The Gospel of the Toltecs: The Life and Teachings of Quetzalcoatl

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About The Gospel Of The Toltecs: The Life And Teachings

Product Description A compilation of the teachings of Quetzalcoatl, avatar of the Toltecs, reconstructed from original source texts and the legends told at his birthplace in Amatlan, Morelos, Mexico. • The first complete historical account of the life and teachings of Quetzalcoatl, the most important figure in Mesoamerican spirituality. • Includes 86 chronological teaching stories accompanied by 27 codex illustrations. Quetzalcoatl Ce Acatl (born in A.D. 947)--whose stature has been compared to that of Christ, Buddha, and Krishna--was the key figure in the development of the spiritual culture of the Toltecs. In The Gospel of the Toltecs the author has gathered Nahua and Maya codexes, Spanish chronicles of conquest, and native oral tradition to recount the life of Quetzalcoatl: his temptation and fall; his initiation with sacred mushrooms; his long journey in search of spiritual enlightenment; his triumphant return to the Toltec land; and his subsequent teaching, self-immolation, ascension, and promise of return. Quetzalcoatl's teachings make up the Toltecayotl, or Toltequity--the art of intentional doing--which provides an initiatic guide for the transformation of individuals and society, while his personal history is a guide for the development of Nahualli, the magical side of human awareness. For all those who wish to deepen their knowledge of the roots of Toltec spirituality or who wish to grow from the teachings of one of the world's great spiritual leaders, The Gospel of the Toltecs offers a unique and authentic access to the life and ministry of one of the most important figures in the ancient world. From Publishers Weekly In The Gospel of the Toltecs: The Life and Teachings of Quetzalcoatl, Frank Diaz translates key documents related to Quetzalcoatl, the Toltec avatar who is believed to have been born in the 10th century A.D. Diaz offers 86 stories about the spiritual leader, but these are presented with almost no contextualization. Victor Sanchez provides a brief foreword, which is the book's only concession to aiding the reader: it offers no introduction, explanation of its organization or biographical digest to explain why these teachings are important. As such, it will be of limited usefulness to the beginner, despite its fascinating topic. Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc. From Library Journal Quetzalcoatl (b. 947 C.E.), also known as the Feathered Serpent, is an important historical and mythical figure in the study of Mesoamerican culture as well as the inspiration for various literary works, notably D.H. Lawrence's The Plumed Serpent. More recently, he has acquired a large following among New Age spiritual seekers. This volume is presented as a translation of the life and teachings of Quetzalcoatl. But Diaz (Quetzalcoatl's Avatars), described by the publisher as "an anthropological investigator," provides no introduction or other background information describing the organization of the work, his purpose in writing it, or his own research methods. The text is presented completely without context, and the bibliographic references are incomplete. For readers interested in this subject, many other works can be recommended, including H.B. Nicholson's Topiltzin Quetzalcoatl and Enrique Florescano's The Myth of Quetzalcoatl. This work is not recommended. Faye Powell, Portland State Univ. Lib., OR Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc. Review "With more than 85 illustrations from an original codex, The Gospel of the Toltecs truly meets its objective of teaching the secrets of the Toltecs, since in the indigenous cultures it was common to teach through the pictography. We all know that a simple picture can say more than 1000 words." ― Hunbatz Men, author of Secrets of Mayan Science/Religion "Frank Diaz writes with great clarity and detail about the heroic drama of Quetzalcoatl in a way that shows him to be both grandly universal and an exemplar for all human beings If people wo