Carlos Castaneda - The Teachings of Don Juan

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For This I Believe...

Today I will be reviewing the book by Carlos Castaneda, The Teachings of Don Juan.

The Teachings of Don Juan has been a very controversial novel for years. Because I love controversial things, I could not wait to get my hands on it once I heard about it.

If you are looking for something that will pry your eyes open to the beauty and vastness of what surrounds your every waking moment, this book by Carlos Castaneda is your read. This is a great summer read for those who would like to stretch your thought process and are searching for new ideas. I believe it to be a truly spiritual summer read.

Expand Your Horizons.

Photo From: Afreuda

"Don Juan Matus and the shamans of his lineage regarded awareness as the act of being deliberately conscious of all the perceptual possibilities of man, not merely the perceptual possibilities dictated by any given culture whose role seems to be that of restricting the perceptual capacity of its members."
~ Author's commentaries xviii

Don Juan

The Lowdown

A lot of controversy has surrounded Carlos Castaneda's writing. Some say it isn't real; it was all just his imagination. I don't think it being real or unreal is as important as what the reader takes from it.

Much controversy surrounded Carlos Castaneda's writing because of the use of mind altering plants such as peyote (Mescalito), Jimson Weed, and mushrooms (Psilocybe Mexicana). Don Juan -a Yaqui Indian from Sonara, Mexico- believed in their capacity to produce stages of nonordinary reality. Don Juan believed these stages to be as real as ordinary reality. Don Juan also believed nonordinary reality to be the only form of pragmatic learning and the only means of acquiring power. He didn't necessarily believe that mind altering plants had to be used to achieve a nonordinary stage. He believed that it could help those who couldn't achieve that stage on their own.

Don Juan speaks of Mescalito as if it is a person of great knowledge. You will meet 'him' when you are ready. This is not a joke. You must be ready. When you have no doubt you will meet 'him'. You have to have very serious intent. Perhaps you are not agreeable to 'him' and 'he' won't like you. It's as if in meeting Mescalito you are having your soul viewed. Mescalito will either take you or throw you away.

Another Don Juan quote that I really enjoyed:

"Are you angry with me, don Juan?"
"No. I am never angry at anybody. No human being can do anything important enough for that. You get angry at people when you feel that their acts are important. I don't feel that way any longer."

This is a very spiritual type journey. I cannot wait to read the second one.

This book is something that should be read slowly, passages reread, and the meaning savored like dark chocolate.

Carlos Castaneda

The Man

Carlos Castaneda started this journey in the summer of 1960 when he was an anthropology student as the University of California, Los Angeles.

Photo from The Vaults of Erowid

Real or Fictitious

The Lessons of Don Juan

  • Was don Juan real or were Carlos Castaneda's stories fabricated?

  • When the lessons were over, did Carlos Castaneda trick us or did he take us on a trip into the world that he knew?

  • How do we know if what Carlos Castaneda described was factually or only in his mind?

  • Aren't people talking about the string theory?

  • If the string theory is factual, does it really matter if don Juan was or was not a physical being as we perceive them today? Isn't that what the lessons were about?

  • Why was he so followed and loved by many if he wasn't "onto" something? I'm not talking about hallucinogens. I'm talking about What the Bleep Do We Know stuff.

His experiences or thoughts caused a ripple effect that still has an impact on people to this day. That has got to be something very deep or it wouldn't still be around.

Carlos Castaneda's 1968 Radio Interview

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Carlos Castaneda The Teachings Of Don Juan

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All Things Carlos Castaneda

Time Magazine Review

Another review of: The Teachings of Don Juan, A Separate Reality, Journey to Ixtlan
Carlos Castaneda Biography

A short biography on Carlos Castaneda
Carlos Castaneda Quotes

"The trick is in what one emphasizes. We either make ourselves miserable, or we make ourselves happy. The amount of work is the same." Carlos Castaneda
Carlos Castaneda's Magical Passes

Carlos Castaneda Workshops - Classes
Carlos Castaneda Speaks - An Interview

Magazine: New Age Journal
March/April 1994
Carlos Castaneda Speaks, An interview by Keith Thompson

Give Me Your Thoughts about

Don Juan and Carlos Castaneda

  • Krish Mar 9, 2012 @ 4:51 am | delete
    I read him when I was 20yrs old .Now after so many years,in my 40s I am remebering him.Excellent.
  • KevinAnthony Aug 25, 2011 @ 4:29 pm | delete
    Great Lens, Maestro. Thanks for this.
  • AnneVis Feb 13, 2011 @ 4:02 am | delete
    Great information, thanks for sharing! :-)
  • ModernVintage Jun 30, 2010 @ 5:42 am | delete
    String theory and Carlos Castaneda before 7 am - I know it's going to be a good day. I am completely devoted the place where science meets mysticism. I love the gray area, I love the moments between sleeping and waking. I think that's when the walls drop and eyes open. This lens has inspired me to do three things: read The Teachings of Don Juan, finish reading The Elegant Universe, and create some lenses. Great job, Cindy!
  • callinsky Jun 30, 2010 @ 11:11 pm | delete
    Thank you so much for your kind words and for visiting. I wish you the best luck in the world with your freelance writing and ebay shop. Welcome to Squidoo. (O:
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Carlos Castaneda - The Teaching of Don Juan

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callinsky

Thank you for visiting: Carlos Castaneda - The Teaching of Don Juan
I love novels, especially spiritual ones. I really love the Carlos Castaneda novels,...
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