Carlos Castaneda's - The Teachings of Don Juan

This book is something that should be read slowly, passages reread, and the meaning savored like dark chocolate. A lot of controversy has surrounded 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 it 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 qoute 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.

Was don Juan real or were the stories fabricated? When the lessons were over, did Carlos Castanedo trick us or did he take us on a trip into the world that he knew? How do we know if what Carlos 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 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.

Cindy Callinsky