Les Kaye has been integrally involved in developing Zen practice in the West for over fifty years. He began work for IBM in San Jose in 1958, and held positions in engineering, sales, and management. He started Zen practice in 1966 and in 1971 was ordained a priest by Shunryu Suzuki Roshi. Two years later he took a leave of absence from IBM to serve as shuso (head monk) at Tassajara Zen Mountain Center, and in 1974, he received Dharma Transmission from Hoitsu Suzuki Roshi, Shunryu Suzuki's son and successor. In 1985, he was appointed abbot at Kannon Do Zen Center in Mountain View, California. Les's first book, Zen at Work (Crown/Three Rivers), sold 14,000 copies. He is also author of Joyously Through the Days (Wisdom Publications), and coauthor of A Sense of Something Greater: Zen and the Search for Balance in Silicon Valley (Parallax Press).
Foreword vii
Editors Introduction xi
Part 1 Dharma Talks
1. You Have to Get Wet 3
2. Building Monuments 7
3. The Honeybee Is Not Concerned with Failure 12
4. Preciousness 17
5. The Meaning of Activity 21
6. Monastic Practice in Everyday Life 26
7. We Are More Than Our Skills 30
8. Everyday Mind Is Always Finding Something Good 35
9. Clearing Away Mind Ashes 39
10. Beyond Inspiration 42
11. The Pursuit of Happiness 47
12. Walking Past the Candy Store 52
13. Exploring the Territory 55
14. Life Is Perfect 60
15. Affirmation 64
16. The Soup of Our Life 67
17. Finding Your Rhythm 71
18. Love Without Attachment 74
19. The Natural World 78
20. The Alien and the Banana 82
21. Beauty Beyond Beauty 86
Part 2 Personal Stories
22. The Magical World of Fish 93
23. Being Nice 96
24. The Bodhisattva Way 99
25. Hijacking Awareness 102
26. Liking Myself 105
27. Simplicity and Ease 108
28. I Had a Good Teacher 111
29. The Zen Practice of Steve Jobs 114
30. No Drama 118
31. Aim for the Heart 122
Part 3 Closing Words
32. Questions and Responses 127
33. Bring Your Caring Nature to Life 139
Zen Ancestors Cited in This Book 143
Notes 145
About the Author 149
Kannon Do Zen Meditation Center 151
