I stayed for some time in a Buddhist monastery in a jungle in southern Thailand. At first, it was my torment. There were no screens in the windows to keep the bugs away and this was my first experience sleeping with a wooden pillow. But as the days, weeks, and months went on, the lack of comforts became my salvation. This monastery became one of the greatest spiritual experiences in…
Q: Dear Todd, space-time does change (Einstein's relativity) and consciousness depends entirely on the function of the physical brain. Bonk someone on the head and they lose consciousness. Give them a general anesthetic and they lose consciousness. States of dreamless sleep lack consciousness. When the brain dies and its function ceases, the consciousness of that being is permanently extinguished. Any thoughts?TODD ANSWERS: Yes indeed, space-time bends and warms all the…
Q: Dear Todd, does universe know a negation or a negative? If you say it does the universe hears the opposite? I really get so confused sometimes with all the spiritual understanding.TODD ANSWERS: That’s a great question. Negation only happens when there is suppression or repression of a concept. For example, don’t think of a monkey. The mantra, “I do not need to be perfect, I do not need a…
Our mind is the determiner of whether we are happy and content, or longing and dissatisfied. We may think it is because of this situation or that one, but one way or another we find out that it always stems from our mind. The question is, will we learn to become the masters of our mind or not.Yes, we all wish for possessions, praise, friendships and a loving family. But,…
Q: Dear Todd, if you did immoral things before you were awakened to the universal truths will you be held accountable for those things in this life or future lives?TODD ANSWERS: Is a tiger responsible for killing a gazelle? I don’t think so. I think it is a creature living out its own nature based on its past karma/cause-and-effect. When we act with unawareness, we are not in control. Only…
Money. We all need it, we all want more of it, and for most of us, there is no amount of it that will ever be enough. While providing for ourselves and our families is essential and noble, sometimes making money can come at the expense of ourselves, our fellow man, and the planet. So how can we earn money, get on that rat race, but maintain our ethics, continue…
Because we have clocks everywhere — our phones, microwaves, TVs, cars, etc… — we live in a mindset of time. I’ve seen people in the woods and for the first time in their lives they’ve actually not known the time. At first, they say, “I wonder what time it is.” Then later, “What time is it? Should we eat?”Soon they realize that their body will tell them when they’re hungry…
Q: Dear Todd, how can Ukrainians respond with love to their enemies?TODD ANSWERS: Someone recently asked me how I can suggest that even people in Ukraine respond with love when their lives are in danger. The person went on to tell me that they struggle with spirituality because "we have fear for a reason and if a bear is charging at you, it doesn't care if you respond with love…
The present moment is never bad. It just is. Life just happens. Our mind is what is doing all the suffering. It is our negative thoughts, our negative emotions (which we create negative thoughts about), and our desire to escape the present situation that make situations intolerable. When we are present, we are at peace, no matter what is happening around us. When we are thinking, especially when we are…
Getting Rid of Your Unhealthy HabitsWhen we turn our attention inward, insights, ideas, wisdom and understanding arise. We allow space for ideas to enter.We also become experts in how our mind works. We no longer fall for the trap of neurosis because we are highly aware of its delusion. We no longer feed negativity because we now notice the patterns and can predict when it will come. We no longer…
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