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

by Bernie Glassman & Rick Fields.
Boston: Shambhala, 2013.

Zen is not just about what we do in the meditation hall but what we do in the home, the workplace, and the community.  That’s the premise of this book: how to cook what Zen Buddhists call “the supreme meal” –life.  It has to be nourishing, and it has to be shared.  And we can use only the ingredients at hand.

Paperback.

Reviews

Cynthia Morrow-Hattal
…thoughtful yet entertaining reading
October 7, 2018
Bernie Glassman instructs and inspires his readers by relating his own coming to Zen Buddhism, showing clearly how the practice of living a mindful life can positively impact an individual and a community. Glassman’s interest in feeding others became a call to social action, and he and his Zen Community of New York created affordable housing and a job-creating bakery, both of which are flourishing to this day.  He speaks of Zen as “creating the supreme meal,” a nourishing life. “Instructions To The Cook” is thoughtful, yet entertaining reading.