Shot primarily at the Rinzai-Ji temple in Los Angeles, One Precept documents traditional Zen Buddhism in America today. In a personal, often poetic portrayal, the story introduces a Zen priest named Seiju, who discusses the principles of the practice, the growing popularity of Zen and his seventeen years as a disciple of one of its oldest living masters, Kyozan Joshu Sasaki. Detailed images of meditation, chanting, formal meal, and Koan study are combined to reveal a highly disciplined practice that has been handed down from master to student, from one culture to another, emerging as a popular form of religious expression in contemporary western society.