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The Teachings of Don Juan #11
The Wheel of Time: The Shamans of Mexico Their Thoughts About Life Death & the Universe
World-renowned bestselling author Carlos Castaneda's Selection of his wrtings on the shamans of ancient Mexico.
Originally drawn to Yaqui Indian spiritual leader don Juan Matus for his knowledge of mind-altering plants, bestselling author Carlos Castaneda soon immersed himself in the sorcerer’s magical world entirely. Ten years after his first encounter with the shaman, Castaneda examines his field notes and comes to understand what don Juan knew all along—that these plants are merely a means to understanding the alternative realities that one cannot fully embrace on one’s own. In Journey to Ixtlan, Carlos Castaneda introduces readers to this new approach for the first time and explores, as he comes to experience it himself, his own final voyage into the teachings of don Juan, sharing with us what it is like to truly “stop the world” and perceive reality on his own terms.
Originally drawn to Yaqui Indian spiritual leader don Juan Matus for his knowledge of mind-altering plants, bestselling author Carlos Castaneda soon immersed himself in the sorcerer’s magical world entirely. Ten years after his first encounter with the shaman, Castaneda examines his field notes and comes to understand what don Juan knew all along—that these plants are merely a means to understanding the alternative realities that one cannot fully embrace on one’s own. In Journey to Ixtlan, Carlos Castaneda introduces readers to this new approach for the first time and explores, as he comes to experience it himself, his own final voyage into the teachings of don Juan, sharing with us what it is like to truly “stop the world” and perceive reality on his own terms.
304 pages, paper
First published June 1, 1998
About the author
Carlos Castaneda
121 books2,436 followersCarlos Castaneda was an Latin-American author.
Starting with The Teachings of Don Juan in 1968, Castaneda wrote a series of books that describe his training in shamanism, particularly with a group whose lineage descended from the Toltecs.
The books, narrated in the first person, relate his experiences under the tutelage of a man that Castaneda claimed was a Yaqui "Man of Knowledge" named don Juan Matus. His 12 books have sold more than 28 million copies in 17 languages.
Critics have suggested that they are works of fiction; supporters claim the books are either true or at least valuable works of philosophy.
Starting with The Teachings of Don Juan in 1968, Castaneda wrote a series of books that describe his training in shamanism, particularly with a group whose lineage descended from the Toltecs.
The books, narrated in the first person, relate his experiences under the tutelage of a man that Castaneda claimed was a Yaqui "Man of Knowledge" named don Juan Matus. His 12 books have sold more than 28 million copies in 17 languages.
Critics have suggested that they are works of fiction; supporters claim the books are either true or at least valuable works of philosophy.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 93 reviews
June 23, 2021
The Wheel of Time: The Shamans of Mexico Their Thoughts About Life Death & the Universe (The Teachings of Don Juan #11), Carlos Castaneda
Originally drawn to Yaqui Indian spiritual leader don Juan Matus for his knowledge of mind-altering plants, bestselling author Carlos Castaneda soon immersed himself in the sorcerer’s magical world entirely.
Ten years after his first encounter with the shaman, Castaneda examines his field notes and comes to understand what don Juan knew all along—that these plants are merely a means to understanding the alternative realities that one cannot fully embrace on one’s own.
In Journey to Ixtlan, Carlos Castaneda introduces readers to this new approach for the first time and explores, as he comes to experience it himself, his own final voyage into the teachings of don Juan, sharing with us what it is like to truly “stop the world” and perceive reality on his own terms.
تاریخ نخستین خوانش: روز ششم ماه اکتبر سال 1999میلادی
عنوان: چرخ زمان: شمنان مکزیک کهن، افکار آنان در باره ی زندگی، زندگی مرگ و جهان؛ نویسنده: کارلوس کاستاندا، برگردان: مهدی کندری؛ تهران، میترا، 1377، در 278ص، شابک9645998360؛ موضوع: کارلوس کاستاندا از سال 1931میلادی تا سال 1998میلادی، عرفان سرخپوستی، دین سرخپوستان یاکوئی، دین و اساطیر - سده 20م
این مجموعه دارای گفتارهایی است درباره ی «شمنان مکزیک» است، که نگارنده براساس هشت کتاب پیشین خود، آن را به رشته تحریر درآورده است؛ این آثار عبارت‌اند از «افسانه‌های قدرت»؛ «دومین حلقه قدرت»، «هدیه عقاب»، «آتش درون»، «قدرت سکوت»، «آموزش‌های دون خوان»، «حقیقتی دیگر»، و «سفر به دیگر سو»؛ در این کتاب افکار «شمنان مکزیک» درباره ی «زندگی»، «مرگ»، و «زمان» بیان شده است .براساس باور آن‌ها زمان همچون تونلی بی‌نهایت طویل و عریض با شیارهای انعکاس است؛ «شمن»ها باور داندند با خیره شدن به آن شیارها می‌توانند چرخ زمان را بگردانند و به هر آنچه آرزو دارند دست یابند
تاریخ بهنگام رسانی 01/04/1400هجری خورشیدی؛ ا. شربیانی
Originally drawn to Yaqui Indian spiritual leader don Juan Matus for his knowledge of mind-altering plants, bestselling author Carlos Castaneda soon immersed himself in the sorcerer’s magical world entirely.
Ten years after his first encounter with the shaman, Castaneda examines his field notes and comes to understand what don Juan knew all along—that these plants are merely a means to understanding the alternative realities that one cannot fully embrace on one’s own.
In Journey to Ixtlan, Carlos Castaneda introduces readers to this new approach for the first time and explores, as he comes to experience it himself, his own final voyage into the teachings of don Juan, sharing with us what it is like to truly “stop the world” and perceive reality on his own terms.
تاریخ نخستین خوانش: روز ششم ماه اکتبر سال 1999میلادی
عنوان: چرخ زمان: شمنان مکزیک کهن، افکار آنان در باره ی زندگی، زندگی مرگ و جهان؛ نویسنده: کارلوس کاستاندا، برگردان: مهدی کندری؛ تهران، میترا، 1377، در 278ص، شابک9645998360؛ موضوع: کارلوس کاستاندا از سال 1931میلادی تا سال 1998میلادی، عرفان سرخپوستی، دین سرخپوستان یاکوئی، دین و اساطیر - سده 20م
این مجموعه دارای گفتارهایی است درباره ی «شمنان مکزیک» است، که نگارنده براساس هشت کتاب پیشین خود، آن را به رشته تحریر درآورده است؛ این آثار عبارت‌اند از «افسانه‌های قدرت»؛ «دومین حلقه قدرت»، «هدیه عقاب»، «آتش درون»، «قدرت سکوت»، «آموزش‌های دون خوان»، «حقیقتی دیگر»، و «سفر به دیگر سو»؛ در این کتاب افکار «شمنان مکزیک» درباره ی «زندگی»، «مرگ»، و «زمان» بیان شده است .براساس باور آن‌ها زمان همچون تونلی بی‌نهایت طویل و عریض با شیارهای انعکاس است؛ «شمن»ها باور داندند با خیره شدن به آن شیارها می‌توانند چرخ زمان را بگردانند و به هر آنچه آرزو دارند دست یابند
تاریخ بهنگام رسانی 01/04/1400هجری خورشیدی؛ ا. شربیانی
January 14, 2018
My friend suggested reading him. there's some interesting quotes. I really liked one that said to be angry at someone you first have to consider that person important. lots of other insites and shaman quotes. overall the book was probably a little to new agey for me but I may read another of his works.
April 3, 2017
I had this book lying for a while. Finally, I picked it up and realized, that it's like book 11 of a series)) It's sort of a review of all the previous books, as far as I understand.
Half of the stuff I didn't quite get, but the rest seemed really profound. Anyway, I liked it enough to decide to read Castaneda's works from the beginning.
Half of the stuff I didn't quite get, but the rest seemed really profound. Anyway, I liked it enough to decide to read Castaneda's works from the beginning.
February 8, 2018
Nesu tokios literatūros gerbėja, o kas mane pažįsta, žino ir mano nuomonę apie ją. Tik dėl to, kad susidariau tokį skaitymo iššūkį šiems metams, kad jame atsirado ir tokio tipo knyga, šis darbas pakliuvo į mano rankas, kitaip eičiau, praeičiau ir net nežvilgtelėčiau į jos pusę.
Ši knyga, tai citatų rinkinys iš jo visų knygų. Skaitėsi gana lengvai. Buvo keletas minčių su kuriomis sutikau.
Ši knyga, tai citatų rinkinys iš jo visų knygų. Skaitėsi gana lengvai. Buvo keletas minčių su kuriomis sutikau.
April 29, 2024
«Воїн сумнівається і розмірковує перед тим, як приймає рішення. Але коли воно прийняте, він діє, не відволікаючись на сумніви, побоювання та роздуми. Попереду – ще мільйони рішень, кожне з яких ще чекає свого часу. Це шлях воїна.»
Read
January 20, 2014A friend of mine has been telling me about soul journeying and I was looking for a book that had some incite into shamanism. This book contains cryptic but very quotable and intriguing snippets of wisdom. Carlos Castaneda learned them throughout his life from his own journeys guided by Don Juan Marquis and Florinda Matus. As someone who has never read anything by Carlos Castaneda this was not a good place to start- it is filled with the outcomes but missing the story so it is hard to absorb. It reminded me most of CATCHING THE BIG FISH by David Lynch because it provides some inspiring mystery and metaphor but it is hard to actually "catch the fish".
I feel more inspired to take a less rational approach- letting the wheel of time flow around me- explore intuitive patterns rather than break things down with detailed analysis.
