Zen Confidential
Confessions of a Wayward Monk
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- 15,99 €
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- 15,99 €
Description de l’éditeur
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.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
American Buddhist monk Haubner (a pseudonym) asks his readers to "lease be embarrassed for me" in provocative essays exploring his experiences of Zen. The author's search to "grow into a true human being" is described with startling metaphors, acute insights, and humor (his seduction by the "lush, seething dharma" of American Buddhist nun Pema Chodron's writing is priceless). Haubner writes of defecating in his robes rather than leave his post at a meditation session; musing on the abortion "koan" due to a pregnancy scare; tormenting his oddball kitchen assistant. Tender portraits emerge as Haubner brings hard-won Zen insights to the legacy of a sometimes violent, "radical conservative" father, and finds a beloved mentor in a hard-living former Zen monk. The collection is uneven: funny, self-deprecating essays about the hard realities of life as a Zen monk jostle against sometimes self-indulgent dissections of his nastier traits. Overall, 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. Some women readers may find it to be offensive lad lit.
