Teachings of Don Juan - 1

This is the first in a series in which I read extracts from the books of Carlos Castaneda.

Ref: The Teachings of Don Juan by Carlos Castaneda, University of California Press, 1968.

My book 'More than a Puff of Smoke can purchased or downloaded at: http://www.lulu.com/spotlight/ijcd36.

http://www.doctor-ian.org

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• Arizona
• California
• Carlos
• Castaneda
• daveyboyz
• Indian
• man
• medicine
• Mexico
• peyote
• Sonora
• sorcerer
• Yaqui

[TangleF50]

Developing a "peyote psychosis" is not likely or easily done.. LSD psychosis, very possible. The accute experience of "the smoke" plus other sorcery practices can drag one into that "separate reality" of which one may not come back from as whole or rational as when went into.

[MBChB1961]

@TangleF50 Thinking about it, it is more likely that Carlos had difficulty coming to terms with celebrity.

[Nagudde]

Whether or not there was a real Don Juan, or whether Castaneda just made it all up, is a mute point. If there was no real Don Juan (though from internal linguistic evidence I feel sure there was), then Carlos Castaneda was Don Juan himself and he used the literary device of the dialogue to convey his message, same way that philosophers from Plato on have done. If he tricked us, then he was merely being the coyote trickster who tricks us to teach us good lessons--like impeccability.

[MBChB1961]

@Nagudde I totally agree. There is an underlying wisdom to the stories that can be easily dismissed.

[bowlsallbroken]

Casteneda's books are *not* works of anthropology - they have been roundly exposed as almost completely fictional.

Carlos Casteneda died a self-absorbed cult leader. Be careful where your searches for higher states of understanding take you. There are a lot of con-men out there.

[MBChB1961]

@bowlsallbroken Hello,

We all live in two realities. There is the objective measurable world around us that extends to the infinity of outer space and there is the subjective reality of our thoughts and feelings. The mind can conceive of and dream to infinity - the infinity of inner space. Don Juan is describing some of the characteristics of inner space and the attitude of mind one must adopt to explore it. Castaneda tried to write it down. That was an anthropological exercise.

[IndrekValdek]

Some people are still arguing, was this mysterious brujo (witch in spanish) Don Juan Matus real or not. Well, does that really matter so much? If so, why? Many people are so deeply blind and therefore they say that everyone who sees, is a abnormal. Usual people are unfortunately slaves of their mind and rational explenations. True and deep wisdom lives in every Don Juan's word and vision of life. I bet Don Juan is laughing at our stupid "arguments", that are meaningless and full of emptyness.

[MBChB1961]

@rigoberto565

Today's white European world view is sick to say the least and clearly has nothing to do with the Indian mind. However, the basic psychology of the Indian mind must be the same as the basic psychology of all humanity and therefore of great interest and importance.

[YouGazzaa]

Now we know the books are fiction they don't make such good reading, you needed to believe they were true to get the full trip. It's hard to understand those who say it doesn't matter as most of the ideas were plagiarised and it's better to go to the original sourced than to some con man whose path of knowledge led to dishonesty and death. Carlos led anything but an impeccable life.

[2ManyNoobs]

I very much enjoy listening to your reading! Thank you :)

[jaguaron007]

the writter whom traslade, carlos's books to spanish, JOSE AGUSTIN , he had a few encounters w/ carlos . and he make a very powerfull stament, I do not believe everything that carlos wrote, but i do not doubt anything.

[greenearthnazi20204u]

let say i know what monk know and grate teacher .THE TEACHING OF JESUS ,J.Krishnamurti,BUDDHA , the teachings of Adyashanti, Earhart Tolle AND MORE some of Don Juan too . monks and Don Juan TEACHING are mostly the same. people see monks and hear monks and thing they know what they are and what they are saying is wrong ideal or they would be monks. for the world has no hold on the monks .when the world no longer can contain you you can slip trow the cracks of power .

[spamagatti]

dont do drugs is an apropriate statement

[Boris82much]

@daniluchison And Monroe discovered that ALL PEOPLE are born with the innate capabilities to explore inner consciousness. As a matter of fact we all explore when sleeping. Learning to do the same when conscious is easier than we think.

Castaneda's methods equal doom for practitioners because they are pretty much unattainable and full of his Catholic-like fears of spooky 'allies' and warped, dark souls.

If any of what he wrote about worked he wouldn't have died of depression and liver cancer.

[Boris82much]

@daniluchison If you wanna believe that Castaneda was telling the truth and that his 'methods' can work for you, go for it. But be sure to expect great disappointment later on cause IF HE NEVER PRACTICED WHAT HE PREACHED, what makes you think any of it could even begin to work for you? If humans AND CASTANEDA can't achieve what Castaneda said was the ultimate goal, freedom, then what's the point? His books are a nice fairy tale? Yea.

Monroe's methods work because he didn't make shit up.

[Boris82much]

@daniluchison Bob Monroe didn't fabricate, lie or plagarize: He simply wrote of his experiences stressing over and over that no one should believe him, that they could and should get their own proof through their own direct experiences. Both authors wrote of their experiences but Monroe was the only one who *told the truth*. When I discover that an author/explorer has lied or made up everything, that's it, I'm done. Whether the source was fabricated or real makes all the diff in the world.

[daniluchison]

@Boris82much

I am shocked you disqualify Castaneda's works but you accept Robert A. Monroe's work! BOTH writers speak of a way they found to master dreaming awake, both declare that outside our realm, there is a completely different hierarchy and existenc... Both talk about various types of intelligences out there and both confirm that most are not very fond of the human consciousness (probably because it denies their existence which in turn shows us as ignorant & selfish beings)...