Transformation of complex human issues into common sense

Miguel Ruiz distills essential Toltec wisdom on human relationships as well as techniques for integrating this awareness into daily life. This book is a must-read for every guy and girl, which has four agreements, including 

Why domestication and the image of perfection lead to self-rejection.

The war of control slowly destroys most relationships.

Why we hunt for love in others and how to capture the love inside us.

How to finally accept and forgive ourselves and others.

Happiness can only come from inside of you and is the result of your love. When you are aware that no one else can make you happy and that happiness is the result of your love, this becomes the greatest mastery of the Toltec: The Mastery of Love.

The book explains the hell that is earth and how and why we have so foolishly created this for ourselves. Currently studying animal welfare,

“Becoming aware is about being responsible for your own life. You are not responsible for what is happening in the world. You are responsible for yourself. You didn’t make the world the way it is; the world was already the way it is before you were born. You didn’t come here with a great mission to save the world, to save society, but surely you come with a big mission, an important mission. The real mission you have in life is to make yourself happy, and in order to be happy you have to look at what you believe, the way you judge yourself, the way you victimize yourself”.

“`Most importantly, it reminds me that love really is all that matters. And that the only sort that really nurtures us, is the love we find within ourselves. Thanks for reminding me of this, and that it just might be possible to find someone else who is also busily filling themselves upon their own love, and just looking to share it – rather than looking to suck all mine out of me. I always imagined that was how love should be. I had shared to think this concept was nothing more than a dream. It was good to hear that in fact, this is exactly how it should be. Make me damn glad I kept waiting. “

“We practice and practice, and we master how t be what we are not. Soon we forget who we really are, and we start to live our images. We create not just one image, but many different images according to the different groups of people we associate with. If we take your happiness and put it in someone’s hands, sooner or later, he is going to break it. If you give happiness to someone else, she can always take it away. Then if happiness can only come from inside of you and is the result of your love, you are responsible for your happiness. We can never make anyone responsible for our own happiness.”

“ Every relationship we have is unique because we dream a small dream together. Every relationship becomes a living being made by two dreamers.”

“Love has no obligations, love has no resistance. Fear is full of obligations. Love has no exceptions. Fear is full of exceptions. With fear we do things because we accept that we have to, and we expect that others are going to do the same. That is why fear hurts and love doesn’t hurt. Love is based on respect. Fear doesn’t respect anything, including itself. If I don’t respect you, then I try to control you. When I don’t respect myself. I feel sorry for myself. I feel I’m not good enough to make it in this world.”

The Toltecs were known throughout southern Mexico as “ women and men of Knowledge” even thousands of years ago. Toltecs 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”.
The Mastery of Love: A Practical Guide to the Art of Relationship (Toltec Wisdom) by Don Miguel Ruiz and Janet Mills, Amber-Allen Publishing, Inc, £9.99