Courier 21 asked:


THEUN MARES

HOW TO HANDLE FEAR

In these uncertain times fear can be an unwelcome and debilitating companion. Here are some tips to enable you to handle fear and make it work for you, instead of allowing it bring you down.

HOW TO HANDLE FEAR

So many events in the world today are shaking the foundations of our lives and uprooting our sense of security and permanence. Fuelled by sensationalist media coverage, it’s easy to allow these events to build a whirlpool of fear and then to be sucked into feeling powerless.
However, we can learn the steps to help us cope when we are confronted with uncertainty and turmoil, so that we no longer succumb to feeling disempowered and helpless when external events hit us.

The most empowering step is to learn how to handle our fear. It is not possible to avoid fear entirely, and neither is this desirable, because fear is an integral part of life. Look around in the world, and see if you can find anyone who is not subject to fear. All of life evolves through the medium of fear. Fear is an expression of the instinct to self-preservation, and, as such, we can learn to channel it.

We tend to fear what is unknown to us, which is why most people prefer to stay within the confines of their comfort zones, rather than face change. One only has to see how many stay stuck in the same job or the same relationship, even though they have lost all interest in that job or relationship, simply because they are too frightened to step out on their own.

What differentiates people, however, and makes such a difference in their life, is whether or not they have learned to handle their fear constructively, so that it does not debilitate them. Becoming debilitated by fear is very common, and the effects are the same for everyone. When you are in the clutches of fear, you are drained of your strength, and you feel totally weak and powerless.

Below are some steps that are vital in handling fear:

1/. Acknowledge it.

The very first step is to acknowledge our fear, instead of trying to brush it aside. Many people feel bad about admitting to their fear, believing that fear is a sign of weakness. Even from an early age, we are generally told not to be afraid, and so we end up suppressing our fear, hoping that if we deny it, it will go away.

However, denial and suppression can never make the fear go away – they simply result in the fear eating us away from the inside.

2/. Detach.

It is not possible to be objective when our vision is clouded. Fear tends to distort our perception of what is really going on. Therefore the second step is to detach from our fear, as detachment brings objectivity.

The first step in detaching from fear is to acknowledge its existence, as we mentioned above. We continue detaching by asking questions. This helps us to gain even more objectivity or clarity.

Clarity helps us to plan our next moves. It also helps ensure that when we are feeling fearful, we do not either react inappropriately, or else simply give up, through submitting to our fear.

In seeking clarity we ask ourselves questions, such as; “Why am I feeling afraid?” “Are there perhaps other reasons that I am not acknowledging?” “Is there any factual basis for my reasons, or are they based on suspicions?” “What more do I need to do to ensure that I am getting a full and objective picture of the situation and my fears?”

Very often, we get so caught up in our problems that an outside perspective can prove invaluable. Also, people see things differently, and different angles can help too with gaining an objective picture.

However, remember that the goal is to gain new perspectives, not to get other people to tell us what to do. In the end, all our decisions have to be our own, based on our own knowledge and judgement.

3/. Take Action.

Once you have started, keep going. The momentum of your action will propel you forward. This is a vital step we need to start as soon as possible.

Through taking action and moving forward we gain confidence and belief in ourself. It is only through taking action that we develop the ability to see our way clearly again.

Most of us know, for example, what it is like to be out of work, and how debilitating this can be. Most of us have also seen how, by taking action, one step at a time, and every day, in our search for work, we can feel better about ourselves and keep our fear at bay. The result is that our spirits rise, we feel more confident and we can respond better to opportunities that come our way.

4/. Look for the advantage.

Instead of just pushing it aside, use the fear positively to become wide awake, fully alert to opportunities, and to keep asking; “What’s really going on here?” Rather than allowing the fear to debilitate you, use it as a spur to become more creative.

If we are terrified of public speaking and we have to make a speech, we can use our fear to be hyper-alert to every aspect of our performance – our words, intonation, delivery, mannerisms. In short, we can use our fear to project an image of competence and self-confidence.

Finally, we need to look for the advantage in whatever is causing us to feel fear. Once we learn to get fear into its proper perspective, and can handle it, it is easier for us to see how fear can become a useful catalyst for change in our lives.

Remember fear can drive us forward to become bigger and better, wiser and more tolerant, more awake and therefore more responsive. Often we experience extreme fear when we are faced with the sort of crisis that leads to a major life change. Through learning how to handle our fear, we can become alert enough to use the opportunity that the crisis brings to become creative and to seize opportunities that we never knew existed.