"The greatest flaw of human beings is to remain glued to the inventory of reason. Reason doesn't deal with man as energy. Reason deals with instrument that create energy, but it has never seriously occurred to reason that we are better than instruments: we are organisms that create energy. We are bubbles of energy".
I feel more inspired to take a less rational approach- letting the wheel of time flow around me- explore intuitive patterns rather than break things down with detailed analysis.
"The greatest flaw of human beings is to remain glued to the inventory of reason. Reason doesn't deal with man as energy. Reason deals with instrument that create energy, but it has never seriously occurred to reason that we are better than instruments: we are organisms that create energy. We are bubbles of energy".
August 31, 2010
This book is full of quotes from the books he previously wrote.
Some quotes that really made me think are...
“If his spirit is distorted he should simply fix it—purge it, make it perfect—because there is no other task in our entire lives which is more worthwhile…To seek the perfection of the warrior’s spirit is the only task worthy of our temporariness, our manhood.”
But, what is perfect? What is worthwhile? These are all just words... how can we truly express what and who we are suppose to be with words.. I will have to dig in deeper to his works, really shouldn't of picked this book up first but it was a start :)
Some quotes that really made me think are...
“If his spirit is distorted he should simply fix it—purge it, make it perfect—because there is no other task in our entire lives which is more worthwhile…To seek the perfection of the warrior’s spirit is the only task worthy of our temporariness, our manhood.”
But, what is perfect? What is worthwhile? These are all just words... how can we truly express what and who we are suppose to be with words.. I will have to dig in deeper to his works, really shouldn't of picked this book up first but it was a start :)
September 7, 2020
Wasn't what I expected. Seemed like random thoughts and not really about time.
March 16, 2024
Can't ssay I understood every little aspect of this book here.
It's not knee deep, in symbolism/allegory, but still, it's rather difficult at some pages, to decypher
It's not knee deep, in symbolism/allegory, but still, it's rather difficult at some pages, to decypher
May 31, 2016
I was first introduced to Castaneda’s work two years ago, when my dad found two books for me to read from his college days - The Teachings of Don Juan: A Yaqui Way of Knowledge and A Separate Reality. Rarely does my father actually pick up a book, so I knew this one was going to be pretty good. The first of Castaneda’s twelve-book series, The Teachings of Don Juan, dragged me into his narrative quickly. I recommend it to everyone I know, and have both of my personal copies circulating through my friends quite often. My favorite Castaneda book is Journey to Ixtlan, his third in the series.
The Wheel of Time is a collection of quotations and commentary from the first eight books. I feel that it falls way short of effectively communicating the wisdom of the books, but it was an interesting read nonetheless.
The Wheel of Time is a collection of quotations and commentary from the first eight books. I feel that it falls way short of effectively communicating the wisdom of the books, but it was an interesting read nonetheless.
Read
June 19, 2011Personally I have no concern with whether these books are fiction or non-fiction, I found them to be good friends. Some very enjoyable tricks learned in the choices I makes when interacting with my environment.
November 19, 2012
Many years ago I enjoyed Castaneda's Don Juan and I was interested in how I would now find the author's later works. This is a book of quotes from his earlier works and there are some very good ones, especially the role death plays while contemplating life. Basically, Castenada's mentor has led him through a path that initially made use of psychotropic plants and later showed that drugs are not necessary to understand that time is a useful illusion and that detachment is on the road to enlightenment. Castenada pens all this as an UCLA anthropologist studying Mexican native shamans.
Half-way through this book I read a salon.com story about Castenada and the foundation he created in a vein similar to scientology. Although this books quotes are very worthwhile, I find the use of drugs and intermediaries serving between a seeker and God to be both dated and aberrant. Since new thoughts were not incorporated into this work I found it interesting only from a historical perspective. What would be really interesting is a biography about the author, the 70s, and his philosophy/business.
Half-way through this book I read a salon.com story about Castenada and the foundation he created in a vein similar to scientology. Although this books quotes are very worthwhile, I find the use of drugs and intermediaries serving between a seeker and God to be both dated and aberrant. Since new thoughts were not incorporated into this work I found it interesting only from a historical perspective. What would be really interesting is a biography about the author, the 70s, and his philosophy/business.
June 27, 2015
Not your usual book. What you will find in this book are numerous quotations from all of Castaneda's most common books. This is his last book which is intended to summarize his shamanisms teachings.
He teaches the difference between a regular person and a warrior. He describes their similarities in thinking but at the same time the difference of their cognition. This teachings can most definitely be related to our modern spiritualism shown today, but in differenet perspective. Carlos Castaneda's intent to change the way people view the world indeed worked very well in his days and still in some parts of the world today. The point of view still remains the same for all spiritual teachers.
He teaches the difference between a regular person and a warrior. He describes their similarities in thinking but at the same time the difference of their cognition. This teachings can most definitely be related to our modern spiritualism shown today, but in differenet perspective. Carlos Castaneda's intent to change the way people view the world indeed worked very well in his days and still in some parts of the world today. The point of view still remains the same for all spiritual teachers.
August 2, 2018
Como vamos a separar el estado de la iglesia, me dieron ganas de conocer otro tipo de enseñanzas, y qué bueno que agarré este libro de la biblioteca de heredaros, porque tiene algunas frases muy copadas. Me quedo con las ganas de ser una guerrera, y con ganas de aplicar algunos de sus preceptos en mi día a día (no, no son completamente originales o novedosos, pero te os canta de una forma tan poética y a la vez directa que te dan ganas de ponerte en serio con esto de ser una mejor persona :P)
May 15, 2017
The book cleverly says you can not possibly explain the teachings of the shamans without sounding like a fool, so I won't bother. I will say: I started reading it right after my father passed away, and I appreciate how it put me into a different state of being than I would have otherwise, without foolishly ignoring the situation entirely.
August 22, 2009
Collection of quotes and commentaries by Castaneda about his apprenticeship with shaman don Juan Matus. Fascinating and enlightening, a highly recommended read, especially to those who appreciate books about culture/spirituality.
July 2, 2013
Quotes from the teachings of Shamans. Their lives are based on an alternate cognitive reality that can barely be perceived by denizens of Western Culture.
January 21, 2022
جالب بود؛ آموزش سلوک سرخپوستی؟ شاید. فکر می‌کنم همین بود. چیزی که از تویش درنمی‌آید اما وادی جالبی‌ست.
January 24, 2024
This review, as with many others is just a collection of ramblings and thoughts I find relevant
It is very interesting how similar the ideas of these Mexican native shamans had to neo-platonist philosophy, with the infinite grandeur of the eagle emanating awareness and time being very analogous and comparable to the neo-platonist hierarchy of 'the one', 'nous' 'soul' and then the material world, and how each emanates onto a lower level. The focus on being nothing, and removing of the self to become one with the infinite is also a critical similarity between the two seemingly vastly different perceptions of the divine and reality.
Don Juan was a master who did not want an apprentice or student, he wanted heirs to his knowledge. One cannot be important when writing, it makes you heavy. one needs to be light as a warrior, as human beings are fibers of light.
Joy, pain, sadness, struggle, all men deserve. This is the life of a warrior, not to seek that is to seek death, it is the only thing worthy of our limited time on earth.
The essence of a warrior is the terror of being a man balanced with the wonder of being a man
You have to erase your routines, self identity, sense of self importance. No one knows of the ways to do these things before starting, but after starting there will be unknown aids for which these tasks will be completed with. The Warrior’s way is a sum of energetic facts in the universe.
Perhaps the most interesting idea I found in the book was this: the ordinary man takes life as a collection of blessings and curses, the warrior sees EVERYTHING as a challenge
----------
Ideas mirroring neo-platonist philosophy, more specifically plotinus himself as opposed to porphry and acamedius' more hierarchical and complex system of reality and the universe:
1. “recommendation for warriors is to not have any material things on which to focus their power, but instead to focus it on the spirit, on the true flight into the unknown”
2. “to take the warrior’s path one must let go of the compulsion to take and hold onto things”
the warrior seeks and waits for the moment where they can join with infinity. the challenge of a warrior is how impeccable they can be and how well they can do within rigid bounds.
3. “people’s actions have no more effect when the warrior has no expectations. one of the core concepts of the warriors life is detachment. detachment doesn’t mean wisdom, but it is an advantage as it allows the warrior to pause and to reassess positions and reconsider situations. the warrior over the course of his life has to struggle unyielding.”
4. “i am already given to the power that rules my fate, and i cling to nothing, so i will have nothing to defend. i have no thoughts, so i will see. i fear nothing, so i will remember myself. detached and at ease, i will dart past the eagle to be free.”
5. “much easier for warriors to fare well under conditions of maxium stress than to be impeccable under normal circumstances”
6. “the power to govern all living beings is called the eagle not because it is the eagle or has anything to do with an eagle but because it appears to the eye of the seer as an immeasurable, jet black eagle standing as an eagle stands, its height reaching to infinity. the eagle devours the awareness of all the creatures that alive on earth a moment before and now dead float to the eagles beak like a swarm of fireflies to meet their owner, and finds their reason for living and being. the eagle disentangles these facts, then consumes them. for awareness is the eagle’s food. “
7. “the eagle has granted every living being powers if they so desire in order to have freedom and go through life, which perpetuates awareness. to cross over into freedom does not mean eternal life as eternity is commonly understood, as living forever, rather warriors can keep their awareness which is normally relinquished at the moment of dying, at the moment of crossing the body in it’s entirety, is kindled with knowledge. the eagle gives awareness as it gives the chance to have a chance.”
