Book Review: The Fifth Agreement

This is the beginning of a series of journal entries about and of the book The Fifth Agreement by Don Miguel Ruiz and Don Jose Ruiz, who speak with One Heart. I have read the book The Four Agreements, and this is a follow-up to that book. The Four Agreements came to me at a time when I was both spiritually awakened, but confused about this new Reality that I found myself in (or Universe if you prefer the archaic term). At that time, I discovered the hierarchy of wisdom through expression in this physical universe. I share this because the first chapter of the book The Fifth Agreement is about Symbolism, and it is titled The Power of Symbols.

Here is what I found: The Written Language is a series of representative and dynamic symbols. Like life, these symbols have evolved over the centuries. They are a Dynamic. Now, on a higher order and in hierarchy with The Written Language is the Symbol. Symbols are wordless in the sense that they are not a standardized and formulated language; however, they have more Power than the Written Language. Symbols can be esoteric, magical, or even personal. The Power of Symbols have been used in history for the rise of both good and bad groups in history. Symbols equate to a Gnostic Knowing of the concepts or Wisdom embedded in it. The images, meaning, and higher concepts flow depending on the individual and particularly their Spiritual Enlightenment. One who Knows will immediately discern the understanding of a Symbol.

So far The Written Language and Symbols make up Tier 3 and Tier 2 respectively. These are arbitrary levels based on my experience with these concepts, but it is important to group them together because this is a hierarchy of Power. Spelling or casting of a spell, is the least powerful. Creating symbols is the next gradient of power. The final tier in this increasingly powerful lineage is The Word, Tier 1. This is both not a language and not a symbol, but both may try to manifest the Power of The Word. In this, they will ultimately fail to the degree that both The Written Language and The Symbol degrade the true Power of The Word. The Word is a spiritual Knowing without words. The Word is an understanding without thought. Through it becomes or comes into Being a manifestation of this reality. In other words, it is Being The Word, and The Word can have resonance, amplitude, and even attenuation. It is a fundamental frequency and vibration of the spiritual nature of reality, and this spiritual nature is the Mana or underlying beingness of Creation. Through The Word, ultimate power in this reality is known. All of the rules of this reality do not bind The Word. It however is not generated from within, but from without. Those who understand the meaning of this definition are Most High indeed. 

Thus concludes my first entry of reading the book: The Fifth Agreement.