Les Kaye
Les Kaye served as abbot of Kannon Do, a Zen center in Silicon Valley, for 40 years, retiring in 2023 as Abbot Emeritus. He continued to be Kannon Do’s teacher, giving occasional Dharma talks and meeting with students at his house in Los Altos and virtually. Les was integrally involved in developing an American Zen practice both at Haiku Zendo and at Kannon Do. He was ordained as a Zen monk by Shunryu Suzuki in 1971 and was appointed spiritual leader of Kannon Do in 1982. In 1985, Les received Dharma Transmission—authority to teach and have students—from Suzuki-roshi’s son and successor, Hoitsu Suzuki. Starting in 1958, Les worked for IBM in San Jose for over 30 years. In addition to his book A Sense of Something Greater: Zen and the Search for Balance in Silicon Valley, published by Parallax Press, he also wrote Zen at Work, Oryoki, and Joyously Through the Days. Les passed on September 5, 2026.
-
A Sense of Something Greater
Zen and the Search for Balance in Silicon Valley
View this bookA detailed investigation into the unlikely but growing connection between Zen and Silicon Valley, from a former employee of IBM and the abbot of Kannon Do Zen center.