----------
Don Juan Matus's ideas in this book largely put a focus on the way of the warrior, how to be a warrior and thus the warrior's practice and view of time and reality as well. Some quotes about what a warrior is:
1. “the warrior is never under siege. as a siege implies personal possessions that can be blockaded. the warrior ahs nothing in this world except his impeccability. impeccability cannot be threatened.”
2. “the first principle of the art of stalking is that the warrior chooses the location of the battleground. a warrior never goes into battle without knowing what the surroundings are. the second principle of the art of stalking is to discard everything that is not necessary. The third principle: the warrior doesn't complicate things, he aims at beings and applies all the concentration he has to whether or not to enter into battle, for every battle is a battle for his life. Fourth principle of the art of stalking, is the warrior must be willing to make his last stand here and now. a warrior relaxes and abandons himself, and he fears nothing. then will the powers that guide humans open a path for the warrior and aid him only then. The fifth principle of the art of stalking: when faced with odds that cannot be dealt with, retreat for a moment. meander and let your mind wander for a while. 6th principle: warriors compress time, even an instant counts in a battle. in a battle a second is an eternity that may decide the outcome. warriors aim at succeeding, therefore they do not waste time. 7th principle: a stalker never pushes himself to the front, he is always looking on from behind the scenes”
3. - applying these principles results in 3 things: 1. warriors learn to never take themselves seriously, to laugh at themselves.if you are not afraid of being a fool, you can fool anyone. 2. stalkers learn to have endless patience 3. stalkers learn to have an endless capacity to improvise.
4. only warriors can face time and change time as it advances on them. the warrior has only one thing on their mind, freedom, to die and be eaten by the eagle is no challenge. to snake around the eagle and be free is the ultimate audacity.
5. when warriors talk about time they arent talking about the movement of a clock. time is the essence of attention, and the eagle’s emmanations are made out of time. when warrior enters into other aspects of the self, he is becoming acquainted with time.
6. a warrior can no longer weep, his only express of anguish is a shiver that comes from the very depths of the universe. it is as if one of the eagles emmanations are made from pure anguish and when it hits the warrior, the warrior’s shiver is infinite.
7. the techniques of the warrior are there, what is of supreme importance is the man using them and his desire to go all the way with them. being a warrior is vastness.
8. “when one has nothing to lose, one becomes courageous. we are timid only when we have something to lose”
9. “a warrior cannot possibly leave anything to chance. he actually affects the outcome of events by the force of his awareness and his unbending intent."
10.“human forms all conglomerate to form a field of energy only accessible to humans”
11.“a warrior knows he cannot change but makes it his business to try to change nonetheless”
12.“the only freedom warriors have is to behave impeccably. impecabillity is freedom, it is also the only freedom given to straight out the human form.”
13.“any habit needs all its parts in order to function. if some parts are missing, the habit it disassembled”
14.“warriors don’t follow the ups and downs of their fellow men. the core of our being is the act of percieving, and the magic of our being is the act of awareness.perception and awareness are a single, essential, inexorable unit.
15.“we chose only once, we chose to be warriors or ordinary men. a second choice doesnt exist on this earth”
16.“the warrior always takes the first event of any series as the blueprint or the map for what will develop subsequently.”
17.“ everyone has enough personal power for something. the trick of the warrior is to take personal power away from his weaknesses and to redirect it to the warriors purpose”
--
Quotations from the fire from within:( inspired by Florinda Matus.)
1. “ there is no completeness without sadness and longing, for without them, there is no sobriety, no kindness.”
2. “self importance is man’s greatest enemy, it weakens him ,making him offended by the deeds and view of his fellow men. self importance requires one spend most of his life offended by something or someone."
3. more important than what warriors see, is what warriors DO with what they see.one of the greatest forces in the lives of warriors is fear, because it spurs them to learn
4. “for the seer, the truth is all living beings are struggling to die. what stops death is awareness.”
5. “the unknown is forever present. for it is outside the possibility of our normal awareness. the unknown is the superfluous part of the average man, because the average man does not have enough free energy to grasp it”
6.“the greatest human flaw is to remain glued to the inventory of reason. reason doesn't deal with man as energy, reason deals with instruments that create energy but it has never seriously occurred to reason that we are better than instruments. we are organisms that create energy. the warrior does not try to demean the mystery of man by trying to rationalize it"
7. once inner silence is obtained, everything is possible. the way to stop talking to ourselves is to use the same method we were taught to use when talking TO ourselves. we must learn to stop compulsively and unwaveringly.
8.impeccability begins with a single act, and it must be precise and sustained. if the act is repeated long enough, one obtains a sense of unbending intent, which can be applied to anything else. once that is obtained the road is cleared.
9.“realizations are of two kinds. one is pep talk, great outbursts of emotions and nothing more. the other is a product of a shift of the assemblage point, not coupled with an emotional outburst but of action. the emotional realizations come years later after the warriors have solidified through usage of their assemblage points.”
10.“the worst that can happen to us is our death. because that is our inexorable fate, there is nothing to fear.”
It is very interesting how similar the ideas of these Mexican native shamans had to neo-platonist philosophy, with the infinite grandeur of the eagle emanating awareness and time being very analogous and comparable to the neo-platonist hierarchy of 'the one', 'nous' 'soul' and then the material world, and how each emanates onto a lower level. The focus on being nothing, and removing of the self to become one with the infinite is also a critical similarity between the two seemingly vastly different perceptions of the divine and reality.
Don Juan was a master who did not want an apprentice or student, he wanted heirs to his knowledge. One cannot be important when writing, it makes you heavy. one needs to be light as a warrior, as human beings are fibers of light.
Joy, pain, sadness, struggle, all men deserve. This is the life of a warrior, not to seek that is to seek death, it is the only thing worthy of our limited time on earth.
The essence of a warrior is the terror of being a man balanced with the wonder of being a man
You have to erase your routines, self identity, sense of self importance. No one knows of the ways to do these things before starting, but after starting there will be unknown aids for which these tasks will be completed with. The Warrior’s way is a sum of energetic facts in the universe.
Perhaps the most interesting idea I found in the book was this: the ordinary man takes life as a collection of blessings and curses, the warrior sees EVERYTHING as a challenge
----------
Ideas mirroring neo-platonist philosophy, more specifically plotinus himself as opposed to porphry and acamedius' more hierarchical and complex system of reality and the universe:
1. “recommendation for warriors is to not have any material things on which to focus their power, but instead to focus it on the spirit, on the true flight into the unknown”
2. “to take the warrior’s path one must let go of the compulsion to take and hold onto things”
the warrior seeks and waits for the moment where they can join with infinity. the challenge of a warrior is how impeccable they can be and how well they can do within rigid bounds.
3. “people’s actions have no more effect when the warrior has no expectations. one of the core concepts of the warriors life is detachment. detachment doesn’t mean wisdom, but it is an advantage as it allows the warrior to pause and to reassess positions and reconsider situations. the warrior over the course of his life has to struggle unyielding.”
4. “i am already given to the power that rules my fate, and i cling to nothing, so i will have nothing to defend. i have no thoughts, so i will see. i fear nothing, so i will remember myself. detached and at ease, i will dart past the eagle to be free.”
5. “much easier for warriors to fare well under conditions of maxium stress than to be impeccable under normal circumstances”
6. “the power to govern all living beings is called the eagle not because it is the eagle or has anything to do with an eagle but because it appears to the eye of the seer as an immeasurable, jet black eagle standing as an eagle stands, its height reaching to infinity. the eagle devours the awareness of all the creatures that alive on earth a moment before and now dead float to the eagles beak like a swarm of fireflies to meet their owner, and finds their reason for living and being. the eagle disentangles these facts, then consumes them. for awareness is the eagle’s food. “
7. “the eagle has granted every living being powers if they so desire in order to have freedom and go through life, which perpetuates awareness. to cross over into freedom does not mean eternal life as eternity is commonly understood, as living forever, rather warriors can keep their awareness which is normally relinquished at the moment of dying, at the moment of crossing the body in it’s entirety, is kindled with knowledge. the eagle gives awareness as it gives the chance to have a chance.”
----------
Don Juan Matus's ideas in this book largely put a focus on the way of the warrior, how to be a warrior and thus the warrior's practice and view of time and reality as well. Some quotes about what a warrior is:
1. “the warrior is never under siege. as a siege implies personal possessions that can be blockaded. the warrior ahs nothing in this world except his impeccability. impeccability cannot be threatened.”
2. “the first principle of the art of stalking is that the warrior chooses the location of the battleground. a warrior never goes into battle without knowing what the surroundings are. the second principle of the art of stalking is to discard everything that is not necessary. The third principle: the warrior doesn't complicate things, he aims at beings and applies all the concentration he has to whether or not to enter into battle, for every battle is a battle for his life. Fourth principle of the art of stalking, is the warrior must be willing to make his last stand here and now. a warrior relaxes and abandons himself, and he fears nothing. then will the powers that guide humans open a path for the warrior and aid him only then. The fifth principle of the art of stalking: when faced with odds that cannot be dealt with, retreat for a moment. meander and let your mind wander for a while. 6th principle: warriors compress time, even an instant counts in a battle. in a battle a second is an eternity that may decide the outcome. warriors aim at succeeding, therefore they do not waste time. 7th principle: a stalker never pushes himself to the front, he is always looking on from behind the scenes”
3. - applying these principles results in 3 things: 1. warriors learn to never take themselves seriously, to laugh at themselves.if you are not afraid of being a fool, you can fool anyone. 2. stalkers learn to have endless patience 3. stalkers learn to have an endless capacity to improvise.
