Scholars such as Michel Graulich (2002) and Susan D. Gillespie (1989) maintained that the difficulties in salvaging historic data from the Aztec accounts of Toltec history are too great to overcome. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. You finally have enough power to see all those lies face to face and no longer believe in those lies. I’ve spent many years personally studying with don Miguel Ruiz. [17], Furthermore, among the Nahuan peoples the word "Tolteca" was synonymous with artist, artisan or wise man, and "Toltecayotl. Ruiz's 1997 book "The Four Agreements" is based on teachings inspired by his Toltec heritage. This school of thought connected the "Toltecs" to the archaeological site of Tula, which was taken to be the Tollan of Aztec myth. 900–1521 CE). When you are immune to the opinions and actions of others, you won’t be the victim of needless suffering. The historicist school of thought persisted well in to the 20th century, represented in the works of scholars such as David Carrasco, Miguel León-Portilla, Nigel Davies and H. B. Nicholson, which all held the Toltecs to have been an actual ethnic group. I can assure you that I see God everywhere, I see the actions of God, I see the expression in everything I perceive. To be happy. We even make the assumption that what we think is true. To me, that makes it pretty convenient. And you will know the truth and the truth will set you free. For the, Learn how and when to remove this template message, the reasons behind the perceived similarities, 10.1093/gao/9781884446054.001.0001/oao-9781884446054-e-7000058690, Florentine Codex: General History of the Things of New Spain, "The Aztlan Migrations of Nahuatl Chronicles: Myth or History? It is with Personal Freedom that we are free of the human condition of emotional suffering. One of the earliest historical mentions of Toltecs was by the Dominican friar Diego Durán, who was best known for being one of the first westerners to study the history of Mesoamerica. We take personally our own self judgments. That is what is important. The hard work in the beginning is rewarded to me in every interaction every day of my life. There will be some battles lost along the way, but that is of minor concern in the longer term strategy of creating happiness in your life. Avoid using the Word to speak against yourself or to gossip about others. It doesn't matter how close you are to the description of that tree, you never will describe what it really is. Because if you're happy, the happiness will extend all around you. It is a state that is simply described as living your life with unconditional love, gratitude, and respect, for your self, and for others. "[8] Duran speculated that this Topilzin may have been the Thomas the Apostle sent to preach the Christian Gospel among the "Indians", although he provides nothing more than circumstantial evidence of any contact between the hemispheres. In all that thinking we have many assumptions that we are not aware of. [13] This tradition assumes that much of central Mexico was dominated by a Toltec Empire between the 10th and 12th century AD. You understand God because you experience God and you see God everywhere because you just see life in action all the time. And it's up to us to make it easy. In the best selling book The Four Agreements don Miguel Ruiz gives four principles to practice in order to create love and happiness in your life. Modern scholars debate whether the Aztec narratives of Toltec history should be given credence as descriptions of actual historical events. Always Do Your Best To be happy. While don Miguel is no longer teaching, you can still learn the practices, process, wisdom and insights from those he trained. "[6] "Toltecness" meant art, culture, civilization, and urbanism and was seen as the opposite of "Chichimecayotl" ("Chichimecness"), which symbolized the savage, nomadic state of peoples who had not yet become urbanized. Each session has very specific practical exercises to help you implement aspects of mastering the Four Agreements. They get excited when they see the potential for happiness, love, and respect with themselves and their relationships. In my years of study with don Miguel what he has written in his books is a small fraction of his teachings. The Philosophy of Alfarabi: And, Its Influence on Medieval Thought September 19, 2020 Al-Fārābī and His School book download pdf formart September 19, 2020 Method- Structure and Development in al-Farabi’s Cosmology September 19, 2020 The later Aztec culture saw the Toltecs as their intellectual and cultural predecessors and described Toltec culture emanating from Tōllān [ˈtoːlːaːn] (Nahuatl for Tula) as the epitome of civilization; in the Nahuatl language the word Tōltēcatl [toːlˈteːkat͡ɬ] (singular) or Tōltēcah [toːlˈteːkaʔ] (plural) came to take on the meaning "artisan". The later debate about the nature of the Toltec culture goes back to the late 19th century. With some more awareness and practice you can move beyond this uncomfortable awakening about the mind. This caused Graulich to consider that the only possibly historical data in the Aztec chronicles are the names of some rulers and possibly some of the conquests ascribed to them. You know that any sin can be forgiven, even on a deathbed. In Christianity, you do something bad.... you can be forgiven. In essence it means to win the war over the beliefs in the mind. If you just look at your emotional state at this point it will seem like things are getting worse instead of better. During our early life we began making agreements. This is when the fourth agreement, Always Do Your Best, is most important. The quest of a Spiritual Warrior is for Personal Freedom. You will come to see that it is not You that is judging your self for failing. The result is that we are not only upset, but we also feel like a failure. It is impossible, exactly. The agreements may be simple, but he never says they are easy to keep. We end up having an emotional reaction to our own belief