If normative ethics builds cathedrals, is Zen’s approach like a journey along a deer path? We shine a light on ethical behaviour in Zen Buddhism. How can these be compared with each other, or even joined? We consider great compassion as the engine of action and perhaps a bridge to normative ethics. Can Zen ethics skillfully use these approaches as tools or scaffolding? Though Zen ethics can employ rules, it also knows when the situation demands they be put aside. More adaptable than normative ethics, and yet Zen demands serious discipline. Pull the coffee and cake closer, we are going hiking.