The authors of this book are all first or second generation dharma descendants of Sanshin's founder, Shohaku Okumura, and our chapters all respond in some way to his opening teachings about the four embracing actions: giving, loving speech, beneficial action and identity action. Some of us live the lives of householders and are holding down jobs and raising families in addition to carrying out our dharma teaching. Others are engaged in some form of residential practice, living in a temple and spending all day every day facilitating the practice of our sanghas and ourselves. We come from South America, North America, Europe and Japan and speak a variety of languages... In this volume we offer our various perspectives on the teachings found in the Bodaisatta Shishobo (Four Embracing Actions of the Bodhisattva) fascicle of D¿gen Zenji's Shobogenzo....Our writing comes from our day-to-day experiences of practice and speaks to readers as they also navigate this one unified reality moment by moment. Hoko Karnegis - from the preface