Why did you choose New Zealand?During a meeting with the high Buddhist lama, Karmapa, he asked me which forest I was going to meditate in for 50 days and if there were any bears or tigers there, as he was living in India which has both. I told him I was thinking about New Zealand and that they did not. “Very good,” he said. That really sealed the deal for…
Q: Dear Todd, how can I practice stillness?TODD ANSWERS: It is much better to practice watching your breath because your breath is always with you. You don’t have to try to freeze, because your brain will always be receiving information (light, sound, etc…). But what you can practice is stilling your focus.Focus on one thing very intently, whether it’s your breath, a mantra, or a flower. And just practice extended…
In Viktor Frankl's book, Man's Search for Meaning, we learn how Holocaust prisoners were more likely to survive if they felt there was some meaning to their senseless circumstances. In this evil place and time where life had no meaning, to survive meant finding and creating meaning wherever they could. For many, becoming hopeless meant certain death. Meaning and hope are like oxygen for the soul. So how do we…
If we overthink about it, life can be very confusing. There is so much information that we are bombarded with daily, from ads to movies, from social media to our in-person interactions. Within all of that information are subtle cues that tell us how life should be, what a perfect life looks like, and how you'll finally be happy if only (fill in the blank). But, all of that noise…
Q: Dear Todd, so do you personally think that the COVID pandemic and being alone mostly, separated and the lack of connection and community was good for people? I certainly don't think so. What's your perspective? Being still, quiet, finding peace! So meditation is possibly the most important thing anyone can practice. But I personally think connection within the community is equally, if not more important. TODD ANSWERS: I don’t…
From Path to Peace With Todd Perelmuter NewsletterUsually what happens when we have those unwanted, intrusive, misery-inducing thoughts, is that we are trying to suppress something that is clearly there and trying to express itself. Suppression and repression only feed negative thoughts more energy. Distraction and escape just keep them bubbling under the surface. Engaging with those thoughts feeds them too. So what the heck are we supposed to do?!The…
Despite what we may feel about it, most of us live in a capitalist society that requires us to earn money in order to survive. It is all in the "how" we earn money that makes all the difference. Are we hurting our fellow humans and creatures or are we helping? Are we sacrificing our health or our relationships for money? Or are we using our occupation to nourish ourselves…
From Path to Peace With Todd Perelmuter NewsletterWhat is Spiritual Oneness?When we explore closely the nature of the self, which is the object we can most closely observe, we see that we are nothing more than a mental concept. In truth, we are inextricably connected to our parents, and their parents, and their parents, and on and on forever.We’ll see that we are the trees, whose air we breathe. We…
There is no doubt that it is easier to meditate all day when we live in a monastery. But, while meditation is essential for understanding the mind and the nature of consciousness, that’s not all there is to reaching our ultimate potential.We humans forget that we are spiritual beings, but we also like to forget that we are animals. We have innate social drivers and a desire to procreate. We…
1. Loving others does need to start with loving ourselves.2. Our relationship with ourselves is the most important relationship we have.3. By going through pain and surviving, we become examples to the world that they're not alone, that they can overcome, they can do better, and get better.4. No matter the question, love is always the answer. Forgiveness is freeing.5. Wear your scars proud my friend, for you can do…
If something here helped you feel less alone, would you help me keep it alive?
Even the smallest support matters.
Weekly Writings from the Desk of Todd Perelmuter
