TIME FOR AWAKENING

A Minnesotan shares her story of awakening in the Buddhist tradition in this memoir.

What does it mean to be a spiritual seeker in a complex world of marriage, parenthood, work, and home renovations? For the author, the journey began in 1983, with Midwest Al-Anon meetings. It continued to an interest in Buddhism and then to an intensive period of growth, culminating in a stay at a strict Buddhist monastery in Malaysia for forty days in 2008. Sensing discord in her life, Casey wanted to wake up to what she calls “a universal profound Truth.” Her meditation quest began at the Dharma Field Zen Center in 2007. At the time, she was trying to renovate a 1906 house—a process that took more than a decade while she, her two sons, and her husband (who was mostly away on business) lived in the garage. Life was hectic, which made it more difficult to find peace within herself: How does one find time to sit in quiet meditation? How does one find a space for that? But Casey pressed on: “Even amidst the anger, despair, and agitation, there was pasāda,” she writes, “a serene confidence, a clarity about the way to move forward in the right direction.” After experiencing what she calls an ‘awakening’ at the monastery, she pursued further studies and training and eventually became a meditation teacher. Although she says that she wrote her story for her sons, she also expresses hope that readers will embark on their own journeys. Over the course of this memoir, Casey successfully presents a spiritual quest narrative that has the potential to inspire readers who find themselves similarly dissatisfied with modern life. Some readers, however, may take issue with her references to the Al-Anon program, whose 11th tradition clearly states that members must “always maintain personal anonymity” in the public realm; she justifies publicly identifying herself as a member by stating that others have done so as well.

An earnest and personal tale of searching for oneself.