The Teachings of don Juan: A Yaqui Way of Knowledg

[Euphoric Sunrise]

Amazing book![]
It literally changed my life. In fact if it weren't for that book i may not be sitting here reading this message board []
A lot of people say it is all just made up, but it doesn't matter to me. If it is, it doesn't take anything away from it in my opinion.
Good review anarchyhollow! []

[BlackBox]

I don't really enjoy this compilation of Castaneda's works, due to exclusion of the Don Juan dialogue, but I still think it would be good to post it under this thread for those who don't get a chance to grab the actual hard-covered book.

http://www.prismagems.com/castaneda/

[Jarthur]

Hey Anarchyhollow,

I completely agree with you. I read the series many years ago for the sheer pleasure and adventure of it. Years later, out of curiosity I had another look at "A Yaqui way" and had to read the whole series again. This time I was floored by the virtuosity with metaphor and symbolism and the depth of his understanding.

This from a pop writer who reached a mass audience and was, of course, subsequently criticized for everything from his writing style to the fact that the locale could not possibly have been the Sonora desert as he said and for this and that and every other completely irrelevant thing.

If you haven't yet read the other books that follow, you're in for a good time. Have fun.

[anarchyhollow]

Nice replies everyone. How was this book so life changing for you? I agree it is a great read, but how such an affect? Do the following books correlate with this one, and continue on? Thanks

[Tayesin]

Hi,
Quite a few years ago that very first book in the series was glowing at me while I was in the Library, so I took it home and almost put it down immediately because I was judging Carlos's use of Hallucinogens to usher in the experiences.  Within two days I realized I'd done the same thing in my earlier years, so picked up the book and proceeded.

Over the next two weeks the series was read and digested with hunger, every new page presented me with something.  Most of the somethings were reminders, many were direct affirmations to things I had recently experienced and very much more was sitting in my 'not sure' basket. [?]   These eventually sank into my awareness as varieties of simple truths presented in a framework of the two conflicting cultural perspectives presented in the books.  

The culural perspectives presented in these books are important for setting the scenes, for reminding us of the shaman within ourselves that we have been in previous earth lives, etc.  This is the jewel that confronts us all.

The information contained in the series pushes our buttons, making us respond in interesting ways, isn't this exactly the process used by Don Juan to create conflict between Carlos'realities, making him question deeply, showing him his Fears, his real Self and the Sleeper most of us are ?  

This method has been used for as long as shaman have existed.  All the controversies mentioned have no effect on what is offered in the work of Carlos Castaneda,  all you need to do is read and be Aware of what you feel about it.  Couldn't be more simple if it tried, LOL.

Love Always. []

[Euphoric Sunrise]

quote:Originally posted by anarchyhollow

Nice replies everyone. How was this book so life changing for you? I agree it is a great read, but how such an affect? Do the following books correlate with this one, and continue on? Thanks

For me it was just that it opened my eyes and my mind in a big way.
Before i read this book i had never even given much thought to the metaphysical world around me, and when i had finished reading i was left in a state of complete awe from the majestic way Castaneda brought the book (and later on the other books) to life, and made me realise that there was more to life than what i thought i was living.
I actually thought it was kind of strange that somebody would give it to me as a gift for christmas when i never read anything before. That just added to the mysticism i think.

The following books that i have read (about 5 or 6 of them so far) are also all amazing, but i think the first 3 or 4 had the most impact on me. Especially the end of Journey to Ixtlan (at least i think it's that one).

[Nagual]

I loved his first 4 books (especially the 4th one).  If you start reading them, don't stop before reading the 4th one!!!  There is very important information in it.  While I would not go as far as to say that he "really is a great writer", the subject itself is what is interesting.  I did not like as much the 5 following books (no Don Juan/Genaro).  And I personaly believe that someone else wrote the latest "The Active Side of Infinity" (completely different style, vocabulary, concepts)...

Also, I would call it sorcery, rather than shamanism.

quote:Castaneda makes you wonder if don Juan is playing mind games, trickery, or teaching him something other than he really thought.

All three!  That's why you really need to read up to the 4th book; where a lot of things are explained.

And, how it changed my life?  It amazed me and gave me hope for some time...  And about it being fake or not; who cares, as long as it is interesting...

[Nick]

His first book came out in 1968, and I must have read it not too long after. Each of the next books were read with enthusiasm. There has been criticism leveled at Castaneda over the years (such as detailed in this article: http://itotd.com/index.alt?ArticleID=80 ) however the plain fact remains that his books are fascinating reads.


Nick

[Veccolo]

They're interesting, but too repetitive for my taste.

[anarchyhollow]

If you guys haven't heard of Carlos Castaneda, he has many great books (he really is a great writer) about various half fiction, half fact books about paranormal stuff. This books take you on his 5 years journey initiation to become a shaman. I was interested in shamanism before this book and knew quite a few facts about it, and how it usually goes on with many tribes. It was a great read, i didn't want to put it down. But don't expect accurate shamanism info, because it doesn't have much of it. It's more of an allegory, and you can take meaning from it. In the end, a few things struck me as odd, and left me with a few questions (a good thing). Castaneda makes you wonder if don Juan is playing mind games, trickery, or teaching him something other than he really thought. I recommend anyone read this book (unless you really don't like reading about drugs), and it is only $6.99. Peace

[Xanth]

I just thought I'd bump this...

