Tap the gear icon above to manage new release emails.
Follow Todd Calfin to get new release emails from Audible and Amazon.
DALAI LAMA BLESSING
On July 6th 2025, the author attended the Dalai Lama's 90th birthday celebration in Dharamsala. On the full moon of July 10th, he presented his book, Enlightenment on a Shoestring, to His Holiness. The book was warmly received and is now luxuriating, much like a pampered Himalayan cat, on the Dalai Lama's bedside table. Or so the author likes to imagine.
INTERVIEW WITH TODD CALFIN
What is your writing process?
A calm, clear, meditative mind. In other words, a state of no-mind. In the sublime space between thoughts, the Cosmic Muse has a chance to enter.
What are your five favorite books, and why?
Siddhartha, The Tao Te Ching, The Alchemist, The Little Prince, and The Essential Rumi. These refreshingly simple books are potent wake-up calls.
What is the story behind your books?
The Keys to the Palace of Bliss (2013) is an autobiographical fairy tale about a mysterious forest dweller.
Le Troubadour (2016) is the French version, translated by yours truly.
Enlightenment on a Shoestring (2025) is a glimpse into the weird and wonderful world of a wandering baba.
Who is Toddy Baba?
Currently my pen name, but ultimately my cosmic self. Truth is, I am allergic to labels and boxes. I don’t see myself as an American or even a Buddhist; if there was an option “Citizen of the Cosmos” I would check that box.
What is the greatest joy of writing for you?
If I can inspire the reader to have a belly laugh, I have succeeded. After all, a belly laugh a day keeps the doctor away!
Describe your desk.
I don't own a desk. Nor do I own a computer. The Keys to the Palace of Bliss, Le Troubadour, and Enlightenment on a Shoestring were all written on the “Magic Desk of Existence”.
Do you have a hero?
My father, Louis Calfin, is my hero. He is the kindest, most compassionate person I have ever known—a true Bodhisattva. On his deathbed, I offered my father a mala, a sacred garland of 108 beads, dipped in the very pond where the Buddha bathed 25 centuries ago.
What do you like to do when you're not writing?
Wander. My lifelong dream has been to explore 108 countries, not overseas territories or regions but 108 sovereign nations, and that dream will soon be fulfilled.
It appears you are on a quest?
Indeed I am! A one of a kind quest presented by the universe. The Quest: An odyssey to 108 countries threads a magic mala around the globe, each nation a bead of life experience that ultimately illuminates the wayfarer.
QUEST FULFILLED
Beneath the luminous full moon of June 30, 2026, the quest reached its ultimate fulfillment, as the author threaded the 108th and final bead—the Isle of Malta—onto the Magic Mala.
The author may be contacted: palaceofbliss at gmail dot com
Read more
Read less
