Today’s Between Master and Disciples – “From the Gospel of the Toltecs” – will be presented in Spanish with subtitles in Arabic, Aulacese (Vietnamese), Bulgarian, Chinese, Czech-Slovak, English, French, German, Hindi, Hungarian, Indonesian, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Malay, Mongolian, Persian, Polish, Portuguese, Punjabi, Russian, Spanish and Thai.

Quetzalcoatl was born in the 10th century in what is now the town of Tepoztlán, Mexico. As legendary ruler of the Toltecs in Mexico, he is also known by the names of Ce Acatl, Naxcitl, and Topiltzin Quetzalcoatl. When he was young, Quetzalcoatl underwent seven years of meditation and spiritual training to become a priest. As a result of his extraordinary skill, the Toltecs requested that he became the ruler of Tula. His military achievement and religious piety made him a powerful ruler. Known as a holy man who was in communion with the Divine, Quetzalcoatl was credited for the discovery of corn, the arts, science, the calendar, and a game called Tlachtli which was used to impart justice throughout the land.

During his reign, Quetzalcoatl encouraged religious piety from his people and established a rule that required the Toltecs to destroy the images and altars every 50 years to prevent idolatry. Many majestic houses of worship were built under his leadership. He was the role model for the priesthood and many of the rituals, laws, and customs in Mexico were based on his life and teachings. Quetzalcoatl eventually left his kingdom in search of higher wisdom. He wandered for many years and traveled through many lands. He spent his day in meditation and prayer, and as the news of his travels spread, many came to seek his counsel and some asked him to become their king. He refused the throne and guided many kings and leaders in the ways of a compassionate government. Quetzalcoatl was credited for uniting many kingdoms in peace and friendship. Wherever he went, Quetzalcoatl shared the teachings that he had learned from Heaven and from the wise sages he encountered during his travels. Many loved him and followed him to become his disciples. Today we share with you the life and teachings of Quetzalcoatl, with excerpts from the Gospel of the Toltecs. These excerpts portrayed Quetzalcoatl’s teachings during his stay in Cholula.

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

The Relics When Ce Acatl was leaving the city, the Chulula elders sent a message to him saying: “Lord, given the fact that you are persuaded to go on toward the land inhabited by the sun, your father, and because we are afraid we might not ever see you again, we ask nothing of you but that you leave something for us to remember you by. By seeing you continuously in this way, we will never forget you or your commandments. By seeing your keepsake, our children will know that a divine lord was the recipient of our hospitality, and even our enemies will learn to respect us in the exercise of peace, if they have knowledge of your legacy.” Fearing that in having something to see and touch they would forget his words, he didn’t consent. He did not want to leave a relic.

But the messengers were so persistent that he took pity on them and he forced himself to agree. Ce Acatl saw to it that some green stones were worked in the image of birds and serpents, and one of them was made into a very good likeness of a monkey’s head. Then he gave them the stones. They placed them, along with the other revered and valued objects in the city. And then they asked for a few hairs from his beard. These they greatly valued and, after that, called them the beard of the sun. These objects remained in the great temple of Cholula. And the authority represented by them was such that from then on no enemy dared to war against the Cholutecs. Each year, pilgrims and people from all corners of the world would gather at the sanctuary where these relics were kept.

Invocation to Mother Earth When Ce Acatl set out from Cholula, many loyal followers went with him. They loved the penitent so much that they abandoned their possessions and trusted him with their women, their children, and their infirm. They all stood up and began the march, even the old women and the old men; all of them wanted to accompany him. All were set in motion. They arrived at the first campground toward nightfall. He gathered them and invoked the protection of Heaven and Earth.

“Oh, deities of the elements, Ometeotl (Supreme Being), unique being, lady of the earth, protective mother! Take heed of the uncertainties of our way and come to our aid. We beg this of you. Let not any kind of pain offend us on our way – black, brown, or green pains. If the divine ones from the jungle attack us, those who run on their hands and feet, come in our favor, precious Lord. See that I, the penitent, am asking you, Quetzalcoatl. And you, Lord Nanahuatzin, sun and light that guides us, help us to go ahead of you, to walk first as you follow so that before you finish your divine walk we have already passed through valleys and ravines, over ridges and mountains. In this way your glory will not burn us. Don’t allow the ground’s roughness to harm us or the face of the earth to devour us. Let us walk with you in the center of Heaven, for in this way our feet will not stumble and our souls will not be frightened.

Send us, Lord, your four hundred children to protect us. See that we have no blood or color, for we are ascetics. Come, take us over the mountain and take us through the ravine. Come singing. Who has created it? Who has forged it? Not me. Come, with your leaves as wings, creature of dampness, for it is time to walk, time to lead those with spiritual faces and hearts, the ones who are hungry and thirsty for your cause, oh Lord. And you, Mother Earth, divine lady upon whose face we carelessly tread, do not lash out at us in anger, do not harm us. Oh Mother Earth, be like the she-rabbit that lies down and sleeps. Turn over onto your back.” In this way, favored with the invocation, the pilgrims readied themselves for marching in the direction of the sunrise, to the interior of the sea and the land of red and black, the land of glory and wisdom.

