What are the Toltec Teachings?

You may have heard the word Toltec and vaguely associated it with Aztec and Mayan cultures, or, you may be able to connect it to the work of Carlos Castaneda, who is rightly considered the father of all new age movements, being the first to get wide recognition for bringing up self-development and self-empowerment issues. In actual fact, the word Toltec, as it is used by Theun Mares, the Nagal, and creator of the Toltec Teachings, (see www.toltec-foundation.org.com) refers to a covert tradition stretching back across millennia, whereby through methods and techniques known to members, and initiates, knowledge, true knowledge, could be gained that would lead to freedom. This knowledge and the tradition it stems from have been now made public by Theun Mares, by virtue of fact that since June 1995, mankind has come of age, and now must take responsibility for himself, and his world.

Now the first emergence of this knowledge was through Carlos Castaneda, specifically through the man he named Don Juan, who was indeed a fine Toltec warrior. Confusion has arisen though, because many see Castaneda as a Toltec teacher, when in truth, he was simply a very gifted messenger, of the existence of the teachings, and not a teacher as such. It’s also true that he did not always report the teachings exactly as Don Juan gave them to him. He was, economical with the truth. A product perhaps of him being a best-selling author? Whatever. He was one of the great writers of the twentieth century, who does present us with profound, awe inspiring, sublime, truths. Also, it is important to understand that before Castaneda, all esoteric writing had only a small coterie audience. Castaneda brought it into the mainstream, creating an interface between the academic and the shamanic world. In doing this he did us all a profound service. Don Carlos was my first teacher. Not personally, but through his work, and I, along with many others, owe him an immense debt of gratitude.

Since 1995 the true Toltec teachings have existed in book form. A complete set of Toltec manuals for self-transformation and empowerment, and a very brilliant, well presented and well conceived set they are! Perfectly structured to the lead the would-be apprentice from right side awareness, through to left side awareness, with apposite axioms and guidance, at every step of the way. If I may cite my own case. I had made good progress working with Castaneda, but was still far from any true understanding, or real self-awareness. The true teachings solved this problem for me, and I was eventually able to see the interrelationship of life, something which has empowered me enormously.

Now the point of this article is to show the teachings in relation to other systems, or things available at this point in time. The list would include Neil David Walsch, Osho, Eckhart Tolle, Suzuki, Watts, De Mello, A course in Miracles, and many more writers, teachers etc. Now, I want to make it clear that I think all this work is extremely useful, and it does, for the most part, contain absolute truth, and that this is a wonderful and comforting thing. So. How do the Toltec-Teachings differ? The answer is that if, if, you were really committed about self-transformation; were you one of those few dedicated beings who will settle for nothing less, than being a warrior on the path of freedom, then the above, is simply not enough. Why? Because it is not enough simply to be told ‘the truth’. We may know it, but we still do not own it. Like it or not, it is a verifiable fact of ‘depth psychology’, that due to our inner split, we can hold knowledge, without really acknowledging it. Or, put another way, being enlightened isn’t just having the right answers. Nowadays we can memorize the right answers from any number of published works, but will that guarantee that when we walk out the front door we will act in an enlightened manner? The answer must be a resounding NO!!!!!! Another analogy would be the math’s test. If we were to take one and simply write down the right answers would we pass? No. Without the relevant working out we will not get full marks. Similarly it is not enough to talk glibly about ‘process’ work. How people love to talk, but is this ‘process’ really going in the right direction. It it an effective ‘process’? Whichever way you turn the same fact confronts us.

INFORMATION IS NOT KNOWLEDGE

And just because we talk intelligently about things does not mean we have gained experience or true knowledge. And this is how the Toltec-Teachings differ, in that they do not just impart truths, but also provide us with tools whereby these truths can be corroborated for oneself. They provide practical techniques whereby truth, can be owned through experience, and then put to a meaningful use within your life. In short they don’t just tell you things. They give you guidance on how you can find things out for yourself. I make this point strongly for so often I see headstrong people, who have all the answers on anything you care to mention, and yet these people are still desperately unhappy and dissatisfied with their lives. They will sit there advising you on self-development, or inner work, whilst at the same time being incapable of being happy, or having a relationship, or knowing any kind of purpose themselves. Madness.

This is how the teachings differ. I hope this article might help to clear up some of the confusion which surrounds the word Toltec. I am not an official spokesperson for the teachings, just someone who has used them successfully. Obviously in the final analysis there is no substitute for the teachings themselves, and I urge everyone to familiarize themselves with them, for no matter what your motive, they are mankind’s most invaluable asset, at this moment in time.

www.toltec-foundation.org