The Four Agreements And The Ten Commandments and How They Intersect

First, let me start out with this:

1. Be Impeccable With Your Word
Speak with integrity. Say only what you mean. Avoid using the word to speak against yourself or to gossip about others. Use the power of your word in the direction of truth and love.

2. Don't Take Anything Personally
Nothing others do is because of you. What others say and do is a projection of their own reality, their own dream. When you are immune to the opinions and actions of others, you wonít be the victim of needless suffering.

3. Don't Make Assumptions
Find the courage to ask questions and to express what you really want. Communicate with others as clearly as you can to avoid misunderstandings, sadness and drama. With just this one agreement, you can completely transform your life.

4. Always Do Your Best
Your best is going to change from moment to moment; it will be different when you are healthy as opposed to sick. Under any circumstance, simply do your best, and you will avoid self-judgment, self-abuse and regret.

The Four Agreements

(1)You shall have no other gods before Me.
(2)You shall not make for yourself any graven image (idol)...
(3)Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain...
(4)Remember the Sabbath day, and keep it holy...
(5)Honor your father and your mother... (6)You shall not murder.
(7)You shall not commit adultery.
(8)You shall not steal.
(9)You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.
(10)You shall not covet your neighbor's wife. You shall not covet your neighbor's house

Ten Commandments

Now, on the surface, some may say that there is no commonality. However,when one examines what is being said, it is quite interconnecting.

For example, the Ten Commandments decree "You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor," or you shall not lie. Like wise, the Four Agreements declares,

Be Impeccable With Your Word
Speak with integrity. Say only what you mean. Avoid using the word to speak against yourself or to gossip about others. Use the power of your word in the direction of truth and love.

It's quite obvious that there is connectivity there. When one examines the Ten Commandments and the book The Four Agreements as I have, it becomes quite obvious that there is some connectivity there. What is so amazing about that. Well, for one, the Four Agreements has absolutely nothing to do with Christian or Jewish custom. The Four Agreements come from ancient Toltec lore and teachings!!

Here is another point of comparison, The Ten commandments decree "Remember the Sabbath day, and keep it holy... " Likewise, the Four Agreements declare,

Always Do Your Best
Your best is going to change from moment to moment; it will be different when you are healthy as opposed to sick. Under any circumstance, simply do your best, and you will avoid self-judgment, self-abuse and regret.

Of course, "Remembering the Sabbath and keeping it holy" is something we must attempt to do,not necessarily something we are always successful at. However, we must always do the best that we can at any given moment to keep it holy.

Now, to the point of all of this. On this board and others like it, I see much bickering and fussing between Christians and "New Agers." What is ironic is that both sides have much more in common than either side would like to admit. I could list a number of similarities but I won't detail it here because it's out of the scope of this thread.

However, the bottom line is, there is a war coming and it won't be one fought between Christians and "New Agers," it will be one fought against Christians and "New Agers." Secularism is the biggest threat to both "New Age " and Christian believers. In order for Christians and "New Agers" to survive the coming onslaught, we will have to join forces. It's really that simple. It will happen in due time.

Now,I am in no way insinuating that we have to believe alike. Au contraire. I am just stating that the forces, the forces of secularism, would have us believe alike and that we must wage war against. For no two beliefs,or people for that matter, should ever be forced to think a like.

[edit on 19-10-2006 by SpeakerofTruth]