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![The Toltec Art of Life and Death: A Story of Discovery by [Don Miguel Ruiz, Barbara Emrys]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/61ZdtXDNmDL._SY346_.jpg)
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The Toltec Art of Life and Death: A Story of Discovery Kindle Edition
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A HarperElixir Book
The beloved teacher of spiritual wisdom and author of the phenomenal New York Times and international bestseller The Four Agreements takes readers on a mystical Toltec-inspired personal journey, introducing us to a deeper level of spiritual teaching and awareness.
In 2002, Don Miguel Ruiz suffered a near fatal heart attack that left him in a nine-weeks-long coma. The spiritual journey he undertook while suspended between this world and the next forms the heart of The Toltec Art of Life and Death, a profound and mystical tale of spiritual struggle. As his body lies unconscious, Ruiz’s spirit encounters the people, ideas, and events that have shaped him, illuminating the eternal struggle between life—unending energy and truth—and death—matter and subjective knowledge—in which we are all called to engage.
Over ten years in the making, The Toltec Art of Life and Death invites readers into the mind of a master of spiritual seeking, offering an unparalleled and intimate glimpse into the development of a soul. In this culmination of a lifetime's learning, Ruiz shares with readers the innermost workings of his singular heart and mind, and summons us to grapple with timeless insights, drawn from ancient Toltec wisdom, that are the essence of transformation.
- LanguageEnglish
- PublisherHarperOne
- Publication dateOctober 27, 2015
- File size2158 KB
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From the Publisher

A Q&A with Don Miguel Ruiz
Q: The dream landscape of your coma was fertile ground for discovering deeper meaning in your life beyond limited knowledge in a universal truth. Where can readers look to find examples of truth in their own lives?
A: The story of my life is a reflection, allowing everyone else to see that their life is also just a story. In this version of the story I am the hero and the villain, just like they are in theirs. In my life, I created the main character of Miguel. This character represents everything I know, so you can also call him Knowledge. Every reader creates the main character of his or her story; every reader has to face his or her own lies and redeem himself.
Q: The reader is taken on a magical journey—both in the narrative of your story and in the opportunity to relate your revelations to their own lives. There are moments of new discovery juxtaposed with moments of deep remembering. Now, years after the experience, which feelings still resonate the strongest for you, adventure or remembering?
A: Both memories and adventures are important to me; I see them as tools for sharing my message. I love to use human imagination to create beautiful stories. If we don't invest all our emotional energy in the stories, we can see clearly what they are trying to tell us. The message of life is one of love, truth, and unity. There is only one being; nothing else is real. This one being is alive, and everything, including each of us, is a part of it.
Q: One of the lessons of the story is that "the privilege of knowledge is to serve the message of life." How do you practice this? How can readers better serve and cultivate their own expressions of this universal message?
A: You can tame your knowledge. Words can obey life. You are life. The challenge is to transform "Me," the main character, and make him or her our ally—life’s ally. He or she can now serve the human being, instead of being the tyrant. I tell all of my readers, "You don't have to be you! The character you imagine yourself to be is not real. You are life."
Q: Legacy and lineage are critical to understanding your experience of your coma. We meet generations past and glimpse future generations. What is your hope for the future of your lineage and teaching?
A: Hope is the last demon that escaped from Pandora's box. Hope is wishing for something to happen in the future, and there is no future. There is only now. But we can imagine the future; so we take action today and whatever happens is fine. My legacy is my teaching and my love. Humans learn to love with conditions. That's how they love themselves and everybody else. That's also the reason behind the need for control, and for all the violence, injustice, abuse, and war. I can say, without a doubt, that God is "hopeless". . . and resides in unconditional love.
Editorial Reviews
Review
“Once again, Miguel Ruiz delivers the deepest truths in the most relevant ways. In The Toltec Art of Life and Death, his poetry, his wisdom, and his depth are as profound as ever.” (Marianne Williamson, author of Return to Love and A Year of Miracles)
“Love, death, tragedy, pyramids, shamans, and an unforgettable spiritual journey-it is all here but mostly you will remember the new lens by which you see your own world after reading this amazing story.” (Dr. Joe Dispenza,, New York Times bestselling author of You Are the Placebo)
“Don Miguel Ruiz is simply one of the greatest distillers of truth alive today.” (Mike Dooley, New York Times bestselling author of Infinite Possibilities)
“The ultimate vision quest . . . . A powerful look into the metaphysical life of a spiritual teacher. It provides insight into ancient Toltec wisdom that is seldom available in written form, or to the uninitiated.” (Anna Jedrziewski, Retailing Insight)
“Readers will come away with a deeper understanding of life’s complexities.” (Publishers Weekly) --This text refers to the unknown_binding edition.
