

6. Before beginning each session of work on your rakusu, take a moment to light a candle and
offer incense, dedicating the merit of your practice to the relieving of suffering of all beings.
You will sense delight in this continuous practice. It is also helpful to have a finished rakusu
in front of you while you work. The drawings at the end of this chapter contain pictures of
each step.

7. Read all instructions carefully before you begin. If you are making a Peacemaker Rakusu
and receiving fabric from friends and family, please roughly cut the pieces to size and dye
them in black dye before continuing with the instructions. If you are using store-bought
black fabric, there is no need to dye the fabric, but it is a good idea to wash and dry it before
continuing. In all cases, iron your fabric flat before measuring and cutting the pieces.

8. There are 16 pieces of black (or, in the case of a Peacemaker rakusu, patterned or dark
colored) cloth, 2 pieces of interfacing and 2 pieces of white cloth. Be careful to use the
straight grain of cloth at all times.

1 strip J 42” x 4.5” (44” for tall people)

1 strip H 42” x 4.5” (44” for tall people)
1 strip E 36” x 4.5”
1 strip F 14.5” x 4.5”
1 strip K 10” x 4.5”
1 strip L 9” x 4.5”
1 strip G 9” x 2”
2 strips A1 and A2 9.5” x 2”
2 strips C 8.5” x 1”
32
 1 strip D 8.5” x 2.75”
4 strips B 7.5” x 1.5”

For tall people, pieces J and H should be 44”. For average or shorter people, pieces J and H
should be 42”

9. First, cut out strips A, B, C and D pieces (two A, four B, two C and one D strip) according
to the measurements listed above. Do not include the selvage (the unfrayed edge of the
fabric) in any of the pattern pieces. Then cut out the paper templates for each strip (see
pages 43ff) and pin them on the front of the appropriate fabric strips. This will give you
the exact locations for the folds of each strip in the center section or “field” of your
rakusu. Be aware that A1 and A2 mirror each other, allowing for outside seams of ½ inch.

10. Mark all pattern pieces accurately on the wrong side of the cloth after cutting them, using a
sharp white pencil and a straightedge. Mark first the letter identifying the strip and then the
¼” seam allowances along both sides of the length of the strip. Note: the outer seam
allowances on A-1 and A-2 are ½” instead of ¼”.

8. Lay out all pieces of fabric in the pattern of the rakusu (use the illustration at paragraph 15),
so that you have a general idea of what it is going to look like. Check with the picture at the
beginning of the pattern or a finished rakusu, if available.

9. Mark, then cut from interfacing:

1 piece M 15.25” x 11.5”
1 piece N 10” x 4.5”
and from white cloth:
1 piece O 10” x 3.5
1 piece P 12.5” x 9”

11. Soak piece P in a solution of 50% soy milk and 50% water for 30 minutes. Then stretch and
iron it. This will make it easier for your teacher to write the verse of the kesa on it. Put M, N,
O & P aside until you add the white cloth (paragraphs 16 - 18).

13. The folds on the A-1 and A-2 pieces inscribe two “innie” folds on each strip, just like an
umbilicus (“belly button”); those on the C and D pieces inscribe an “outie”. Start with one of the
A pieces. Pin the paper strip you have cut out for the piece to the front of the piece in 3-4 places.
Holding the top nearest you, make a creased fold in both the paper and the cloth, using our
fingernails. Then fold this new edge across the hatch marks to the next cross line. Turn the
paper around and do the same with the next adjacent hatched marks to the next cross line. Turn
the paper around again and repeat this process with the next adjacent hatched section, so that
the folds make the “innie”. Repeat with the two hatched areas on the lower portion of the A
piece.

14. Once you have made the creases, using the paper, turn the piece over and iron the back side,
in order to “fix” the folds. After removing the pins, gently remove the paper strip by sliding it
sideways out of its folds. This will preserve the folds. Now baste each fold (1/4” stitches with
bright-colored thread across each horizontal fold, leaving a ½-1” tail on each end of the basting,

33
so you can pull it out). This will hold the folds in place until you attach an adjacent B-piece with
stitches.

When you do the C and D pieces, reverse the folds, so that you create an “outie” on each.

15. When you complete the D piece, you can attach one of the B pieces (which have no folds).
Take one B and lay it face to face over the D piece; pin through both with five pins, forcing the
pins exactly through the seam lines on both sides of the two pieces. Put a pin at each end to
start, and then fill in with the other three or four pins, always pinning exactly through the seam
lines on both sides and catching the fold with one of the pins.