Many have used the traumatic experience of losing their job as a springboard into a totally new and successful career. Although their initial experience may have been filled with fear, they focussed on the opportunities that they could gain, took the risk of branching into the unknown, and just kept going.

Through learning to handle our fear, our life starts taking on a new dimension of excitement, as we readily embrace innovation and change. Every step we take brings us more self-confidence. Soon we find that we have enough belief in our abilities to create for ourselves a life filled with success and meaning. For in the end, the biggest limitation that prevents us from achieving our dreams, is our fear.

………………………………………………………………………..

Toltec-legacy is Theun’s online Teaching facility. This new website comprises a substantial public section, with a lot of useful resource material. However, at the heart of the website is a unique and vast teaching facility that includes, not only all of the material in Théun’s books, but also articles and experiences from apprentices who have been working with the teachings in their daily lives, guidance given by Théun to participants in his  retreats, as well as a very substantial volume of guidance he has given over the past 8 years to a group of people all over the world, working intensely with him on an e-forum.

As one might expect from Théun, in addition to the substantial material and guidance, the new website is absolutely stunning in its beauty and presentation. It leads the visitor though a true experience comprising rich and deeply symbolic graphics, as well as a live musical score that has been specifically created for us.

As you know, Théun’s work is intensely practical, and the new website will offer the sincere seeker of knowledge the opportunity of learning to work with the Toltec teachings in the context of their daily lives, and also to receive ongoing feedback and guidance. It is especially appropriate to these times when more and more people are being thrown onto their own resources, and are searching for a new forward. Will they choose for victimhood, or will they choose for a new way of being?

The new website is at www.toltec-legacy.com I hope you enjoy it!



Dylan

Courier 21 asked:


THE TOLTEC LEGACY

Toltec Legacy is Théun’s unique online teaching facility launched in February 2009.
This online teaching facility was formed for 2 reasons: firstly, it enables Théun to reach a far greater number of students interested in the Toltec Teachings than has hitherto been possible; and secondly, it provides students of the Toltec teachings who are working alone and without guidance the opportunity of being able to receive guidance for a fee that is affordable to everyone.

A BRIEF HISTORY OF HOW THIS NEW WEBSITE CAME INTO BEING

Towards the end of 1999 Théun made a decision that was to bring about a radical change in his way of interacting with and teaching, not only his personal apprentices, but also students of the Toltec teachings seeking his guidance. This decision, outlined in a letter written by Neil Mason-Jones, succeeding nagal to Théun, results from Théun’s belief that humanity is today ready to start working towards a far more inclusive approach towards all of life, as opposed to just seeking clarity on issues that pertain to their personal lives alone.

In order to promote this new approach in terms of his life’s work, Théun started to work towards assembling a group of apprentices who are indeed ready and willing to manifest inclusiveness in their lives, as living examples of apprentices to the Warrior’s Path. Even more importantly though, has been the ability of this group to demonstrate upon the physical plane what it means to apply the teachings fully in working together, in unison, as a group of individuals, each and every one of whom demonstrates the one objective and one purpose; namely, group endeavour leading to group-consciousness — the ultimate and definitive journey of the true warrior. This was the start of the retreats run by Théun.

Théun, assisted by his man of action, Russell Braithwaite, started running these retreats in 2000. At the beginning, there were four retreats per year, in March and September, held in two centres, England and the United States. In order to support the apprentices in the period between retreats, Théun also developed an e-forum in which he gave ongoing guidance to those who were sincere in wanting to learn to become warriors. Initially, because of the practicalities involved, as well as the restraints on Théun’s time, there were three groups belonging to this e-forum: the UK group, the North American group, and the Russian group. However, as the apprentices started to gain a greater understanding of the teachings, Théun amalgamated the three groups into one.

In order to accelerate the apprentices’ progress in learning to work together in an inclusive, rather than in an isolated, manner, Théun started to encourage apprentices from the three groups to attend retreats on a student exchange basis. This proved so successful that Théun was very soon able to stop the retreats in North America and hold only the retreats in England, which meant that all his apprentices now travelled to the same retreats. The consequences of this were not only that the apprentices benefited enormously from collectively calling forth far more in-depth guidance from Théun, but also that they started to foster amongst themselves the very real feeling of being, and working together as, one group of apprentices.