4. only warriors can face time and change time as it advances on them. the warrior has only one thing on their mind, freedom, to die and be eaten by the eagle is no challenge. to snake around the eagle and be free is the ultimate audacity.
5. when warriors talk about time they arent talking about the movement of a clock. time is the essence of attention, and the eagle’s emmanations are made out of time. when warrior enters into other aspects of the self, he is becoming acquainted with time.
6. a warrior can no longer weep, his only express of anguish is a shiver that comes from the very depths of the universe. it is as if one of the eagles emmanations are made from pure anguish and when it hits the warrior, the warrior’s shiver is infinite.
7. the techniques of the warrior are there, what is of supreme importance is the man using them and his desire to go all the way with them. being a warrior is vastness.
8. “when one has nothing to lose, one becomes courageous. we are timid only when we have something to lose”
9. “a warrior cannot possibly leave anything to chance. he actually affects the outcome of events by the force of his awareness and his unbending intent."
10.“human forms all conglomerate to form a field of energy only accessible to humans”
11.“a warrior knows he cannot change but makes it his business to try to change nonetheless”
12.“the only freedom warriors have is to behave impeccably. impecabillity is freedom, it is also the only freedom given to straight out the human form.”
13.“any habit needs all its parts in order to function. if some parts are missing, the habit it disassembled”
14.“warriors don’t follow the ups and downs of their fellow men. the core of our being is the act of percieving, and the magic of our being is the act of awareness.perception and awareness are a single, essential, inexorable unit.
15.“we chose only once, we chose to be warriors or ordinary men. a second choice doesnt exist on this earth”
16.“the warrior always takes the first event of any series as the blueprint or the map for what will develop subsequently.”
17.“ everyone has enough personal power for something. the trick of the warrior is to take personal power away from his weaknesses and to redirect it to the warriors purpose”
--
Quotations from the fire from within:( inspired by Florinda Matus.)
1. “ there is no completeness without sadness and longing, for without them, there is no sobriety, no kindness.”
2. “self importance is man’s greatest enemy, it weakens him ,making him offended by the deeds and view of his fellow men. self importance requires one spend most of his life offended by something or someone."
3. more important than what warriors see, is what warriors DO with what they see.one of the greatest forces in the lives of warriors is fear, because it spurs them to learn
4. “for the seer, the truth is all living beings are struggling to die. what stops death is awareness.”
5. “the unknown is forever present. for it is outside the possibility of our normal awareness. the unknown is the superfluous part of the average man, because the average man does not have enough free energy to grasp it”
6.“the greatest human flaw is to remain glued to the inventory of reason. reason doesn't deal with man as energy, reason deals with instruments that create energy but it has never seriously occurred to reason that we are better than instruments. we are organisms that create energy. the warrior does not try to demean the mystery of man by trying to rationalize it"
7. once inner silence is obtained, everything is possible. the way to stop talking to ourselves is to use the same method we were taught to use when talking TO ourselves. we must learn to stop compulsively and unwaveringly.
8.impeccability begins with a single act, and it must be precise and sustained. if the act is repeated long enough, one obtains a sense of unbending intent, which can be applied to anything else. once that is obtained the road is cleared.
9.“realizations are of two kinds. one is pep talk, great outbursts of emotions and nothing more. the other is a product of a shift of the assemblage point, not coupled with an emotional outburst but of action. the emotional realizations come years later after the warriors have solidified through usage of their assemblage points.”
10.“the worst that can happen to us is our death. because that is our inexorable fate, there is nothing to fear.”
August 23, 2024
I have lots of questions and I hope I can find the answers in his other books.
January 13, 2024
~}-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-{~
~}-------:}|{:-:}|{:- * LINKS * -:}|{:-:}|{:-----------{~
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* -:}|{:- * A * -:}|{:- *
-:}|{: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_mQnF... :}|{:-
-:}|{}|{:- 1998 Carlos Castaneda - The Wheel of Time :}|{}|{:=:}|{}|{: Hmm Gimmesum -:}|{}|{:-
* -:}|{}|{: COMPLETE :}|{}|{:- *
* -:}|{}|{ + POSITIVE + }|{}|{:- *
* -:}|{}|{:- * SUMMARY * -:}|{}|{:- *
- THE PATH OF THE TOLTEC WARRIOR = IS FOLLOWING THE HEART FELT PATH - WITH DEATH BY ONES SIDE <3
~}-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-{~
* -:}|{:- * B * -:}|{:- *
-:}|{: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9MDkE... :}|{:-
-:}|{}|{:- PNTV: The Wheel of Time by Carlos Castaneda (#54) :}|{}|{:=:}|{}|{:
Brian Johnson -:}|{}|{:-
* -:}|{}|{: COMPLETE :}|{}|{:- *
* -:}|{}|{ + POSITIVE + }|{}|{:- *
* -:}|{}|{:- * SUMMARY * -:}|{}|{:- *
~}-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-{~
* -:}|{:- * A * -:}|{:- *
~}-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-{~
* -:}|{}|{:- * KEY * ~ TIMESTAMPS & NOTES -:}|{}|{:- *
-:}|{}|{:- 14:52 :}|{}|{:=:}|{}|{: POWER RESTS ON THE KIND OF KNOLEDGE ONE HOLDS -:}|{}|{:-
~ NOTHING IN THIS WORLD IS A GIFT = WHATEVER MUST BE LEARNED MUST BE LEARNT THE HARD WAY
1) BE WIDE AWAKE
2) FEAR
3) RESPECT
4) ABSOLUTE ASURANCE
~ DOES THIS PART HAVE A HEART = A JOYFUL JOURNEY = AS LONG AS HE FOLLOWS IT HE IS @ 1 WITH IT
-:}|{}|{:- 23:49 :}|{}|{:=:}|{}|{: BEING LIKE AN EGG OF CURCILATING FIBRES -:}|{}|{:-
~ FEELING IMPORTANT MAKES 1 HEAVY CLUMSY & VAIN = 2 BE A WARIOUS ONE NEEDS 2 BE LIGHT & FLUIDE
~ SEEING THE FLOW OF ENERGY
~ THE IDEA OF DEATH IS THE ONLY THING THAT TEMPERS ONES SPIRIT
~ A WARRIOR LIVES BY ACTING = NOT THINKING ABOUT ACTING = NOR THINKING ABOUT WHAT HE WILL THINK WHEN HE HAS FINISHED ACTING
~ CHOOSES A PATH WITH HEART = ANY PATH WITH HEART & FOLLOWS IT REJIOCES & LAUGHS KNOWING HIS LAUGH WILL BE OVER 2 SOON = NOTHING IS MORE IMPORTANT THEN ANYTHING ELSE == ONLY LIFE 2 BE LIVED = HIS ON
***
Controlled Folly
the flow within focus and detachment
the balance between the unknown & the knowable
Controlled folly does not mean that nothing matters to a warrior. On the contrary, it means that a warrior acknowledges that he does not know all the questions, much less the answers to all of life’s complexities and mysteries
He honors the unknown and unknowable, remaining open and fluid instead of pretending that he knows everything. He never exhausts his power building and trying to maintain castles made of sand. He realizes that he can not anticipate the workings of the Spirit
A warrior gathers power by acting impeccably. He chooses what to be and what to do, according to a set of values and principles that defines him, just as I have chosen to make impeccability the focal point of my value system.
A spiritual warrior plays for keeps using his personal power in a clear and focused manner to accomplish his intent because, with death always at at his shoulder he knows that it does not make any sense to spend this precious lifetime acting in an unfocused and haphazard way.
Yet, at the same time, because he knows that he does not have all the answers, he realizes that nothing he does may matter in the scope of the totality of the universe.
