1. Work with mindfulness. No rush. Work without distractions, external or internal. Work with a sober crew.

2. Be honest. About your experience, knowledge, and ignorance. Learn.

3. Empty the ego. Form is emptiness.

4. Start at 8 AM. Take morning break at 10:30 AM. Often do yoga or zazen during morning break. Lunch at 1:00-1:30 PM. Wrap and clean site at 4:00 PM. End at 4:30 PM.

5. Build to last. Build with care for the Earth. Build with passion and compassion, for the customer and co-workers.

6. Take care of the tools. Save extra materials.

7. Work with nature. Design and build in a way that is integrated with nature, not to conquer nature. Re-use materials from the demolition.

8. “Go the extra mile.”

9. Carpentry is action, but it’s also thoughtful.  Remember: some of the best philosophers in history were carpenters. (Whitman, Jesus.)

10. “Turn to reality and annihilate fantasy.” -YuanWu, Zen Letters