Tricycle The The Buddhist Buddhist Review Review Feed Feed Tricycle Tricycle The The Buddhist Buddhist Review Review Comments Comments Feed Feed Tricycle Tricycle The The Buddhist Buddhist Review Review Zen Zen At At Work Work A A Zen Zen Teacher Teacher s s Year Year Journey Journey in in Corporate Corporate America America Comments Comments Feed Feed alternate alternate alternate alternate Subscribe Subscribe Online Online Courses Courses BUTTON BUTTON Donate Donate Log Log Out Out Online Online Courses Courses Donate Donate Online Online Courses Courses Log Log In In Subscribe Subscribe BUTTON BUTTON Log Log In In Link Link Your Your Subscription Subscription Need Need help help with with email email or or password password BUTTON BUTTON enewsletter enewsletter Get Get Daily Daily Dharma Dharma in in your your email email Start Start your your day day with with a a fresh fresh perspective perspective Sign Sign Up Up We We re re sorry sorry there there was was an an error error Please Please try try again again Log Log In In BUTTON BUTTON Log Log In In Forgot Forgot email email or or password password Link Link your your subscription subscription loader loader gif gif articles articles remaining remaining Get Get Tricycle Tricycle from from a a month month Subscribe Subscribe Now Now BUTTON BUTTON Log Log In In BUTTON BUTTON magazine magazine ReviewsArts ReviewsArts Culture Culture Zen Zen At At Work Work A A Zen Zen Teacher Teacher s s Year Year Journey Journey in in Corporate Corporate America America By By Les Les Kaye Kaye By By Paul Paul Harris Harris Winter Winter Zen Zen At At Work Work A A Zen Zen Teacher Teacher s s Year Year Journey Journey in in Corporate Corporate America America Les Les Kaye Kaye Crown Crown Publishers Publishers New New York York pp pp paper paper Les Les Kaye Kaye was was an an engineer engineer working working at at IBM IBM in in California California in in the the early early s s when when he he first first discovered discovered Zen Zen It It was was a a time time when when the the gulf gulf between between life life at at a a large large American American corporation corporation and and the the life life of of the the spirit spirit seemed seemed vast vast and and irreconcilable irreconcilable In In those those days days many many people people in in America America were were coming coming to to new new forms forms of of spiritual spiritual practice practice some some of of them them leaving leaving their their jobs jobs to to do do so so but but few few were were like like Kaye Kaye committed committed to to exploring exploring Zen Zen while while raising raising a a family family and and pursuing pursuing an an active active professional professional career career Over Over the the course course of of the the next next three three decades decades Kaye Kaye studied studied with with Shunryu Shunryu Suzuki Suzuki Roshi Roshi became became a a monk monk went went on on retreats retreats at at Tassajara Tassajara received received dharma dharma transmissions transmissions in in Japan Japan and and became became the the abbot abbot of of Kannon Kannon Do Do a a Zen Zen meditation meditation center center in in California California During During the the same same time time he he got got his his MBA MBA managed managed teams teams of of engineers engineers and and worked worked his his way way up up the the ladder ladder at at IBM IBM He He had had few few role role models models for for how how to to live live these these two two lives lives harmoniously harmoniously I I didn didn t t know know what what it it meant meant to to be be a a Zen Zen monk monk in in modern modern America America I I understood understood only only that that I I didn didn t t know know what what it it meant meant to to be be a a Zen Zen monk monk in in modern modern America America I I understood understood only only that that I I wanted wanted to to be be a a monk monk while while continuing continuing to to work work and and take take care care of of my my family family to to deVelop deVelop an an integrated integrated balanced balanced life life expressing expressing spiritual spiritual practice practice in in the the complexity complexity of of the the everyday everyday world world Was Was it it possible possible to to have have the the true true spirit spirit of of a a Zen Zen monk monk while while living living a a suburban suburban corporate corporate life life In In Zen Zen at at Work Work Kaye Kaye makes makes it it clear clear that that the the two two parts parts of of his his life life complemented complemented each each other other in in richly richly satisfying satisfying ways ways He He relates relates stories stories from from his his parallel parallel careers careers in in Zen Zen and and at at IBM IBM in in a a chatty chatty anecdotal anecdotal manner manner such such as as you you might might imagine imagine him him using using with with a a colleague colleague at at work work He He also also sets sets out out a a distillation distillation of of his his understanding understanding of of Zen Zen in in a a sparer sparer less less personal personal style style one one he he might might use use addressing addressing his his students students at at Kannon Kannon Do Do IBM IBM clearly clearly suited suited Kaye Kaye s s enterprise enterprise As As he he says says The The high high tech tech corporate corporate workplace workplace became became my my monastery monastery Seen Seen from from the the perspective perspective of of the the s s IBM IBM really really was was something something of of a a monastery monastery in in those those days days Sheltered Sheltered by by its its dominant dominant market market share share from from many many of of the the painful painful choices choices of of competition competition its its adepts adepts worked worked to to bring bring mainframe mainframe computing computing to to the the world world IBM IBM s s collegial collegial community community of of engineers engineers its its policy policy of of tacit tacit lifetime lifetime employment employment and and generous generous leaves leaves of of absence absence gave gave Kaye Kaye stimulation stimulation and and security security and and allowed allowed him him to to give give much much of of his his energy energy to to his his Zen Zen practice practice In In return return Zen Zen gave gave Kaye Kaye tools tools for for understanding understanding himself himself and