zafu+zabuton?

[nealc]

Hi

I'm sure this has been asked before but I'm having some trouble finding the thread.. I was wondering if anyone could let me know where to get a reasonable price and quality zafu and zabuton set, preferable online? What is a good price? Anything to look for or avoid? I see some sets on amazon for $95 which seems a little high but I'm not sure.

Thanks for your help
-Neal

[Risho]

I think $100 is about the standard. I purchased mine from Zen Mountain Monastery, but they also have them at Dharma Crafts; somehow I'm on their mailing list (probably from all the Buddhist books I buy). You can also sew one. Now I thought a Treeleafer(s) had a pattern for this, but I could be wrong.

I personally like the buckwheat hulls for the cushion.

Gassho,

Risho

[Dosho]

I usually shop through http://www.samadhicushions.com/ and often they have sales, but you are right that it can be very expensive. I actually repurposed a cotton stuffed zafu I had bought and filled it with buckwheat hulls. Someday when my kids are in school I may try to make one from scratch, but I would definitely suggest getting a decent set to begin with so you find out what you like and what you don't. If you know you'll be a regular sitter, it is worth the investment if you can swing the cost.

Gassho,
Dosho

[Mp]

Hello Neal,

This is where I have ordered mine ... very good quality. http://www.zenike.org/servlet/the-Cu...ton/Categories

Gassho,
Michael

[Seimyo]

Another plug for Samadhi Cushions for me. I have several, some very old and they are still quite nice. You might also have a look on Etsy.com, there are a few people on there making them, and if my memory serves they were very reasonable. Be sure if you go that route to check their reviews before purchase to make sure people are buying and liking them.

Gassho,
Chris

[Daijo]

I'm still sitting on whatever cushion is firm and handy. Between juniors jujitsu classes and the electric bill I just don't have the cash to fork over for a nice buckwheat zafu. One of these days I may break down, though I'd like to make my own one of these days too. For now, the old standby seems to work pretty well.

[Ekai]

I'm still sitting on whatever cushion is firm and handy. Between juniors jujitsu classes and the electric bill I just don't have the cash to fork over for a nice buckwheat zafu. One of these days I may break down, though I'd like to make my own one of these days too. For now, the old standby seems to work pretty well.

I used to sit with three pillows stacked. It worked for a long time but then I finally broke down and bought a Zafu.

Gassho,
Ekai

[disastermouse]

Shortly after I bought a 'real' zafu, I stopped sitting every day. It was two folded pillows for four years.

[Koshin]

Maybe a folded blanket as Zabuton and a Seiza bench instead of a zafu are a less expensive option, if you want to try sitting in that style

[threethirty]

I spent the $90 on amazon, mine was from the Zafu Store... i dig mine, but its the only one I have ever bought so I have nothing to base it on other than the inflatable packing material I had made one out of before.

[Shohei]

Hi Neil,
You could alternatively make both rather easily for much cheaper

Here are the instructions for the zafu:
zafuSewingInstructions.jpg
and for filler you could pickup kapok for 30 bucks for 5lbs which is plenty of stuffing and, depending on height you require, you can use less than that or buckwheat hulls for 20 bucks for 5lbs from the Zafustore.com. Read about these materials even if you decide not to build it yourself so you know what the pros/cons are for either material when buying a cushion or if you build one.

As for a zabuton I made one when I first made a zafu and i just took the size of the area I filled when sitting, added 6" and then cut out the material, stitched it together and filled it with regular pillow stuffing fibers (I gutted the old pillows I was using as zafus). filled it, evenly, stitched it shut. to keep the fibers from bunching up and the zabuton from becoming lumpy you should/could work a spot every say 12", moving the stuffing out of a small area, pushing the material together and sewing through top to bottom to create cells that prevent that fiber from moving.

Or there you could go with a blanket folded to the size of the area you need (when my arthritis acts up I do that, like currently)

Hope this helps some.

Gassho
Shohei

[Seimyo]

If you want to go half-way with the do-it-yourself approach, there's a vendor on Etsy that sells zafu covers cheap.

http://www.etsy.com/shop/zafuchi?ref=seller_info

Gassho,
Chris

[senryu]

I have a friend that, with minimal instructions and the size and form of pieces like these provided by Shohei san, learns to sew her zafu. She said it was not so difficult.
She liked so much her “samu”, that she saw a few more and gave as a present to some members of our sangha in Lima (mine is shown in the first plan of the picture. You can see the difference with the other "professional" zafus). Afterwards, she started to receipt orders of zafus, and to sale them in a domestic scale to new sangha members. Probably it sounds crazy but, something similar should be possible in our Treeleaf sangha, if any member has the ability of my friend.
Only a suggestion
Gassho
Senryu
DSC01857.JPG

[Risho]

Hi Neil,
You could alternatively make both rather easily for much cheaper

Here are the instructions for the zafu:
[ATTACH=CONFIG]370[/ATTACH]
and for filler you could pickup kapok for 30 bucks for 5lbs which is plenty of stuffing and, depending on height you require, you can use less than that or buckwheat hulls for 20 bucks for 5lbs from the Zafustore.com. Read about these materials even if you decide not to build it yourself so you know what the pros/cons are for either material when buying a cushion or if you build one.

As for a zabuton I made one when I first made a zafu and i just took the size of the area I filled when sitting, added 6" and then cut out the material, stitched it together and filled it with regular pillow stuffing fibers (I gutted the old pillows I was using as zafus). filled it, evenly, stitched it shut. to keep the fibers from bunching up and the zabuton from becoming lumpy you should/could work a spot every say 12", moving the stuffing out of a small area, pushing the material together and sewing through top to bottom to create cells that prevent that fiber from moving.

Or there you could go with a blanket folded to the size of the area you need (when my arthritis acts up I do that, like currently)

Hope this helps some.

Gassho
Shohei

Dude, thank you!