The Gospel of the Toltecs: The Life and Teachings of Quetzalcoatl [Paperback]

Frank Díaz (Author), Victor Sanchez (Foreword)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 1, 2002

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.

Editorial Reviews

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.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 248 pages
• Publisher: Bear & Company; 1st PB Edition edition (June 1, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 187918186X
• ISBN-13: 978-1879181861
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.1 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #976,010 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Valuable information, September 9, 2007

By 

redwood (TALLINN, Estonia) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Gospel of the Toltecs: The Life and Teachings of Quetzalcoatl (Paperback)

Those of you who are looking pure information without too much commentaries and cheap talk, this is good book.

I was looking for the information about this legend in as original way as possible. With every retelling we lose something and every writer will add something from the self so original information will be less and less.
There are commentaries also in this book- some very valuable and helpful in understanding the topic, some little distracting as they represent somebodies point of view, just the way they accept it.

So if you are interested about Quetzalcoatl I would recommend this book at first and then the others. By the way there are graphic illustrations from codices by every fiew page. Yes, good book.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars From Original Sources, June 15, 2010

By 

James F. Morris "Jim Morris" (CA USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Gospel of the Toltecs: The Life and Teachings of Quetzalcoatl (Paperback)

The author has gone back to original sources to produce this fascinating book of insight into the origins of Quetzalcoatl and Toltec wisdom. If you're interested in those sources this is a good place to start.

5 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Feathered Serpents childhood, his parents, and early education., May 25, 2006

By 

Santiago A. Garcia (Walnut, California) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Gospel of the Toltecs: The Life and Teachings of Quetzalcoatl (Paperback)

Well written book broken into numbered sections. Great recount of the Feathered Serpents childhood, his parents, and early education. Enjoyed the life and teachings and the commandments chapter.