Stumbling toward the Buddha: Stories about Tripping over My Principles on the Road to Transformation Audiobook

A seeker examines her foibles and accidentally makes peace with politicians, family violence, and the emptiness of life. In this collection of autobiographical essays, Dawn Downey chronicles a spiritual journey that leads her from revelations at a Buddhist monastery to transcendence at a Baptist church. She loses her way in the foothills of California and discovers oneness in the high desert of Colorado. En route, she struggles to make sense of a depression that rises from sources lost to her memory and, years later, uncovers the hidden cause: childhood abuse. Neither mysticism nor meditation delivers up enlightenment, but they push her dangerously close to self-actualization. Downey confesses to feelings she’s not proud of, but she finds redemption in the middle of the muck. A book for readers who love inspiration with a pinch of humor.

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“In a voice that is both authentic and wry, Dawn Downey sits down with her readers to have an honest conversation about how a spiritual life really manifests in the day-to-day world. Through this delightful collection of linked essays, we come to understand—and recognize—how we all stumble through our lives, trying to maintain some modicum of dignity and grace. Bravo for this enchanting new voice in the pantheon of spiritual writing.”

— Brenda Miller, author of The Pen and the Bell