Kesa OKESA, it is about time!

[Taigu]

Re: Kesa OKESA, it is about time!

Hi Dosho,


Well, you would have to ask Jundo, but theorically no problem doing it during the jukai ceremony, if they are a few people willing to receive a kesa. If not, this can be done separately in a private ceremony. Good luck with the sewing and please, don't hesitate to keep in touch.

gassho

Taigu

[Jundo]

Re: Kesa OKESA, it is about time!

Oh boy ... have to think up a new "tradition" here for us. This is how they get started!

Okay, how about everyone should sew and receive a Rakusu their first Jukai, after that they may (if they wish) sew and receive a full Kesa at any time including a second or later Jukai.

Does that work?

Also, feel free to receive that from the hands of me or Taigu, as you wish. After all ... Taigu is just Jundo, Jundo precisely Taigu, both exactly Dosho.

Does that work too?

Gassho, Taigu .... ah, I mean Jundo.

[Dojin]

Re: Kesa OKESA, it is about time!

well i guess i would like to saw a kesa too. although i doubt i could do it on written and drawings alone. might need the video instructions like we had for the rakusu.

any plans on making a video for that?

Gassho, Dojin.

[Taigu]

Re: Kesa OKESA, it is about time!

Hi Dojin,

Nice to hear from you again. Yes, I am thinking about it next summer. The thing is, you see, there is a tremendous amount of preparation to create a propper video tutorial for kesa sewing and I would like to experiment as much as possible with natural and traditionnal dyes, exploring the Japanese tradition. It id s kind of miracle we ended up with this set of videos last time and it worked for most people. But a kesa is a real big scale, and it is a long long long job comapred to a rakusu...Nothing stops you to have a look on my kesa blog http://nyohoekesa.blogspot.com/ and start right now! It is not that difficult to work it out, I believe Fugen has started his...

gassho

Taigu

[Tb]

Re: Kesa OKESA, it is about time!

Hi.

Yes, i have gotten to the cutting part..

Mtfbwy
Fugen

[Eika]

Re: Kesa OKESA, it is about time!

I'm still creeping along on mine too. Work has been crazy for the past few months . . . this economic thing has affected private colleges dramatically, so the committees I'm on have been particularly busy. I'm still hoping to carve out more time for sewing.

Eika

[Dosho]

Re: Kesa OKESA, it is about time!

Hi all,

Just a quick update on my sewing. I finished attaching the fifth stripe last week and am about half finished with the sixth. At my current pace should have the seventh finished by mid December. That leaves the frame and about a month to bring this whole project to completion in under a year. But if it takes one day over or more, that's how long it takes. I'll post some pictures as soon as the sun comes out! Since I haven't been sitting as much the kesa has been my zazen; it's no substitute for sure, but being able to move seems to be "better" for me at the present moment in that I'm doing it.

Thank you to everyone as always for being behind every stitch.

Gassho,
Dosho

[Shohei]

Re: Kesa OKESA, it is about time!

Great stuff Dosho! I found the same thing as you that i sat a little less in favor of sewing zazen.

Gassho
Shohei

[Dosho]

Re: Kesa OKESA, it is about time!

Hi all,

I've been promising some pictures for awhile so here goes. All 7 stripes are attached, although I do have two more rows of stitching, one on each end. However, it should be at its full size now. I've started working on the ties for a change of pace but will work on attaching the frame in the next couple weeks while my wife is at home. I hope to have it finished by New Years.

Gassho,
Dosho







Attached files

[Shugen]

Re: Kesa OKESA, it is about time!

Wow! Very nice work.

Ron

[Taigu]

Re: Kesa OKESA, it is about time!

Dosho,

Attaching the frame is the most tedious and difficult part. But I am sure all is/will be well.

Thank you for this gift to all beings

gassho...



Taigu

[KellyRok]

Re: Kesa OKESA, it is about time!

Hello all,

Dosho, it's beautiful! I have not undertaken this project yet...but you and Dirk, Filur and the others are such an inspiration.

