Zen Confidential: Confessions of a Wayward Monk

Description

""This punk of a monk, who should be tending to his own affairs, has decided to infect the real world with his tall tales, and worse, to let the cat out of the bag. And what a sly, dangerous, beautiful, foul-smelling, heart-warming beast it is."-Leonard Cohen, from the foreword" A screenwriter and stand-up comic's hilarious and profound account of his journey into Zen monkhood-featuring a foreword by Leonard Cohen Shozan Jack Haubner is the David Sedaris of Zen Buddhism- a brilliant humorist and analyst of human foibles, whose hilarity is informed by the profound insights that have dawned on him-as he's stumbled and fallen into spirituall practice. Raised in a truly strange family of Mel-Gibson-esque Catholic extremists, he went on to study philosophy (becoming very un-Catholic in the process) and to pursue a career as a screenwriter and stand-up comic in the clubs of L.A. How he went from life in the fast lane to life on the stationary meditation cushion is the subject of this laugh-out-loud funny account of his experiences. Whether he's dealing with the pranks of a juvenile delinquent assistant in the monastery kitchen or experiencing profound compassion in the presence of his spiritual teacher, Haubner's voice is one you'll be compelled to listen to. Not only because it's highly entertaining, but because of its remarkable insight into the human condition.

Shozan Jack Haubner is the pen name of a Zen monk whose humorous essays have appeared in Tricycle, Buddhadharma, the Shambhala Sun, and The Sun, as well as in the Best Buddhist Writing series. He is the winner of a 2012 Pushcart Prize. The events described in his book are true. Shozan's name has been changed to protect the innocent.

"The author's search to 'grow into a true human being' is described with startling metaphors, acute insights, and humor. . . . Haubner's unorthodox take on the spiritual search, marked by moments of grace, and his strength as an essayist will win over a specific audience willing to accept his dare."-Publishers Weekly "This punk of a monk, who should be tending to his own affairs, has decided to infect the real world with his tall tales, and worse, to let the cat out of the bag. And what a sly, dangerous, beautiful, foul-smelling, heart-warming beast it is."-Leonard Cohen, from the foreword "This is the funniest, most genuine spiritual memoir I have ever read. It feels odd to call it a memoir, given how it is chock full of genuine Buddhist insight. A must-read, especially for those of us who have been accused of being in gay porn films."-Lodro Rinzler, author of The Buddha Walks into a Bar... "Zen Confidential has a virtue rare in spiritual books, it includes the whole of life. Here we have sex, bathroom customs of the monastery, politics, suicide, drugs, meanness, marriage, standup comedy, Las Vegas, koans and a 105-year-old Zen master. It's a window into a magical world that pretends to be ordinary and an ordinary world that is magical. Haubner has an acute eye for the ridiculousness of the world and a larger-than-life way of seeing. It's a fresh, living account of this kind of Zen in America and of living well and serving the way." -John Tarrant, author of Bring Me the Rhinoceros and Other Zen Koans That Will Save Your Life