5 Phrases From Toltec Wisdom That Will Inspire You
Toltec wisdom brings us magical glimmers of a civilization that continues to inspire us. Its cosmovision, mythology, and legends continue to attract the now everlasting interest in the Nahuatl people and their secrets, and new books now appear regularly, like “The Four Agreements”. These books bring us a little closer to this past that was so rich in knowledge.
The interesting work titled “Quetzalcoatl and the creation myths of Mesoamerica”, tells how the Toltecs created a highly refined culture. Despite having a hierarchical military system and being a warrior people, their anthropological, mystical, and cultural imprint left its mark in Mesoamerica.
“We choose only once. We choose to be warriors or to be common men. There is no second chance. Not on this Earth”
-The Toltec path-
On the other hand, its also said that the Toltec people reached the highest level of the Toltecayotl. This concept represented no more and no less than the respectable art of living in balance and practicing the ancient wisdom of Huēhuehtlahtōlli, a set of rules from far back in time which were transmitted orally from one generation to the next.
While the Old World had Hinduism or Buddhism, ancient Mexico had the Toltecayotl philosophy, a legacy of wisdom and religion which offers the true Toltec wisdom. As a result, we were left with these amazing phrases…
Toltec wisdom phrases
The majority of these small examples of this wisdom are brought together in books like “The Toltec art of life and death”, “The Toltec path”, “The Quetzalcoatl universe”, “Toltecayotl” and “The Four Agreements”, by Miguel Ruíz. As we already know, the most well-known of these books is the latter. However, it’s never a bad idea to immerse ourselves in other works and in other interesting volumes in order to have a much wider vision of this culture which in some way constitutes part of the history of humanity.
A legacy which is also incomplete and has many information gaps…
1. Authentic commitment
This phrase is known because it appears in the book “The Four agreements”. The life lesson that it offers is without a doubt huge and very useful. Let’s think about this for a moment: Do we really give 100% of ourselves in everything that we do?
Not always. What’s more, sometimes we even a lot more, even 120%. Far from being positive, this sinks us into unnecessary exhaustion and fatigue. This is why it’s a good idea to try to adjust our resources, to be aware of them and to offer the best that we have, no more, no less.
“Under any circumstance, always do your best, no more and no less”
-The Four Agreements-
2. Fear disables you
The Toltecs were one of the bravest and dominant peoples, eventually covering an area that extended from the current state of Zacatecas to the south-east of the Yucatan peninsula. It’s said that the Aztecs deeply envied them, but that the Toltecs had two clear principles that dictated the Toltecayotl philosophy: not to be envious and not to be fearful.
Both of these facets made people deaf and blind. They didn’t help achieve anything, but instead just reduced people’s abilities and strengths.
“Let us proceed with courage, keeping in mind that fear makes us deaf to truth.”
-The Toltec art of life and death-
3. Words have power
“Use the word in the correct way. Use the word to share your love. Use white magic, beginning with yourself. BE IMPECCABLE WITH YOUR WORD.”
-The Four Agreements-
This is one of the most well-known phrases of Toltec wisdom, reminding us that words have power. Words are creative, they unite things, nourish, create bonds and transmit knowledge. However, we mustn’t forget that nothing causes more damage than a poorly-chosen word or a word that is unintentionally launched at the person in front of us.
Let’s make good use of that which at the end of the day makes us human: language. Let’s be careful with what comes out of our mouths, since those words sometimes don’t go through the filters of our brain or heart…
4. Inner knowledge and freedom
“Man’s possibilities are so vast and mysterious that sorcerers, rather than thinking about them, have chosen to explore them, with no hope of ever understanding them”
-The Toltec path-
Freedom, in reality, means trying to be loyal to who we are. That said, we often limit ourselves to acting as warriors with no particular destination. We get carried away without understanding our true nature or the nature of that which surrounds us.
So, sometimes it’s necessary to take on the lifestyle of an artist: someone who seeks to know the elements around them, the raw materials, as well as their own inner world. Consequently, only when we bring these two dimensions together can we create the most beautiful work of art.
5. Don’t take anything personally
“With regard to the opinions of others, whether good or bad, it is better not to be influenced by them”
-The Four Agreements-
However, in some way or another, we’ve all taken words, an attitude, or a situation personally. Also, we’ve all suffered as a result and we may have even been easy prey for others, falling for their manipulations and games. Is it really worth letting ourselves be led on by these dynamics of suffering?
Evidently not. The Toltecs, as we’ve mentioned above, exalted the principle of freedom, and nothing suppresses us more than paying attention to what others say or do. Let’s make an effort to be responsible for ourselves, which means knowing how to separate our personal universes from those of others, inspired by self-love.
In conclusion, as we can see, none of these Toltec wisdom phrases is behind the times nor strange to us. Quite the contrary. The philosophical principles of the Toltecayotl are still useful and inspiring to us today. Let’s keep them in mind and make them our own.
“The fight is right here on this earth. We are human creatures. Who knows what’s waiting for us, or what kind of power we may have?”
-The Toltec path-
