You know the feeling. You're calm, clear, handling life well — and then something small happens and you're completely caught. The reaction rises before you can stop it. The old pattern shows up, right on cue. You know better, and you still get caught.

The Dancing Monkey and Living the Way of Zen follows our beloved Monkey as he steps out into the world — transformed, awakened, and thoroughly, endearingly human. In 21 short stories, he navigates the moments we all recognise: the pull of old habits, the sting of a careless word, the quiet satisfaction of needing to be right. And somewhere in the mess of it, he finds something better than perfection.

You'll smile as the Monkey decides to be deeply, profoundly Zen — and discovers exactly how long that lasts. You'll recognise yourself in the moment he realises he's been performing peace rather than feeling it. And you may find your own quiet exhale in the story where he finally stops explaining himself, and simply rests.

These warm, wry stories don't ask you to do better or try harder. They simply remind you that freedom isn't found in getting it right — it's found in what happens when you don't. Easy to listen to in any order, perfect for a morning commute, a quiet evening, or any moment when life feels a little too loud.

Written by the author of the beloved The Monkey and the Way of Zen, this companion journey picks up where awakening ends — and finds the humour, warmth, and grace in living it.

Come meet the Monkey. He's been waiting.