Kesa

The robe of Satori. Kesa (Japanese) or kasaya (Sanskrit) refers to the colour ochre, the colour of the earth. It is the robe worn by Zen monks and nuns, a symbol of the transmission of teaching from master to disciple, and an emblem of the spiritual life.
After attaining enlightenment beneath the Bodhi tree, Buddha Shakyamuni gathered up old shrouds, washed them, dyed them with earth and sewed them together. Thus the first kesa was created, which he wore whilst practising zazen. This kesa has been passed down from master to disciple, from patriarch to patriarch, right up to the present day. Dogen writes: ‘The kesa is the heart of Zen, its marrow and its bones. It is not merely a robe, but the symbol of the Zen spirit.’ Master Wanshi Shogaku (1091–1157) calls it the ‘field of bliss’. When one puts it on and practises zazen, bad karma is transformed into good karma, and the person becomes a Buddha. There are many names for it: the body of the Buddha, the mind of the Buddha, the robe of the Unformed, of the Infinite, of patience, the robe of great compassion, the robe of satori, the field of bliss.