Invoking Reality: Moral and Ethical Teachings of Zen

John Daido Loori provides a nice, easy to read, overview of the Bodhisattva Precepts in Soto Zen. As he remarks in the introduction, the moral precepts are an oft-overlooked principle in Zen, and Buddhism, in general, but that as one practices Zen, they become a natural part of your life. This translations are helpful because they are employ both a negative and positive definition for each precept, so instead of sounding intimidating, it comes across as sensible. Of the first two precepts, he expresses them as: * Affirm life - Do not kill * Be giving - Do not steal ...and so on. He intersperses this with his own life anecdotes (I was not aware that he had been in the Navy, for example), but keeps the explanations simple enough that one doesn't get bogged down in details. I think this would be an excellent choice for any Zen Buddhist to round out their practice. As Loori teaches, there is a lot more to Zen than just sitting, and this is a great teaching to keep in mind off the cushion. Enjoy!