Some thoughts on Robes (Wagesa, Rakusu, Okesa),
on Householder and Monastic Practice,
and on Training in Soto Zen.
by Barbara Seirin Kohn

This essay came to be as I tried to answer questions about the meaning of the ceremonies of taking the precepts and the idea of Teachers, Guides, Masters in Zen in America and in Soto Zen as I am trying to offer it here in Austin.

All of the precept ceremonies have a great deal in common. In fact Jukai (taking of precepts) is a part of all of these ceremonies. In entering novice priest training a Zen student takes Jukai as part of Shukke Tokudo (leaving home and following the way). Our ceremony which we usually refer to as Jukai is called Zaike Tokudo (staying home and following the way). In each of these ceremonies the student receives a Buddhist name, is given “clothing” to represent his/her commitment to the bodhisattva path of awakening with others. We renounce our incomplete and fixed ideas of “what is” for a more fluid ungraspable dharma; the way things really come to be and pass away.

It has been my practice to say “yes” to new practitioners who want to sew rakusus (rectangular bib-like robes). I do not expect a particular level of commitment, but instead honor and encourage the aspiration to follow the Buddhist way. As time has gone on, I’ve come to realize that between that formal commitment and the rest of their lives as householder/lay practitioners there has been no other formal ceremony to mark a deepening understanding and a practice continued and committed to through the high, low and neutral times of practice. A practice that includes leading the sangha and practicing for others. And so, following the lead of other Soto Zen teachers in this country, I decided that we needed a ceremony of initial commitment and aspiration and a later ceremony which implied this longer held understanding, renunciation, commitment to the teaching of this particular lineage and to working with a teacher. So the ceremony with the wagesa (banner-like robes) will be a ceremony very similar to the Jukai ceremonies that we have always had except that I will give students one name instead of two. Following that, if their practice continues to unfold in such a way that they wish to make a further step in their practice; to make an better informed commitment to Zen training, we will then do a ceremony in which they receive the Rakusu and a second name will be added to their lineage chart (kechimyaku). If a student finds that they are ready to take on this training as their profession or calling and if, as their teacher, I feel that they are likely to develop in that direction, they will do a ceremony in which they receive the Okesa and start the long practice/training that includes monastic living and being called a Zen priest.

Now, there are differences of approach by different teachers and lineages in this country. There is some agreement by most Soto Zen Teachers about the novitiate following Shukke Tokudo. Some teachers simply wait and offer the Rakusu ceremony when a student is sufficiently clear in their practice. Others do as I have done up to now, allow a student to sew a Rakusu and receive Jukai when they request it and finish sewing the robe. Occasionally students who have practiced many years with Buddhism as the center of their lives, will sew and receive an Okesa (traditional monk's robe) in recognition of their longstanding devotion to Buddha Dharma. Some students who become priests will not become Dharma Teachers, but will manifest the Way through their work in the world, in the practice center, with their craft and devotion. Thus there is no absolute clarity, no absolute standard. I am trying slowly but surly to clarify my own standards in an ancient tradition that is finding its way in this country. That means that I am “stuck” with my previous decisions that don’t reflect my growing understanding. This understanding is a natural process as I mature as a Zen Teacher. Zen practice is a practice of change, of not being stuck in definitions that don’t fit the present situation. That said, let me set out a few guidelines for practitioners to use when deciding about their own aspirations to participate in ceremonies of commitment and training.

Because our center is young we have allowed students to offer talks and take roles sooner than is optimal. That is slowly changing. It takes a long time to know your mind in this practice. Also in the San Fracisco Zen Center lineage it is expected that students will work with more than one teacher during their time of practice training. In this country and in Japan it is not uncommon for priests to have three formal teachers: one who ordains them as a priest, one who leads them in the shuso period, and one who gives them dharma transmission. This is not necessary – in fact, often a student will stay with the same teacher for all three stages. But either way, it is necessary that the student spend time working with other teachers and learning from them. A teacher, in our lineage, who isn’t open to students training with other teachers needs to question her/his motives. It isn’t easy to loose students to others. Teachers have failures of confidence and want their students to support them at those times. But it is never right to cling to a student or manipulate them into not seeking teaching from others. On the other hand, there are times when a teacher needs to strongly encourage a student to work through the shared differences before moving on.

There is an agreement among many teachers in the Soto Zen Buddhist Association, that they will always talk with the first teacher before allowing a student to change affiliation to them and that they will never “woo” a student away from another teacher. One teacher has a guideline that a student ordained by him will return and work with him for a few months so that they can clear up their karma before the student goes to a new teacher and/or lineage. All of these guidelines are being developed to assist teachers and students to move beyond their small selves and access their widest and most free being when training to become a leader/teacher of others.

There are circumstances when students and teachers find that they cannot clear up their relationship and the student is unable to move on to another teacher. This is most likely to happen in a small sangha when there aren’t other choices and when the student is not able to travel. When this happens, one solution is to free the student from the obligation, put their training on hold, stand ready to be helpful in solving the dilemma. Time and circumstances can easily assist in working out the problem.

This Soto Zen practice that we do is profound and deeply grounded in our bodies, hearts, and minds. Only through extensive experiences can we come to know how much we don’t know. These ceremonies are ways of marking the personal process of the students as they find their way in this life long practice of Zazen. To paraphrase our Japanese founder, Dogen, "The Zazen I speak of is not learning meditation….it is simply the Dharma Gate of repose and bliss. Cast aside all your ideas and simply sit. Allow the wisdom of the Buddhas to prevail." And Suzuki Roshi, "Bring a beginner’s mind to all you do, a mind open to continual learning."