16. Now baste outside the seam lines (again using brightly colored thread), leaving at least a
half inch “tail” at either end. Remove the pins and sew directly on the seam line, using the step
stitch. Grasp the basting thread by one of its tails and pull it out (or cut it in several pieces and
remove the pieces).

Now you should have a B and D sewn together. Congratulations!

17. Sew another B to the other side of the D piece in the same manner. Then sew a B to the A-1
and another B to the A-2 piece. To these B’s attach, in the same manner, a C-piece. Now you will
have an A-1/B/C and a C/B/A-2. No seam lines or stitches should show on the front. The tops
of the upper “innies” on the A strips should align perfectly with the top of the “outie’ in the D
strip; the bottom folds of the lower “innies” on the A strips should align perfectly with the
lower folds on the “outies” on the C strips. See the red lines on the drawing of the rakusu field
on page 35 below. You will now have a B-D-B for the center of your rakusu.

Now pin, baste, and stitch the B-D-B first to the A-1/B/C and then to the C/B/A-2. Now you
have the final panel: A-1/B/C/B/D/B/C/B/A-2. No stitches, except the broken pine needle
stitch on the tab, should show.

[This is a lot to cover but take it slowly, step by step. Be kind and gentle to yourself in this
continuous practice. If, at any point, you have a problem or a question, please feel free to email
Ray ([email protected]). He will be most happy to help you.]

18. With a pencil on the “wrong” side, mark a rectangle of 6” x 9.75” on the center field.
There should be at least 0.25” outside your pencil line. (See below.)

34
19. Next, on interfacing piece M, fold and press a 1” edge, turning under all four sides, so the
cloth measures exactly 9.5” x 13.25” from each folded edge. You might have to adjust the
fold so that the cloth measures these dimensions precisely. See the figure below.

20. Now, find the exact center of your finished center “field.” Fold the field horizontally and
vertically, marking the center with a pin. Do the same with the interfacing. Using the pins as
marks, place the finished center field exactly in the middle of the interfacing so that there is a
1.75” space between the pencil line of your center piece and the folded edge of the
interfacing. Pin, then baste with small stitches 1/4” outside of pencil line. Press.

21. Now turn the whole thing over. Place white cloth, piece P, in the middle so there is
about 0.25” between the raw edges of P and the folded edge of the frame. Pin & baste
with small stitches 0.25” from the edge of P.

22. Press border piece E exactly in half lengthwise, then press both raw edges inside so that
it measures 1.75” wide (see below).

.5

E
1.75” 1.75”E
1.75”

crease

35
23. Starting at the top left corner on the front, tuck the front and back border around the fold
edge of the frame, ending at the top right corner. Pin as you go, making sure that the
edge of the frame fits very snugly into the crease of the border. Do not worry about the
corners yet. Just keep the edge and crease together. The fold of the border, E, should
meet your pencil line on the center section exactly. Does it look like the diagram below?
Check with the front page of the rakusu instructions.

24. Now, fold the corners inward as shown above. On the front, fold the excess cloth inside,
towards the side edges. You may have to unpin a little to get the fold to lie neatly, then
re-pin. On the back, fold the excess cloth towards the bottom edge of the frame to
distribute the thickness evenly. Press these folds and sew the angled edges of the border
together with a hidden stitch.

* Check to see
E that the corners
meet at a nice,
tight 90°.
Inner edge

Outer edge

25. Baste inner (back) and outer (front) edges of the border. Make sure the corner seams
make a neat 45 ° angle.

26. Blind-stitch by hand the inner edge of the border and the corners on the front first. Your
stitches should pick up the interfacing but not come through the back. Then turn it over
36
 and stitch the back in the same way. Press carefully. Trim off the raw ends of the E
border so they are in line with the top edge of the frame.

27. Press piece F in exactly the same way as you did E. Fold it over the top edge of the
rakusu, the again making sure it’s a snug fit. Pin. Tuck the ends of F neatly inside
themselves with the excess cloth towards the back of the rakusu. Blind-stitch the front
first, then the back.

28. On piece G, press a crease 1/2” from the edge. Press a crease 1/4” from the other edge.

Back Edge

26. Fold G over the top edge of the rakusu so that 1/4” shows in front and 1” in back. Center it.

27. Pin G to F, folding in the ends neatly, at a right angle in front and forming a slant in back.
See the drawing on . Baste and blind stitch. (If you wish, stab-stitch bottom of G through all
layers to give the edge a firm finish ).

28. Now the straps: fold pieces J and H lengthwise and pin, raw edges together. Stitch ½” from
raw edges. Stitch across only one end on each piece. Clip both corners with scissors (it helps
to make a tight corner. Do not clip through your stitches! See the figure below) and turn the
whole thing inside out using your fingers to pull the strap inside out. Poke out the corner
with a chopstick or the eraser end of a pencil.