He realizes that nothing he says or does may ever be of any eternal significance. But he acts anyway out of a deep longing lodged in the quiet recesses of his soul
It is about a perspective, indeed. He chooses the empowering optimistic perspective without regret assuming full responsibility for his choices and acts even though he knows damned well that it may be folly to do so
Trust & intuition
****
RAZOR SHARP AWARENESS = OF THE UNIVERSAL FORCE OF INTENT =
* -:}|{}|{:- 44:57 :}|{}|{:=:}|{}|{: THE BRIDGE BEING WATCHED BY DEATH-:}|{}|{:- *
~ DROP PERSONAL HISTORY
-:}|{}|{:- 48:18 :}|{}|{:=:}|{}|{: THERE IS NO TIME FOR DOUBT OR REMORSE = IN A WORLD WHERE DEATH IS THE HUNTER THERE IS ONLY TIME FOR DECISIONS = IN WORLD WHERE DEATH IS THE HUNTER - THERE ARE NO LARGE OR SMALL DECISIONS -:}|{}|{:-
WORRY = CLINGING - EXHASTING - ONE SELF OR THOSE AROUND HIM
HE LIVES IN THE WORLD BUT NOT OFF THE WORLD
*** -:}|{}|{:- 51:51 :}|{}|{:=:}|{}|{: THE RIGHTFUL POWER IS UNLOCKED = THE MOMENT ONE ACTS - IS IF EVERY ACT WHERE HIS LAST BATTLE -:}|{}|{:- ***
~ TRIMMED ORDIRLY LIFE
~ NOT 2 FIX THE SPIRIT IS 2 SEEK DEATH
~ PERSONAL POWER = UNLOCKED THROUGH A LIFETIME OF STRUGLE = TOWARDS TRUTH
~ ACTS AS IF HE KNOWS WHAT HE IS DOING IN AFFECT HE KNOWS NOTHING
~ A WARRIOR DOESNT KNOW REMORCE FOR ANYTHING HE HAS DONE - 2 ISOLATE ONES ACT - IS 2 PLACE AN WARANTED IMPORTANCE OF THE SELF
~ THE TRICK IS THE FOCUS & BELIEF IN WHAT ONE EMPHISISES = MAKING ONE INFINITLY MISERABLE OR INFINITLY STRONG
~ THE BALANCE TERROR OF BEING A MAN WITH THE WONDER OF BEING MAN
3 TASKS
1) ERRASE MY PERSONAL HISTORY BY ANY MEANS NECISERRY
2) STOP MY ROUTINES
3) DETHRONE MY SENSE OF PERSONAL IMPORTANCE
I ASSURE YOU
* :}|{: *IF WE START THE WORK = WE WILL ACOMPLISH IT WITH OUT EVER KNOWING WHAT CAME 2 AID US = THE DIFFICULTY YOU ENCOUNTER IS THE SAME DIFICULTY THAT I ENCOUNTERED MYSELF = I ASSURE THAT OUR DIFFICLTY IS BORN OUT OF THE TOTAL ABSENCE IN OUR LIVES OF THE IDEA THAT WOULD SPUR US 2 CHANGE == THE IDEA THAT IT COULD BE DONE = ONCE I HAD THE IDEA I ACOMPLISHED IT WITHOUGHT KNOWING HOW * :}|{: *
EDIFICE MEANING = a complex system of beliefs:
"the concepts on which the edifice of capitalism was built"
~ THE WARRIORS WAY IS EVERYTHING
-:}|{}|{:- 1:04:01 :}|{}|{:=:}|{}|{: QUOTATIONS FROM TALES OF POWER -:}|{}|{:-
-:}|{}|{:- 1:12:36 :}|{}|{:=:}|{}|{: THE BASIC DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A WARRIOR & AN ORDINARY MAN -:}|{}|{:-
~ THE WARRIOR TAKES EVERYTHING AS A CHALLENGE
~ AN ORDINARY MANY TAKES ONLY BLESSINGS & CURSES
THE WARIOUR BELEIVES WITHOUGHT BELIEVING - = DOES BELEIVING AS A CHOICE = ITS ONLY BECAUSE DEATH IS STALKING HIM = THE WARRIOURS ART IS 2 BE PRENILLY FLUID IN ORDER 2 PLUCK IT = AVARAGE MAN IS AWARE OF EVERYTHING ONLY WHEN HE THINKS HE SHOULD BE = THE WARRIOUR IS 2 BE AWARE OF EVERYTHING AT ALL TIMES
* :}|{: * The word "perennially" is an adverb that means "in a way that lasts a very long time, or happens repeatedly or all the time" ¹²³. The word "fluid" is an adjective that means "able to change easily or often" . Together, the phrase "perennially fluid" could be used to describe something that is constantly changing or evolving over a long period of time. For example, one could say that the field of technology is "perennially fluid" due to the rapid pace of innovation and change in the industry. * :}|{: *
ERRASE PERSONAL HISTORY=
1) LOOSING ONES IMPORTANCE
2) ASSUMING RESPONSABILITY FOR ONES ACTS
3) USING DEATH AS AN ADVISOR
-:}|{}|{:- 1:16:33 :}|{}|{:=:}|{}|{: CHANGING THE FACADE OF SELF PITY -:}|{}|{:-
~ SELF PITTY IS LEFT 2 THE BACKGROUND = JUST LIKE THE IDEA OF ONES IMPENDING DEATH - HUMBLENESS - TAKING RESPONSABILITY FOR ONES ACT WAS ONCE IN THE BACKGROUND = COMES IN THE FORGROUND THE MOMENT ONE BECAME A WARRIOR
Prominent feature means a particular noticeable or conspicuous part or characteristic12. For example, a person's eyes can be their most prominent feature1. = IN TERMS OF SELF PITY
~ FACADE DEFINITION - a deceptive outward appearance:
"her flawless public facade masked private despair"
-:}|{}|{:- 1:21:10 :}|{}|{:=:}|{}|{: A WARRIOR MUST LOVE THIS WORLD - IN ORDER FOR THIS WORLD THAT SEEMS SO COMMEN PLACE 2 OPEN UP & SHOW ITS WONDERS -:}|{}|{:-
-:}|{}|{:- 1:24:13 :}|{}|{:=:}|{}|{: WHEN ONE HAS NOTHING 2 LOOSE ONE BECOMES CORAGIOUS - WE ARE TIMID ONLY WHEN THERE IS SOMETHING WE CAN STILL CLING 2 // THE CHANGING THE HUMAN FORM = THE IMPECABLE WARRIOR ALWAYS SURVIVES -:}|{}|{:-
~ NEVER LEAVES THINGS 2 CHANCE = HE AFECTS OUTCOMES OF EVENTS WITH THE FORCE OF HIS AWARENESS & UNBENDING INTENT
1:26:00 GOING 2 GET SOMETHING 2 EAT & LISTEN ON MY PHONE
-:}|{}|{:- ? :}|{}|{:=:}|{}|{: ? -:}|{}|{:-
-:}|{}|{:- ? :}|{}|{:=:}|{}|{: ? -:}|{}|{:-
-:}|{}|{:- ? :}|{}|{:=:}|{}|{: ? -:}|{}|{:-
-:}|{}|{:- ? :}|{}|{:=:}|{}|{: ? -:}|{}|{:-
-:}|{}|{:- ? :}|{}|{:=:}|{}|{: ? -:}|{}|{:-
-:}|{}|{:- ? :}|{}|{:=:}|{}|{: ? -:}|{}|{:-
-:}|{}|{:- ? :}|{}|{:=:}|{}|{: ? -:}|{}|{:-
* -:}|{:- *
~}-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-{~
A
~}-------:}|{:-:}|{:- * LINKS * -:}|{:-:}|{:-----------{~
~}-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-{~
* -:}|{:- * A * -:}|{:- *
-:}|{: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_mQnF... :}|{:-
-:}|{}|{:- 1998 Carlos Castaneda - The Wheel of Time :}|{}|{:=:}|{}|{: Hmm Gimmesum -:}|{}|{:-
* -:}|{}|{: COMPLETE :}|{}|{:- *
* -:}|{}|{ + POSITIVE + }|{}|{:- *
* -:}|{}|{:- * SUMMARY * -:}|{}|{:- *
- THE PATH OF THE TOLTEC WARRIOR = IS FOLLOWING THE HEART FELT PATH - WITH DEATH BY ONES SIDE <3
~}-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-{~
* -:}|{:- * B * -:}|{:- *
-:}|{: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9MDkE... :}|{:-
-:}|{}|{:- PNTV: The Wheel of Time by Carlos Castaneda (#54) :}|{}|{:=:}|{}|{:
Brian Johnson -:}|{}|{:-
* -:}|{}|{: COMPLETE :}|{}|{:- *
* -:}|{}|{ + POSITIVE + }|{}|{:- *
* -:}|{}|{:- * SUMMARY * -:}|{}|{:- *
~}-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-{~
* -:}|{:- * A * -:}|{:- *
~}-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-{~
* -:}|{}|{:- * KEY * ~ TIMESTAMPS & NOTES -:}|{}|{:- *
-:}|{}|{:- 14:52 :}|{}|{:=:}|{}|{: POWER RESTS ON THE KIND OF KNOLEDGE ONE HOLDS -:}|{}|{:-
~ NOTHING IN THIS WORLD IS A GIFT = WHATEVER MUST BE LEARNED MUST BE LEARNT THE HARD WAY
1) BE WIDE AWAKE
2) FEAR
3) RESPECT
4) ABSOLUTE ASURANCE
~ DOES THIS PART HAVE A HEART = A JOYFUL JOURNEY = AS LONG AS HE FOLLOWS IT HE IS @ 1 WITH IT
-:}|{}|{:- 23:49 :}|{}|{:=:}|{}|{: BEING LIKE AN EGG OF CURCILATING FIBRES -:}|{}|{:-
~ FEELING IMPORTANT MAKES 1 HEAVY CLUMSY & VAIN = 2 BE A WARIOUS ONE NEEDS 2 BE LIGHT & FLUIDE
~ SEEING THE FLOW OF ENERGY
~ THE IDEA OF DEATH IS THE ONLY THING THAT TEMPERS ONES SPIRIT
~ A WARRIOR LIVES BY ACTING = NOT THINKING ABOUT ACTING = NOR THINKING ABOUT WHAT HE WILL THINK WHEN HE HAS FINISHED ACTING
~ CHOOSES A PATH WITH HEART = ANY PATH WITH HEART & FOLLOWS IT REJIOCES & LAUGHS KNOWING HIS LAUGH WILL BE OVER 2 SOON = NOTHING IS MORE IMPORTANT THEN ANYTHING ELSE == ONLY LIFE 2 BE LIVED = HIS ON
***
Controlled Folly
the flow within focus and detachment
the balance between the unknown & the knowable
Controlled folly does not mean that nothing matters to a warrior. On the contrary, it means that a warrior acknowledges that he does not know all the questions, much less the answers to all of life’s complexities and mysteries
He honors the unknown and unknowable, remaining open and fluid instead of pretending that he knows everything. He never exhausts his power building and trying to maintain castles made of sand. He realizes that he can not anticipate the workings of the Spirit
A warrior gathers power by acting impeccably. He chooses what to be and what to do, according to a set of values and principles that defines him, just as I have chosen to make impeccability the focal point of my value system.
