Book Review: The Four Agreements
A Modern Book of Ancient Toltec Wisdom
Astrology was a central part of Toltec culture and religion. Their wisdom has been preserved and is now being shared with the world by Don Miguel Ruiz.
This marvelous little book has spent over 4 years on the "New York Times" bestseller list. The author, Don Miguel Ruiz, learned ancient Toltec traditions from his mother, a healer, and his grandfather, a nagual (like a shaman, he says). In this book, he begins to share this knowledge with the world in a way that we can easily relate to.
It all boils down to these 4 things, (slightly paraphrasing the 4 agreements here):
1. Say what you mean and mean what you say. Words are very powerful so use them for good, not ill - towards both yourself and others.
2. Other peoples' issues are just that, other peoples' issues. Don't let people project their problems, negativity etc. on to you.
3. Never assume. Ask questions. Express what you really want. Communicate clearly.
4. You can't always be 100%, but you can always do your best/do the best thing according to your capacity at the time.
By doing these 4 things, you can change your life. You can avoid being judgmental of yourself and others. You can avoid letting other people control how you feel/how you react. You can discover and communicate who you really are. You can change your own world and the world of others. Try it, it works!
Who were the Toltec? Well, a full description of that, and how that relates to these 4 agreements is more than I can fit into one article, (but don't worry, as with the Summerians, I'm working on a series of features that explain it, piece by piece). For now, lets' read a bit of what Don Ruiz describes in the introduction to his book:
"Thousands of years ago, the Totlec were known throughout southern Mexico as "women and men of knowledge." Anthropologists have spoken of the Toltec as a nation or race, but, in fact, the Toltec were scientists and artists who formed a society to explore and conserve the spiritual knowledge and practices of the ancient ones. They came together as masters (naguals) and students at Teotihuacan, the ancient city of pyramids outside Mexico City known as the place where "Man Becomes God."
"Over the millennia, the naguals were forced to conceal the ancestral wisdom and maintain its existence in obscurity...fortunately, the esoteric Toltec knowledge was embodied and passed on through generations by different lineages of naguals. Though it remained veiled in secrecy for hundreds of years, ancient prophecies foretold the coming of an age when it would be necessary to return the wisdom to the people..."
And now, Don Miguel Ruiz is doing just that. This truly is a book of great wisdom, with ancient echoes ringing through pages that express concepts and ideas modern audiences can relate to and apply to our daily lives. I strongly recommend this to people of all ages, all religions and cultures. It can be used as a self-help book, but it's much more than that. It can be read as a religious studies text, but it's much more than that too. It, essentially, is what it's cover says in small print around the title, "A Toltec Wisdom Book". Thank you, Mr. Ruiz, for sharing your wisdom with us.
Elizabeth Bissette. Permission to republish Book Review: The Four Agreements must be granted by the author in writing.
