The Teachings of Don Juan: A Yaqui Way of Knowledge

Rating:
Summary: Man of Knowledge
Review: Man, to keep it simple, this book explains so much about life in the sense that in order to truly appreciate the gifts of the earth the psyche and the cosmos, we need to prepare. Castaneda goes through the tutlage of Don Juan, a Yaqui shaman or brujo, who explains the secrets of existence, lifeform, dreaming and reality. Moreso, the connectedness of our thoughts and limitations of reality... Deciphering illusion and putting it to use as a power or ally. This book contains imagery unparalleled and will change you as a person. If you are into shamanism, healing or magick (or just want a good read), pick this up and enjoy!

Peace, Bryno

Rating:
Summary: Mind Expanding
Review: 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.
The mass market paperback edition of this tome is a mere 250ish pages long yet each page is intricate in the lessons the narrator (presumably Mr. Castoneda) recieves.
don Juan is a spritual, philosophical and anthropological guru, the archtypal wise old indian teaching those ( I want to say "worthy" here but not sure that is appropriate word.) maybe those seekers of knowledge not so much the answers to life's meaning but how to ask the appropiate questions. He instructs his protegee the use of peyote to meet spirit guides such as mescalita almost as enigmatic an entity as don juan haha. It is hard to really describe what this book has to offer, because although it can be it is not written as a casual read.
The style is accessible, yet filled with metaphysical insights making it definitely NOT a skimmer, this book can be reread many times and leave one with fresh ideas.
The Teachings of don Juan is an important book in the mold that Huxley's The Doors of Perception is important not advocating mind altering drugs but with the clear message that there is truth revealed through hallicenigens administered with caution.
I enjoyed it, yet still trying to wrap my head around several of the ideas written within.

Rating:
Summary: Perceptual Possibilities.........
Review: 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.

Rating:
Summary: The Beginning of a Journey You Will Never, Ever Forget...
Review: "The Teachings of Don Juan" is the first in a series of about 15 books by Carlos Casaneda describing the author's experiences with Yaqui Indian shamanism in Northern Mexico. As a studier of religion for many years (although not as knowledgeable as some scholars) I find these books to be utterly unique in their scope and subject matter. They are not like other New Age books. The journey that Castaneda takes his readers is mind-boggling, and his experiences are simply beyond what most people have even remotely encountered.

Castaneda first met Don Juan in the early 60's, before the hippy movement, before psychodelic drugs became popular. He was studying anthropology in Los Angeles, and Don Juan served as a field source for some fading knowledge of tribal and shamanistic rituals in Northern Mexico. Castaneda was specifically interested in peyote, a plant that gives its users hallicinations and mixes the senses in strange ways, and which LSD was meant to be a chemical reproduction of. Castaneda's first book presents a very detailed scholastic interpretation of his experiences. All books after the first simply focus on Castaneda's experiences with Don Juan.

Castaneda's drug experiences are different from other accounts I have read, because they are intimately tied with the Yaqui philosophy and mythology. The drugs only serve as a means to an end, not as the end in themselves. The first 2 books in the series describe Castaneda's drugs experiences with Don Juan, but from the 3rd book on, the drugs disappear forever and Carlos' experiences are actually more fantastic, more amazing, more unbelieveable as he slowly becomes a practicing sorceror, traveling to alternate dimensions and battling other sorcerors. Many of the books seem to reach a definitive conclusion, only to have Castaneda's perceived understanding of Don Juan's teachings completely destroyed in the next volume. Again these experiences do not in any way compare to magic and sorcery you might find in pagan, christian, or celtic mythology, nor does the "world-philosophy" of Don Juan resemble in any way the wholistic ideals of Eastern religions like Hinduism or Buddhism. How can you describe things most people have never seen before? Castaneda does a good job, considering the fantastic nature of some of his journeys. However, while the visions and magical feats are mesmerizing to read, I often found that Don Juan gave his most profound knowledge while simply talking to Castaneda.

Do to its subject matter, most Christians will find these books offensive, but I promise you that nothing in any of these volumes will turn you onto the path of Satan :) There is a certain participation required from the reader - Castaneda repeatedly affirms that everything he has ever written is absolutely true, but intelligent readers will be constantly wondering if such fantastic things could possibly exist. By turning off this little nagging "naysayer" in my own head and allowing myself to simply sink into the mood of the work and believe, I found that I was better able to intuitively understand the very abstract concepts that overwhelm you. However, because these accounts are SO unbelieveable, SO fantastic, SO unlike our everyday life here in the US, I found that I never confused my world with Castaneda's. It's like reading a book about walking on the Moon - you can understand and appreciate what it must have been like, but you don't start wearing a spacesuit to work!

Rating:
Summary: Perceptual Possibilities.........
Review: 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.

Rating:
Summary: Why Read Carlos Castaneda?
Review: 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.

