In this episode Fred Stella speaks with Paldrom Catherine Collins, the author of ‘Girl in a Box: Seeking Enlightenment as a Tibetan Buddhist Nun.’ It’s a memoir of spiritual longing and the search for an end to suffering.
As a wide-eyed spiritual seeker from Oklahoma, Paldrom believed enlightenment would free her from the messiness of being human, that she could somehow rest in a cloud of bliss. So she took monastic vows, shaved her head, changed her name, and agreed to forgo worldly pleasures.
She recounts her effort to become a stellar nun, at least as she imagined one should be. Her 5-year immersion in the paradigm-altering world of a traditional Tibetan Buddhist monastery and retreat center revealed the depth of her commitment. But the path was not what she’d expected.
Both the transcendent experiences and the shattering disillusionments continue to lead her to a deeper understanding that she was never lost, already home.
