Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1500817 in Books
• Published on: 1998-09-10
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 215 pages

Synopsis
Thirty years ago the University of California Press published an unusual manuscript by an anthropology student named Carlos Castaneda. "The Teachings of Don Juan" initiated a generation of seekers dissatisfied with the limitations of the Western worldview. Castaneda's now classic book remains controversial for the alternative way of seeing that it presents and the revolution in cognition it demands. In a series of fascinating dialogues, Castaneda sets forth his partial initiation with don Juan Matus, a Yaqui Indian shaman from the state of Sonora, Mexico. He describes don Juan's perception and mastery of the "non-ordinary reality" and how peyote along with other plants sacred to the Mexican Indians were used as gateways to the mysteries of "dread," "clarity," and "power.""The Teachings of Don Juan" is the story of a remarkable journey that has left an indelible impression on the life of more than a million readers around the world. "For me there is only the traveling on paths that have heart, on any path that may have heart. There I travel, and the only worthwhile challenge is to traverse its full length. And there I travel, looking, looking breathlessly." - Don Juan.

'Carlos Castaneda, under the tutelage of don Juan, takes us through the moment of twilight, through the crack in the universe between daylight and dark into a world not merely other than our own, but of an entirely different order of reality' - Walter Goldschmidt, from the Foreword.

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.