29. L will be the smaller part of the strap that

comes up to meet your rakusu ring. To
make it, fold L lengthwise and pin raw edges
together. Hand-stitch raw edges

37
 together keeping one end open. Turn inside out with the aid of a chopstick or other pointed
end. Fold and press. See drawings. Fold in 1/2” on one end and close with small stitches.

backside of L

30. Pin K and N together and baste along sides 1/4” from raw edges. K has to fit around N.
Fold in 1/2” on each side and press.

basting

31. Fold in 1/4” on long sides of piece O and press. Pin O to K/N so that 1/4” of K shows on
either side of O. Baste, then slip-stitch. Fold raw ends over 1/2” and press. Mark center of
each (long) side with a pin.

32. Pin the finished ends of J and H to the top edge of your rakusu, on the left as you look at it,
as illustrated on page 1. The seamed edges of the strap should be towards the center of the
rakusu and lined up with the bottom of F. Stitch them securely from the back with double
thread, without coming through to the front. Pin the raw ends of H and L temporarily in
place on the right.

33. Draw the raw ends of J and L through the rakusu ring and pin to get an impression of how it
will look. Make sure that J will be on top of H (see picture of completed rakusu).

38
34. Now try it on and check in the mirror. The bottom edge of the rakusu should come
approximately 3” below your navel when you are standing up. It should also cover your
mudra when you sit zazen. If it is too long, shorten J and L straps on your left side as you
are wearing it. Place hands in shashu to help you judge. When you are satisfied (no
dukkha!), pin the straps in place. Edges are still raw.

35. Fold rakusu in half to find the exact center back point of the straps. Mark the center back on
both straps with pencil. Fold the raw ends of K over the straps, lining up the center points
and pin. Cross-stitch the raw ends of K to straps and place both sides together so the straps
are sandwiched inside K. Slip-stitch folded edges together. Press so that you don’t see the
stitches. See the drawing below.
center

Note: H is the one towards the outside of the frame when it attaches, and J is the one that
attaches towards the middle.

36. Fold the edges of L, one over the other, to the front, and stitch invisibly but firmly through
all layers, finishing off the raw end neatly. Press well. Stitch the wide end to the rakusu like
you did with J and H. Draw the other end of L through the rakusu ring. Fold in the raw
edge and stitch it to the top edge of the rakusu at the back (see drawings).

Note: This section of L has the same dimensions as the height of F.

center

39
37. Finish raw ends of H and sew it on. Finish raw end of J and tie it to the ring. It may take
some practice to get the knot to sit at the right length. It will hold itself in place if you pull
the strap taut after tying it. Check with drawing below. Usually, the end is not stitched.

38. Last, stitch the broken pine twig at the top of the tab, overlying the straps. Thread your
needle with two strands of green embroidery thread and practice on a spare piece of cloth.
If you like, mark the main points with pencil to guide you. Put the needle through all
layers, except for the first and last stitches. One line is one stitch. The pine twig should be in
the center and about 3/4” from the edges. The design should look as pleasing as a mirror
image on the back as on the front. The numbers on the drawing on the next page indicate in
which order to stitch. Press.

40
Now you have finished your rakusu. Breathe. Sit quietly and enjoy a cup of tea. Then place a strip
of masking tape on the front of your robe, write your name on it, and place it in a 1 qt. ziplock bag:
write your name on the bag and send it to Ray Olson at Upaya Zen Center, 1404 Cerro Gordo Road,
Santa Fe, NM 87501.

41
42
43
44
45
46
 RAKUSU ENVELOPE

A rakusu envelope is not required, but it is strongly recommended. It is important to keep your
rakusu clean and in a safe place. If sewing is truly a challenge for you, then you may keep your
rakusu protected by wrapping it in a cloth. For other people, follow these directions to make a
rakusu envelope.

1. Obtain 2/3 yard of cloth for both the envelope and for its lining. Any subdued color and
texture of cloth may be used for envelope. Lining cloth may be a more decorative
contrasting color. It should allow for easily sliding your rakusu into the envelope and
should be minimally frictional. Satin-type fabrics are ideal for the lining.
2. Obtain polyester-coated cotton thread that is the same color as the envelope cloth. Use a
sharp needle.
3. Measure, mark, and cut cloths. Pinking shears will discourage fraying, especially of lining.
Envelope: 16½ inches square (add ½ inch if cloth is heavy)
Lining: 16 inches square
4. On the back (“wrong”) side of the lining, draw a seam line ¾ inch inside outer borders on
all four sides.

