Zen Confidential

Confessions of a Wayward Monk

By: Shozan Jack Haubner, Leonard Cohen

Narrated by: Shozan Jack Haubner

These hilarious essays on life inside and outside a Zen monastery make up the spiritual memoir of Shozan Jack Haubner, a Zen monk who didn’t really start out to be one. Raised in a conservative Catholic family, Shozan went on to study philosophy (becoming de-Catholicized 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 defending himself against claims that he appeared in a porno movie under the name “Daniel Reed” (he didn’t, really) or being surprised in the midst of it all by the compassion he experiences in the presence of his 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.

©2013 Shozan Jack Haubner (P)2014 Audible Inc.

Humanizes the idea you have of monastic purpose

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Highly recommended. The author links the guts and grime of being human with the innate desire and search for the beauty of the spiritual.

Only zen in the book is the zen YOU bring to it

This book felt like a long piece of humor writing even though it got serious and dramatic at times. I liked listening to the author's narration and his comic deliveries. Easy listening. Enjoyed it. There is one thing about this book that influenced me. The parts where he talked about his dealings with his parents...that struck me and since then I have been more attentive and understanding to my parents. So in that sense this book did change something for me as well.

wonderful, literally goosebumps from chapter 7.

I was enthralled from the beginning. I absolutely love it and I wish his other book was on Audible as I on a road trip currently.

Irreverence

To many adjectives, and being stuck on a audible screen that will not go away until I write a review and I pay a monthly fee for this.

Excellent writing, but ...

Shozan really is quite a good writer and overall the book is really good. However, as others have noted, he's obsessed with shit. Also, the detail with which he describes a porn film I thought was in bad taste, whether gay, straight, or other. Again, though, overall very well done.