THE RESULTS ACHIEVED BY THE FORMATION OF THE GROUP

In the eight years that Théun ran these retreats, he consistently increased the level of self-discipline and ruthlessly instilled in his apprentices a very deep-seated and real sense of impeccability and integrity. Needless to say, these have fostered in the apprentices a much deeper understanding of the teachings, and as a result, have inspired in them a genuine love of living the Warrior’s Path, the effects of which have resulted in that sense of camaraderie and closeness which comes from sharing in each other’s battles and challenges. Today the apprentices working within this group regard themselves as much more of a family in nature, rather than just another group of apprentices.

CONTENT OF THE NEW WEBSITE ARCHIVE

An inevitable result of such a large group of people calling forth guidance on a daily basis is that the e-forum Théun formed for this group now holds a vast amount of Toltec material that is of an individually-tailored nature, and which does not appear in the books written by Théun. Examples of such material not in the books are; detailed teachings on concepts such as how to work with one’s Direction (Easterly Dreamer, Man of Action, etc.), how to work with one’s Predilection (Stalker or Dreamer), as well as how to work with one’s Shortcoming and the expression of that shortcoming. But by far the most valuable aspects of the teachings contained in this archive are the examples of dedicated apprentices calling forth the guidance they need in learning to live the impeccable and power-filled life of the true warrior. Therefore contained in this archive are the many examples of apprentices calling forth guidance on particular challenges they have faced in their lives. Also contained in the database are articles written by the apprentices of Théun demonstrating their understanding of the guidance, how they applied the guidance, what results they achieved, and what they learned as a result of all this.

In addition the archive also contains the substantial volume of teachings from the courses that Théun wrote for the Institute for the Study of Man, headed by Elizabeth Schnugh, a highly experienced teacher of the Toltec tradition, as well as all the teachings he imparted to Elizabeth personally in teaching these courses to her.

This website contains all of the above-mentioned material and much more. Needless to say, this material is augmented by having the books written by Théun available online for the apprentices working with this website. Although the books in themselves remain an extremely valuable source of the Toltec teachings as presented by Théun, the material contained in this website forms the most valuable tool possible for the sincere student of the Toltec teachings who wishes to understand how to apply the teachings, as presented in the books, in a truly meaningful and practical way to his or her everyday life.

WHAT THIS WEBSITE OFFERS APPRENTICES

This teaching facility is unique, in that it enables students to find the answers they are seeking through working with the vast amount of teaching material contained in the database of this website. Should students using the database not find the answers they are seeking, they are able to call forth guidance from the group working under Théun’s guidance or, if need be, from Théun himself. Also, since the group working under Théun’s guidance is continuing to call forth new guidance from Théun on a daily basis, this new guidance, together with the guidance that is called forth from the students working on the website, is added to the database on a regular basis, meaning that the teachings and the guidance contained in the database are growing continuously.

What adds even more to the unique nature, as well as the practical value of this teaching facility, is the fact that the group working under Théun’s guidance is comprised of professionals from all walks of life. These members of the group are experienced enough in the Toltec teachings to be able to offer apprentices using the teaching facility expert guidance from the Toltec perspective, in a wide variety of professional areas, should they need it.

CONCLUSION

Everything you will experience on Toltec Legacy is not a virtual reality. Instead it is a reality, albeit a reality different from the common perception of reality, and is the culmination of the work of generations of Toltecs and their apprentices across millennia. So too are the people behind the Toltec Legacy website. The contents of the website are likewise based upon the real experience of real people treading the Warrior’s Path.

The new website is at www.toltec-legacy.com I hope you enjoy it!



Harper

Courier 21 asked:


THEUN MARES

An Act of Survival

A recent article in The International Herald Tribune made a strong point about some of the social consequences of the present economic crisis:

“It was a Turkish businessman who warned of a “social crisis that we should keep in mind.” For when economies collapse, bad things happen. The beast comes to poor countries first, but the potential of social upheaval awaits the rich too. Think of the 1930s and the surge of communism and fascism. Recession-related strikes and demonstrations have already bedeviled France, Russia, and Britain. The riots that spread from Greece could be a foretaste of worse things to come.

“Marxism is back,” said Oxford historian Timothy Garton Ash. “A young, educated person who can’t get a job looks about him and says ‘It’s the system’s fault, not mine.’ There are worries about a new wave of leftist violence in Europe, reminiscent of the Baader-Meinhof, Action Directe, and Red Brigades, which tortured Europe in the 1980s.

The world is sliding downhill fast, and no one can say if the rope will hold.”

