{"id":3382,"date":"2021-10-11T19:21:38","date_gmt":"2021-10-11T19:21:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/zatma.org\/?p=3382"},"modified":"2022-04-28T16:54:14","modified_gmt":"2022-04-28T16:54:14","slug":"sewing-a-robe-lay-ordination","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/zatma.org\/?p=3382","title":{"rendered":"Sewing a Robe – Lay Ordination"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>\"\"<\/a>\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

A Single Thread, A Contemplative Order of Hsu Yun is pleased to offer to sincere practitioners<\/p>\n

the opportunity to work with one of the new monks in sewing a lay robe. To sew a robe is the first<\/p>\n

monastic step on the path of a contemplative practice.<\/p>\n

Here are two commentaries from two of the monks on sewing a robe.<\/p>\n

The practice of sewing a Rakusu was offered to me a couple of years after I began to meditate and practice at A Single Thread Zendo.\u00a0 Having enjoyed hand sewing my whole life, I eagerly took on the challenge.\u00a0 I thought it would be a breeze, knowing my way around a needle and thread as I already did.\u00a0 This false confidence was one of numerous aspects of the ego on which this sewing project shined a bright light.\u00a0 As the robe began to emerge, slowly, from beneath my hands, it was accompanied by continuous mistakes and continuous opportunities to see the truth of how I cling to a solid self.\u00a0 A simple and unassuming collection of cloth squares, the power of the Rakusu lies in what it reveals to the sewer as s\/he takes refuge in Buddha\u2019s teachings, one careful stitch at a time.<\/p>\n

Lao Huo Shakya<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

 <\/p>\n

Sewing A Robe<\/p>\n

About sixteen years ago I sewed my first small robe called a Rakasu in preparation to receiving the Precepts and being ordained a Lay Buddhist Practitioner.\u00a0 The finished robe would be given to my Teacher who would later bestow it on me at the Precept ceremony.\u00a0 We who were to sew the robe gathered\u00a0 in retreat with a Sewing Teacher who filled us with the history and significance of the robe and whatever else we needed to know about sewing it.<\/p>\n

The front of the robe is beautiful but also the most difficult to sew because of its exacting pattern but we learned how to put the various pieces together and the proper stitch to use.\u00a0 Each stitch was accompanied by a prayer, a refuge; I take refuge in the Buddha\u2026stitch\u2026I take refuge in the Dharma\u2026stitch\u2026I take refuge in the Sangha\u2026stitch.\u00a0 Over and over again. Hundreds, thousands of times.<\/p>\n

When you sew a robe it becomes your teacher and shows up things like impatience or lack of concentration or pride.\u00a0 Like the time I became so frustrated I was ready to throw cloth, needle and thread out the window.\u00a0 Instead I walked out the door and kept on walking until I could go back and begin again with a cooler head and maybe a bit more patience.<\/p>\n

At home after the retreat I continued sewing alone.\u00a0 I was at ease with the method and each day I found myself looking forward to the quiet period of time set aside to sit and sew. My favorite and most restful time of day. Each stitch had become a little melody that I heard in my head as soon as I sat down.\u00a0 I grew calm and peaceful.\u00a0 Trivia dropped away.\u00a0 Thoughts dropped away.\u00a0 Just this remained.\u00a0 Stitch, stitch, stitch.<\/p>\n

When I had finished a good section of the challenging front of the robe I sent it to the Sewing Teacher who lived at a distance so she could check that everything was correct.\u00a0 I thought it quite lovely.\u00a0 And as she wrote in her return letter she did too; fine small stitches, even rows, etc.\u00a0 Then came the sentence: \u201cThat said, you have to rip the whole thing out.\u00a0 The measurements are wrong.\u201d\u00a0 My lack of paying close attention showed up. So unstitch\u2026unstitch\u2026unstitch.\u00a0 Iron flat and begin again\u2026I take refuge\u2026stitch\u2026I take refuge\u2026stitch\u2026I take refuge\u2026stitch.\u00a0 Then, calm and peace.\u00a0 Just this.<\/p>\n

I have that small robe today.\u00a0 It is soft with use. Each stitch a visible prayer. Lovely. Old Monk Flowering<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

 <\/p>\n

If you are interested in more information,<\/h5>\n
please contact Old Earth at laodizhishakya@gmail.com.<\/h5>\n

\"Humming<\/h4>\n

Author: Fashi Lao Yue<\/p>\n

ZATMA is not a blog.<\/p>\n

\u00a0If for some reason you need elucidation on the teaching,<\/p>\n

please contact editor at: yao.xiang.editor@gmail.com<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

A Single Thread, A Contemplative Order of Hsu Yun is pleased to offer to sincere practitioners the opportunity to work with one of the new monks in sewing a lay robe. To sew a robe is the first monastic step on the path of a contemplative practice. Here are two commentaries from two of the… <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"rop_custom_images_group":[],"rop_custom_messages_group":[],"rop_publish_now":"initial","rop_publish_now_accounts":[],"rop_publish_now_history":[],"rop_publish_now_status":"pending","neve_meta_sidebar":"","neve_meta_container":"","neve_meta_enable_content_width":"off","neve_meta_content_width":70,"neve_meta_title_alignment":"","neve_meta_author_avatar":"","neve_post_elements_order":"","neve_meta_disable_header":"","neve_meta_disable_footer":"","neve_meta_disable_title":"","advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"jetpack_seo_schema_type":"","_wpcom_ai_launchpad_first_post":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[4,13,1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3382","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-essays","category-essays-by-yao-xiang-shakya","category-uncategorized"],"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/phd6fo-Sy","jetpack_featured_media_url":"","post_mailing_queue_ids":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/zatma.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3382","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/zatma.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/zatma.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/zatma.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/6"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/zatma.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=3382"}],"version-history":[{"count":12,"href":"https:\/\/zatma.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3382\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3394,"href":"https:\/\/zatma.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3382\/revisions\/3394"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/zatma.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=3382"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/zatma.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=3382"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/zatma.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=3382"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}