The idea that everything outside of oneself is a projection can be a complex concept to grapple with, especially when faced with the harsh realities of crime, suffering, and cruelty in the world. It's essential to approach this perspective with nuance and recognize the interplay of various factors.Q: Dear Todd, if everything outside of me is a projection of myself, then what does it mean when I see the crime…
There was a Buddhist mandala that was hanging on the wall at the first Buddhist monastery I lived at. I was captivated by the details and craftsmanship. Really, the whole monastery had this level of detail and beauty. It was quite exquisite. Mandalas are symbolic representations of the universe, designed to transform ordinary minds into enlightened ones. They can be an object of meditation for Buddhists to focus on, either…
Overcoming the Failure Life Trap Q: I am currently struggling with a terrible sense of fear around the point at which I find myself in life right now… I have always been my harshest judge but that was what drove me on… now it is tearing me down. I am struggling to find the motivation or meaning in anything… I have read the books, done the classes, had the therapy,…
Q: Dear Todd, I am chaos, and I create it in everything I do and I want to stop it. I feel like a phony when I let my emotions take over.TODD ANSWERS: Don't be afraid of being a phony when your genuine emotions take over. Clearly you are trying to communicate something that is important to you. The more we practice not losing ourselves to these emotions (mindfulness), the…
Some people have such a loud voice in their head, that they are actually unaware they have a voice in their head at all. It's gotten so noisy and constant, that we don't even have the awareness to hear it because we are completely lost in our thoughts. In those cases, only when a person sits down to meditate and they actually turn their attention inward, do they discover the…
Our lives — like all things — exist in cycles. Some years we are growing, and some years we are enjoying. Some years are for sowing, and some are for reaping. But sometimes, it can feel like we are trapped in an unending cycle, repeating the same patterns and choices over and over and over and over again. When these trying times go on for decades, we can easily begin…
Q: Dear Todd, so when we feel fear or experience suffering is that always the ego? Or is it an unhealed part of ourselves? Or both? TODD ANSWERS: Both and neither. These feelings of fear are merely evolutionary traits we have developed to stay far away from tigers and the edges of cliffs. Suffering is what tells us not to put our hands in the fire. But today, it is…
Most of us have a voice in our head that constantly searches for something to obsess about. It scavenges and scavenges endlessly. There is just no seeming endpoint for this thought-chaser. No matter what happens, our mind will try to label, judge and analyze it forever and ever. Why won't our minds just do what they're told?!This inner voice disrupts our inner peace and usually creates problems where none existed…
While we may feel like we are the operators of our bodies, the truth is that we are temporary inhabitants. I am watching the Todd show, and you are watching the you show. If you think you’re in control, just try to stop thinking for 5 minutes. We do not control our heartbeat or digestion. We don’t have to do anything for our hair and nails to grow. Similarly, we are…
Whether we are aware of them or not, we hall have negative thoughts that on a subconscious and unconscious level stir up stress and tension within our mind and body. In fact, when we are not aware of them, uncomfortable thoughts can easily become repressed, suppressed, and denied. And while stuffing them down can be preferable to dealing with them, from a holistic perspective these disturbing thoughts can turn into…
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