Ep180: Zen & the Art Of Being Funny - Jack Haubner 2
Jack Haubner is an ex-Zen Monk and prize winning author of the memoirs Zen Confidential: Confessions of a Wayward Monk; and Single White Monk: Tales of Death, Failure, and Bad Sex.
Available on Youtube, iTunes, SoundCloud & Spotify – search ‘Guru Viking Podcast’.
In this interview Jack reveals the interaction between his creative process and his Zen journey, from his screenwriting days in Hollywood, to journalling as a Zen monk, to penning his award winning spiritual memoirs.
Jack also considers the role of self-disclosure and comedy in his writing, reflects on why Sasaki Roshi did not emphasise art in his spiritual training, and recounts stories of fellow Zen student and renowned singer-songwriter Leonard Cohen.
Jack also discusses how even senior Zen monks can become complacent during intense retreat, how to break through stagnancy in practice, and what it means to make spiritually resonant art.
Topics include:
00:00 - Intro
01:01 - The Book of Questions
03:31 - Moving to LA and failing as a screenwriter
05:08 - Jack’s influences as a writer
05:58 - Stories of ‘dog eat dog’ Hollywood life
12:21 - Rupert Spira vs Henry Shukman
15:05 - Creativity vs becoming a Zen monk
19:47 - Zen Confidential
20:22 - The role of art in Zen and Japanese culture
22:32 - Zen is the direct path
23:25 - Harada Roshi’s enso
23:59 - Sasaki Roshi did not emphasise art at all
25:09 - Complacent Zen practitioners
28:32 - Sweet spot of great art
30:06 - Passivity in advanced Zen students of Sasaki Roshi
35:45 - Prostate problems during sesshin
38:25 - Strife with other monks as training
42:55 - How Jack found his voice as a writer
48:03 - Moral superiority vs self deprecation
49:32 - - Jack’s ‘why’
51:36 - Escaping the nihilism trap of low motivation
58:30 - Jack’s Zen friendship with Leonard Cohen
01:00:23 - Cohen’s love songs to God
01:02:52 - More about Leonard Cohen
01:03:48 - Jack on humour
01:05:25 - Jack on taking risks as a writer
01:06:51 - Making art out of Sasaki Roshi’s sex scandal
01:08:10 - Criticism of Jack’s books
01:11:19 - Edgy humour, cruelty, and cultural changes
01:16:29 - Current writing projects
01:18:40 - Jack’s Youtube channel
01:20:42 - Artists must finish
Previous episode with Jack Haubner:
To find out more about Jack Haubner, visit:
‘Deva Dasi’ by Steve James