A spiritual warrior plays for keeps using his personal power in a clear and focused manner to accomplish his intent because, with death always at at his shoulder he knows that it does not make any sense to spend this precious lifetime acting in an unfocused and haphazard way.
Yet, at the same time, because he knows that he does not have all the answers, he realizes that nothing he does may matter in the scope of the totality of the universe.
He realizes that nothing he says or does may ever be of any eternal significance. But he acts anyway out of a deep longing lodged in the quiet recesses of his soul
It is about a perspective, indeed. He chooses the empowering optimistic perspective without regret assuming full responsibility for his choices and acts even though he knows damned well that it may be folly to do so
Trust & intuition
****
RAZOR SHARP AWARENESS = OF THE UNIVERSAL FORCE OF INTENT =
* -:}|{}|{:- 44:57 :}|{}|{:=:}|{}|{: THE BRIDGE BEING WATCHED BY DEATH-:}|{}|{:- *
~ DROP PERSONAL HISTORY
-:}|{}|{:- 48:18 :}|{}|{:=:}|{}|{: THERE IS NO TIME FOR DOUBT OR REMORSE = IN A WORLD WHERE DEATH IS THE HUNTER THERE IS ONLY TIME FOR DECISIONS = IN WORLD WHERE DEATH IS THE HUNTER - THERE ARE NO LARGE OR SMALL DECISIONS -:}|{}|{:-
WORRY = CLINGING - EXHASTING - ONE SELF OR THOSE AROUND HIM
HE LIVES IN THE WORLD BUT NOT OFF THE WORLD
*** -:}|{}|{:- 51:51 :}|{}|{:=:}|{}|{: THE RIGHTFUL POWER IS UNLOCKED = THE MOMENT ONE ACTS - IS IF EVERY ACT WHERE HIS LAST BATTLE -:}|{}|{:- ***
~ TRIMMED ORDIRLY LIFE
~ NOT 2 FIX THE SPIRIT IS 2 SEEK DEATH
~ PERSONAL POWER = UNLOCKED THROUGH A LIFETIME OF STRUGLE = TOWARDS TRUTH
~ ACTS AS IF HE KNOWS WHAT HE IS DOING IN AFFECT HE KNOWS NOTHING
~ A WARRIOR DOESNT KNOW REMORCE FOR ANYTHING HE HAS DONE - 2 ISOLATE ONES ACT - IS 2 PLACE AN WARANTED IMPORTANCE OF THE SELF
~ THE TRICK IS THE FOCUS & BELIEF IN WHAT ONE EMPHISISES = MAKING ONE INFINITLY MISERABLE OR INFINITLY STRONG
~ THE BALANCE TERROR OF BEING A MAN WITH THE WONDER OF BEING MAN
3 TASKS
1) ERRASE MY PERSONAL HISTORY BY ANY MEANS NECISERRY
2) STOP MY ROUTINES
3) DETHRONE MY SENSE OF PERSONAL IMPORTANCE
I ASSURE YOU
* :}|{: *IF WE START THE WORK = WE WILL ACOMPLISH IT WITH OUT EVER KNOWING WHAT CAME 2 AID US = THE DIFFICULTY YOU ENCOUNTER IS THE SAME DIFICULTY THAT I ENCOUNTERED MYSELF = I ASSURE THAT OUR DIFFICLTY IS BORN OUT OF THE TOTAL ABSENCE IN OUR LIVES OF THE IDEA THAT WOULD SPUR US 2 CHANGE == THE IDEA THAT IT COULD BE DONE = ONCE I HAD THE IDEA I ACOMPLISHED IT WITHOUGHT KNOWING HOW * :}|{: *
EDIFICE MEANING = a complex system of beliefs:
"the concepts on which the edifice of capitalism was built"
~ THE WARRIORS WAY IS EVERYTHING
-:}|{}|{:- 1:04:01 :}|{}|{:=:}|{}|{: QUOTATIONS FROM TALES OF POWER -:}|{}|{:-
-:}|{}|{:- 1:12:36 :}|{}|{:=:}|{}|{: THE BASIC DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A WARRIOR & AN ORDINARY MAN -:}|{}|{:-
~ THE WARRIOR TAKES EVERYTHING AS A CHALLENGE
~ AN ORDINARY MANY TAKES ONLY BLESSINGS & CURSES
THE WARIOUR BELEIVES WITHOUGHT BELIEVING - = DOES BELEIVING AS A CHOICE = ITS ONLY BECAUSE DEATH IS STALKING HIM = THE WARRIOURS ART IS 2 BE PRENILLY FLUID IN ORDER 2 PLUCK IT = AVARAGE MAN IS AWARE OF EVERYTHING ONLY WHEN HE THINKS HE SHOULD BE = THE WARRIOUR IS 2 BE AWARE OF EVERYTHING AT ALL TIMES
* :}|{: * The word "perennially" is an adverb that means "in a way that lasts a very long time, or happens repeatedly or all the time" ¹²³. The word "fluid" is an adjective that means "able to change easily or often" . Together, the phrase "perennially fluid" could be used to describe something that is constantly changing or evolving over a long period of time. For example, one could say that the field of technology is "perennially fluid" due to the rapid pace of innovation and change in the industry. * :}|{: *
ERRASE PERSONAL HISTORY=
1) LOOSING ONES IMPORTANCE
2) ASSUMING RESPONSABILITY FOR ONES ACTS
3) USING DEATH AS AN ADVISOR
-:}|{}|{:- 1:16:33 :}|{}|{:=:}|{}|{: CHANGING THE FACADE OF SELF PITY -:}|{}|{:-
~ SELF PITTY IS LEFT 2 THE BACKGROUND = JUST LIKE THE IDEA OF ONES IMPENDING DEATH - HUMBLENESS - TAKING RESPONSABILITY FOR ONES ACT WAS ONCE IN THE BACKGROUND = COMES IN THE FORGROUND THE MOMENT ONE BECAME A WARRIOR
Prominent feature means a particular noticeable or conspicuous part or characteristic12. For example, a person's eyes can be their most prominent feature1. = IN TERMS OF SELF PITY
~ FACADE DEFINITION - a deceptive outward appearance:
"her flawless public facade masked private despair"
-:}|{}|{:- 1:21:10 :}|{}|{:=:}|{}|{: A WARRIOR MUST LOVE THIS WORLD - IN ORDER FOR THIS WORLD THAT SEEMS SO COMMEN PLACE 2 OPEN UP & SHOW ITS WONDERS -:}|{}|{:-
-:}|{}|{:- 1:24:13 :}|{}|{:=:}|{}|{: WHEN ONE HAS NOTHING 2 LOOSE ONE BECOMES CORAGIOUS - WE ARE TIMID ONLY WHEN THERE IS SOMETHING WE CAN STILL CLING 2 // THE CHANGING THE HUMAN FORM = THE IMPECABLE WARRIOR ALWAYS SURVIVES -:}|{}|{:-
~ NEVER LEAVES THINGS 2 CHANCE = HE AFECTS OUTCOMES OF EVENTS WITH THE FORCE OF HIS AWARENESS & UNBENDING INTENT
1:26:00 GOING 2 GET SOMETHING 2 EAT & LISTEN ON MY PHONE
-:}|{}|{:- ? :}|{}|{:=:}|{}|{: ? -:}|{}|{:-
-:}|{}|{:- ? :}|{}|{:=:}|{}|{: ? -:}|{}|{:-
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A
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April 19, 2021The Wheel of Time
by Carlos Castaneda
Don Juan was in a key position. He knew about the existence of another realm of reality,
a realm which was neither illusory, nor the product of outbursts of fantasy.
To see energy as it flows in the universe meant, to don Juan, the capacity to see a human being
as a luminous egg or luminous ball of energy, certain features shared by men in common,
such as a point of brilliance in the already brilliant luminous ball of energy.
The claim of shamans was that it was on that point of brilliance, which those shamans
called the assemblage point, that perception was assembled.
They could extend this thought logically to mean that it was on that point of brilliance
that our cognition of the world was manufactured. Odd as it may seem,
don Juan Matus was right, in the sense that this is exactly what happens.
The perception of shamans, therefore, was subject to a different process than the
perception of average men. Shamans claimed that perceiving energy directly led them
to what they called energetic facts. By energetic fact, they meant a view obtained by
seeing energy directly that led to the conclusions that were final and irreducible;
they couldn´t be tampered with by speculation, or by trying to fit them into our
standard system of interpretation.
Don Juan said that for the shamans of his lineage, it was an energetic fact that the
world around us is defined by the processes of cognition, and those processes are not
unalterable; they are not givens. They are a matter of training, a matter of practicality
and usage. This thought was extended, to another energetic fact: the processes of standard
cognition are the product of our upbringing, no more than that.
For the shamans of ancient Mexico, intent was a force they could visualize
when they saw energy as it flows in the universe. They considered it an all-
pervasive force that intervened in every aspect of time and space. It was the impetus
behind everything; but what was of inconceivable value to those shamans was that intent-
a pure abstraction- was intimately attached to man. Man could always manipulate it.
The shamans of ancient mexico realized that the only way to affect this force was through
impeccable behavior. Only the most disciplined practitioner could attempt this feat.
Another stupendous unit of that strange cognitive system was the shamans´ understanding and
usage of the concepts of time and space. For them, time and space were not the same phenomena
that form part of our lives by virtue of being an integral part of our normal cognitive system.
For the average man, the standard defintion of time is ¨a nonspatial continuum in which
events occur in apparently irreversible succession from the past through the present to the
future.¨ And space is defined as ¨the infinite extension of the three-dimensional field in which
stars and galaxies exist; the universe.¨
For the shamans of ancient Mexico, time was something like a thought;
a thought thought by something unrealizable in its magnitude.