If we look around us, it is clear that finding a new way to relate to the world is no longer a luxury, but a necessity. Fuelled even more now by an economic crisis, this necessity has its roots in the breakdown of many aspects of our society, which have left people feeling more and more alienated and lacking a sense of meaning and purpose. The absence of meaning and purpose quickly leads to a loss of confidence. A lack of confidence, unless remedied quickly, leads to the decay and end of a society or civilisation. History has shown this throughout the ages in different parts of the world. We now witness this decay spreading, with almost every aspect of what we know as civilisation in decline, with natural resources in decline, with basic food and water in decline, and all of this impending collapse hastened and made more urgent by an imminent financial collapse.

It is a time when people are going to be thrown fully onto their own resources, as scant as these may be. And because of the scant nature of their resources, people will be forced to interact with others, to form groups, and to learn the skills necessary for relating in a meaningful and life-supportive manner.

Is it simply a question of being a pessimist or an optimist? Often these supposed choices are mostly just the two sides of the same coin. In other words, the pessimist bemoans the fact that that things are not what they were before, and also tends to feel like a victim. However, the optimist all too often has a naive belief that things will not change too much: “We’ll muddle through,” and “All’s well that ends well!” Neither approach really embraces change. It is often hard to leave behind the familiar, especially when there are no guarantees of what is going to happen next.

It is only when they are pushed by their circumstances to such an extent that they have their backs against the wall, that most people are prepared to take their chances and go for the new, simply because it is an act of survival.

What is the foundation for the new?

The foundation is an acknowledgement of the interrelationship of all of life, and therefore the need to co-operate intelligently with all of the many facets of life that surround and impact upon one.

The Toltec teachings on the Warrior’s Path are based upon a deep and practical knowledge of relationships, and it is the re-evaluation of all the relationships within our lives, and so learning the meaning of intelligent co-operation, that will form the foundation for the new. Whether this is the relationship between members of a family, between employer and employees, between government and the people, man and the environment. With the correct understanding of the principles of relationships, and the knowledge of how to put these into practice, the new can evolve.

In learning to handle everything that is happening, an important principle is to learn how to bring everything back to the self, as opposed to being self-centred.

Self-centred is, “Aw! Why is this happening to ME!? I don’t deserve this! It is all the fault of X, or Y, or Z. You must sort them out! Just let me be in peace!”

The approach of bringing things back to the self is, “I accept my own responsibility for whatever has happened. Now, never mind WHY all this happened, the question is WHAT can I learn, and HOW can I use that to my advantage and that of those around me?” In other words, “I am both the cause, as well as the solution.”

The self-centred approach is disempowering and not life-supportive. The second is highly empowering to ALL, and is totally life-supportive.

At the core of the Toltec approach is learning to live in a life-supportive way. How to be a responsible human being, so that you are acting in harmony with your own inner being, and therefore co-operating fully in the unfoldment of your fate. This implies also learning to relate fully to yourself, to other people, to the world around you. Relating fully implies a lot more than just tolerating, or co-existing – it implies first and foremost that you have a deep understanding that you have a unique role to play in life, a knowledge of what that role is, and how to fulfil it. However, it is a strange quirk of human nature that it often takes an act of survival to discover this.

………………………………………………………………………..

Toltec-legacy is Theun’s online Teaching facility. This new website comprises a substantial public section, with a lot of useful resource material. However, at the heart of the website is a unique and vast teaching facility that includes, not only all of the material in Théun’s books, but also articles and experiences from apprentices who have been working with the teachings in their daily lives, guidance given by Théun to participants in his  retreats, as well as a very substantial volume of guidance he has given over the past 8 years to a group of people all over the world, working intensely with him on an e-forum.

As one might expect from Théun, in addition to the substantial material and guidance, the new website is absolutely stunning in its beauty and presentation. It leads the visitor though a true experience comprising rich and deeply symbolic graphics, as well as a live musical score that has been specifically created for us.

As you know, Théun’s work is intensely practical, and the new website will offer the sincere seeker of knowledge the opportunity of learning to work with the Toltec teachings in the context of their daily lives, and also to receive ongoing feedback and guidance. It is especially appropriate to these times when more and more people are being thrown onto their own resources, and are searching for a new forward. Will they choose for victimhood, or will they choose for a new way of being?

The new website is at www.toltec-legacy.com I hope you enjoy it!



Willa

Courier 21 asked:


THEUN MARES

THE POWER OF THE INDIVIDUAL

Today, millions of people are disenfranchised in the true sense of the word – not because they have no money or cars, but because they feel that they are worthless and have no part to play in life. Millions of others have some money but have become disaffected with their jobs, their Churches, their entire lives, and for the same reason – that they feel that they are nothing more than numbers in a system.

