Instructions to the Cook: A Zen Master's Lessons in Living a Life That Matters

We work with what we have in each and every moment.

“Handle even a single leaf of a green in such a way that it manifests the body of the Buddha,” says Dogen. “This in turn allows the Buddha to manifest through the leaf.”

But activity is actually a very important part of Zen. The insight and equanimity that can come from spiritual practice should open our eyes to the problems of people around us and make us more effective.

But even though a vow has no limits, a vow has a very practical function: it’s like a compass that shows us the direction to go in and that keeps us on course. But a vow by itself is never enough. By itself, a vow is all potential. It’s like yeast or starter. But if we want to see our vow manifest in the world, if we want to bake a real loaf of bre

Rather, a vow is an intention to do something.

It all comes down to a very human habit: we’re always looking for something beyond what is right in front of us.

Of course, the supreme meal is very different for each of us. But according to the principles of the Zen cook, it always consists of five main “courses” or aspects of life. The first course involves spirituality; the second course is composed of study and learning; the third course deals with livelihood; the fourth course is made out of social acti

At every moment, we simply take the ingredients at hand and make the best meal we can.

So the first principle of the Zen cook is that we already have everything we need.