_/_ bows to you,

Kelly (Jinmei)

[Shohei]

Re: Kesa OKESA, it is about time!

Jinmei really thank you for being the inspiration!!

Dosho - that looks perfect Agreed the En is alot of stitches. The aspect i actually enjoyed was at every "point of completion" reached there is an new begining and even when we have the task complete it really never is! repairs, washing, folding, honoring, sitting and on!

Deep bows

Shohei

[Dosho]

Re: Kesa OKESA, it is about time!

Hi all,

Well, I've had to concede that I won't finish my kesa by the jukai which is what I had been shooting for, but over the weekend I found myself rushing in order to finish and at that point I knew I was beginning to miss the point! When this realization came to me after redoing a section of the frame I actually began to well up with tears. I hadn't realized before that moment how much I had invested myself in a goal that had no more meaning than any other date, but still I was in a sense "crushed". In that moment I had another realization: The kesa is a metaphor for my life!

Let me explain. As I have moved through the process I have faced "demons" such as perfectionism, lack of patience, fear of failure, and an overabundance of pride. These are all the exact same things I have pressed up against countless times in my life. I now have my very own crucible with a lens that allows me to see what I have been doing to myself for so many years. It was depressing and liberating all in the same moment, something that seems to happen to me a lot since coming to Treeleaf.

I certainly haven't conquered any of these demons and in fact their power over me is an additional source of frustration, but the inner workings of my mind are now open for all to see and it's been awhile since anyone did any work in there! It feels like a mess...both that thing I label as "my mind" and what my eldest son refers to as "Daddy's green blanket"...the kesa.

This weekend was the first time I ever considered not completing the process I started about a year ago but that didn't last long. To rush it or let it go would allow important elements of practice to fall away needlessly. If I was using it as a crutch that would be sad, but my fears that it isn't good enough, will never get finished, and that I'm not good enough have come to mind...and I want to just let them drift by. Oh if it were that easy...but I don't think it's supposed to be easy...or hard. They are all just conceptions and judgments of mind that will only stop the process if "I" allow them to do so.

So, with that said, back to work...

Gassho,
Dosho

[Jundo]

Re: Kesa OKESA, it is about time!

Hi all,

Well, I've had to concede that I won't finish my kesa by the jukai which is what I had been shooting for, but over the weekend I found myself rushing in order to finish and at that point I knew I was beginning to miss the point! When this realization came to me after redoing a section of the frame I actually began to well up with tears. I hadn't realized before that moment how much I had invested myself in a goal that had no more meaning than any other date, but still I was in a sense "crushed". In that moment I had another realization: The kesa is a metaphor for my life!

Let me explain. As I have moved through the process I have faced "demons" such as perfectionism, lack of patience, fear of failure, and an overabundance of pride. These are all the exact same things I have pressed up against countless times in my life. I now have my very own crucible with a lens that allows me to see what I have been doing to myself for so many years. It was depressing and liberating all in the same moment, something that seems to happen to me a lot since coming to Treeleaf.

I certainly haven't conquered any of these demons and in fact their power over me is an additional source of frustration, but the inner workings of my mind are now open for all to see and it's been awhile since anyone did any work in there! It feels like a mess...both that thing I label as "my mind" and what my eldest son refers to as "Daddy's green blanket"...the kesa.

This weekend was the first time I ever considered not completing the process I started about a year ago but that didn't last long. To rush it or let it go would allow important elements of practice to fall away needlessly. If I was using it as a crutch that would be sad, but my fears that it isn't good enough, will never get finished, and that I'm not good enough have come to mind...and I want to just let them drift by. Oh if it were that easy...but I don't think it's supposed to be easy...or hard. They are all just conceptions and judgments of mind that will only stop the process if "I" allow them to do so.

So, with that said, back to work...

Gassho,
Dosho

Sounds to me like your Kesa is already well sewn.

Gassho, Jundo