Listen free for 30 days

Listen with offer

  • Zen and the Art of Dealing with Difficult People

  • How to Learn from Your Troublesome Buddhas
  • By: Mark Westmoquette
  • Narrated by: Stephen Perring
  • Length: 6 hrs and 32 mins
  • 4.6 out of 5 stars (8 ratings)
Offer ends May 1st, 2024 11:59PM GMT. Terms and conditions apply.
£7.99/month after 3 months. Renews automatically.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection - including bestsellers and new releases.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, celeb exclusives, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
£7.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically. See here for eligibility.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection - including bestsellers and new releases.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, celeb exclusives, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
Zen and the Art of Dealing with Difficult People cover art

Zen and the Art of Dealing with Difficult People

By: Mark Westmoquette
Narrated by: Stephen Perring
Get this deal Try for £0.00

Pay £99p/month. After 3 months pay £7.99/month. Renews automatically. See terms for eligibility.

£7.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically. See here for eligibility.

Buy Now for £14.99

Buy Now for £14.99

Pay using card ending in
By completing your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and authorise Audible to charge your designated card or any other card on file. Please see our Privacy Notice, Cookies Notice and Interest-based Ads Notice.

Listeners also enjoyed...

Practical Zen cover art
One Blade of Grass cover art
Don't Bite the Hook cover art
Zen cover art
The Numbered Discourses cover art
Through Forests of Every Color cover art
Hardcore Zen cover art
Crooked Cucumber cover art
The Fundamental Wisdom of the Middle Way cover art
Living Kindness cover art
The Other Side of Nothing cover art
Untangled cover art
Psychotherapy Without the Self: A Buddhist Perspective cover art
Breakfast with Seneca cover art
The Misleading Mind cover art
Daoist Nei Gong cover art

Summary

This is a guide to applying the teachings of mindfulness and Zen to the troublesome or challenging people in our lives. Perhaps you can see there’s often a pattern to your behavior in relation to them and that it often causes pain – perhaps a great deal of pain. The only way we can grow is by facing this pain, acknowledging how we feel and how we’ve reacted, and making an intention or commitment to end this repeating pattern of suffering. 

In this book, Mark Westmoquette speaks from a place of profound personal experience. A Zen monk, he has endured two life-changing traumas caused by other people: his sexual abuse by his own father, and his stepfather’s death and mother’s very serious injury in a car crash due to the careless driving of an off-duty policeman. He stresses that by bringing awareness and kindness to these relationships, our initial stance of “I can’t stand this person, they need to change” will naturally shift into something much broader and more inclusive. The book makes playful use of Zen koans – apparently nonsensical phrases or stories – to help jar us out of habitual ways of perceiving the world and nudge us toward a new perspective of wisdom and compassion.

©2021 Mark Westmoquette (P)2021 Watkins

What listeners say about Zen and the Art of Dealing with Difficult People

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    6
  • 4 Stars
    1
  • 3 Stars
    1
  • 2 Stars
    0
  • 1 Stars
    0
Performance
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    7
  • 4 Stars
    0
  • 3 Stars
    0
  • 2 Stars
    1
  • 1 Stars
    0
Story
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    5
  • 4 Stars
    3
  • 3 Stars
    0
  • 2 Stars
    0
  • 1 Stars
    0

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Honesty and powerful messaging at its finest!

I was drawn to reading this book after difficulties with a colleague began to resurface. It has been powerful, enlightening and many tips I will take away. Just reading this has made me feel calmer and trusting of myself to be able to handle those individuals who come into our lives to teach us something about ourselves. It is ok for them to be there, to acknowledge their purpose, and this book eloquently explains why… Enjoy!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Profound and true

The author's openness has made me feel touched, humbled and connected. As well as determined to reprioritise my meditation practice.

I've found it so helpful the way the author clearly lay out the koans, along with different people's various experiences in their relationships of all kinds.

I feel inspired and it's made me want to continue to turn the lantern around, move away from blame and into a more helpful and true way of seeing our beautiful universe after what has been a difficult couple of years with my own relationships.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

This is a fantastic book. Well worth a read

I have been practicing Zen meditation myself for many years and this book really clarified the aims and reasons behind many aspects of my own practice. It is filled with really interesting stories and case studies that help you develop a deeper understanding of your own thoughts and behaviour and ultimately help you in your relationships with others. The authors own recovery from an extremely traumatic passed adds to the authenticity of the advice given. I would recommend this book to anyone who is interested in developing better relationships with others or them self.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

performance distracts from message

I struggled to finish this book and actually abandoned after a few attempts to persevere. the narrator's style unfortunately completely distracts from the message- where thete should be some calm, peace or depth ( a little space to reflect and rake in), there is instead an upbeat, fast and overpowering style. Shame, the book itself seems interesting .

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!