Reviews

The author for Z is for Zen invites readers to walk alongside her as she battles to discover meaning in life, through an enticing narrative chronicling her steps toward practicing Zen, set against the larger context of history and its enduring impact on her journey. From America’s terrifying entrance into the Vietnam War to Mueller’s experience gambling at a casino with a Buddhist Roshi, readers will be riveted.

The stores entertain, provoke deep thought, and gently encourage readers to implement the author’s wisdom when reflecting on their own life journeys. She strikes a nearly-flawless balance between spiritual discover/meaning and the traditions of this world.

Z is for Zen beautifully draws a reader through the author’s life – or lives, so many varied consequential chapters – enough to make reincarnation seem more likely than not!

Like a contemplative walk endlessly circling a shining mountain pond, Mueller follows her questions and longing from confusion to more and more clarity. 

“When the student is ready, the teacher will appear” begins a couplet in the Tao Te Ching and in the 1970s, she chooses the hard path of Rinzai Zen – a rigorous practice with a nearly fearful Roshi.

Mid-way through, another teacher opens the way to a softer understanding with the question, “what occurs in being ready?” 

And on, down through years of practice in joy and struggle till arriving at the second part of that couplet, “when the student is really ready, the teacher will disappear.”

With deep honesty, she recounts many moments of awakening into patience and a warm heart.

Here is one woman’s record of determination to live with questions of meaning, with loving attention, seeking the place where “deep down I know who I always was.”