I'm currently reading it and I'm a third the way through.  Finding it hard to put it down.

The journey Carlos goes through (or at least to the point where I'm at) is absolutely incredible.  The lessons he's learned are life changing and astounding.

I highly suggest this... and I haven't even finished it myself!!  ^_^

[Stookie_]

They're fun books to read and some things can be gained from them, but I'd look at them as fiction. The first 2 or 3 are the best, then it gets to be like "Oh yeah, there are a whole bunch of more stories about Don Juan that were hidden in my memory until I needed to write a new book".

It kind of surprises me your into it because you normally stay away from anything that's mysticized, and this is highly mystical stuff. But that's OK, a lot can be gained from mystical & mythic & symbolic writing. I would recommend the first 1 or 2 books and read more if you like it.

[Xanth]

While it's mystical (shamanistic) in explanations and terminology, I'm finding myself able to weed out the mysticism and bring the metaphors they use into my own context. 
In the end, it's not highly mystical stuff at all... don Juan uses mystical terminology and traditions.  Recognizing the metaphors is the key.

That's the only place where the difference lies after all with all this stuff... in the metaphors each person uses to define and describe their actions.

Thank you Stookie, I'm enjoying this one very much so.  I'll probably continue reading them until I either run out of books or, as you suggest, they become too strange, even for me.  LoL

[personalreality]

Amazing book![]
It literally changed my life. In fact if it weren't for that book i may not be sitting here reading this message board []
A lot of people say it is all just made up, but it doesn't matter to me. If it is, it doesn't take anything away from it in my opinion.
Good review anarchyhollow! []

The first few are great.  The later books are a bit thin.

Some people think it's all fake.  Others don't.  I don't have an opinion.

It changed my life too.

[Stookie_]

I like some of Don Juan's suggestions and techniques. I would say the greatest thing from those books that I've actually been able to incorporate into my life is to meditate through your entire life and relive it as clearly as possible. There's a name he gave it, and I can't think of what it's called, though it can really change your perspective about who you are and what your life is about.

[Xanth]

I like some of Don Juan's suggestions and techniques. I would say the greatest thing from those books that I've actually been able to incorporate into my life is to meditate through your entire life and relive it as clearly as possible. There's a name he gave it, and I can't think of what it's called, though it can really change your perspective about who you are and what your life is about.

Awesome. 

If/when I get to that point in the books, I'll post it for ya. 

[personalreality]

Don Juan teaches a technique for becoming and strengthening lucidity in dreams.  every other culture calls what we call lucid dreaming just dreaming.  so, don juan talks about dreaming a lot and he means lucid dreaming.

anyway.  he teaches a technique where you look at your hands in the dream, when they start to blur and warp you look to some other object.  then the same thing, when it starts to distort you look back to your hands.  you keep doing that until the dream becomes stable.

he also teaches a meditation technique that i've done almost daily for ten years since i first read the books.  its easy, you just walk.  there are some specifics.  you close your hands in a fist with your thumbs pointing out perpendicular to your body.  the other, and most important step, is to not focus on anything with your eyes.  let your gaze wander, never focus on one object for any length of time.  then just walk.  you'd be surprised at how smoothly you move, how nimbly.  you never trip, you never fall.  naturally you'd wanna do this where you had room to walk without being in danger.  it's a great meditation.

[Stookie_]

Awesome. 

If/when I get to that point in the books, I'll post it for ya. 

It came to me while I was making dinner last night (even though I wasn't thinking about it): Recapitulation

[Stookie_]

he also teaches a meditation technique that i've done almost daily for ten years since i first read the books.  its easy, you just walk.  there are some specifics.  you close your hands in a fist with your thumbs pointing out perpendicular to your body.  the other, and most important step, is to not focus on anything with your eyes.  let your gaze wander, never focus on one object for any length of time.  then just walk.  you'd be surprised at how smoothly you move, how nimbly.  you never trip, you never fall.  naturally you'd wanna do this where you had room to walk without being in danger.  it's a great meditation.

Yeah...I recall from the books Don Juan telling him to always keep his eye on the horizon while he's walking and not look at his feet. It really does help open up your awareness to everything around you. It's something that always stuck with me.

Henry David Thoreau did a short writing called "Walking". It doesn't take long to read and is awesome.
http://thoreau.eserver.org/walking.html

"... in the distant woods or fields, in unpretending sprout-lands or pastures tracked by rabbits, even in a bleak and, to most, cheerless day, like this, when a villager would be thinking of his inn, I come to myself, I once more feel myself grandly related, and that cold and solitude are friends of mine. I suppose that this value, in my case, is equivalent to what others get by churchgoing and prayer. I come home to my solitary woodland walk as the homesick go home. I thus dispose of the superfluous and see things as they are, grand and beautiful. I have told many that I walk every day about half the daylight, but I think they do not believe it. I wish to get the Concord, the Massachusetts, the America, out of my head and be sane a part of every day."

    - Thoreau's Journal, January 7, 1857

[Thread Killer]

Thoreau. The loners loner.