About the Author
Don Miguel Ruiz is the international bestselling author of The Four Agreements (over seven years on the New York Times bestseller list), The Mastery of Love, The Voice of Knowledge, and coauthor of The Fifth Agreement. He has dedicated his life to sharing the wisdom of the ancient Toltec through his books, lectures, and journeys to sacred sites around the world.
--This text refers to the unknown_binding edition.From the Back Cover
From the beloved teacher of spiritual wisdom and author of the phenomenal New York Times and international bestseller The Four Agreements comes a profound new spiritual masterwork. Don Miguel Ruiz has been lauded the world over for his deep integrity, insight, and wisdom. Now in The Toltec Art of Life and Death he takes readers on a mystical personal journey, introducing us to an even greater level of spiritual teaching and awareness.
In 2002, Don Miguel Ruiz suffered a near-fatal heart attack that left him in a coma on the verge of death for nine weeks. The journey he undertook while suspended between this world and the next forms the heart of this autobiographical novel, a profound and mystical tale of spiritual struggle. As his body lies unconscious, Ruiz travels in his dreams and encounters the people, ideas, and events that have shaped him, illuminating the eternal struggle between life—unending energy and truth—and death—matter and subjective knowledge—in which we are all called to engage.
The Toltec Art of Life and Death invites readers into the mind of a master seeker, offering an unparalleled and intimate glimpse into the development of a soul. In this culmination of a lifetime's learning, Ruiz shares with readers the innermost workings of his singular heart and mind, summoning us to grapple with timeless insights drawn from ancient Toltec wisdom that are the essence of transformation and freedom.
--This text refers to the unknown_binding edition.From the Inside Flap
From the beloved teacher of spiritual wisdom and author of the phenomenal New York Times and international bestseller The Four Agreements comes a profound new spiritual masterwork. Don Miguel Ruiz has been lauded the world over for his deep integrity, insight, and wisdom. Now in The Toltec Art of Life and Death he takes readers on a mystical personal journey, introducing us to an even greater level of spiritual teaching and awareness.
In 2002, Don Miguel Ruiz suffered a near-fatal heart attack that left him in a coma on the verge of death for nine weeks. The journey he undertook while suspended between this world and the next forms the heart of this autobiographical novel, a profound and mystical tale of spiritual struggle. As his body lies unconscious, Ruiz travels in his dreams and encounters the people, ideas, and events that have shaped him, illuminating the eternal struggle between life--unending energy and truth--and death--matter and subjective knowledge--in which we are all called to engage.
The Toltec Art of Life and Death invites readers into the mind of a master seeker, offering an unparalleled and intimate glimpse into the development of a soul. In this culmination of a lifetime's learning, Ruiz shares with readers the innermost workings of his singular heart and mind, summoning us to grapple with timeless insights drawn from ancient Toltec wisdom that are the essence of transformation and freedom.
--Anna Jedrziewski, Retailing Insight --This text refers to an alternate kindle_edition edition.Product details
- ASIN : B00T3DNJNK
- Publisher : HarperOne; Reprint edition (October 27, 2015)
- Publication date : October 27, 2015
- Language : English
- File size : 2158 KB
- Text-to-Speech : Enabled
- Screen Reader : Supported
- Enhanced typesetting : Enabled
- X-Ray : Enabled
- Word Wise : Enabled
- Print length : 400 pages
- Lending : Not Enabled
- Best Sellers Rank: #444,685 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)
- #139 in Occult Near-Death Experiences
- #185 in Shamanism (Kindle Store)
- #320 in Near-Death Experiences (Books)
- Customer Reviews:
About the authors
www.miguelruiz.com
Don Miguel Ruiz is a renowned spiritual teacher and internationally bestselling author of the “Toltec Wisdom Series,” including “The Four Agreements,” “The Mastery of Love,” “The Voice of Knowledge,” “The Four Agreements Companion Book,” “The Circle of Fire,” and “The Fifth Agreement.” The Toltec Wisdom books have sold over 12 million copies in the United States, and have been published in 46 languages worldwide.
don Miguel has spent the past three decades guiding students to personal freedom through his profound insights regarding the nature of human reality. His newest book, THE ACTOR (Ediciones Urano) written with Barbara Emrys was published November 3rd, 2020.
