The Fifth Agreement: A Practical Guide to Self-Mastery (Toltec Wisdom)

In “The Toltec,” Don Miguel Ruiz and Don Jose Ruiz explain that the Toltec were not a race but a community of intellectuals in ancient Mexico who preserved spiritual knowledge. These scholars gathered at Teotihuacán where experienced practitioners called naguals instructed students in ancestral wisdom. Over time, these naguals protected their teachings by keeping them private due to two major threats: European colonization and the misuse of knowledge by some apprentices who sought personal gain. These challenges forced the naguals to limit access to those prepared to apply the teachings ethically.

The teachings survived through various lineages of naguals, with prophecies foretelling a time when this knowledge would need to return to the public. The authors, naguals from the Eagle Knight lineage, present these teachings not as a religion but as a practical approach to life that offers accessible paths to happiness and love. They note that while distinctly Toltec in origin, these teachings align with universal spiritual principles found globally.

In the introduction to The Fifth Agreement, Don Miguel Ruiz and Don Jose Ruiz build upon the foundation established in Don Miguel’s previous work, The Four Agreements. The authors remind readers of the transformative power of the original four agreements.