# Rakusu > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Rakusu > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Rakusu.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rakusu > Source revision: 1321798248 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) Miniature version of a standard kāṣāya worn around the neck like a bib A [Sōtō](/source/S%C5%8Dt%C5%8D) [monk](/source/Bhikkhu) wearing his light-brown rakusu over his robes. A ***rakusu*** (絡子) is a traditionally Japanese garment worn around the neck of [Zen Buddhists](/source/Zen) who have taken the [precepts](/source/Bodhisattva_Precepts).[1] It can also signify [Lay Ordination](/source/Up%C4%81saka_and_Up%C4%81sik%C4%81). It is made of 16 or more strips of [cloth](/source/Cloth), [sewn](/source/Sewing) together into a brick-like pattern by the student during their period of preparation for their [jukai](/source/Jukai) or ordination ceremony. There is no set standard, but the most common application of rakusu color is for the front of the rakusu to be black for priests and brown for teachers and sangha leaders.[2] Occasionally in Western sanghas, the color green is used to signify that the wearer has been given Lay Entrustment, an authorization to teach at a basic level. The back of the rakusu is left white.[2] The teacher will traditionally write the student's new [Dharma name](/source/Dharma_name) and occasionally their [lineage](/source/Lineage_(Buddhism)). ## History The rakusu is a miniature version of a standard [kāṣāya](/source/Kasaya_(clothing)) worn around the neck like a bib. The rakusu is a garment possibly of [Chinese](/source/Culture_of_China) origins,[1] potentially dating back to periods of Buddhist persecutions. The Buddha's original outer robe was a rectangular robe in the ratio of 6 by 9. The Buddha is said to have renounced the wearing of new cloth[2] and created his robe from pieces of cast-off white burial cloth found at burial sites and dyed with saffron, for its disinfecting value. It is said in legend to resemble the rice fields seen by the [Buddha](/source/Gautama_Buddha) himself while walking on pilgrimage.[3] One origin story holds that when the Chinese emperors forbid the wearing of robes, defrocked all the Buddhist monks, and bestowed imperial favor on the [Confucian](/source/Confucian) and [Taoist](/source/Taoist) priests, then Buddhist monks created a miniature version of their robe to be worn secretly around the neck underneath their regular lay clothing. Another suggests that the rakusu developed as Zen monks became involved in manual labor because a full robe would have been too unwieldy. Additionally, some Japanese scholars believe it was developed in Japan during the Edo or Tokugawa Era, as the result of regulations specifying the size and fabric type of monks clothing.[2] Assuming the rakusu was used in China, it fell into general disuse there, but the tradition continues in Japan and it is now commonly associated with [Zen Buddhist](/source/Zen) lineages stemming from that country. The rakusu today is still sometimes made with an ornamental circular clasp on the left side to emulate the circular clasp used on some full-sized robes. ## Symbolism The rakusu represents the [garments](/source/Kesa_(clothing)) that the [Buddha](/source/Gautama_Buddha) put together to wear after he left his palace to seek [enlightenment](/source/Bodhi). According to [Buddhist scripture](/source/Buddhist_scripture), Siddhārtha left the palace where he was a prince, and collected [rags](https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/rag) from trash heaps, [funeral pyres](/source/Funeral_pyre), and various other places.[3] He then cleaned the rags by rubbing them in [saffron](/source/Saffron), which gave his robes an orange-golden appearance. In the [Sōtō](/source/S%C5%8Dt%C5%8D) school, the rakusu's color is usually determined by the wearer's status.[2] For example, lay practitioners frequently receive a blue rakusu and black ones are given upon ordination as a priest. A brown rakusu indicates that the wearer has received dharma transmission and is authorized to teach and lead an independent sangha. A green rakusu is sometimes used when the wearer has received Lay Entrustment and is authorized to teach basic dharma and practice. On the back of the collar of the rakusu there is an identifying [embroidered](/source/Embroidered) stitch that represents each of the existing schools of Zen. The Sōtō school uses a broken pine needle design, the [Rinzai](/source/Rinzai) school a mountain-shaped triangle, and the [Ōbaku school](/source/%C5%8Cbaku) a six-pointed star.[2] ## References 1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-about_1-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-about_1-1) ["The Buddha's Robe in Japan"](https://web.archive.org/web/20120418082754/http://buddhism.about.com/od/thefirstbuddhists/ig/The-Buddha-s-Robe/Zen-Takahatsu.htm). [About.com](/source/About.com). Archived from [the original](http://buddhism.about.com/od/thefirstbuddhists/ig/The-Buddha-s-Robe/Zen-Takahatsu.htm) on April 18, 2012. Retrieved May 7, 2012. 1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-urban_2-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-urban_2-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-urban_2-2) [***d***](#cite_ref-urban_2-3) [***e***](#cite_ref-urban_2-4) [***f***](#cite_ref-urban_2-5) ["The Tradition of Buddha's Robe"](http://www.urbandharma.org/udharma10/robe.html). Urban Dharma. Retrieved May 7, 2012. 1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-about2_3-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-about2_3-1) ["The Buddha's Robe"](https://web.archive.org/web/20120310071558/http://buddhism.about.com/od/thefirstbuddhists/a/robes.htm). [About.com](/source/About.com). Archived from [the original](http://buddhism.about.com/od/thefirstbuddhists/a/robes.htm) on March 10, 2012. Retrieved May 7, 2012. ## External links - [Instructions for Sewing a Rakusu](https://www.sfzc.org/offerings/deepening-practice/instructions-sewing-rakusu) from the [San Francisco Zen Center](/source/San_Francisco_Zen_Center) - [Rakusu Instructions](https://web.archive.org/web/20120406061808/http://www.upaya.org/teachings/rakusu-pattern.php) or [Rakusu search](https://www.upaya.org/search/?q=rakusu) from [Upaya Institute and Zen Center](/source/Upaya_Institute_and_Zen_Center) --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Rakusu](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rakusu) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rakusu?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.