The youngest of thirteen children, don Miguel Ruiz was born in rural Mexico to parents who were healers and practitioners of ancient Toltec traditions. As a young adult, he graduated from medical school in Mexico City and practiced neurosurgery with his older brother in Tijuana. A near-fatal car crash forever changed the direction of his life, however, causing him to leave medicine and to examine the essential truth about life and humanity. With his mother’s help, and through her ancestral teachings, he discovered his own path to awareness, which evolved into a deep understanding of the physical universe and the virtual world of the mind.
Combining Toltec mythology and scientific perspectives, don Miguel has been able to merge ancient wisdom with modern physics and practical common-sense, forging a new philosophy for seekers of truth and personal authenticity. His landmark bestselling book, The Four Agreements, contains practical steps for long-term, personal transformation and has been read by millions around the world.
First published in 1997, The Four Agreements has since sold over nine million copies in the United States and seven million worldwide. It has been translated into 46 languages, appeared on the New York Times bestseller for nearly ten years, and was the 36th bestselling book of the decade. Don Miguel is also the author of The Mastery of Love, The Voice of Knowledge, Prayers, and the New York Times bestseller, The Fifth Agreement, a collaboration with his son, don José Ruiz. Each of his books are international bestsellers.
The wisdom don Miguel has brought to the world has earned him respect around the globe. He has dedicated his life to sharing his message through practical concepts in order to promote transformation and ultimately change lives for the better. Don Miguel is the recipient of numerous recognitions, including a U.S. Air Force ‘challenge coin’ engraved with “The Four Agreements.” He is the recipient of an Honorary Degree in Cultural and Social Education from the American Cultural Institute of Mexico, and referenced as a “national treasure” in his native country.
Born in France as the child of an American diplomat, Barbara grew up in Europe, Africa and the West Indies. Her writings reflect this diverse cultural upbringing and a personal sense of the universality of human behavior and feeling. Her love and appreciation for language has given her works a clear and poetic style.
Barbara has many literary projects in development and looks forward to finding more ways to share an inspired wisdom. Look for Barbara's upcoming book, The Toltec Art of Life and Death, co-authored with Miguel Ruiz, on sale October 27th, 20015.
An itinerary of book signing events can be reviewed online at www.miguelruiz.com
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This book is awful and so self aggrandizing it ridiculous. Every other chapter is about how powerful he is and how all the ladies love him. Most people who are fans of Don Miguels books and similar books are used to "far out" talk, but its very very hard to suspend disbelief in this book. I just don't understand how this is the same person that wrote all those other books that we know and love.
After a while, I really got frustrated with Ruiz's self0indulgence and haughty attitude. One can really grow to dislike him after a while of reading. His experiences center around common theme of him styling himself as an "enlightened master" who is just so valuable to the world, but he couldn't be bothered with it because he wanted to die, and it was just so selfish of them and so unenlightened of them to want him to fight for survival and return to them. After a while, one gets tired of his constant whining about how these people, such as his mother, lovers, children, and apprentices just would keep being so desperate in wanting him to live. His attitude was very self-indulgent and pompous for a spiritual warrior. Many of the stories were about his sons and life experiences he had with them. A truly "enlightened master," or sincere teacher does not indulge themselves as much as Ruiz does in this book, and has the humility to allow people to draw their own conclusions.
Reading and meditating on this book reminded me very much of Journey To Ixtlan by Carlos Castaneda as well as most of his earlier books (non fiction or fiction -- it doesn't matter). Additionally some of Carlos' original apprentices books such as The Witch's Dream: A Healer's Way of Knowledge by Florinda Donner-Grau and Carlos Castaneda and Being-in-Dreaming: An Initiation into the Sorcerers' World
by Florinda Donner give one a taste of dreaming, but again you can't get it from a book. It is experiential.
I had mixed feelings on this book. Every book that don Miguel has written has been top notch and this one is too. I gave it 3 out of 5 stars as my own opinion (don't believe it) feels it is a bit advanced for the beginning journeyer.
The Toltec Art of Life and Death departs somewhat from Ruiz's earlier books in that he emphasizes the metaphysical aspects of his worldview. Furthermore, he shares how he came to see the world the way he does by revisiting various turning points in his life. At the same time, he clearly states that what he is presenting is a *story*, which means that not everything needs to be taken literally. So it is up to the reader to decide whether some aspect of Miguel Ruiz really left his body during the weeks he spent in a coma, interacting in a sort of spirit-world with his mother (who entered that world through a trance) and with other beings who are not part of our physical world. I found his story absolutely, fully engaging, and I feel like I know Miguel Ruiz much better now after reading this book. He is even more human and more nagual to me now than he has ever been.
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