A kesa (Sanskrit kāṣāya, English “kasaya”) is the robe that Buddhist monks and priests wear over the left shoulder, traditionally built as a patchwork of cloth. In Buddhist accounts it began as sewn-together rags in ancient India, and the pieced “field” pattern remains an important tradition. In Japan the kesa is usually worn over other robes; the broader word for a priest’s vestments is houi (koromo).
What does “kesa” mean?
“Kesa” (袈裟) is the Japanese reading of the Chinese characters used to write the Sanskrit word kāṣāya. In English you will also see it spelled kasaya. The word points to a dull, muted colour, and that is no accident: a kesa is meant to look unlike the bright clothing of ordinary people.
The kesa is the best-known symbol of a Buddhist monk. In Japan it is worn over the robe, usually draped from the left shoulder, and it is the item that most clearly marks the wearer as a member of the clergy. Some schools also give a small, simplified kesa to lay followers.
Where did the kesa come from?
In the traditional account, the kesa goes back to the time of the historical Buddha in India. Monastic discipline limited a monk’s personal possessions, and the ideal of non-possession (無所有) is central to Buddhist teaching. Robes and an alms bowl were among the few basic requisites a monk kept.
According to Japanese Buddhist accounts, early monks made their robes from cloth that others had thrown away, keeping the usable parts and sewing them together. Such robes are called 糞掃衣 (funzō-e), often translated as “rag robes” or “dust-heap robes”. Rag robes became an important expression of renunciation, and the idea of the patchwork has stayed with the kesa ever since.
How many robes did the first monks have?
In the traditional account, three. The original kesa was a set of three robes, called 三衣 (sanne, “the three robes”): a lower robe, an upper robe and an additional outer robe. East Asian traditions associate them with the five-strip kesa (五条袈裟), the seven-strip kesa (七条袈裟) and the large kesa of nine or more strips (大衣). How they are used in present-day Japan varies by school and occasion. The full story, including the cold-night legend, is on our page about the three robes.
Why is a kesa made of small pieces?
Because the pattern is a symbol. The stitched layout is said to resemble the rice paddies of ancient India, and the kesa is therefore called the “field of merit robe” (福田衣, fukuden-e): the monk is the field in which people cultivate merit by offering support. Each part of the pattern has a name, from the narrow ridges between “fields” to the border and the small corner patches. We list them in the glossary.
Today most kesa are woven brocade or plain silk rather than discarded rags, and some are lavishly decorated. Pieced construction and the field pattern remain important traditions in kesa making. Other methods represent the pattern on a larger piece of cloth, and some forms have no panel pattern; see how a kesa is made.
What colour is a kesa?
Traditional rules call for subdued or altered colours (壊色, ejiki, also read eshiki) rather than the five prescribed pure colours: blue or green, yellow, red, white and black. Over the centuries, as Buddhism spread and divided into schools, colours and decoration became far richer, and the interpretation and use of colour now vary by school, rank and occasion. In some periods, permission to wear particular robes, such as purple ones, was linked to religious status and imperial authority. In Jōdo-shū reference works, the traditional muted colours are given as a blue (indigo with black added), a muddy black and mokuran, a reddish-black dye made from bark.
How is a kesa worn?
In the traditional style called 偏袒右肩 (hendan-uken), the kesa is draped from the left shoulder and leaves the right shoulder uncovered. In modern Japan the kesa is usually worn over other robes, so the skin need not be exposed; the gesture is associated with showing respect. A second style, 通肩 (tsūken), covers both shoulders; Jōdo-shū reference works associate it with preaching in place of the Buddha and with begging. Smaller kesa, such as the ring-shaped wagesa, are worn around the neck instead; see wagesa, rakusu and other small kesa.
Is a kesa the same as a houi (koromo)?
Not exactly. Houi (法衣) is a broad word for Buddhist vestments and can include the kesa. In this shop’s descriptions, and in everyday use, we distinguish the kesa from the robes worn beneath it. A short guide is on our page kesa vs. houi.
Looking for a kesa?
We have made and sold kesa in Kyoto since 1920. Tell us what you need and your school or tradition, and we will advise you personally.
Frequently asked questions
Is “kesa” the same as “kasaya”?
Yes. Both words come from the Sanskrit kāṣāya. In English you may encounter kāṣāya, kasaya or the Japanese term kesa. “Kesa” is the Japanese pronunciation and is the word you will see in Japan and in museum catalogues of Japanese robes.
Do only monks wear kesa?
Priests and monks wear the full kesa. Several Japanese schools also have a small kesa for lay followers, such as the ring-shaped wagesa, which is a sign that the wearer is a Buddhist.
Why is the left shoulder covered?
In the traditional style called hendan-uken the right shoulder is uncovered and the kesa hangs from the left shoulder. Old teaching associates the gesture with respect, and describes the left side as impure and the right as pure. In modern Japan the kesa is usually worn over other robes.
What is a kesa made of?
According to Buddhist accounts, the earliest ones were sewn from discarded cloth. Modern kesa are made from silk or synthetic fabric, including woven brocade, sometimes with real gold thread.
Keep reading
Written by Kengo Kawakatsu (“Naoshichi”), fourth-generation owner of Naoshichi Houiten, a Kyoto maker of kesa and Buddhist robes since 1920.