I Had a Good Teacher: Practicing Suzuki Roshi?s Way of Zen

A Spirituality & Practice “Best Spiritual Book of 2025”

Longtime Zen abbot shares the wisdom of his teacher, who brought Zen to the West and wrote the classic Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind

I Had a Good Teacher interweaves Les Kaye’s Dharma talks with personal stories to reveal the subtleties of integrating Zen practice into a life of work and family. It includes fascinating memories of Suzuki Roshi and short writings about events at the zendo, including the time Steve Jobs visited Les for guidance integrating work and spiritual practice. I Had a Good Teacher is an excellent introduction to Zen in daily life, a warm portrait of a great Zen teacher, and a reminder to meditators to return to basics, keep their meditation real, and practice awareness all day long.

“I Had a Good Teacher is a marvelous collection of Les Kaye’s talks and writings. I can feel his authenticity and deep understanding. Those who study with him—in person or through this book—have a good teacher.” —David Chadwick, author of Crooked Cucumber: The Life and Zen Teachings of Shunryu Suzuki and Tassajara Stories

“What a wonderful book.... direct and deep, real and rich, filled with down-to-earth wisdom. Enjoy reading about something that could change your life.” —Roshi Joan Halifax, Abbot, Upaya Zen Center, and author of Standing at the Edge: Finding Freedom Where Fear and Courage Meet

“In this lovely plainspoken book, Les offers the spirit of Suzuki Roshi Zen. Sometimes enigmatic, sometimes sweet, sometimes with stories of the past, sometimes timeless wisdom….all passed on to you with a kind heart.” —Jack Kornfield, author of A Path with Heart: A Guide Through the Perils and Promises of Spiritual Life

Les Kaye has been integrally involved in developing Zen practice in the West for over fifty years. He began work for IBM in San Jose in 1958, and held positions in engineering, sales, and management. He started Zen practice in 1966 and in 1971 was ordained a priest by Shunryu Suzuki Roshi. Two years later he took a leave of absence from IBM to serve as shuso (head monk) at Tassajara Zen Mountain Center, and in 1974, he received Dharma Transmission from Hoitsu Suzuki Roshi, Shunryu Suzuki’s son and successor. In 1985, he was appointed abbot at Kannon Do Zen Center in Mountain View, California. Les’s first book, Zen at Work (Crown/Three Rivers), sold 14,000 copies. He is also author of Joyously Through the Days (Wisdom Publications), and coauthor of A Sense of Something Greater: Zen and the Search for Balance in Silicon Valley (Parallax Press).