16 ½ inches (outside fabric) 16 inches (lining)

Seam line drawn

¾” from
the lining

5. Place envelope cloth on work surface, face (outside) up and place lining on top of this,
face down (both “right” sides are facing each other).There should be ¼ inch between the
edge of the lining and that of the envelope cloth.
6. Pin the four corners, smoothing the lining carefully. Then pin centers of top and left
sides. Gradually fill in spaces with pins on these two sides, so pins are ½ inch apart.
7. Starting in upper right corner, sew the layers together with step-stitch leftward all the way
to the seam line on the left side of the lining; as you approach this upper left corner,
decrease the spaces between stitches and make the stitches small, so as to strengthen
the corner. Repeat this decrease at all four corners.
47
 8. When top and left seams are sewn, rotate the cloths clockwise so free edges are again at
top and left. Pin these remaining two sides and sew the third (now top) side as you did
the first two sides.
9. After rounding the corner onto the fourth side, sew only 2/3 of that side.

Both outside fabric and lining are now joined except for 1/3 of this side

Reach inside this

unsewn part to pull the
two layers inside out
(#10). Then close up
the hole with a blind
stitch.

10. Reach your dominant hand through the hole left in the seam on the fourth side and move
it to the farthest corner; grasp that corner from the inside and pull it gently out through the
hole, turning your entire project inside-out (now the “right” sides of both cloth and lining
are showing). Use an instrument like a chopstick to poke out the corners fully.
11. Now, using a blind stitch with thread the color of the envelope cloth, close the hole you
left in the fourth side.
12. With the lining side up, rotate the envelope so that one point faces you and another point
points away from you, leaving the two remaining points facing off to your left and right.

13. Bring the right and left points together and tack
them with several blind stitches.

14. Bring the point facing you up to meet the

tacked points; place a series of pins along both
lower seams. You should now be able to fold the
top point down over the front of the envelope,
almost to the lower border.

15. Close the seams you have pinned, using a blind stitch with the thread the color
of the envelope.
48
 16. You may choose to do a loose decorative cross-stitch on these seams instead of the
blind stitch.
17. An option is to provide a closure, using either snaps or a button and loop to fix the
envelope flap to the envelope.

Enjoy carrying your rakusu mindfully inside this beautiful envelope.

Rakusu Etiquette
The following are guidelines for handling a rakusu appropriately. Basically, you may wear it all the
time, except when you are:
1. Going to the bathroom
2. Lying down to sleep
3. Working
4. Going into town
Here are some particulars:

HOW to wear/care for a rakusu

1. Carry the rakusu at heart level or above.
2. Carry it with 2 hands, if possible.
3. Travel with the rakusu in an envelope.
4. Spot wash if necessary; do not put in a washing machine.
5. If you eat while wearing a rakusu, you may swing the rakusu around so that it lies on your back,
or tuck it inside your samue.
6. If you are carrying a stack of things, place the rakusu on top.

WHEN & WHERE to wear a rakusu

In a zendo
1. Put it on your head during the robe chant; then wear it for service. The folded part of the rakusu
faces the back; the open area of the rakusu faces front. If there is no service, place it on your
head, chant the Verse of the Robe once, and put it on, touching the flap with the pine needle to
your forehead. This calls to mind the lineage. If there is no time to chant the whole verse, place
it on your head and pause; then touch the pine needle to your forehead and put the rakusu on.
Do this each time you put it on during the day.
2. Do not wear a rakusu in the bathroom. Take it off and put it on an altar or in some other
respectful place (not on the floor).
3. At Upaya, you may keep your rakusu on your seat in the zendo. At the end of zazen, we bow
out together. Then, instead of joining the exit line, quietly turn around and kneel on your
zabutan. Take off your rakusu, fold it up and place it on your zafu. Then exit the zendo.

Other places
1. Wear a rakusu in a dharma-related seminar or event.
2. You may wear a rakusu while doing light physical samu, such as sweeping a floor or working on
a computer. Take it off for heavy labor or exercise.

How to fold a rakusu (from Sojun Mel Weitsman, abbot of Berkeley ZC):
a. Take hold of both lower corners with both hands
b. Fold the rakusu in half away from your body
49
 c. Hold it with your left hand while you
d. Run your right hand up the right hand straps
e. Grasp the plaquet (flap with broken pine needle) with your right hand and remove the rakusu
from your neck
f. Lay the rakusu down with the folded edge to the left
g. Lay the straps flat against the folded edge of the rakusu
h. Position the plaquet/flap squarely at right angles to the straps
i. Insert the folded rakusu into its envelope, moving from right to left.

50