The logical argument for them was that man, being part of that thought which was thought by
forces inconceivable to his mentality, still retained a small percentage of that thought;
a percentage which under certain circumstances of extraordinary discipline could be redeemed.
Space was, for those shamans, an abstract realm of activity. They called it infinity,
and referred to it as the sum total of all the endeavors of living creatures.
Space was, for them, more accessible, something almost down-to-earth.
It was as if they had a bigger percentage in the abstract formulation of space.
According to the versions given by don Juan, the shamans of ancient Mexico never regarded
time and space as obscure abstracts the way we do. For them, both time and space,
although incomprehensible in their formulations, were an integral part of man.
Those shamans had another cognitive unit called the wheel of time.
The way they explained the wheel of time was to say that time was like a tunnel of infinite
length and width, a tunnel with reflective furrows. Every furrow was infinite,
and there were infinite numbers of them.
Thoughts
I. When a man is not concerned with seeing, things look very much the same
to him every time he looks at the world. When he learns to see, on the other hand,
nothing is ever the same every time he sees it, and yet it is the same.
To the eye of a seer, a man is like an egg. Every time he sees the same man he sees
a luminous egg, yet it is not the same luminous egg.
II. The core of our being is the act of perceiving, and the magic of our being is the act
of awareness. Perception and awareness are a single, functional, inextricable unit.
III. I am already given to the power that rules my fate.
And I cling to nothing, so I will have nothing to defend.
I have no thoughts, so I will see.
I fear nothing, so I will remember myself.
Detached and at ease,
I will dart past the eagle to be free.
IV. The human form is a conglomerate of energy fields which exists in the universe,
and which is related exclusively to human beings. Shamans call it the human form
because those energy fields have been bent and contorted by a life time of habits and misuse.
V. We perceive. This is a hard fact. But what we perceive is not a fact of the same kind,
because we learn what to perceive.
VI. In order to follow the path of knowledge, one has to be very imaginative.
On the path of knowledge, nothing is as clear as we´d like it to be.
VII. Every bit of knowledge that becomes power has death as its central force.
Death lends the ultimate touch, and whatever is touched by death indeed becomes power.
VIII. To be angry at people means that one considers their acts to be important.
It is imperative to cease to feel that way. The acts of men cannot be important enough
to offset our only viable alternative: our unchangeable encounter with infinity.
IX. Warriors say that we think there is a world of objects out there only because of
our awareness. But what´s really out there are the eagle´s emanations, fluid,
forever in motion, and yet unchanged, eternal.
X. There is no completeness without sadness and longing, for without them there is no
sobriety, no kindness. Wisdom without kindness and knowledge without sobriety are useless.
XI. Anything is one of a million paths. Therefore, a warrior must always keep in mind
that a path is only a path; if he feels that he should not follow it, he must not stay with it
under any conditions. His decision to keep on that path or to leave it must be free of fear
or ambition. He must look at every path closely and deliberately. There is a question that
a warrior has to ask, mandatorily: Does this path have a heart?
All paths are the same: they lead nowhere. However, a path without a heart is never
enjoyable. On the other hand, a path with heart is easy - it does not make a warrior work
at liking it; it makes for a joyful journey; as long as a man follows it, he is one with it.
XII. The eyes of man can perform two functions: one is seeing energy at large as it flows
in the universe and the other is ¨looking at things in this world.¨ Neither of these functions
is better than the other; however to train the eyes only to look is a shameful and
unnecessary loss.
XIII. Intent is not a thought, or an object, or a wish. It operates in spite of the warrior´s indulgence.
Intent is what makes him invulnerable. Intent is what sends a shaman through a wall, through space, to infinity.
XIV. Every time a man sets himself to learn, he has to labor as hard as anyone can, and the limits
of his learning are determined by his own nature. Therefore, there is no point in talking about
knowledge. Fear of knowledge is natural; all of us experience it, and there is nothing we can do
about it. But no matter how frightening learning is, it is more terrible to think of a man
without knowledge.
XV. The world is all that is encased here: life, death, people, and everything else
that surrounds us. The world is incomprehensible. We won´t ever understand it;
we won´t ever unravel its secrets. Thus we must treat the world as it is: a sheer mystery.
XVI. The power that governs the destiny of all living beings is called the Eagle,
not because it is an eagle or has anything to do with an eagle, but because it appears
to the eye of the seer as an immeasurable jet-black eagle, standing erect as an eagle stands,
its heights reaching to infinty.
by Carlos Castaneda
Don Juan was in a key position. He knew about the existence of another realm of reality,
a realm which was neither illusory, nor the product of outbursts of fantasy.
To see energy as it flows in the universe meant, to don Juan, the capacity to see a human being
as a luminous egg or luminous ball of energy, certain features shared by men in common,
such as a point of brilliance in the already brilliant luminous ball of energy.
The claim of shamans was that it was on that point of brilliance, which those shamans
called the assemblage point, that perception was assembled.
They could extend this thought logically to mean that it was on that point of brilliance
that our cognition of the world was manufactured. Odd as it may seem,
don Juan Matus was right, in the sense that this is exactly what happens.
The perception of shamans, therefore, was subject to a different process than the
perception of average men. Shamans claimed that perceiving energy directly led them
to what they called energetic facts. By energetic fact, they meant a view obtained by
seeing energy directly that led to the conclusions that were final and irreducible;
they couldn´t be tampered with by speculation, or by trying to fit them into our
standard system of interpretation.
Don Juan said that for the shamans of his lineage, it was an energetic fact that the
world around us is defined by the processes of cognition, and those processes are not
unalterable; they are not givens. They are a matter of training, a matter of practicality
and usage. This thought was extended, to another energetic fact: the processes of standard
cognition are the product of our upbringing, no more than that.
For the shamans of ancient Mexico, intent was a force they could visualize
when they saw energy as it flows in the universe. They considered it an all-
pervasive force that intervened in every aspect of time and space. It was the impetus
behind everything; but what was of inconceivable value to those shamans was that intent-
a pure abstraction- was intimately attached to man. Man could always manipulate it.
The shamans of ancient mexico realized that the only way to affect this force was through
impeccable behavior. Only the most disciplined practitioner could attempt this feat.
Another stupendous unit of that strange cognitive system was the shamans´ understanding and
usage of the concepts of time and space. For them, time and space were not the same phenomena
that form part of our lives by virtue of being an integral part of our normal cognitive system.
For the average man, the standard defintion of time is ¨a nonspatial continuum in which
events occur in apparently irreversible succession from the past through the present to the
future.¨ And space is defined as ¨the infinite extension of the three-dimensional field in which
stars and galaxies exist; the universe.¨
For the shamans of ancient Mexico, time was something like a thought;
a thought thought by something unrealizable in its magnitude.
The logical argument for them was that man, being part of that thought which was thought by
forces inconceivable to his mentality, still retained a small percentage of that thought;
a percentage which under certain circumstances of extraordinary discipline could be redeemed.
Space was, for those shamans, an abstract realm of activity. They called it infinity,
and referred to it as the sum total of all the endeavors of living creatures.
Space was, for them, more accessible, something almost down-to-earth.
It was as if they had a bigger percentage in the abstract formulation of space.
According to the versions given by don Juan, the shamans of ancient Mexico never regarded
time and space as obscure abstracts the way we do. For them, both time and space,
although incomprehensible in their formulations, were an integral part of man.
Those shamans had another cognitive unit called the wheel of time.
The way they explained the wheel of time was to say that time was like a tunnel of infinite
length and width, a tunnel with reflective furrows. Every furrow was infinite,
and there were infinite numbers of them.
Thoughts
I. When a man is not concerned with seeing, things look very much the same
to him every time he looks at the world. When he learns to see, on the other hand,
nothing is ever the same every time he sees it, and yet it is the same.
To the eye of a seer, a man is like an egg. Every time he sees the same man he sees
a luminous egg, yet it is not the same luminous egg.
II. The core of our being is the act of perceiving, and the magic of our being is the act
of awareness. Perception and awareness are a single, functional, inextricable unit.
III. I am already given to the power that rules my fate.
And I cling to nothing, so I will have nothing to defend.
I have no thoughts, so I will see.
I fear nothing, so I will remember myself.
Detached and at ease,
I will dart past the eagle to be free.
IV. The human form is a conglomerate of energy fields which exists in the universe,
and which is related exclusively to human beings. Shamans call it the human form
because those energy fields have been bent and contorted by a life time of habits and misuse.
V. We perceive. This is a hard fact. But what we perceive is not a fact of the same kind,
because we learn what to perceive.
VI. In order to follow the path of knowledge, one has to be very imaginative.
On the path of knowledge, nothing is as clear as we´d like it to be.
VII. Every bit of knowledge that becomes power has death as its central force.
Death lends the ultimate touch, and whatever is touched by death indeed becomes power.
VIII. To be angry at people means that one considers their acts to be important.
It is imperative to cease to feel that way. The acts of men cannot be important enough
to offset our only viable alternative: our unchangeable encounter with infinity.
IX. Warriors say that we think there is a world of objects out there only because of
our awareness. But what´s really out there are the eagle´s emanations, fluid,
forever in motion, and yet unchanged, eternal.
X. There is no completeness without sadness and longing, for without them there is no
sobriety, no kindness. Wisdom without kindness and knowledge without sobriety are useless.
XI. Anything is one of a million paths. Therefore, a warrior must always keep in mind
that a path is only a path; if he feels that he should not follow it, he must not stay with it
under any conditions. His decision to keep on that path or to leave it must be free of fear
or ambition. He must look at every path closely and deliberately. There is a question that
a warrior has to ask, mandatorily: Does this path have a heart?
