Knowledge and Wisdom in the Mitote
The Toltecs are careful to distinguish between the information that has been put into your mind by others, and the knowing that comes from the deeper experiencing of “what is.” Knowledge is all the stored light in your mind about what is right and wrong, good and bad, or attractive and repulsive. It is information. It is something believed by people in one time, but not another, such as the belief that the world is flat. Knowledge also changes from place to place; for instance, it is not true everywhere that “You should never eat with your hands.”
There are times when you will see what is true, without any need to interpret it or filter it through the knowledge or opinions of others. This is wisdom. The goal of the Toltecs is to transform the mitote in the mind so that knowledge does not interfere with wisdom. No matter how many people believe the world is flat, if it is round, that is the truth. If you perceive that the world is round, no matter what other people say, that is wisdom.
Your Mind Is Filled with Knowledge
Domestication fills your mind with knowledge. You were taught the name and value of everything in your world. You learned what is right and wrong, and what is good and bad. You were taught how you should behave at the table, in public, at home, in church, at school, with your elders, on a date, and when you were alone. You were taught the three Rs, the Golden Rule, the Pledge of Allegiance, and to not steal, lie, or cheat. You learned which emotions were okay, and which were not. Chances are that these ideas were also enforced with reward and punishment, making it all the more difficult to reject what you were taught.
Knowledge is handed down through the generations, and is usually accepted without question as the truth. The greater the number of people of the past or present that believe something, the more certain they are about it. The more convinced people are about the truth of something, the more people will believe it. The dream supports itself in the minds of the dreamers.
Knowledge Changes Over Time
Think about what the world was like 500 years ago. The Spaniards were exploring, conquering, and enslaving the people of Cuba and the Americas. The Spaniards knew that it was perfectly acceptable to invade Cuba, take all the land for themselves, and make the native people their slaves. Hernando Cortés was commissioned to wipe out the Aztecs and their city of Tenochtitlán, and build Mexico City. Throughout Europe the system of serfdom, although declining, was still acceptable, and the municipal governments in large Italian cities were establishing brothels to take care of unmarried men and traveling merchants.
The beliefs and agreements in your mind create and describe your dream, and how it manifests as your life. Every action you take, every relationship you form, where and how you live, and your level of financial comfort are all the outward expression of what you believe. It really is true that “believing is seeing.”
Theoretically, at least, all of this knowledge has changed in the last 500 years. The world no longer believes it is acceptable for one country to invade another and take over its land and enslave its people. Governments no longer create brothels as a solution to social problems. What was perfectly logical, legal, and socially acceptable at one time changes and is not tolerated at another. This is the nature of the passage of time and the evolution of a society. It is not a bad thing or a good thing; it is just a reality to be recognized and understood.
