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The Toltec Art of Life and Death QUOTES

The Toltec Art of Life and Death QUOTES

1 " it was considered a warrior’s greatest challenge to rise beyond his own beliefs. Now it is seen as a tactless assault against one’s identity. In my day, we would chase anger to its borders, cutting through thorn and weed until we found our way to the open fields of awareness. "

― Miguel Ruiz , The Toltec Art of Life and Death

2 " Freedom begins when each individual mind dares to liberate itself from the prison it created. We are free when the war in our heads is over. "

― Miguel Ruiz , The Toltec Art of Life and Death

3 " Miguel,” he said, when he felt my defenses weakening, “the conflict you speak of exists in the human mind, and it is not actually a conflict between good and evil; it is a conflict between truth and lies. When we believe in truth, we feel good and our life is good. When we believe in things that are not true, things that encourage fear and hatred in us, the result is fanaticism. The result is what people recognize as evil—evil words, evil intentions, evil actions. All the violence and suffering in the world is a direct result of the many lies we tell ourselves. "

― Miguel Ruiz , The Toltec Art of Life and Death

4 " I encourage people to love themselves. I show them how respect can open doors, while fear only closes them. Respect rules heaven, and heaven is within our grasp with every choice we make. "

― Miguel Ruiz , The Toltec Art of Life and Death

5 " Confess. Admit that you’ve sinned—that you have harmed your own human being in some way. Repent—that is, make an agreement to stop. Do penance, which means to offer yourself forgiveness. Modify your behavior from that moment forward. "

― Miguel Ruiz , The Toltec Art of Life and Death

6 " Knowledge follows us everywhere, like a concerned friend or a persuasive lover. It’s the discreet noise in our head, whose meaning we think we understand. It asks that our ears ignore what we hear and our eyes deny what we see. It attempts to tell our hearts whom to love and what to hate. At its most intrusive, knowledge is a ruthless autocrat. It will abuse us and demand that we abuse others. One thought can take us far from our normal instincts and compassions. One idea can justify atrocities. It’s a simple thing to say that we are knowledge, swept from our own authenticity by words and meanings, but not so simple a thing to grasp, and to change. It’s challenging, of course, but faith in ourselves makes it possible, even inevitable. "

― Miguel Ruiz , The Toltec Art of Life and Death

7 " Transformation is the result of big shifts in perceptions and responses. The process can be uncomfortable, since the mind is reluctant to notice itself, to take responsibility for its stories, and to change. When the mind is in acute resistance, the emotional body pays a price. "

― Miguel Ruiz , The Toltec Art of Life and Death

8 " We poison ourselves with judgment and fear, and then we spread the toxin to living beings all around us. To heal ourselves requires self-love, the white magic that works wonders on the dream of humanity. "

― Miguel Ruiz , The Toltec Art of Life and Death

9 " Love: The aspect of energy that manifests as the totality of all vibrations, moving matter and recording information into matter. Matter perceives and reflects it, and reacts with the complete range of emotions. "

― Miguel Ruiz , The Toltec Art of Life and Death

10 " The mind shifts with small abuses of truth,” he said. “A new idea is sometimes enough—a change of perception, or one brief look into itself.” His voice was soft, but carried force. “The biggest shifts come from experiencing the pure sensations of life, without commentary. Stop thinking, and there’s only sensation. Stop trying, and you rise in love. "

― Miguel Ruiz , The Toltec Art of Life and Death

11 " We humans comprehend truth through emotion and physical intimacy, but notice how quickly we turn against truth with stories of blame or resentment. We make the human body pay for our ideas of good and evil. I learned early in my life that the truth can be felt without a story. Love, the truth of us, transforms reality on its own. "

― Miguel Ruiz , The Toltec Art of Life and Death

12 " Great spiritual warriors look deep into the psychic chasm and, confronting their worst fears, find renewed awareness and ultimate peace. "

― Miguel Ruiz , The Toltec Art of Life and Death

13 " It’s a different kind of mind that looks inward and perceives the need to fight a battle against its own long-held beliefs and judgments. It’s a rare mind that looks, sees, and then decides to wage this war—the last war. "

― Miguel Ruiz , The Toltec Art of Life and Death

14 " The living have a simple choice. They can pay a high penalty for believing their lies—sheer stupidity!—or laugh at themselves and be happy. "

― Miguel Ruiz , The Toltec Art of Life and Death

15 " Words don’t need to be spoken to devastate. They have only to be thought. Words band together to form opinions, which strut along the back roads of our minds, inciting doubt and controversy. Opinions rally toward a cause—a belief. "

― Miguel Ruiz , The Toltec Art of Life and Death

16 " To help with that, I suggested some new agreements—what I would come to call “The Four Agreements”—to alter old behavior patterns. I told them not to take things personally, and to stop making assumptions. I asked them to be impeccable with the wondrous gift of language: the words they spoke and the words that comprised their innermost thoughts. I asked them to do their best in every effort. Four simple agreements. I also reminded them again and again not to believe, but to listen. Put into practice, these new agreements would cause a disturbance that would alter their reality. "

― Miguel Ruiz , The Toltec Art of Life and Death

17 " If you dishonor an agreement, learn from the experience and do your best next time. It is an act of grace to forgive. It is an act of love to offer yourself another chance. "

― Miguel Ruiz , The Toltec Art of Life and Death

18 " Intent, you say, or intention?” “Intention is the mind’s work, señora. As you put it, a wish and a prayer . . .” “. . . and a hope,” she murmured. “It takes something beyond hope to bring a dream to life,” Leonardo said. “It takes action—action that is fueled by faith in oneself.” “Faith in oneself?” said Lala. “You are the father of blasphemy, sir!” “So says the mother of lies, madam! "

― Miguel Ruiz , The Toltec Art of Life and Death

19 " the pressures of a relationship had brought out old fears, the fears of a dejected adolescent. Euphoria and anger still played against each other, and the result was considerable drama in a dream that should have felt safe. "

― Miguel Ruiz , The Toltec Art of Life and Death

20 " I was being selfish. I was afraid for myself, and not even thinking of you.” Sitting on the bed, he took his father’s hands in his. “I can do as you say—I can rise above fear. I can hear knowledge speaking, and choose to disbelieve it. I can hear the way people spread poison, and choose to ignore it. I’m ready.” José looked directly into his teacher’s eyes and said, “I’m with you now. "

― Miguel Ruiz , The Toltec Art of Life and Death