THE WISDOM OF THE SHAMANS by Don Jose Ruiz

“Truth is a pathless land . . . the moment you follow someone else you cease to follow truth.”

Krishnamurti qtd on pg 173

This whole book is a practice in meditation, in being present, and seeing the divine: “The now is where the Divine lives” (145). In re-reading my notations, I am realizing how intimately this book reflects and shapes my being in this moment.

Ruiz’s book is a simple compilation of Toltec myths, the wisdom Ruiz has accumulated through his experiences, and meditative exercises for the reader to practice. The meditations are healing and encourage introspection. The first line of the introduction says, “The wisdom you seek is inside you.” This is the life-altering theme throughout the book.

Thank you, Ruiz, for teaching me to embrace ritual and symbolism again, but this time for myself. Thank you for directing a meditation in Forgiveness through Toltec Inventory and Recapitulation; I am so tired of being “prisoner to this past event” (44) and for the first time in a long time I feel like I can heal. Thank you for teaching me to “notice the connection between energy and emotions” and inviting me to exhale the energy devoted to suffering.