All paths are the same: they lead nowhere. However, a path without a heart is never
enjoyable. On the other hand, a path with heart is easy - it does not make a warrior work
at liking it; it makes for a joyful journey; as long as a man follows it, he is one with it.
XII. The eyes of man can perform two functions: one is seeing energy at large as it flows
in the universe and the other is ¨looking at things in this world.¨ Neither of these functions
is better than the other; however to train the eyes only to look is a shameful and
unnecessary loss.
XIII. Intent is not a thought, or an object, or a wish. It operates in spite of the warrior´s indulgence.
Intent is what makes him invulnerable. Intent is what sends a shaman through a wall, through space, to infinity.
XIV. Every time a man sets himself to learn, he has to labor as hard as anyone can, and the limits
of his learning are determined by his own nature. Therefore, there is no point in talking about
knowledge. Fear of knowledge is natural; all of us experience it, and there is nothing we can do
about it. But no matter how frightening learning is, it is more terrible to think of a man
without knowledge.
XV. The world is all that is encased here: life, death, people, and everything else
that surrounds us. The world is incomprehensible. We won´t ever understand it;
we won´t ever unravel its secrets. Thus we must treat the world as it is: a sheer mystery.
XVI. The power that governs the destiny of all living beings is called the Eagle,
not because it is an eagle or has anything to do with an eagle, but because it appears
to the eye of the seer as an immeasurable jet-black eagle, standing erect as an eagle stands,
its heights reaching to infinty.
March 9, 2021
как по мне, это книга вообще не о чем! Читая ее я вспомнил "Сломанные крылья" Халила Джебрана. И там, и здесь ведется повествование о непонятном. Морально очень не актуальная литература...
June 18, 2011
I distinctly remember purchasing this one while traveling (not tripping please note!) in Missouri. It was marked down and I read most of it one week while at a trade show.
[ June 2011
Another box of books has been reopened for cleaning, sorting, and reevaluation and lo and behold, many of the collected works of Carlos Castaneda are part of the contents.
Many years have gone but I remember this author and his works vividly. [Now don't get any ideas as to an allusion I may or may not be making] At some point I stopped purchasing more in the series and put them away. There's a 'blur' factor as I recall that happens with these stories of the metaphysical and magical journeys of learning (spelling of your choice for majic). Thus I finally put them down after a time. There's a new series of works by authors/students in the same genre. These are a continuation of the anthropological journey that Castaneda undertook to learn of his heritage and a way of life that existed if only in a shadow of the original form.
This generic commentary is going to be applied to all the writings of CC as a review until a rereading decision is made. I don't own all the books by Castaneda though I've read all his books through the mid 1980's. A couple more I have copies of in this collection but I bet I never read them.
Each of these books will have this introduction bracketed and italicized when I add a more specific commentary regarding the individual entry.
An early footnote. Much of the fascination with fantastical dragon imagery is rooted in the first two or three of these works. Just thought you should know. ]
[ June 2011
Another box of books has been reopened for cleaning, sorting, and reevaluation and lo and behold, many of the collected works of Carlos Castaneda are part of the contents.
Many years have gone but I remember this author and his works vividly. [Now don't get any ideas as to an allusion I may or may not be making] At some point I stopped purchasing more in the series and put them away. There's a 'blur' factor as I recall that happens with these stories of the metaphysical and magical journeys of learning (spelling of your choice for majic). Thus I finally put them down after a time. There's a new series of works by authors/students in the same genre. These are a continuation of the anthropological journey that Castaneda undertook to learn of his heritage and a way of life that existed if only in a shadow of the original form.
This generic commentary is going to be applied to all the writings of CC as a review until a rereading decision is made. I don't own all the books by Castaneda though I've read all his books through the mid 1980's. A couple more I have copies of in this collection but I bet I never read them.
Each of these books will have this introduction bracketed and italicized when I add a more specific commentary regarding the individual entry.
An early footnote. Much of the fascination with fantastical dragon imagery is rooted in the first two or three of these works. Just thought you should know. ]
December 2, 2012
Kolo časa
str.36- občutek pomembnosti naredi človeka težkega, okornega in plitvega. Bojevnik pa mora biti lahek in gibljiv.
Str. 40- bojevnik si nikoli ne beli glave zavoljo svojega strahu. Namesto tega raje misli na čudež videnja toka energije! Vse ostalo je načičkanost, nepomembna načičkanost.
Str. 56- bojevnik prevzame odgovornost za svoja dejanja, tudi za najbolj preprost med njimi. Običajni človek izvede, kar se mu plete po glavi, ne da bi pri tem sprejel kako odgovornost.
Str. 91- bojevnik je nedostopen v smislu, da se dotika sveta okoli sebe zmerno. Predvsem pa se premišljeno izogiba izčrpavanju sebe in drugih. Ne izrablja in izžema ljudi, da od njih več nič ne ostane, še posebej ljudi, ki jih ima rad.
Str. 105- sploh ni pomembno, kako so nas vzgajali. O načinu, kako se lotevamo stvari, odloča osebna moč. Človek je samo seštevek svoje osebne moči in ta seštevek odloča, kako bo živel in kako bo umrl.
Str. 120- pride čas, ko zmore bojevnik opraviti določene stvari, ki jih leta nazaj ni mogel storiti. Te stvari se same niso spremenile; spremenil se je bojevnikov pogled na samega sebe.
Str. 126- bojevnik vzame, kar mu je namenjeno, pa naj bo karkoli, in to sprejme v največji ponižnosti. Ponižno se sprijazni s samim seboj ne kot povod za obžalovanje, temveč kot živ izziv.
Str. 167- kadar nimamo česa izgubiti, postanemo hrabri. Plašni smo samo dotlej, dokler se imamo še česa oklepati.
str.36- občutek pomembnosti naredi človeka težkega, okornega in plitvega. Bojevnik pa mora biti lahek in gibljiv.
Str. 40- bojevnik si nikoli ne beli glave zavoljo svojega strahu. Namesto tega raje misli na čudež videnja toka energije! Vse ostalo je načičkanost, nepomembna načičkanost.
Str. 56- bojevnik prevzame odgovornost za svoja dejanja, tudi za najbolj preprost med njimi. Običajni človek izvede, kar se mu plete po glavi, ne da bi pri tem sprejel kako odgovornost.
Str. 91- bojevnik je nedostopen v smislu, da se dotika sveta okoli sebe zmerno. Predvsem pa se premišljeno izogiba izčrpavanju sebe in drugih. Ne izrablja in izžema ljudi, da od njih več nič ne ostane, še posebej ljudi, ki jih ima rad.
Str. 105- sploh ni pomembno, kako so nas vzgajali. O načinu, kako se lotevamo stvari, odloča osebna moč. Človek je samo seštevek svoje osebne moči in ta seštevek odloča, kako bo živel in kako bo umrl.
Str. 120- pride čas, ko zmore bojevnik opraviti določene stvari, ki jih leta nazaj ni mogel storiti. Te stvari se same niso spremenile; spremenil se je bojevnikov pogled na samega sebe.
Str. 126- bojevnik vzame, kar mu je namenjeno, pa naj bo karkoli, in to sprejme v največji ponižnosti. Ponižno se sprijazni s samim seboj ne kot povod za obžalovanje, temveč kot živ izziv.
Str. 167- kadar nimamo česa izgubiti, postanemo hrabri. Plašni smo samo dotlej, dokler se imamo še česa oklepati.
July 5, 2016
Excuse me, I'll be in Mexico if you need me...the ancient intent-database of Mexican shamans outside of time, though, if ya know what I mean!! (I'll be right here.)
I have only read Castaneda's very first published work on his interactions with don Juan Matus ("A Yacqui Way of Knowledge"), but this extremely distilled compilation of ideas from the entire opus gives me a great idea of what I should encounter if I continue to pore through the Teachings of Don Juan series. Powerful stuff, these distilled ideas - even alone. I recommend them at breakfast with a hearty black tea or coffee, mellowed with coconut creamer.
I have only read Castaneda's very first published work on his interactions with don Juan Matus ("A Yacqui Way of Knowledge"), but this extremely distilled compilation of ideas from the entire opus gives me a great idea of what I should encounter if I continue to pore through the Teachings of Don Juan series. Powerful stuff, these distilled ideas - even alone. I recommend them at breakfast with a hearty black tea or coffee, mellowed with coconut creamer.
April 20, 2021
Basically a collection of quotations from Castaneda's preceding books. Perfect for picking up and opening to a random page, and though it definitely helps to have read the actual books the quotations are taken from, I feel like the thoughts are universal and basic enough in their language to offer plenty to someone unfamiliar with his work.
January 22, 2008
This book is a collection of quotes from Don Juan, culled from Carlos Castanedas' first eight books. There is some powerful stuff in this book, so it's worth having around, but the quotes take on much more meaning in the context of the stories they came from. If you like this book, read the Teachings of Don Juan and work back from there.
December 29, 2013
The book includes some very interesting points of view that are worth considering. But it is VERY difficult to understand and to "swallow" as it icludes quotes from Carlos Castañeda's different works. I recommend it to everyone who is interested in spirituality but don't start with this one if you are at the beginning of your "mental journey".
March 14, 2015
I didn't like it. it's my first Carlos Castaneda book and I've heard good things about him. sadly I can't agree. maybe I chose the wrong book to read from him. book is full of quotes from his other books which I expected was going to motivate me to read more about him but it made the opposite effect
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