Index of Zen Instructions
Like so many people coming to Zen, I began by reading. I devoured koan collections - The Blue Cliff Record, The Mumonkan - and collected sayings of the ancient Chinese masters. I dug into Dogen, and was captivated by the style of his Instructions to the Cook.
When I began to take on a more active role in the Atlanta Soto Zen Center I kept coming back to the archaic style of the translated tales of Zen-in-everyday-life, and eventually, when I assumed teaching responsibilities, I composed a set of traditionally written housekeeping instructions for the Zen Center. They are included below because, although they, like the more profound writings that inspired them, have largely fallen into disuse, I'm rather fond of them and think they carry a particular charm.