A great many of these people give up on themselves and any connection with their spirituality, remaining hungry and disillusioned – and they will remain so for as long as they believe that their God has abandoned them or is punishing them.

There is only One Truth, and One Life and it is the knowledge of this that forms the base of all true religions. What separates and divides, and causes so much strife is humanity’s tendency to compartmentalise and, in doing so, to set themselves apart from other people and other religions. It is only a short step from this to religious intolerance and aggression.

One of the effects of this intolerance is to breed more intolerance and suspicion, so that there are today a host of different churches, going their own way, and most highly suspicious of each other.

Yet all of these different churches are founded upon a truth that is based upon the One Truth, and it is an understanding, and an experience of the nature of this One Truth that will lead to the building of bridges, and to the realisation not only that we are all One, but that each and every one of us is needed in his or her true uniqueness, in order for the One to become a proper functioning whole.

However, to claim our true uniqueness, or our power, is not easy. For many people, it is far easier to hand their power over to a higher authority and simply remain as “one of the crowd”. There is a lot of security in this, and this is partly the reason why there is such a rise in fundamentalism today. However, to give up one’s power in order to blend in with some crowd, in the false hope of finding security, is to submit to slavery and to pave the way for dictatorships.

The enormous changes that are needed in the world today can be brought about through beginning with teaching individual respect and responsibility. This is because individuals form the foundations of every country. So if the people feel weak and worthless – just a number in a crowd – then that country will reflect this. If the individuals can be shown that they are worth something, then the country concerned will also reflect this.

Toltecs believe that although there are many sources, with each revealing its value, at the end of the day, it is the responsibility of each individual to learn to light his or her own candle. For it remains a fundamental truth that the power to change the world lies not in governments, but in the strength and mutual co-operation of individuals.

We are all subject to certain universal laws, like the law of gravity. What is needed is a recognition and upholding of these laws. For example, we have the law of cause and effect, which is often expressed in the phrase, “what goes round comes round”. This law is as pervasive as the law of gravity, and it applies throughout our lives. Therefore, if someone loses their job, or home or partner, it is not helpful look for someone to blame, or to blame themselves. Instead, a more life-supportive way is to accept that simply because an event happened, we are responsible for setting it up in such a way that it did happen. In everything in our lives, we are the cause as well as the solution.

This forms the basis of the Toltec approach to individual responsibility. Toltecs show how we all have to take full responsibility for whatever happens in our lives. There is no place for blaming other people. Instead, as responsible adults, because we own the responsibility, we also acknowledge that we have the power to change our circumstances.

Does this mean that there is no accountability? We are all accountable for our actions, but we also need to take responsibility for whatever we call into our lives. As we do this, we can learn not to feel victimised by our circumstances. Instead, we can learn to look upon our trials as challenges. They are there in order to help us to grow, to become stronger, wiser and ever more responsive to life.

Toltecs do not wish to start another religion; that is not our purpose, and the time for structures is past. However, we are willing to become involved in the building of bridges – to share our knowledge with existing structures and religions who wish to open themselves to a fresh insight.

Today, there are many prophets of doom, and just even to look around at the world situation is to risk becoming completely disheartened. Yet, we offer a message of hope, and a very real approach that results in true enfranchisement for those who are willing and open enough to see it.

………………………………………………………………………..

Toltec-legacy is Theun’s online Teaching facility. This new website comprises a substantial public section, with a lot of useful resource material. However, at the heart of the website is a unique and vast teaching facility that includes, not only all of the material in Théun’s books, but also articles and experiences from apprentices who have been working with the teachings in their daily lives, guidance given by Théun to participants in his  retreats, as well as a very substantial volume of guidance he has given over the past 8 years to a group of people all over the world, working intensely with him on an e-forum.

As one might expect from Théun, in addition to the substantial material and guidance, the new website is absolutely stunning in its beauty and presentation. It leads the visitor though a true experience comprising rich and deeply symbolic graphics, as well as a live musical score that has been specifically created for us.

As you know, Théun’s work is intensely practical, and the new website will offer the sincere seeker of knowledge the opportunity of learning to work with the Toltec teachings in the context of their daily lives, and also to receive ongoing feedback and guidance. It is especially appropriate to these times when more and more people are being thrown onto their own resources, and are searching for a new forward. Will they choose for victimhood, or will they choose for a new way of being?

The new website is at www.toltec-legacy.com I hope you enjoy it!



Lydia