The Four Agreements: A Practical Guide to Personal Freedom

Ruiz begins this chapter by asserting that true freedom is the freedom to be who one is. Children embody freedom because they’re not afraid to express how they feel. Adults are no longer free because the Book of Law, Judge, and Victim mindset controls their belief system. They live to please and be accepted by others instead of expressing their true desires. The first step toward freedom is being aware that the Book of Law, Judge, and Victim mindset can control one’s reality.

Ruiz then introduces the three masteries in the Toltec tradition. The first, the Mastery of Awareness, is being aware of oneself and who one is with all the possibilities. The second, the Mastery of Transformation, is how to change and be free of domestication. The third, the Mastery of Intent (or Mastery of Love), is how to be one with “God,” the being that connects all energy.

Next, Ruiz compares the Book of Law, Judge, and Victim mindset to a parasite. He defines a parasite as a living being that feeds on other living beings, draining their energy and giving nothing in return, slowly hurting their host.