Product Description

Castaneda's first book in the Don Juan series. He meets Don Juan and is introduced to his magical world and philosophy by means of hallucinogenic plants and special exercises. The author's other books include "The Fire Within" and "The Quest for Ixtlan".

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #7873 in Books
• Published on: 2004-01-29
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 256 pages

About the Author
Carlos Castaneda was a graduate student in anthropology at the University of California, Los Angeles, gathering information on various medicinal herbs used by the Indians in Sonora, Mexico, when he met the old Yaqui Indian, Don Juan. His first book, The Teachings of don Juan, was the story of the first period the two men spent together as master and pupil. This was followed by the other volumes in the series, A Separate Reality, Journey to Ixtlan, Tales of Power, The Second Ring of Power and The Eagle's Gift, all of which are published by Penguin. He also wrote the Art of Dreaming (1993). Carlos Castaneda died in 1998. In its obituary for him the Guardian wrote 'It is hard to find a New Age celebrity who won't admit to having been influenced by Castaneda's powerful prose and paradigm-busting philosophy ... Few critics would deny author Joyce Carol Oates's assessment of his books as "remarkable works of art"' if (SYM == "BIO") { document.writeln(""); } else { document.writeln(""); }

Customer Reviews

Gateway to a new world view
This book is the first of a series describing what starts off as anthropologist Carlos' interest in Yaqui indian mysticism but soon becomes a description of his apprenticeship to 'man of power' Don Juan.

Likely to change your perspective of the world. It raised questions about our normal truths, attitudes and manner of living that are still with me years later.

Highly recommended

A wonderful glimpse into the world of a toltec warrior
When I first read The Teachings of Don Juan it hooked me completely. Although a lot of people ascribed Castaneda's story and his description of Don Juan to a mere figment of the imagination, the concepts presented by Don Juan nevertheless "felt right". The complexity of his teachings and the unusual logic to it cannot in my opinion be a product of Castanedas vivid imagination.

There are some truly hilarious passages in the books, especially when Don Juan and his sorcerer companions "tricks" Castaneda into seeing the world differently.
Castaneda's attempts to explain the things he's experiencing rationally makes the stories all the more fun to read.

If you're a seeker on a spiritual path and keep an open mind, this book might introduce you to the most efficient, disciplined and difficult path known to man.

Extraordinary experiences, essential reading
This, Castaneda's first account of his experiences with don Juan, offers the reader a glimpse of the world from a different perspective, that of the sorcerers of ancient Mexico. It narrates a journey of awareness embarked upon by Castaneda under the tutelage of don Juan, a nagual, Yaqui Indian and "man of knowledge".

The phenomena described are extraordinary, the explanations given are worldview-shattering and yet they resonate as true. The philosophies proffered are simple and encompass so much, readers find themselves subscribing to them readily. People with an open mind and interest in "wisdom" of this nature will find themselves enthralled.

This book is the perfect introduction to the ideas of Castaneda and don Juan; once read, you will want to read the others which continue the journey and expand on topics in increasingly astonishing ways.