Rakusu NL

Handmade rakusu / raksu / rakuzu

Fine workmanship and durable fabric.

colour black

A rakusu (絡子) is a piece of clothing worn by Zen Buddhists who have received the Buddhist vows. The rakusu consists of sixteen strips of fabric that are sewn together according to a fixed block pattern in five columns.

The rakusu symbolizes the robe the Buddha wore on his quest for enlightenment. The block pattern of the rakusu is said to be a reference to the rice fields. In the Kasibhdradvdja Sutra, Gautama Buddha likens working in a rice field to the path to enlightenment: just as a farmer cultivates the land, so a monk cultivates his body and mind on the way to enlightenment. Furthermore, the strips symbolize ignorance and enlightenment.

The ring of the rakusu, on the left at the level of the heart, has no function and is derived from the Kesa where it is used to fix the robe over the shoulder.

The back of the rakusu is white. Often this side is used to write the dharma name of the student, the name of the teacher, the place and date of Jukai or a verse.