The Four Agreements: A Practical Guide to Personal Freedom

The Toltec civilization, which predates that of the Aztecs, was a pre-Columbian Mesoamerican culture that ruled in Mexico during the 10th through 12th centuries. The Toltec people established the city of Tula in Hidalgo, Mexico, 40 miles from Mexico City, and worshipped the iconic feathered serpent god Quetzalcoatl. Archaeologists cite the Toltec civilization as one of the great Mesoamerican cultures. Historically, the society is considered culturally rich, as is evident in its advanced art, writing, and knowledge. In addition, evidence shows that the Toltec society pursued commerce with other Mesoamerican societies and was particularly noted for its obsidian industry. The reasons for the downfall of the Toltec civilization are unknown, although the Toltec people were presumed to be violent and warlike people (World History Encyclopedia). Ruiz differentiated the Toltec civilization from others—like the Aztec, Mayan, and Olmec civilizations—in that its people were “a society, unified by an esoteric spirituality that was passed from generation to generation of Toltec, then to the other great civilizations that succeeded them” (Toltec Wisdom, Ana Figueroa, AARP VIVA, April 2004).

Rather than a race or religion, the Toltec civilization was a society of scientists and artists who sought to explore and conserve ancient spiritual knowledge and practices. Whereas conventional definitions of art describe skill or creative imagination and resulting works, the Toltec people’s conception of art differed, instead centering on how one lived one’s life; in other words, the Toltec people visualized the process of living as embodying art and fulfilling spiritual destiny.

The word Toltec means “women and men of knowledge” (xiii). Despite the Toltec civilization’s decline in the 12th century, the knowledge and wisdom of the Toltec people were preserved by masters who continued to practice in secret. However, ancient prophesies foretold an age when it would be time to return the Toltec wisdom to all people (xiv). Ruiz was born into a family of healers and shamans who practiced the Toltec wisdom for generations. Instead of immediately following his family into the practice of traditional healing, however, Ruiz attended medical school in Mexico City and became a practicing neurosurgeon in Tijuana. Following a near-fatal car crash, he began studying and teaching Toltec spiritual wisdom, integrating it into modern scientific knowledge to define practical steps for long-term personal growth. After spending years separating Toltec knowledge from mysticism and fanaticism, Ruiz describes the Toltec path to wisdom as “a way of life, distinguished by the ready accessibility of happiness and love” (xiv).