If you can see it, feel it, hear it or think it, it is an illusion. So yes, kindness and cruelty are both illusions. Pain and pleasure exist in our mind and nowhere else. But that doesn’t mean they’re both meaningless.
“Illusion” does not mean we dishonor the illusion. We don’t have to ignore it nor neglect it. We also don’t have to get attached to it. Illusion simply means we also recognize the higher truth of this reality. It means that we can stay peaceful no matter what is happening in this Universe because we know it is all part of the show — the dance of light and form and mind.
We don’t have to crave warmth and kindness when the world is cold and dark. We don’t have to hate the cold and darkness either. We can instead love the always-changing nature of this fascinating and rich illusory dimension of reality.
When we see a magic show, we don’t suffer when the assistant gets cut in half. We don’t get carried away when we watch the magician defy the laws of gravity. We simply marvel at the miracle of perceptual phenomena. Is the Universe that gave rise to all things, including the magic show, any less miraculous?
So rather than focusing on kindness vs cruelty or suffering vs pleasure, focus on loving the whole of this beautiful show. Love the suffering in this world that offers us the chance to help others and ourselves. Love the fruits of our hard-toiled labors. Love the toiling labor for its fruits. Love the doing, love the being, love the whole of life. Not just birth, but death and everything in between.
In these beautiful and rich lives we lead, sometimes it can be tough to know when to make a change and when to accept our circumstances? Is it better to stay in a familiar and safe situation than it is to take a risk on ourselves? Should we fulfill the expectations of our family or live a life that we find fulfilling?In my latest podcast, I share how we can strike that balance.
When we love everything, warmth and kindness radiate from us so brightly that darkness cannot touch us.
Lately, it seems like everyone is saying, “These are crazy times.” It’s true. But, these are also the best and most peaceful times. If we only dwell on the negative, we lose sight of a deeper reality. So how can we honor both truths? How can we stay at peace while not burying our head in the sand? More on that in my latest YouTube video.
One final note. As some of you may know, I have been running a book drive to get these transformative teachings into prisons across America. Your generous support has been inspiring and the response we’ve received from prisons and prisoners has been better than we even imagined. The response has been so great that they have asked if we could send even more books. We are just 470 books short of our annual goal to be able to fulfill all these requests. If you are able to donate to this important cause of lifting up our society starting with the people who have fallen the furthest, it would mean the world to me. You can donate here.
Much love,
Todd
P.S. New Year’s is coming and there is no better time to make big changes in our lives. The problem is, within a couple weeks we fall back into our old habits. This is because we’re focusing on the habits and not the root cause — the mind.
Because so many people reached out to tell me how much they loved last year’s 10,000 Mental Steps Happiness Challenge, and because many people have asked how they can share this challenge with friends and family this year, I am excited to announce that the 10,000 Mental Steps book will be coming soon!
In this book, I expand upon the themes I introduced in last year’s challenge, and all proceeds will go toward helping to bring inner peace and healing to our beloved military veterans.
Thank you so much to everyone who took part in the challenge and to everyone who reached out to share their story. Your encouragement inspired me to write this book. I hope it brings you, your loved ones, and our selfless soldiers much peace and happiness in 2025.
