When I think of Théun Mares I am always reminded of what Kahlil Gibran said On Teaching:

No man can reveal to you aught but that which already lies half asleep in the dawning of your knowledge. The teacher who walks in the shadow of the temple, among his followers, gives not of his wisdom but rather of his faith and his lovingness. If he is indeed wise he does not bid you enter the house of his wisdom, but leads you to the threshold of your own mind.

The Prophet by Kahlil Gibran

When I met Théun Mares and the Toltec teachings for the first time, I had been in the business world for over 26 years. But having reached yet another pinnacle of my business career, I still did not have the answers as to WHY I was in the business world. In spite of my obvious success, I was still feeling empty. I kept asking myself, ”Why? Can I really continue for any longer along this path becoming increasingly more despondent by the day, and feeling like my self-respect is being drained from me or is there another way to do this thing called living life?”

The minute I decided at some level that I had to do things differently, the opportunities swam my way to help me look at my life as it actually was.

So I took an enormous leap of faith and resigned from the corporate world. I moved town and house. Then I booked an overseas trip. Within hours of returning from overseas I was asked by a friend to meet a man called Théun Mares. And in the space of days I found myself working very closely with Théun to bring something called the Toltec Teachings to humanity!

I soon discovered that Toltecs maintain that true personal growth requires action. Because we are all meant to participate fully in life, the Toltec principles have to be LIVED.

I learned that true personal growth can only come from experience – MY life experience. And through my new-found ability to make my life work for me in practical terms, I was able to discover, for the first time, true purpose and meaning in my everyday life.

In all the many years that I worked alongside Théun his belief in me as a human being never waivered. He did everything in his power to support me to find the threshold of my own mind and heart.

This unwaivering belief Théun shared with all those who came to work with him. Through his daily examples I discovered the power of what Toltecs term unconditional love in action. Théun always gave of himself unstintingly with a completely open hand and heart and his unfailing generosity was a fine example to witness.

In this respect, Théun was sometimes generous to a fault; many times I witnessed his generosity being thrown back in his face. Yet, somehow he always found the courage to face another day, and to keep pouring his love out to the very people who had turned their backs on him – an action that always left me standing in awe.

Théun's firm belief was that the world did not need even more fighting and violence to meet the fighting that is everywhere. Instead, it is only through love for each other that we can bring about a change in this increasingly troubled world of ours.

In everything, Théun led by example. When I asked Théun why it is the love of true friendship that will turn the world around, he replied:

”Friendship is an act of the heart and, as such, it can never be bought, forced or won through manipulation. Friendship can only ever come from the heart; and in the final analysis the only COST of friendship is the UNWAVERING WILLINGNESS to BE that friend! Nothing else is required; not clever words, not clever jokes, and not clever games.

Most people dream about relationships made in heaven! LOL! But I can tell you from experience that the ones made in heaven NEVER last, because they never GO ANYWHERE!

I mean, what GROWTH, what LEARNING is there to be found in two little angels living in paradise and holding each other’s hands ever so lovingly? No! By far the MOST rewarding relationships are those that were forged in hell and which cause us to fight, fight, FIGHT, not ONLY for survival, but also for the relationship!

I guess it has something to do with our HU-MAN condition! When I have had to FIGHT for something, no matter whether it is a career, a job, a house, a relationship, a FRIENDSHIP, it MEANS more to me than anything that has just been plopped into my lap! Why should this be so? Simply because when I finally have reached whatever I fought for I KNOW that I have EARNED it and that I DESERVE it!

And when I don’t get what I fought for I walk away KNOWING that it was NOT MEANT for me, but my heart still sings, for I KNOW that I gave the battle my ALL!

Friendship is a relationship, and believe me, by FAR the most DIFFICULT of all relationships to build, for it does not have the convenient support mechanisms inherent within say, a marriage, or a business relationship, or even the relationship between a parent and child! This is precisely why most so-called friends tend to be nothing more than partners in crime!

True friendship is RARE.”

It has been an honour and a huge priviledge to have borne witness to the many lives that were and have been touched by Théun as he approached his life in this way: The teacher who walks in the shadow of the temple, among his followers, gives not of his wisdom but rather of his faith and his lovingness.