Rating:
Summary: Fact or fiction? - Maybe it doen't matter.
Review: To begin with, I've only given 3* to this book because it was in many ways rather dry and boring in places. However, as the series progresses there is more of a narrative approach based on observation and feelings that make them much more readable. I have no knowledge of who Carlos really is or of his qualifications or lack of them. This doesn't matter to me. Even if it is complete fantasy made up by a mind warped by drugs, as some reviewers have claimed, there is still enough in there to marvel at it's originality. One thing I have found in the books that is worth it alone for the effort expended on reading them is the listing of the "five enemies" of the man of knowledge. This is not a chronological sequence but an iteration that occurs throughout ones' life. It takes more than a fleeting thought to understand this but is worth the effort. It may not be anthropology, it may not be non-fiction, it may not be scientific truth, but, it is 'something' and, I believe that it is worth the time of anyone who wants to explore to do just that. On a final note; if you only want to dip your toes in the water then I recommend you read "Tales of Power" in which Don Juan summerises to Carlos what has happened it the years leading up until then. If you have read the previous books then this is like a composer bringing together all the previous themes into a final movement. Charlatan? Maybe, but still a tremendous feat of writing and imagination anyhow. Things may not be just limited to the way that 'you' experience them. Rejoice in the diversity. If you have to be a scientist then have a look at quantum physics and still maintain that your view is the [right] [only] one! PS. does anybody out there know how the experiment planned in CA is going to prove the theory that a single electron can be in two places at the same time?

Rating:
Summary: as a yaqui
Review: as a yaqui i think this representation of my nation is correct. thank you

Rating:
Summary: Somethings just can't Be explained...
Review: From Reading all The reviews on this book ive noticed this was a highly intense subject. Note to the readers! Before you judge the book before buying have this in mind "Carlos Castaneda" Disapeared as of Last year... there was no funeral , no body and his family did not mourn his "death" or "disapearence" ... before i analyze this book let me say that in a book of the series he recalls that "one day he will go to where he belongs and never come back" reffering to jumping off a mountain the very same that his mentor "Don Juan" did and don juans body has never been found either. Jumping into an Abyss...
Carlos jumped the mountain too along with them but survived Trying to convince himself that he didnt jump the mountain and survive cause it was IMPOSSIBLE, but he did and had to realize the power. So BAsically Carlos VAnished into a Abyss..

For the skeptics, Forget Modern Science! because Modern Science only tells you "fact" not truth, Fact is very different from truth. Fact is what's Correct at that paticular moment, Which means with any discovery that fact can be turned into False within the wink of an eye. So you cannot Rely on Science as a legit Answer for life, Questions on Religion because science is not entirely true. Now no one knows how Advance The human Psychic Is! From Paranormal to Mystical... Somethings just can't be explained... Like voodoo, WitchCraft, Aliens. Personally I was a MAJOR skeptic about subjects of these, but in age , you start to see things... How our goverment Covers Up Many things to "Protect us" Deja Vu's. How in some households you see glasses of water on the floor a clear distinction in witchcraft. Voodoo in haiti. Paranormal activities such as Body possession. Some would say that humans are just animals we have no spirit just a slab of meat... One theory breaks this and science can not prove it false. The brain holds the essence of the spirit. what makes the brain work? the spirit. Like a robot that feeds on electricity to work.Think! the essence of electricty The essence of Spirit! Now the Human Brain has been a mystery since the beginning of time? Don't you think with some knowlege and faith You can do anything? I was once Saw magicican David Blain Levitate in Midair in the middle of the street where no strings could be possibly there? it may not be magic or parranormal But what im saying is. Once you have the knowlege to do something you can do that all the time. So in reference to the book. you want to learn witchcraft? get a book of spells And (yes there are many in the underground market) And find out the rituals to be a witch. Grab the KNowlege! So for a college student To go down to Mexico And get KNOWLEGE from a enigma known as Don juan! who knows what knowlege don juan Knows of. See the Key is Knowlege and wisdom . Once you know how to do something and know the steps nothing makes it impossible to do it? Because nothing is impossible! a Man Can't Vanish into thin Air! WRONG! once a man knows the knowlege How to Vanish, HE CAN! and that is with anything! YOu can Disagree with this But it is the way of the world! When you were younger you didnt know how to do long division but you aprehended the Knowlege to do so!
now on to the Review

This Book is justs the stepping stone to the series of the teachings of Don Juan. Carlos Goes through a journey At first just trying to find out the effect of hallucigenic Plants and the mystery plant "Peyote" . Instead what he got was Intellect spanding teachings from an enigma people think was a bum!. This a great book but you must look into with an open mind! these are the kind of books you have to read over and over to understand completeley. The series Basically States that a college student who wanted to be a athropoligist doing his thesis on hallucigenic plants Got more then he bargained for and became a sorceror. Outlandish maybe? You decide!
Remember KNOWLEGE IS KING!

Rating:
Summary: from an athropologist...
Review: another one star review because this book's rating NEEDS to come down (too bad they did not have half a star available). Before you buy and / or read this book please take into consideration a few things:
in anthropological circles this book, as well as it's author, is not taken seriously (for further reference you can check out Marvin Harris' critique in the last chap. of "Cows, Pigs, witches..." ). This is not because of some snobbish attitude towards alternative points of view or towards people practicing anthropology even though they don't have an "prestigious" background.
First off, the author had no athropoligical training to begin with, AT ALL. To make things worse, he never travelled to/through Mexico. This is were the real problem begins. If you want to read it, take it like regular fiction, since it all came from the imagination of the author (or maybe from a very bad trip). But do not take it as representative of anthropological studies, or memoirs of a true investigation. This is where the greatest misconception arrises: even though he became famous due to this book (he even got an honorary degree i beleive), the book was only lucky enough to come out while the interest in the drug culture, as well as in indigenous culture, was starting to peak.
When choosing what to read, who to read, it's always good to find out a little about the author and his/her background, the fact that he has become popular does not mean that he should be taken as seriouly as he is (it would be kind of like reading Illusions by R. Bach and thinking that bach actually met a traveling messiah who used to be a mechanic :D ).