Ancient Answers for Modern Problems: The Toltec Tradition–Answers For Today From an Ancient Way
by Dr. Susan Gregg, Author of Mastering The Toltec Way (Red Wheel, Dec. 2003)

If any ancient wisdom held ‘the answer’ we would already have ‘the solution’ to our problems. As Basho so eloquently said, “Don't seek to follow the footsteps of the men of old, seek what they sought instead.” The Toltec tradition is incredibly rich in tools that encourage you to develop a profound connection to your inherent wisdom, power, goodness, and divinity. As you transform your life they assist you in finding your answers within yourself. These tools do require effort as well as discipline and dedication but I can guarantee you that if you use them magic will occur, your life will be transformed, and nothing will ever be the same.

The Toltecs were a civilization that lived in Southern Mexico around 900 AD. They were a rather violent race that brought warfare to Mesoamerica. After they conquered the city of Teotihuacan a secret society developed that was dedicated to preserving the knowledge of the ancient ones. The ancient ones were a race of people who were teachers of spirituality, science, and the arts. The members of this secret society became known as “men and women of knowledge.” They embraced the ideals, spiritual concepts, and peaceful ways of the ancient ones.

The ancient ones understood the illusionary nature of reality and used the universal laws of nature to create a life based on unconditional love and self-discovery. They considered all of life to be part of the great mystery and knew there was no way to separate the secular from the sacred or science from spirit. To a “normal” person, they appeared to be magicians or wizards; they could perform great feats, heal the sick, create whatever they wanted, and transform matter. In order to accomplish these feats a person had to achieve personal freedom; they had to develop the ability to consciously create what they wanted when they wanted.

After the conquest by the Spaniards this knowledge became a well-guarded secret passed down from master to apprentice through various lineages. Each lineage took on its own flavor and personality although the basic knowledge remained the same. In the early 1980’s I moved to San Diego and met Sister Sarita and her son Don Miguel Ruiz, author of The Four Agreements. Sister Sarita had just started sharing the wisdom of her forefathers openly and I was privileged to be among her son’s first students. I was their apprentice for many years until one day Don Miguel told me he was done teaching me and to go and teach in my own way. Now there are numerous books and many people teaching about this tradition. 

The Toltec tradition is a philosophy or way of life. This philosophy is based on two key concepts. The first is taking responsibility for ones experience in life. The second is realizing that we don’t really see life at all; what we actually see is our filter system, which is composed of our beliefs, expectations, agreements, and assumptions.

The Toltec viewed the universe as a complex energy system. Everything is composed of energy; all energy has consciousness, it is neither good or bad nor positive or negative. Energy just is. Life is as it is. Events in our lives are neutral; they are as they are, neither good or bad, positive or negative. At first I had a very hard time accepting these concepts but as I learned to embrace and apply them to my life the results were amazing.

Personal freedom is a by-product of embracing these concepts and connecting with our divinity. All of my life I had a deep desire to be free, but most of the time I felt like a leaf being tossed about aimlessly by the wind. When I first began my studies I defined personal freedom as having a good job, enough money to pay my bills, a nice place to live, and being in an intimate relationship. Over the years my definition has changed drastically. My current definition is having the ability to act rather than react to the events in my life and to consciously make my choices based on love instead of fear. When people begin studying with me I suggest they take the time to write their own definition of personal freedom and to revisit their definition frequently, allowing it to evolve as they do. 

As I explored the Toltec tradition it became very evident how important my definitions of words and concepts were. I saw clearly how changing my definitions changed my experience of life. As my definitions became more expansive it became easier to make my choices consciously, based upon love. My ability to act rather than react grew and making choices based on fear became less frequent.

When I reviewed my definition of responsibility I realized it was contaminated with the idea of being at fault. Whenever a ‘negative’ event happened in my life I would feel angry. Over time I realized that responsibility was simply the ability to respond to an event in life, being at fault implies I did something wrong. It is impossible to do something wrong once you embrace the concept that all events are emotionally neutral. 

The idea that everything in life is emotionally neutral ran contrary to everything I had been taught about life. How could the world function without the concept of right and wrong, good and evil? Did that make it all right for murders to kill? Did that excuse drunk drivers who maim themselves and others in our roads? Are drive-by shootings okay? Was it okay for my best friend to lie to me or my lover to cheat on me? How would I make my decisions if they weren’t based on judgments? 

It was so freeing to realize that all of my emotions were based on what I told myself about the event not the event. Changing my filter system literally changed my experience of all the events in my life including my childhood – even that took on a new meaning. The first step in clearing out your filter system is simply realizing it exists and then being willing to change it. 

Our emotions are really signposts that lead us in the direction of our filter system. When we realize our emotions are our own creation we can use them to set ourselves free of our limiting beliefs. We can use the events in our life to illuminate our filter system. Instead of focusing our attention on our emotions and trying to change the events in our life we can change the way we think. Our spirit is limitless while our mind feels safer within the familiar limits of our filter system. Once we fully embrace that which our mind wants to judge we can then set ourselves free.

It is important to acknowledge our emotions and to do whatever is necessary to release them. I find writing a letter fully expressing all of my emotions that is for my eyes alone really helps. If I am really upset I rant, rave, scream and yell until I feel done. At times I have written hate mail to God or to the universe, myself and whoever else seemed appropriate. Then I burn them or put a stamp on them and mail the letter to God. I never give it to the person.

Once I am free of my emotions I can begin to seriously look at my beliefs, any agreements I have with the universe, or myself, explore any assumptions I’ve made and change them. Writing is a very powerful tool. The Toltec talk about quieting the ‘mitote’ of the mind, all the voices of the market place that clamor for our attention. Achieving personal freedom is really a matter of retraining your mind so it is your servant rather than your taskmaster. 

The process of retraining our minds can be a daunting one. It is easy to declare war and end up endlessly fighting with your mind. Breaking free of your mind is important but learn how to do it lovingly. There are several simple tools to help you accomplish that. One is focusing your attention on your breathing. As you move through your day take a few moments every hour to simply feel your breath as it moves in and out of your body. Really notice where you feel your breath in your body; perhaps it is in your nose or your chest, your throat or your stomach. Once you are aware of your breath consciously allow yourself to connect with your spirit, breath in love and out love. With practice it will make a big difference in your life. Your thoughts may call you back but as soon as they do merely refocus your attention on your breathing.

Another wonderful exercise is deceptively simple; merely focus your attention on your five physical senses for a few minutes several times a week. Start by sitting quietly, with your eyes closed, and focus all of your attention on your hearing. Notice all the different sounds your mind usually filters out. Then focus on your sense of smell, your sense of taste, and your sense of touch. Take time to focus on all the subtle sensations we are normally unaware of when we are busy thinking; feel your clothes, the air, and taste your breath. Next barely open your eyes and look around at your environment, notice the shadows, the colors, and the forms of everything around you. Go through each of your senses five times. Then just go about your day. Give yourself a gift, review your definitions, observe your filter system, change your beliefs, lovingly retrain you mind, and set yourself free. Then let the magic begin!

Reprinted with permission from Susan Gregg and Red Wheel/Weiser, publishers of Mastering the Toltec Way (Red Wheel/Weiser LLC, $24.95).

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