Autumn Light: My Fifty Years in Zen is the story of one woman's witness to the remarkable half-century when Buddhist philosophy and practice took root in the religious landscape of the West. Author Edwina Norton has been a devoted practitioner of the Soto school of Zen for the past 50 years. In 2013, at the age of 78, she was ordained a Zen priest and immediately thereafter participated in a rigorous three-month training at Tassajara Zen Mountain Monastery in California. Told in the intimate voice of a dharma friend, Autumn Light weaves Norton's life experiences with the Zen teachings and practice that sustained her through personal and professional challenges while raising two sons alone. Now retired to the Pacific Northwest, she practices with a small, diverse Zen community of young and older Zen students. Her late-in-life commitment as a priest has sparked a series of challenges that have tested her resolve to follow the rigorous practices of the Zen tradition. Priesthood has also rewarded her with unexpected, new insights into the meaning of her life.

By dipping into this little book of simple Zen Buddhist sayings, you can calm your anxiety and return serenity to your soul. Are you feeling stress and anxiety from the demands of daily life? Do you feel overwhelmed by your to-do list and the constant deluge of information from all quarters? Are you unhappy with your life and envious of those around you? At times like these it's important to step back and take a breath. Zen meditation may conjure up images of sitting in silence for long hours, but according to Buddhist monk and author Shinsuke Hosokawa, Zen can be summed up as "the knowledge needed for a person to live life with a positive outlook." With this in mind, he has produced this charmingly illustrated collection of thoughts and sayings to help you live life with less stress and anxiety. The sayings include: Pay attention to what is right in front of your eyes Nothing happens by chance. Every encounter has its meaning Be careful not to confuse the means and the purpose Keep flowing just like water Nothing will control you Even a bad day is a good day Check the ground beneath your feet when you're in trouble You'll never walk alone These 52 mindful sayings mirror the 52 steps traditionally taken to achieve Buddhist enlightenment, and they also coincide with the 52 weeks of the year--passing through the seasons, both in the natural world and our lives. Each page has an illustration and a simple, meditative reflection to help you see into your own heart, accept your current state of being, reduce anxiety and find peace. Whatever the time of year, whatever your time of life, by browsing the pages of this book you are sure to quickly find a piece of universal wisdom that will resonate with your soul.