In the thirteenth century, Zen master Dogen&mdash;perhaps the most significant of all Japanese philosophers, and the founder of the Japanese Soto Zen sect&mdash;wrote a practical manual of <i>Instructions for the Zen Cook </i>. In drawing parallels between preparing meals for the Zen monastery and spiritual training, he reveals far more than simply the rules and manners of the Zen kitchen; he teaches us how to &quot;cook,&quot; or refine our lives. In this volume Kosho Uchiyama Roshi undertakes the task of elucidating Dogen's text for the benefit of modern-day readers of Zen. Taken together, his translation and commentary truly constitute a &quot;cookbook for life,&quot; one that shows us how to live with an unbiased mind in the midst of our workaday world.