The Teachings of Don Juan: A Yaqui Way of Knowledge, 40th Anniversary Edition [Paperback]

 

 

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I first read this book a few months ago before reading the rest of the series, and it was a mind-blowing read.

"Teachings of Don Juan" is the first of many books by anthropologist Carlos Castaneda to which he revealed his teacher-student relationship and experiences with Yaqui Sorcerer by the name of Don Juan. The dialogues and experiences lay within this book are rather insightful read.

This book is merely a starting point where readers begin to understand the warrior's way and how one would understand one's perceptions of the world and how they can be deceiving. The plants or substances discussed in this book is not the means nor the ends, but merely just a tool, rarely used, in order to shock the author to see what lies beyond and around himself. Merely a step towards being a "man of knowledge."

Remarkably, as I read through the series, I cannot help but wonder who Don Juan really was and where the sources came from. I recently found the answers to these questions in William Patterson's "The Life & Teachings of Carlos Castaneda," which is a new profound perspective of the life of Castaneda and his work.

I must admit that I read "The Teachings of Don Juan" many, many years after his succeeding books. While it was informative and his adventure interesting, there were times however, when it appeared rather "astral", although this is not a judgement. The astral element comes from his perceptions which are only natural on the path of enlightenment. It is merely a stage of transition from being restricted by mass beliefs, and the confronting of (because there is no way around it as we learn to create our reality) "in-organic beings". In-organic beings are no more than "thought constructions" or "thought forms", given life by those who fuel their existance by emotion... (please see "Seth Speaks - The Eternal Validity of the Soul" and note also, the emotional effects which such "beings" had on Carlos Castaneda, particularly in The Art of Dreaming or The Active Side of Infinity). But even Seth states that trips on drugs *could* be useful under supervision, although what often is in the subconscious can be frightening due to "thought-forms" of our own and the mass making. This is called "the dark side of the soul", and is a natrual phenomenon and a learning tool used by various teachers of many cultures (the great masters included), as we learn about objectification and the many identities that cover the essential spirit. It is a necessary step that one must experience as one is being liberated from mere concrete knoweledge into the higher intuitional knoweldge of the soul. Mr. Castaneda was no doubt being given this opportunity with his mentor,who suspended his first attention long enough to experience other (the second attention) perceptual realities. Having done it with drugs initially was not necessarily "necessary" though and this is where we part roads. Not because I judge such measures but because ultimately, drugs are not necessary to have experiences if we in fact do have a soul (which is multi-dimensional). The illuminative properties of the soul enhances perception and expands consciousness. This is often to the dismay of the neophyte however because they wonder how to have such experiences. That is a question noone can truly answer and the timing has to do the intent of the soul itself and it's purposes. Mr. C's books are insightful however because they propose certain disciplines having to do with how one uses their intent and how one perceives the world. His learning and the verbage used to explain such phenomenon are though unfamiliar to most and one must put two and two together which is difficult if new to the path of spiritual studies (it literally takes years). It is simply a different bent put on an old topic that is as ancient as time. One might be better off reading the fundementals of perception and how one creates their experience by studying books by Seth or the great Masters (although the Masters keep certain teachings obscured to the uninitiated and talk in symbols a great part of the time). Never the less, that Mr. C may have dissappeared upon his departing from the world instead of dying in the manner we are accustomed to in this reality, would mean of course that he had transmuted his physical body completely in order to dissappear (or ascend). We won't know the answer to that and meanwhile, I found the need to jump off a cliff in order to "die" or find "life after death", a most cumbersome proposition, unless it was not merely physical but a psychological process which in fact, all spirituality is deduced to. That Don Juan speaks of the light of the soul as some idealistic chimera that is merely there to appease human kind, (I forget which book and his words were quite different), I can assure those who read his books that the universe is not in fact, "out to get you" as it would seem due to his explanations, and we are not "on the way to dying" unless put in the context of the soul and a certain process in which our identity is "cruxified", meaning, expanded and wrent asunder due to the incredible pressure of the soul itself and a greater identity that longs to be housed in a body, thus illuminating it. While reading "A Fire From Within", Mr. C. no doubt has those illuminative moments that were given by the property of the soul. The drug part is inconsequential, but if one can get past the intricate and academic manner in which his message is presented, then one might have a chance to get beyond that to what is basically simple, because all truth, in the end, is always simple. Any complications are egoistic in source but necessary in the telling of a story in which others can relate.

Carlos Castaneda is an anthropologist from UCLA who in the 70's decided to give up academic career to do field work on the native plans of central american indian tribes of mexico and discovered a way of knowledge open to only the initiated few, shamanistic tribes who carried on a legacy for millenia. He was essentially tricked into that way of life by a warrior-sage named Juan Matus who over a period of nearly 20 years, allegedly drafted him into service of becoming a sorcerer, a warrior, a seer, and a man of knowledge. The book lays out a description of a world of heightened awareness and perception which is both all around us and yet nowhere in particular.

carlos castaneda, in his work The TEachings of Don Juan, a Yaqui way of knowledge" did a very interesting field work study for UCLA it was widely criticized too, but a must read too. I think the essence of what he said was true, however, his work is certainly not the only source of information to corroborate the subject. He was criticized for not revealing sources, a fact that is inadmissable in the realm of academia and science, however, there is no way he made all that stuff up either. I think Juan Matus is a composite of many benefactors in Castaneda's life, and this should not detract from what he has to reveal about the paths in question. I would assume that he had to gain their trust in order to write that. If that's the case then he could never of revealed such info. This world is so messed up.. Instead of looking at the reality of it - so many have to question insignificant things.

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1.0 out of 5 stars Disturbing
I think an spiritual book should help to become enlightened which means more peaceful and happy, this book in particular does the opposite, having to worry now not only by the... Read more

Published 2 months ago by Maxwell

5.0 out of 5 stars May I suggest reading the whole series of books... in order.
Carlos Castaneda's work in its entirety represent a glimpse into a world-view lost in time and all but obliterated by the European conquerors. Read more

Published on Sep 25 2009 by Rick

4.0 out of 5 stars Crow
This book is for anyone intrested in the REAL life of shamans and what it means to experience soul journeys. It is for the open minded who are looking for a good read. Read more

Published on July 17 2005 by PHEONIX

3.0 out of 5 stars Fact or fiction? - Maybe it doen't matter.
To begin with, I've only given 3* to this book because it was in many ways rather dry and boring in places. Read more

Published on Dec 16 2003 by Jim Dobbin

5.0 out of 5 stars Mind Expanding
Hoooo boy.
This book is so much to so many, bottom line is what the reader gets out of it is how they interpret the teachings of don Juan. Read more

Published on Nov 15 2003 by paul mason

5.0 out of 5 stars as a yaqui
as a yaqui i think this representation of my nation is correct. thank you

Published on Oct 30 2003

1.0 out of 5 stars from an athropologist...
another one star review because this book's rating NEEDS to come down (too bad they did not have half a star available). Read more

Published on Sep 28 2003 by Laura Camacho Aguirre

1.0 out of 5 stars I'm sorry, but I do need to lower the overall rating score
Teachings of Don Juan: A Yaqui Way of Knowledge
by Carlos Castaneda is a complete hoax. I feel that I need to make my score--that of one star--count twice because 'Dr. Read more

Published on Sep 12 2003

5.0 out of 5 stars Read this book first
It is the first of the famous Castaneda series of books (fiction, non-fiction, or something in-between) that have sold millions and started a following. Read more

Published on Aug 29 2003 by D. Merriman

5.0 out of 5 stars Fiction
Please remember that these books are fiction and are not based on a real Yaqui.

Published on Aug 27 2003

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