The Four Agreements

Have just read a wonderfully simple yet powerful "self help" book called: The Four Agreements, by don Miguel Ruiz. Curious if anyone else in Aeclectic Tarotland has read this book?

As as overview, the Four Agreements are a code of conduct and transformational tool for attaining personal freedom, integrity, and awareness. The Agreements are:

- Be impeccable with your word
- Don't take anything personally
- Don't make assumptions
- Always do your best

Basically, the author describes how humankind and the individual has limited and filtered their existence with self-imposed rules and patterns of response. These patterns have been built up and reinforced by years of social standards, into which we are born and become part of (sounds like the Borg!). The Four Agreements is a awakening course of action to recognize and break free from these unthinking/uncaring patterns, and to reactivate your personal integrity, creativity, and responsibility.

What really struck me by reading this book is the recognition of the power of the word and the power of the symbol, and how a word or symbol or thought can influence and change a person, a group, a nation, a planet, or just one's self.

So, has anyone else read The Four Agreements, and if so what was your reaction?

In Light, Life, and Love....

I totally love this book - it has changed my life significantly in many ways. Of course, I forget every now and then to put the agreements into action but since so many people around me have read it, we remind each other. This is a great way of making this work. Read his other books :The Mastery of Love; & The Four Agreements Companion Book!

Oddly enough, I started reading it a week or so ago. I happen to be talking to my mother and she mentioned that she had just thrown away a book that she didn't like. For some reason she had taped it closed (I never figured that one out) and threw it in the trash. May be she read something unnerving and was afraid it would escape! There it was laying right on top in the garbage. I hate to see books go to waste.

What the book teaches is truely wonderful but certainly not new. It's Buddhist theory through and through. It's basic message comes down to mindfulness as the path out of illusion.

I would highly recommend it to any of you.

The book is impressive & expressive in its simplicity. I bought it because its title caught my eye & reminded me of 4-The Emperor.
Interestingly, a friend & I emailed each other about the book at the same time!
If one reads no other book but this, one would be heading in the right direction.

Dee: I just picked up The Four Agreements Companion Book (courtesy of my marvelous local library system!). I want to keep these concepts alive and active in my mind/spirit, so I jumped right in on the Companion Book. This has already started to positively change the way I view and act in the world.

Blue: Agree on the similarity with Buddhism. I've always looked at things very logically and simply, and feel that each of is the source of own awakening and illumination, and enlightenment cannot be dependant on receiving spiritual truths from an external guide or master or religion. This is *not* to say that spiritual guides or religions cannot bring enlightenment, for they surely have and will continue to do so. It just seems "logical" that a Loving Creator would create a world in which all beings may attain fulfillment no matter what circumstance or enviroment they live in.