this time ~ this space

Don Miguel Ruiz’s The Four Agreements was published in 1997 and for many it is a life-changing book, whose ideas come from the ancient Toltec wisdom of the native people of Southern Mexico. Toltec knowledge arises from the same essential unity of truth as all the sacred esoteric traditions around the world. Though it is not a religion, it honors all the spiritual masters who have taught on the earth. Though it does embrace spirit, it is most accurately described as a way of life. Unlike our familiar experience, this way of life is distinguished by the ready accessibility of happiness and love.

The Toltec were ‘people of knowledge’ - scientists and artists who created a society to explore and conserve the traditional spiritual knowledge and practices of their ancestors. The Toltec viewed science and spirit as part of the same entity, believing that all energy - material or ethereal - is derived from and governed by the universe.

Don Miguel Ruiz, born and raised in rural Mexico, was brought up to follow his family’s Toltec ways by his mother, a Toltec faith healer, and grandfather, a Toltec ‘nagual’, a shaman. Despite this, Don Miguel decided to pursue a conventional education, which led him to qualify and practice for several years as a surgeon.Following a car crash, Don Miguel Ruiz reverted to his Toltec roots during the late 1970’s, first studying and learning in depth the Toltec ways, and then healing, teaching, lecturing and writing during the 1980’s and 90’s, when he wrote The Four Agreements (published in 1997), The Mastery of Love (1999), The Four Agreements Companion Book (2000), and Prayers (2001).

Spirituality Without Religion- Don Miguel Ruiz survived a serious heart attack 2002, since when his teachings have been largely channelled through seminars and classes run by his followers, notably his sons Don Jose Luis and Don Miguel Ruiz Junior. Like many gurus and philosophical pioneers, Ruiz has to an extent packaged, promoted and commercialised his work, nevertheless the simplicity and elegance of his thinking remains a source of great enlightenment and aspiration.

Everything we do is based on agreements we have made - agreements with ourselves, with other people, with God, with life. But the most important agreements are the ones we make with ourselves. In these agreements we tell ourselves who we are, how to behave, what is possible, what is impossible. One single agreement is not such a problem, but we have many agreements that come from fear, deplete our energy, and diminish our self-worth. The simple ideas of The Four Agreements provide an inspirational code for life; a personal development model, and a template for personal development, behaviour, communications and relationships.

Here is how Don Miguel Ruiz summarises ‘The Four Agreements’:

1. Agreement 1 - Be impeccable with your word - Speak with integrity. Say only what you mean. Avoid using the word to speak against yourself or to gossip about others. Use the power of your word in the direction of truth and love.
2. Agreement 2 - Don’t take anything personally - Nothing others do is because of you. What others say and do is a projection of their own reality, their own dream. When you are immune to the opinions and actions of others, you won’t be the victim of needless suffering.
3. Agreement 3 - Don’t make assumptions - Find the courage to ask questions and to express what you really want. Communicate with others as clearly as you can to avoid misunderstandings, sadness and drama. With just this one agreement, you can completely transform your life.
4. Agreement 4 - Always do your best - Your best is going to change from moment to moment; it will be different when you are healthy as opposed to sick. Under any circumstance, simply do your best, and you will avoid self-judgment, self-abuse and regret.

On Dreaming - “Dreaming, in its purest form, is witnessing life just as it is. We perceive from the moment of our birth. As infants, our minds are unformed and silent. There are no words describing our perception. There are no concepts narrating our emotions. Returning to that state of silent mind, through Dreaming, we intensify awareness. In the silence created by absence of thought, we open to perception.”

More information about The Four Agreements ideology, The Four Agreements book, Dreaming Weekends and Programs, Don Miguel Ruiz and Toltec philosophy at his website.