{"version":1,"type":"rich","provider_name":"Libsyn","provider_url":"https:\/\/www.libsyn.com","height":90,"width":600,"title":"059: Girl in a Box: Paldrom Collins on Spiritual Awakening and Questioning Authority","description":"What Happens When the Spiritual Path Takes an Unexpected Turn? What if the peace you have spent years searching for has been closer than you realized? In this episode of Your Radical Truth, Deacon Margaret Mary O\u2019Connor welcomes Paldrom Catharine Collins, author of Girl in a Box: Seeking Enlightenment as a Tibetan Buddhist Nun. Raised in the Southern Baptist tradition, Paldrom left Christianity as a young woman and began searching for enlightenment. Her journey led her to Tibetan Buddhism, where she spent five years immersed in monastic life, meditation, and intensive retreat practices. Paldrom believed spiritual discipline might free her from suffering. Instead, her experience became a deeply human journey filled with insight, physical challenges, difficult questions, and the courage to reconsider a path that once seemed to offer every answer. During this honest conversation, Paldrom shares what she learned about meditation, spiritual authority, belonging, and finding meaning beyond rigid religious structures. In This Episode, You Will Discover  Why Paldrom left Christianity and entered Tibetan Buddhist monastic life  What daily life and intensive meditation practice were really like How physical practices helped her manage a wandering mind The meaning behind the meditation box featured in her memoir How spiritual communities can offer both support and limitations Why she ultimately decided to leave monastic life  What her experience taught her about questioning spiritual authority Why having thoughts during meditation does not mean you are failing How Buddhist practice and contemplative Christianity can intersect Why spiritual peace may be found in ordinary, everyday life  Paldrom\u2019s story is a powerful reminder that questioning a spiritual path does not mean the journey has failed. Sometimes growth requires the courage to examine what we believe, trust our own experience, and recognize when it is time to take a different direction. Listen to Episode 059: https:\/\/www.YourRadicalTruth.com\/059-Paldrom ","author_name":"Your Radical Truth podcast","author_url":"https:\/\/yourradicaltruth.com\/podcast\/","html":"<iframe title=\"Libsyn Player\" style=\"border: none\" src=\"\/\/html5-player.libsyn.com\/embed\/episode\/id\/42811100\/height\/90\/theme\/custom\/thumbnail\/yes\/direction\/forward\/render-playlist\/no\/custom-color\/88AA3C\/\" height=\"90\" width=\"600\" scrolling=\"no\"  allowfullscreen webkitallowfullscreen mozallowfullscreen oallowfullscreen msallowfullscreen><\/iframe>","thumbnail_url":"https:\/\/assets.libsyn.com\/secure\/content\/206041695"}