To kick off this podcast I talk a bit about when I first came across the phrase 'troublesome buddhas' and how my encounters with various difficult people over the years formed the inspiration for my book "Zen and the Art of Dealing with Difficult People'. Then I speak with my Zen teacher, Daizan Skinner Roshi. Daizan studied Zen for 15 years at a Soto Zen monastery in northern England before moving to Japan and studying for a further 6 years with the Rinzai Zen master Shinzan Miyamae. I met Daizan not long after he first got back from Japan in 2007 and have been studying with him ever since. Daizan talks about the meaning of the phrase 'troublesome buddha' and discusses some examples of difficult people in his own life and what he's learnt from them. He also discusses how he encourages his Zen students to work with challenging relationships. This podcast is sponsored by Zen Minded - An online lifestyle store offering you the very best of Japanese craft, incense & other Zen-inspired home-goods. Check it out at www.zenminded.uk If you liked this podcast, consider:  Sharing it via social media - sharable link to this episode https://www.buzzsprout.com/1902945/9710969Supporting me via PatreonSigning up to my email listwww.markwestmoquette.co.uk