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: An Excellent and Entertaining Book
Review: I enjoy Carlos Castaneda's books because they always offer an escape from reality -- in this case, I mean that quite literally. Castaneda's books involve an age-old technique of storytelling, the teaching of a body of knowledge from a master to a pupil. In this case, the master, a Yaqui Indian known as Don Juan, teaches the ancient Toltec art of sorcery to a young, first-person narrator, Carlos Castaneda. This narrator is dubious and incredulous as Don Juan shows him things about the nature of reality and our perceptions of it, but increasingly he has to conclude that the world of Don Juan is an accurate description of the may facets of reality, and our modern world is merely one narrow view. There is controversy over whether Castaneda's books are "real" --Castaneda was granted a PhD for his "field" work; but other scholars have found a lot of Castaneda's research to have no anthropological authenticity. Supporters of Castaneda dispute this. That there is even an argument over whether the books are "real" or not indicates how good the stories are -- like the world of J.R.R. Tolkien, people really, desperately want to visit Castaneda's world. His books are riveting, fascinating, beautiful, and also very scary. Although later books in the series (Tales of Power, for instance) are better than this introductory work; I think it is important to read the books in their order of writing, in order to get the "lessons" that Castaneda learns in the correct order. I am a great fan of the books, even if they are 100% fiction. But one is really just never sure if they are. . .
Rating: 
Summary: good book, but lacks some data
Review: I read this book when I was 13 years old. I was fascinated by what Castaneda wrote in this book and his other titles. However, what mystified me about this book is the authors reference to certain secrets that a yaqi shaman named don juan knew. For instance in the teachings of don juan, Castaneda claimed that don juan knew certain secrets of plants that would give all kinds of secret knowledge to the one who knew how to use these plants. The jimpson weed for example was claimed by don juan to give infinite power. However, I found out in my twenties, that don juan was nothing more than an indian magician. That is, he used mind altering drugs to blow open the mind of Castaneda. The secrets don juan claimed to possess are not in the plants, but in ones own mind. As such don juans teachings are nothing more than an indian method of gaining enlightenment. Something hindus try to achieve through yoga, ritual magicians through magick, and buddhists and taoists through meditation. The whole book is devoted to the use of natural drugs. Peyote, jimpson weed, magic mushrooms that are detailed in the book, gives one the impression to go out and try these drugs to gain the power and knowledge that is detailed in Castanedas book. Or to go and look for a teacher of shamanism. These drugs are dangerous and there are far safer and saner ways to gain enlightenment such as meditation or ritual magick. But even these can be dangerous, if you dont know what you are doing. Good books and teachers are highly recommended. The mind of a human being contains the godhead, with all the infinite knowledge and power that goes with it. Castaneda should write disclaimers in his books, not only because of the drugs he describes, but because of ignorant people who might try what he describes.
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
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