Over many years of Zen practice I have come to feel that Buddhist enlightenment is nothing more or less than being a normal functioning person, capable of living a full human life right to the end. It turns out that this simple normal thing is actually rare; and that it takes some doing. In Autumn Light: My Fifty Years in Zen, Edie Norton, Zen priest, shows us her long life of enduring what time and the world will do to you, and how, through the simple process of paying honest attention to what happens, while maintaining the disciplined practice of sitting in the silence of the purely present moment, an ordinary person can come to great wisdom and compassion. Especially moving is Edie’s detailed description (by far the longest part of her story, though it occupies only three months of her life) of her monastic training period at Tassajara Zen monastery, a place I know very well; it is the best and most thorough description of what happens there that I have ever read. I am so moved by this book. I know you will be too. Thank you, Edie!

Norman Fischer, poet, author, Zen priest, former co-abbot, San Francisco Zen Center

Norton’s spiritual biography stands out for its realism, subtlety, and depth. With the perspective of eight decades on the planet and her work with several generations of Zen teachers over the last four, Norton shows us how to enter into a deep relationship with our lives and conditioning and come out the other side with wisdom and grace. This journey is neither easy nor simple, but it’s inspiringly, and challengingly, real. Highly recommended for all of us as we become ready to engage in the real work of growing up.

Nomon Tim Burnett, Guiding Teacher, Red Cedar Zen Community, Bellingham, Washington