because we assumed their opinion it is true. Today Durán's work still holds relevancy to those studying Mesoamerican societies and based on his findings Durán claims that the Toltecs were disciples of the "High Priest Topiltzin. Say only what you mean. Other controversies relating to the Toltecs include the question of how best to understand the reasons behind the perceived similarities in architecture and iconography between the archaeological site of Tula and the Maya site of Chichén Itzá. [1] The Aztec oral and pictographic tradition also described the history of the Toltec Empire, giving lists of rulers and their exploits. Mesoamericanist scholars such as Mariano Veytia, Manuel Orozco y Berra, Charles Etienne Brasseur de Bourbourg, and Francisco Clavigero all read the Aztec chronicles and believed them to be realistic historic descriptions of a pan-Mesoamerican empire based at Tula, Hidalgo. We can also take personally our own opinions. Learn how your comment data is processed. These assumptions are not the truth. This is something that my grandfather showed me when I was in my late teens. That will be your choice. Use the power of your Word in the direction of truth and love. [2], Some archaeologists, such as Richard Diehl, argue for the existence of a Toltec archaeological horizon characterized by certain stylistic traits associated with Tula, Hidalgo and extending to other cultures and polities in Mesoamerica. And we justify it by saying, "Oh, I'm shy. [20], Media related to Toltec at Wikimedia Commons, This article is about the pre-Colombian culture. Furthermore, the reason for applying the golden rule in christianity … The impact of other people’s opinions and reactions to us became a very strong force in the habits we created. Evidence for Tula's participation in extensive trade networks has been uncovered; for example, the remains of a large obsidian workshop.[6]. We have out of years of habit not paid attention to how we express our self. Our parents rewarded us when we did what they wanted and they punished us when we didn’t. Which Duran also says, "means Masters, or Men Wise in Some Craft. Understanding how to Integrate and Live the practices. While all scholars acknowledge that there is a large mythological part of the narrative, some maintain that by using a critical comparative method some level of historicity can be salvaged from the sources. And this is the main art that we have: the creation of our story. You know life is very, very simple and we can make it so, so easy. It is wonderful to have any kind of religion. You are waking up to how your mind makes assumptions, has emotional reactions, and is so quick to make self judgments. If something holds the attention of this child, you will see right away a smile in the face until the attention returns into what is causing the pain. I can say that my life is an ongoing prayer without praying. I cannot be happy. [15] This caused Graulich and Gillespie to suggest that the general Aztec cyclical view of time, in which events repeated themselves at the end and beginning of cycles or eras was being inscribed into the historical record by the Aztecs, making it futile to attempt to distinguish between a historical Topiltzin Ce Acatl and a Quetzalcoatl deity. As you practice living these four practices your life will dramatically change. Adopting and committing to these agreements is simple. The book is available in E-book format at Bookbaby, iTunes or other outlets. Actually living and keeping these Four Agreements can be one of the hardest things you will ever do. It's a choice. Be Impeccable with your Word: Speak with integrity. I cannot make it. Many historicists such as H. B. Nicholson (2001 (1957)) and Nigel Davies (1977) were fully aware that the Aztec chronicles were a mixture of mythical and historical accounts; this led them to try to separate the two by applying a comparative approach to the varying Aztec narratives. Especially the nature of interaction between Tula and Chichén Itzá has been controversial with scholars arguing for either military conquest of Chichén Itzá by Toltecs, Chichén Itzá establishing Tula as a colony or only loose connections between the two. This led him to posit the theory that Chichén Itzá had been violently taken over by a Toltec military force under the leadership of Kukulcan. He is available for personal coaching. The Aztecs referred to several Mexican city states as Tollan, "Place of Reeds", such as "Tollan Cholollan". Nothing others do is because of you. When you open your spiritual eyes, what you are doing is experiencing the truth. I cannot speak in public. You know, this is the beautiful part. The Toltec civilization flourished in ancient central Mexico between the 10th and mid-12th centuries CE. Communicate with others as clearly as you can to avoid misunderstandings, sadness and drama. Under any circumstance, simply do your best, and you will avoid self-judgment, self-abuse, and regret. Without awareness the mind makes the assumption that they should immediately be able to keep the Four Agreements 100% of the time. They conclude that relative to the influence exerted in Mesoamerica by Teotihuacan and Tenochtitlan, Tula's influence on other cultures was negligible and was probably not deserving of being defined as an empire, but more of a kingdom. You know it's available for everybody, not everybody has to have an accident in order to have that awareness. Oh, I'm not a good singer. "[7]Topiltzin and his disciples were said to have preached and performed miracles. Everything guides you to search for your own happiness. He has spent over 20 years personally studying and learning from don Miguel Ruiz, author of The Four Agreements and other best selling books. Then he will cry again. You can purchase his new book, “Mindworks: A practical guide to changing thoughts, beliefs and emotional reactions” at most online retailers, including his E-Store. You have to experience it. As an artist-and every human is an artist-I contemplate everything.