Because the pilgrims were vast in number, they traveled slowly around the mountains. They stopped frequently in different places, sharing with the inhabitants of those lands, giving them the news of the penitent’s teachings, and inviting them to join their group. As they journeyed, they passed villages, mountains, rivers, springs, and ravines. Ce Acatl changed the traditional names of these places, giving them new ones with suitable meanings. These are the names they have today.

The Book On passing through a small city called Ocuituco, Ce Acatl was received by its inhabitants with songs and tears. Realizing that their hearts were in distress, for they all sensed his coming banishment, he addressed them: “Cheer up, my true friends! Only for an instant and only for one mandate was our love born. Remember this and your tribulations will cease.” Because they also asked him for a legacy, he gave them a book with all his words, advice, songs, and deeds. To this day this large book, about four fingers thick, remains with the elders of Ocuituco. The rest of his deeds – his arrival at the divine water, the bonfire, his ascent as a bright star that accompanies the sun, all of it – is registered in a separate commentary.

The Bridge Following their route, they came to a place where the land broke and came down to a deep, low-lying area. There a wide river flowed. The pages looked for a way to cross it but could not find one. They tried many times, but just as many times they retreated, frightened, for the waves crashed, making a great roar. Sitting in the shade of some large rocks, Ce Acatl observed their efforts. On seeing that there was no way to pass and that the current was rushing beyond measurement, the pages began lamenting for the lives. Their lack of heart annoyed the penitent and, coming closer, he reprimanded them. “Cowards! What are you afraid of? Who knows if we must live or we must die? How can you determine from here what is recorded?

Tomorrow or after tomorrow, won’t we all depart? Why do you hesitate, precipitating the end in this way? Make an effort! We will come to know the mystery.” There at the edge of the river was a mound of stones. Ce Acatl, feeling that the spirit of Ometeotl (Supreme Being) penetrated his body, struck a stone with his foot while at the same time pronouncing in a great voice. The stone broke apart and fell in the water, creating a bridge over which they could pass. The bridge can still be seen in that place. It is called Ripped Stone.

The Thinkers They came to another place where a group of anchorites were dwelling in solitude. Having forgotten the world, they fed themselves only from their deep thoughts. Two of them were sunbathing on the trunk of a fallen tree. On seeing them, Ce Acatl stepped forward to greet them and asked: “Grandfathers, what are you doing here? What are you looking in this solitude, separated from life like expressionless corpses while others come and go?” The eldest of the ascetics opened his mouth and told him: “Lord, we are looking for the power of the thirteen, the beautiful flower! Come with us!”

He answered: “Grandfathers, no one as precious as the eagle that flies has been made by the one for whom we all live, no one as perfect as the tiger, heart of the mountain. And even they are submissive to the duty of his works!” The ascetic observed: “My son, even the eagle must cease her screaming and the tiger will give up his colors. There in the house of mystery, where no one is expecting us, will someone differentiate our faces? Acknowledge our works? Keep an account of our aspirations?” He continued: “Look, pilgrim, those who come and go quickly tire. Beauty withers and pleasure spends itself. If it is true that we have come to feed death, then we can wait for her in this way: motionless and in silence. That is the reason we are here.” Ce Acatl started to retreat.

But the spirit of Tezcatlipoca entered into the ascetics and moved them to tempt him with questions. They asked him: “Pilgrim, can you tell us who you are, where you are coming from, and where you are going? Can you, in all truth, tell us what you are looking for?” He answered: “Old ones, I am the lone one. I have come and I have gone. It is for you to consider whether or not this was easy for me, you who remain on the fringes of men. My heart was broken just as jade was broken, and I still exist. I must extinguish myself, old ones, that is the order of the One. I go where the waters swell to deliver myself.” Ce Acatl said further: “Could it be that you know what I’m talking about? Could it be that you know why people perish? How does man become an orphan here? Do you remember the banner of gold and the light of the house of dawn? I, the sinner, the penitent, am going there. For a brief time the one for whom I exist hides from me, and I can hardly bear it. How can I wait calmly when I am going back home?” So Ce Acatl spoke. After looking at them with sadness for a moment, he added, “Your work is useless and your anguish is in vain, looking for your place through such austerity. Oh reflective ones, embittered ones! How can you be quiet when you are at a feast? We have life once and only once. One day we appear, and the next night we are no longer here.

Come to rest in my friendship, you who are weary of the world! Heal your pain here!” So he told them. The ascetics did not respond. They stood there in silence, absorbed in their thoughts, with their petrified faces and their bodies as quiet as funerary bundles. Seeing no sign that they had heard his words, Ce Acatl went back to his people and departed from there.