and corporate corporate life life Big Big Mind Mind Being Being in in the the World World and and the the Inherent Inherent Interconnectedness Interconnectedness of of All All Things Things Kaye Kaye used used these these principles principles to to become become a a more more effective effective manager manager Kaye Kaye s s experiences experiences are are encouraging encouraging and and thought thought provoking provoking He He describes describes a a hopeful hopeful and and authentic authentic path path especially especially valuable valuable for for someone someone just just starting starting a a career career Yet Yet the the book book raises raises questions questions it it does does not not answer answer Is Is there there a a difference difference between between spiritual spiritual growth growth and and learning learning to to be be more more effective effective The The past past few few decades decades have have seen seen a a surge surge in in the the description description and and practice practice of of personal personal improvement improvement some some of of it it codified codified in in corporate corporate language language as as Total Total Quality Quality Management Management Yet Yet TQM TQM is is not not spiritual spiritual practice practice Becoming Becoming a a more more effective effective human human being being does does not not necessarily necessarily require require spiritual spiritual practice practice or or lead lead to to spiritual spiritual growth growth Or Or does does it it Is Is there there something something inherently inherently spiritual spiritual about about self self improvement improvement Kaye Kaye leaves leaves this this interesting interesting question question unlimned unlimned Kaye Kaye s s discussion discussion of of relationships relationships deals deals mostly mostly with with not not being being caught caught by by anger anger and and frustration frustration This This is is excellent excellent advice advice but but not not if if it it leads leads to to suppression suppression of of these these emotions emotions Moreover Moreover good good managers managers need need their their emotions emotions positive positive and and negative negative They They can can be be sensitive sensitive measures measures for for assaying assaying value value and and delineating delineating healthy healthy boundaries boundaries and and are are essential essential for for their their power power to to motivate motivate and and persuade persuade Kaye Kaye also also might might have have made made more more of of the the apparent apparent conflict conflict between between a a corporation corporation s s need need for for sales sales and and profit profit and and the the Bodhisattva Bodhisattva who who does does not not feel feel the the need need to to pursue pursue anything anything Here Here is is one one of of the the great great cruxes cruxes of of the the work work spirit spirit dilemma dilemma but but Kaye Kaye simply simply says says that that spiritual spiritual practice practice does does not not deny deny the the rough rough and and tumble tumble aspects aspects of of the the real real world world it it just just does does not not overemphasize overemphasize them them There There is is an an opportunity opportunity here here for for a a discussion discussion of of more more substance substance Fundamentally Fundamentally Kaye Kaye is is saying saying that that mindfulness mindfulness is is useful useful whether whether you you are are sitting sitting on on a a cushion cushion or or working working at at your your job job The The problem problem is is that that by by now now this this is is not not news news While While his his admonitions admonitions are are sound sound they they seem seem tame tame and and untested untested in in a a decade decade where where competition competition is is brutal brutal and and global global layoffs layoffs a a tacit tacit corporate corporate probability probability and and the the energy energy for for contemplation contemplation hard hard won won He He describes describes his his parallel parallel worlds worlds and and their their interface interface beautifully beautifully but but I I wish wish he he could could have have connected connected them them more more meaningfully meaningfully It It s s not not Kaye Kaye s s fault fault that that he he worked worked in in a a very very supportive supportive environment environment I I just just wonder wonder what what sort sort of of book book he he might might have have written written if if he he had had been been laid laid off off from from IBM IBM God God forbid forbid and and had had supported supported his his family family by by starting starting a a business business of of selling selling used used cars cars For For all all the the book book s s mildness mildness it it has has some some beautiful beautiful moments moments and and images images that that make make the the read read worthwhile worthwhile For For example example In In Zen Zen practice practice we we use use incense incense a a great great deal deal To To offer offer incense incense is is to to offer offer our our lives lives to to stand stand upright upright to to give give light light to to purify purify and and to to encourage encourage We We have have no no regrets regrets as as our our lives lives get get shorter shorter We We just just do do our our best best to to burn burn as as cleanly cleanly as as we we can can Tricycle Tricycle modifs modifs png png Get Get Daily Daily Dharma Dharma in in your your email email Start Start your your day day with with a a fresh fresh perspective perspective Sign Sign Up Up We We re re sorry sorry there there was was an an error error Please Please try try again again a a photo photo of of a a Buddhist Buddhist meditating meditating Explore Explore timeless timeless teachings teachings through through modern modern methods methods With With Stephen Stephen Batchelor Batchelor Sharon Sharon Salzberg Salzberg Andrew Andrew Olendzki Olendzki and and more more See See Our Our Courses Courses site site icon icon png png Thank Thank you you for for subscribing subscribing to to Tricycle Tricycle As As a a nonprofit nonprofit we we depend depend on on readers readers like like you you to to keep keep Buddhist Buddhist teachings teachings and and practices practices widely widely available available This This 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