Don Miguel Ruiz was born in rural Mexico, the youngest of 13 children. He attended medical school, and became a surgeon. For several years he practiced medicine with his brothers. A near-fatal car accident changed the direction of his life. He promptly returned to his mother to acquire greater moral understanding. He then apprenticed himself to a shaman, and eventually moved to the United States. While the Toltec culture left no written records, Ruiz employs the word Toltec to signify a long tradition of indigenous beliefs in Mexico, such as the idea that a Nagual guides an individual to personal freedom. After exploring the human mind from an indigenous as well as scientific perspective, Ruiz combines traditional wisdom with modern insights. The Four Agreements, published in 1997; was a New York Times bestseller for more than a decade. Other books have followed: The Mastery of Love, The Voice of Knowledge, The Circle of Fire, The Four Agreements Companion Book and The Fifth Agreement, a collaboration with his son Don José. All of his books are international bestsellers. His The Toltec Art of Life and Death was published in late 2015. Fluent in Spanish and English, he often lectures and leads retreats in the United States. In February 2002, Ruiz suffered a near-fatal heart attack. The damage from the heart attack and subsequent coma left him with a heart functioning at only 16% of capacity and in constant pain. He claims to have handed over an Eagle-Knight lineage to his son Don José Ruiz. On October 9, 2010, Ruiz underwent a heart transplant at a hospital in Los Angeles. He was at a retreat at the Lotus Ranch in Wimberley, Texas when he was notified that a heart was available, and had chartered a plane to get back to Los Angeles.
The Four Agreements
His most famous book, The Four Agreements, was published in 1997 and has sold around 8.2 million copies in the U.S. and has been translated into 46 languages. The book advocates personal freedom from beliefs and agreements that we have made with ourselves and others that are creating limitation and unhappiness in our lives. It was featured on the Oprah television show. The Four Agreements are:
Be impeccable with your word.
Don't take anything personally.
Don't make assumptions.
Always do your best.
The U.S. Air Force created a "challenge coin" engraved with The Four Agreements, and Ruiz is referenced as a "National Heirloom of Mexico".
Quotes from ''The Four Agreements''
Be impeccable with your word. ”Speak with integrity. Say only what you mean. Avoid using the word to speak against yourself or to gossip about others. Use the power of your word in the direction of truth and love."
Don't make assumptions. ”Find the courage to ask questions and to express what you really want. Communicate with others as clearly as you can to avoid misunderstandings, sadness and drama. With just this one agreement, you can completely transform your life."
Don't take anything personally. ”Nothing others do is because of you. What others say and do is a projection of their own reality, their own dream. When you are immune to the opinions and actions of others, you won't be the victim of needless suffering."
Always do your best. ”Your best is going to change from moment to moment; it will be different when you are healthy as opposed to sick. Under any circumstance, simply do your best, and you will avoid self-judgment, self-abuse and regret."
In 2000, Don Miguel Ruiz published The Four Agreements Companion Book. His son, Don Jose Ruiz, subsequently released a sequel with his father titled The Fifth Agreement, which added a further agreement:
Be skeptical, but learn to listen.
Works
The Four Agreements: A Practical Guide to Personal Freedom , 1997, Amber-Allen Publishing,
The Mastery of Love: A Practical Guide to the Art of Relationship , 1999, Amber-Allen Publishing,
The Four Agreements Companion Book: Using The Four Agreements to Master the Dream of Your Life ", 2000, Amber-Allen Publishing,
The Circle of Fire , 2001, Amber-Allen Publishing,
Wisdom from the Four Agreements , 2003, Peter Pauper Press,
Wisdom from the Mastery of Love , 2003, Peter Pauper Press,
The Voice of Knowledge: A Practical Guide To Inner Peace, 2004, Amber-Allen Publishing,
The Fifth Agreement: A Practical Guide to Self-Mastery, 2010, Amber-Allen Publishing,
The Toltec Art of Life and Death: A Story of Discovery, 2015, HarperCollins,
